Maria Mazziotti Gillan is one of the esteemed poets included in a new anthology, What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump, edited by Martín Espada.Though titled as a collection of poems in the Age of Trump, the poems are much more than about the President. These are poems that either embody or express a sense of empathy or outrage, both prior to and following his election.
Maria's two poems, "Daddy We Called You" and "I Want to Write a Poem to Celebrate" fit into the immigrant experience described by the diversity of 92 voices in the book. Some of the poets included are Juan Felipe Herrera, Richard Blanco, Carolyn Forché, Patricia Smith, Robert Pinsky, Donald Hall, Elizabeth Alexander, Ocean Vuong, Marge Piercy, Yusef Komunyakaa, Brian Turner, and Naomi Shihab Nye.
These are the poetry of persecuted and scapegoated immigrants that bear witness to violence, police brutality and mass shootings in a school or synagogue. But beyond grievances, we also read poems that look to build bridges. One poet steps up to translate in Arabic at the airport; another declaims a musical manifesto after the hurricane that devastated his island; another evokes a demonstration in the street, an ecstasy of defiance, the joy of resistance.
Martín Espada will have a conversation about What Saves Us with Bill Ayers
sponsored by the University of Chicago on November 2, 2019. (event info)
Contributors Tara Betts, Benjamin Balthaser, Tarfia Faizullah, Ruth Goring, Paul Martínez Pompa, Marty McConnell, Lauren Schmidt and Mark Turcotte
will join editor Martín Espada for this special Chicago-area book launch.
sponsored by the University of Chicago on November 2, 2019. (event info)
Contributors Tara Betts, Benjamin Balthaser, Tarfia Faizullah, Ruth Goring, Paul Martínez Pompa, Marty McConnell, Lauren Schmidt and Mark Turcotte
will join editor Martín Espada for this special Chicago-area book launch.
Maria Mazziotti Gillan's most recent books are the poetry and photography collection, Paterson Light and Shadow and the poetry collection, What Blooms in Winter. Her collection of poems paired with some of her paintings is The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets. Her new artist website is at MariaMazziottiGillan.com. Maria's poetry website is MariaGillan.com.
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