Furia: Poems [Paperback]

Orlando Ricardo Menes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2005

This eye-opening and exotic new poetry collection tells a story in a way that few books of poetry do. Filled with colors, textures, tastes, and beautifully crafted language, these sensual poems recall the author's Peruvian/Cuban ancestry and his childhood in Peru and Florida, taking the reader on a journey full of delights — and dangers. There are maids who serve monkeys for dinner, elementary-school thugs wielding knives, and frogs falling from the sky, as Furia confronts issues of race, culture, and identity and portrays the world's vastness and diversity — as well as its simple pleasures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Menes . . . transforms [experiences], giving readers not just a taste of his anguish but a deeper understanding." -- Library Journal, August 2005

"Menes, through sharp, unsparing and rich language weaves an unforgettable, cohesive and utterly fulfilling poetic narrative." -- MoorishGirl

Furia is...cultural fiercity and lyrical language that entices and sometimes repulses but is always significant and moving. -- Chicago Journal, June 9, 2005

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions; 1 edition (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571314202
• ISBN-13: 978-1571314208
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,621,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Orlando Ricardo Menes was born in Lima, Perú, to Cuban parents but has lived most of his life in the U.S. Since 2000 he has taught in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame, where he is currently Associate Professor in English. He is married with two young children. His third poetry collection, FURIA, was published in 2005 by Milkweed Editions. Menes is also the author of RUMBA ATOP THE STONES, published in 2001 by Peepal Tree Press (Leeds, England), in addition to being editor of RENAMING ECSTASY: LATINO WRITINGS ON THE SACRED (Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe, 2004) and the forthcoming THE OPEN LIGHT: POETS FROM NOTRE DAME, 1991-2007 (University of Notre Dame Press, 2010). Besides his own poems, Menes has published numerous translations of poetry in Spanish, including MY HEART FLOODED WITH WATER: SELECTED POEMS BY ALFONSINA STORNI (Latin American Literary Review Press, 2009). That same year he received a Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp, Unsparing and Rich Language, June 15, 2005

By 

Daniel Olivas (West Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Furia: Poems (Paperback)

Orlando Ricardo Menes brings a multicultural palette to this his third collection of poems: born to Cuban parents, raised in both Peru and Miami, with one family line traced back to China. But if one were expecting Furia (Milkweed Editions) to be a wistful, balmy paean to culture and place, one would be shocked starting with the first poem of this three-part collection. This collection packs an emotional wallop drawn as it is from coarse yet colorful threads of divergent cultures. But Menes, through sharp, unsparing and rich language weaves these threads to produce an unforgettable, cohesive and utterly fulfilling poetic narrative. [The full review of this book first appeared in Moorishgirl.]