9781954901063
Victoria’s collection of poetry reads like a love letter to her family and community. Her tender and often humorous accounts of family histories, coming of age, identity, and the richness of her culture emphasize the love and complexity of her Mexicana/Chicana experiences. Despite the often rough and tumble life some of her poems reflect with regard to racism, sexism, and personal identity, there are no hints of victim-hood in her work. Whether challenging white male privilege or describing how immigrant families and personal identities manage to survive in a world of hierarchies, injustice, and virtual un-realities, her poetry is rooted in a strong desire to move forward, outward and inward to a place of her own making. Some of her poems evoke a serious tone of injustice or spiritual awakening. However, playfulness is also very much a part of her writing. For example, one of her poems plays with the idea of “egg spell” (an indigenous form of spirit cleansing) and “expel” (as in banishing), which adds and amplifies her poem’s cultural and practical meanings. As a collection of the heart, Victoria’s poetry is a place of power where she can change poison into medicine and medicine into poetry.