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57th out of 68 books
—
16 voters
Slow Lightning
Eduardo C. Corral is the 2011 recipient of the Yale Series of Younger Poets award, joining such distinguished previous winners as Adrienne Rich, W. S. Merwin, and John Ashbery. Corral is the first Latino poet to win the competition.
Seamlessly braiding English and Spanish, Corral's poems hurtle across literary and linguistic borders toward a lyricism that slows down experie...more
Seamlessly braiding English and Spanish, Corral's poems hurtle across literary and linguistic borders toward a lyricism that slows down experie...more
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
April 3rd 2012
by Yale University Press
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The central poem of this excellent first book, Variation on a Theme by Jose Montoya, uses Robert Hayden's masterpiece Runagate Runagate as a touchstone for an engagement with the experience of Mexican immigrants (Corral emphasizes the fact that his father was an "illegal" and claims the identity of an "Illegal American." Hayden's a good point of reference in many ways. The poems which spoke to me most powerfully were ones that could be called "political" but they never reduce experience to ideol...more
I liked this, though this might've been the quickest reading poetry book I've read in a while.
Corral does a couple kinds of poems here: there are narrative poems, some of which, for example, deal with his dad's experiences or his relationship with his dad; some others are stories of border crossers, coyotes and all that. Then there are more fragmented narrative poems, the kind of things that Carl Phillips writes (so it makes sense he writes the intro, and maybe helped Yale pick this manuscript)...more
Corral does a couple kinds of poems here: there are narrative poems, some of which, for example, deal with his dad's experiences or his relationship with his dad; some others are stories of border crossers, coyotes and all that. Then there are more fragmented narrative poems, the kind of things that Carl Phillips writes (so it makes sense he writes the intro, and maybe helped Yale pick this manuscript)...more
So many moments of sheer imaginative energy and uninhibited "going for it" or "saying it." Reading this made me feel empowered to let my imagination guide me. From the deer with honey on its hind leg to the bride too poor for lilies who holds a glass of milk, the images are as resonant as dreams. Some of my favorite moments:
"Are the knees & elbows
the first knots
the dead untie?"
"A saxophone is nothing like an ampersand in his hands."
"After a storm saguaros glisten
like mint trombones."
"Are the knees & elbows
the first knots
the dead untie?"
"A saxophone is nothing like an ampersand in his hands."
"After a storm saguaros glisten
like mint trombones."
An auspicious debut. Probably my favorite Yale Series of Younger Poets selection in years. Competition judge Carl Phillips writes a wonderful introduction. Corral has genuine, original poetic talent.
from "Ditat Deus"
I learned to make love to a man
by touching my father.
.....
He would lift me each morning
onto the bathroom counter,
dot my small palms
with dollops of shaving cream
so I could lather his face.
from "Ditat Deus"
I learned to make love to a man
by touching my father.
.....
He would lift me each morning
onto the bathroom counter,
dot my small palms
with dollops of shaving cream
so I could lather his face.
This 2012 book of poems is written by a Mexican-American who is gay. So there are
many levels of significance here. There are several about his parents and their hard
working, "illegal" lives. His writing is electric and fast-paced, often dream-like
and surreal. He will surprise you with his use of language. Corrall frequently uses
Spanish words within the poems, so have your Spanish dictionary handy. This volume
won the Yale Series of Younger Writers Award.
many levels of significance here. There are several about his parents and their hard
working, "illegal" lives. His writing is electric and fast-paced, often dream-like
and surreal. He will surprise you with his use of language. Corrall frequently uses
Spanish words within the poems, so have your Spanish dictionary handy. This volume
won the Yale Series of Younger Writers Award.
I've been reading a few first books this summer, and I think this is my favorite of the bunch. The language is really striking. I also felt reassured by the structure of the book, as it doesn't feel too overtly like a "project" book. The voice feels unified throughout, but it doesn't force a narrative arc on the poems. It just reads like a strong collection.
Honestly it just wasn't my type of book. It's very very abstract poetry, and for me it just goes over my head. I'm still giving it 3 stars just because the quality of the writing isn't necessarily bad, it's just that I wasn't able to understand it because I'm bad at poetry. For people who like this type of poetry, maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.
