Welcome to Litsy!

Oof. Should have chosen lighter reading for the holiday. For those who haven‘t read Diaz, choose Post-Colonial Love Poem first. Deserved its Pulitzer and it‘s a collection I return to. This one was good too though. Hit maybe a little close to home. Many poems are inspired by her meth addict brother who died. I have a similar brother. He‘s living and maybe on the streets today in another city despite my efforts to avoid that for him.

This is beautiful. The poet deals with her brother, the meth addict. It's very raw. I felt bad for the family. She won a Pulitzer for her second collection but this is also fantastic.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

My favorite book I read last year that I never posted a review on and my new favorite poetry collection. I've still read so little poetry, and barely any complete collections, but this one has a perfect combination of potent imagery and a mix of ideas that run the gamut from satirical to bleak to comic. I discovered this author during a #ReadingEnvy readalong last year and Jenny recommended I read more of Natalie Diaz's work - very glad I did!

It took me quite a while to finish this one, reading just a poem or two each day. Beautiful but heart-wrenching.

#falltreasures #nativeamericanday

The author of this collection of poems was born and raised on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation in Needles California, a town my family used to drive through on the way to our Colorado River vacations. I love it when stories/poems take place in cities I‘ve been to and can see in my minds eye as I read. Great collection.

March wrap up. In addition to my middle grade reads I was able to squeeze in these lovelies. My least favorite was The Book Charmer and the rest were all 4 star reads.

A really strong collection. The poems about her brother and family are especially powerful.

"The Red Blues" was my favorite, hands down. Definitely the best (only?) poem about menstruation I've ever read.
"There are bulls between my legs,
a torera
stabbing her banderillas"

Really good

Diaz‘s debut collection tackles big questions intelligently and sympathetically. While I found her more recent collection more powerful, the poems here detailing her family‘s struggles with her brother‘s drug addiction were very moving. 4⭐️ #hoopla

‪The poems in this collection really run the gamut of human emotion—anger, frustration, despair, erotic love, romantic love, familial love, laughter, it‘s all in there, often many at the same time.‬

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#Indigenous experience; lesbian passion; a brother addicted to meth; wide-ranging literary references— these poems make me think and they make me feel. Diaz writes of carrying your hurts like “cracked pomegranates, because you haven‘t learned to see the beauty of a busted fruit.” Through the lens of this gorgeous #poetry, I feel blessed to have seen some things. #LGBTQ

Day 3 of cat-sitting. Sarah has overcome her resistance to cuddles by a book-reading interloper on her couch. Meanwhile, her sister Katie is still maintaining a safe distance. #catsofLitsy
@Suzze @saresmoore @LeahBergen

My friend‘s cats are not entirely appreciative that I‘ve been coming over to read at their house while their human is away. Maybe I should try reading aloud?

There‘s no such thing as gentle weeping.
Your gray guitar
is my sister—the hole in the chest
gives you both away.

(Image: Picasso via the Internet)

When My Brother Was an Aztec is the debut poetry collection by Natalie Diaz from copper canyon press.
Poems are vivid with language, family history, cultural struggle, and struggles in the body. So many great poems here!
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#nationalpoetrymonth2018 #nationalpoetrymonth

I picked up this book at Duende District, pop-up bookstore focusing on writers of color. I can't wait to read it!

I don't get book mail often but when I do it's amazing. I am so excited for this collection of poetry!