NUYORICAN POETRY: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Words and Feelings

The subtitle may be more apt than the title since as T. S. Eliot remarked in one of his more animadversional passages: ""Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion. . . ."" This anthology of Spanglish verse written to a bomba beat is a strong expression of the mindscape of the urban Puerto Rican ""slave class,"" even if it is not always poetry. But read it for what it is--protest, plain and simple--and the Nuyorican gang will take you inside their impoverished world where crime, dope, welfare, rats and roaches, joblessness, illiteracy, wife beating, prison, prejudice and early death provide the themes; Miguel Pinero, the ex-con who ran away with every major critical award on Broadway last year for his play Short-Eyes, is the only known talent here, and he maintains a high, sardonic wit despite the undeniably depressing facts of life in New York City's barrios. At least one of the contributors, according to the editors, is only nine years old. That's Jorge Lopez. Lucky CienFuegos, T. C. Garcia, Americo Casiano, Bimbo de Ambulante, Martita Morales, Luz Rodriguez and Shorty Bon Bon are some of the others here who bring una poca de gracia to the inner city's nightmare of oppression and destitution.