I had just enough Spanish in me to read this collection without a lot of interruption. I was expecting more Spanish, frankly, and I think that would have added more flavor. Overall, I was a huge fan of about two-thirds of the poems, while the others left me wanting. There wasn't a lot of middle ground for me. Looking forward to future work.
There are a few poems that feel like throw-aways. Maybe two or three in the whole collection like that. But, overall, Corral's work is witty and filled with fresh images as well as narrative with clear drama and tension.
"In the margins in a book of poems by Emily Dickinson
he scribbled: she had a pocketful of horses/Trojan/
& some of them used. Often I mistook him for a storyteller
when he stood in the rain. A su izquierda, huesos.
A su derecha, mapas de cuero. When I'd yawn,
he'd pluck black pet...more
"In the margins in a book of poems by Emily Dickinson
he scribbled: she had a pocketful of horses/Trojan/
& some of them used. Often I mistook him for a storyteller
when he stood in the rain. A su izquierda, huesos.
A su derecha, mapas de cuero. When I'd yawn,
he'd pluck black pet...more
This was a nice collection from a young poet. It felt like an immersive experience into Hispanic culture. I did find myself wishing I knew more Spanish to comprehend a little better. Still, the bilingual qualities created an interesting reading experience.
Evocative, engaging, calls to be reread and explored (which you will have to do unless you are bilingual -- much in Spanish). Only fault: a few poems seem filler straight out of MFA assignments, but only a few. I expect this poet's future books to be life-altering experiences.
Eduardo C. Corral's "Slow Lightning" is rapid electrocution. The language and imagery in his collection make even the hair on your arms stand up in full attention. He gets hit, stands up again, comes back for more. Corral's poetry is like the rolled "r" in the Spanish language: he wants to keep saying it, you want to keep hearing it. Haunting and lovely.
This is one of the finest debut collections of poetry I've ever read. Really beautiful writing, and moving content. I want to keep reading it over and over again.
This is a diverse and intriguing collection of poems. Any poetry lover would find it interesting and stimulating.
This is the single best poetry book of 2012, and is highly recommended.
I haven't ever connected with a book of poetry like I have this one. It's quite a good read.
gorgeous cover design
The people in these poems are perfectly realized. There were some great poems and there were great lines in some of the less-great poems. The central poem of the book "Variations on a theme by Jose Montoya" is really good, the highlight of the book.
"Under the cold scaffolding of winter my love took me for a walk through the desert. My breath crumbling like bread.
Under the cold scaffolding of winter my love took me for a walk through the desert. My breath crumbling like bread.
Under the cold scaffolding of winter my love took me for a walk through the desert. My breath crumbling like bread."
--"Poem After Frida Kahlo's painting..."
Under the cold scaffolding of winter my love took me for a walk through the desert. My breath crumbling like bread.
Under the cold scaffolding of winter my love took me for a walk through the desert. My breath crumbling like bread."
--"Poem After Frida Kahlo's painting..."
I don't read too many books of poetry, but this was mentioned by Junot Diaz in an interview so I picked it up. Haunting and surreal, but what I was looking for and appreciated the most was how he captured the images and emotions of immigrants in the borderlands. With such few words, Corral conveys volumes about pain, struggle, addiction, loss....all while avoiding tired stereotypes.
As a poet, I just feel like this poet didn't leave much for me. Meaning, why did he have to go and use all the good metaphors and all of the good imagery? Just ruthless. :) I really enjoyed this and will continue to enjoy it as I go back for multiple reads to study it.
Oh, the top of my head! It has come off.
You are doing yourself a favor in reading this. Corral takes no comfortable trope, prompt, or image for granted, and you will be in a constant state of excitement over rediscovering emotions you'd forgotten you'd had.
A stirring, emotionally complex, sensual, and volatile debut by one of America's most exciting young poets. The use of Spanish and English, the cowboy archetype, and animal/body imagery is superbly done. Wow, just wow.
brilliant. must-read.
Moving & memorable.
Sometimes you see something so beautiful, there is little to say about it. Beautiful. Stunning.
May 17, 2013
Robert Cojocaru
marked it as to-read
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“Once a man offered me his heart and I said no. Not because I didn’t love him. Not because he was a beast or white — I couldn’t love him. Do you understand? In bed while we slept, our bodies inches apart, the dark between our flesh a wick. It was burning down. And he couldn’t feel it.”
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Jan 11, 2013 12:37pm