From Our Land to Our Land

December 15, 2019
A distinguished Mexican American writer meditates on the place of Xicanx culture in what he sees as a sick and increasingly fragmented global society. Reacting in part to the political upheaval and chaos that have characterized the last decade, Rodriguez (Borrowed Bones: New Poems From the Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, 2016, etc.) offers 12 essays that reflect on the meaning of identity while offering a vision of a more humane world. In "The End of Belonging," the author responds to Donald Trump's anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican rhetoric by celebrating his Native American ancestry, which predated the European conquest of the Americas. As the descendent of Indigenous people, he sees himself as a child of the Earth who transcends the fabricated boundaries of nation. "I belong anywhere," he writes. To counterbalance what he sees as the disease of capitalism brought to the Americas, Rodriguez advocates for a new "mythic imagination" in the essay titled "The Four Key Connections." Through myths, people can find "sustenance for mind and soul." Poetry is another avenue of healing the author believes society should explore. In "Poet Laureate? Poet Illiterate? What?" he discusses poetry as "medicine" that can not only "impact [but] change this world." Throughout the book, Rodriguez speaks about Xicanx cultural achievements with pride. In "I Still Love H.E.R," he discusses the Xicanx-hip-hop connection and the influence of that connection on recording artists around the world. In "Low & Slow in Tokyo" he describes the impact of Xicanx popular culture on anti-establishment Japanese youth. In speaking about himself, Rodriguez is, as always, honest and forthright. In "Men's Tears," he speaks openly about his violent gang past and the lesson he eventually learned that "men should cry more, connect more, feel more." "The Story of Our Day" details the author's unsuccessful but impactful 2014 Green Party bid for California governor, a campaign that emphasized nothing short of revolutionary change. Powerful from start to finish, Rodriguez's book celebrates Xicanx culture and wisdom while calling for much-needed global healing. A thoughtful and radically provocative collection.

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February 1, 2020
Former poet laureate of Los Angeles, novelist, and memoirist Rodriguez (It Calls You Back, 2011; Always Running, 1993) offers this collection of essays as a new vision . . . for the shared well-being of everyone . . . with beauty, healing, poetry, imagination, and truth. Throughout these frank and heartfelt explorations, Rodriguez proposes a fresh appreciation of the Xicanx (Chicano) legacy and its deep roots in native culture. In most of the narratives, Rodriguez celebrates multiculturalism, the international reach of Xicanx culture (lowriders in Japan!), and the lies that fuel white nationalism while charting his own trajectory as a poet and activist. Especially effective and infuriating are the essays about the genesis of the Mara Salvatrucha gang and his work with gang members in Los Angeles and El Salvador. Rodriguez ends with an account of his recent campaign for governor of California, and invites readers to participate in this new vision. An engaging and thought-provoking book deserving of a wide readership.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)