How to Pull Apart the Earth

by Karla Cordero

HOW TO PULL APART THE EARTH is an homage to the intrinsic thread that weaves the culture of Mexico together with the United States, and the echo of colonization that works to erase it. Cordero skillfully exemplifies the complexity & beauty of growing up in a borderland, and the sacrifices paid for the dream.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 2018

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poetic voice that comes through these pages is fierce, unflinching, unafraid in a dire political climate that violently denigrates women and migrants. A good read, though I must admit I find lower-case poems a bit distracting in written form. The DC public library system has a lot of good modern poetry and I am glad this is among the holdings.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karla Cordero's 'How to Pull Apart the Earth" has so many gems in it. Cordero's use of language is so beautiful. I found myself marking poem after poem with a sticky flag. The themes in this poetry book include identity, Mexican culture, borders, colonialism, racism, family, religion, and faith among others.

"at the highest peak a star fed him honeysuckles & he lost his appetite for death"

"Each hand like blood-warm rakes welcomed the soil"

"How blessed to know the luxury of shiver"

"tell the bully disguised as shredder that her ignorance is another word for privilege"

[Laura Mcculloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful writing. I appreciate the cultural and historical references integrated in Karla's writing. I have to admit that perhaps because I have not formally studied poetry some of the poems were pretty difficult for me to break down, in terms of structure and beginning or endings to phrases or verses. I can relate to the idea of inheriting languages (English, Spanish, and the erasure of my family's Nahuat language) and the identity struggle.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully, written. One can feel the poet's emotions. There are both wonder and realism in this collection. She speaks of the complexities of being bilingual and transborder. To know and understand two worlds within one

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry collection was wonderfully done! The formatting was super interesting and the language used was beautiful and striking. My favorite theme and how it was expressed is the importance of language and lacking it feeling like being caged!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this, to be honest. On one hand, I really enjoyed the message and the stories that were woven into this poetry, but on the other, the writing itself felt disjointed, which left me wanting...

[Linda Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOW TO PULL APART THE EARTH exemplifies the complexity & beauty of growing up in borderland, and the sacrifices paid for the dream. -- Back cover

Excelente!

[Molly]

2023 Sealey Challenge 19/31

[Krystal Galvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You will discover that green skin is a mutant as what are you/ skin. When asked “what are you” translates into the world /don’t know our history be written by blood & bullet.”

Re-read this amazing book of poetry for the second time!

I was first introduced to Karla’s work in Living Writers at SDSU back in 2016, reading Grasshoppers Before Gods, and had more amazing opportunities to hear her passionately speak about how her writing contributes to her identity as a Chicana woman raised in Calexico.

Her writing centers around the themes of family, migration, racism, and oppression. Karla is a storyteller and uses powerful language to bring an acute awareness to the world that’s personal, political, and familial.

Her poem, “Calexico” is a poem that honors her hometown: “My city is made of people who know/the taste of sun” to “how my city knows to be a kitchen” but also mentions the oppression that comes with being caught between two worlds: “my city too knows:/loss/metal fence/broke land/broken families/a president’s insult” and “ghosting the land/caught/between american dreamer/& indigenous footstep.”

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

of sewing and grandmothers and cactus and border. how do we put back the earth?

favorite; in a dream a small statue of la virgen de guadeloupe prepares to dive from the bookshelf"

more favorites later