Blood Sugar Canto, Ire'ne Lara Silva's third book, is a powerful hymn to life and to her own body by a "curandera-poet" struggling to transmute the fear and despair of diabetes into healing.She sings of the syringes, the paraphernalia of this new world she must live in, its losses and griefs, its pain, and her memories of those in her family who have died of this disease.
Exploring themes of grief and remembrance, Ire'ne Lara Silva's poetry collection delves into the profound impact of losing her brother and adopted son. Through her distinctive canto style, she articulates the emotional turmoil and solitude experienced in the aftermath of his death, while also reflecting on moments of joy. The poems capture the journey of navigating loss and the gradual process of reassembling life in the wake of tragedy.
Blending various musical forms, this work serves as a rich, multi-vocal exploration of time, place, and history. It intertwines elements of song, lament, and prayer, creating a unique tapestry that reflects cultural narratives and emotional depth. The book invites readers to experience the power of music as a means of storytelling and connection.
In homage to Gloria Anzaldúa and her iconic work Borderlands/La Frontera, award-winning poets ire'ne lara silva and Dan Vera have assembled the work of 54 writers who reflect on the complex terrain-the deeply felt psychic, social, and geopolitical borderlands-that Anzaldúa inhabited, theorized, explored, and invented. Named for the Nahuail word meaning "their soul," Imaniman presents work that is sparked from the soul: the individual soul, the communal soul. These poets interrogate, complicate, and personalize the borderlands in transgressive and transformative ways, opening new paths and revisioning old ones for the next generation of spiritual, political, and cultural border crossers. Book jacket