>But, as usual, there was a sort of falling off in the meanwhile, though
>perhaps new interest as indicated by the recent publication of Reversible
>Monuments: Contemporary Mexican Poetry edited by Monica de la Torre and
>Michael Wiegers which Weinberger in the introduction calls "the first
>general news from Mexico, and the news is that Mexico has a new and large
>generation of poets," or other anthologies like Sin Puerta Visibles
>translated by Jen Hofer.
And of course my own Across the Line / Al otro lado: The Poetry of Baja
California (San Diego: Junction Press, 2002), which I edited with Harry
Polkinhorn.
Rebecca's list of anthologies, and all the hard work many of us have been
doing, notwithstanding, except in border regions Mexican poetry post-Paz is
largely unknown in the US, and even San Diegans rarely are aware of what's
happening culturally in Mexico, 15 miles from my house in the center. This
despite the active promotion of cross-border awareness by our otherwise
very conservative newspapers. When major cultural events happen in Tijuana
or Mexicali I'm usually the only gringo in evidence.
It is shockingly true that very little British poetry makes its way into
the awareness of US poets. I've been particularly lucky--introduced to
Bunting's work 30 years ago, and exposed to the poets that Jerry Rothenberg
and the local university have brought to San Diego. Even so, it's largely
this list that's opened the field for me. Go into bookstores that have a
special interest in poetry and the pickings are pretty slim.
Mark
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