The Ghost of Caesar Chavez: Poems [Paperback]

David Dominguez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2010

Poetry. Latino/Latina Studies. "Don't be misled by the title of David Dominguez's THE GHOST OF CESAR CHAVEZ. This book has nothing to do with shades or specters. Dominguez's project is to reanimate the dead, to bring the lost souls of his past back to life. Dominguez celebrates the legacy of Cesar Chavez, and revivifies a host of forebears, lovers, friends and campesinos who populate his beloved San Joaquin Valley. Dominguez chronicles his family's resonant history, and he moves through his poems with such elegance and musical grace that reading them feels like dancing. The last, long section of his book details the toil and the joy of building a house, and when he beckons us to follow him through 'the scared hallways of home,' we do so with pleasure"--Gary Young.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Dominguez's first book of poetry, Work Done Right, was published by the University of Arizona Press in 2003. Dominguez's poems have appeared in journals such as The Bloomsbury Review, Crab Orchard Review, Poet Lore, and The Southern Review. His work has been anthologized in BEAR FLAG REPUBLIC: PROSE POEMS AND POETICS FROM CALIFORNIA, BREATHE: 101 CONTEMPORARY ODES, and The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry, among others. He earned his B.A. in comparative literature from the University of California at Irvine and his M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Arizona. He teaches composition and poetry writing at Reedley College and is the co-founder and poetry editor of The Packinghouse Review.

Product Details

• Paperback: 74 pages
• Publisher: C&R Press; 1st edition (February 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1936196018
• ISBN-13: 978-1936196012
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,012,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poems for the Journey, April 15, 2010

By 

Terry L. Main "Terri Main -Author Dark Side o... (Reedley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ghost of Caesar Chavez: Poems (Paperback)

In one of David Dominguez' poems he mentions William Carlos Williams. The influence of Williams is definitely evident in the focus on the "little things" of life: driving down the road, laying tile, pulling up a rug. Yet, Dominguez voice is his own. He draws pictures of his life that began as the grandson of poor immigrants and culminates in his life as a college professor. It is this journey and the tension between cultures that will connect with so many individuals.

Many of his poems deal with building a new home. This fulfillment of the "American Dream" brings with it a tension. He is the "boss" while other Latino's struggle to build his home. He sees a gulf that exists uncomfortably between himself and these workers.

Dominguez perfectly expresses this sense of loss in "success." Many of us who come from working class or even working poor backgrounds can relate to the mixed feelings of satisfaction in our success and yet realizing that it forever separates us to some extent from our own heritage.

As I read many of these poems I was reminded of Liza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. At one point she returns to Covent Garden where she had grown up. The same flower sellers she had lived with did not recognize her and tell her that this is no place for a "lai-dee."

Dominguez writes about these experiences with an easy language that make you feel that you are not so much reading poetry as having a conversation with the author.

All in all, this is well worth reading.