The Other Man Was Me: A Voyage to the New World [Paperback]

Rafael Campo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 1994

National Poetry Series winner, gay Latino

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Winner of the National Poetry Series 1993 Open Competition, Campo's first book is firmly topical: Latino ethnicity, gay identity, the responsibilities of doctors in the age of AIDS, and the meaning of family are all under question as the writer, a San Francisco doctor, writes with a sturdily imaginative vigor in compact, accessible poems. "The narcissism universally / Attributed to infants once belonged / To me," observes a speaker in "Song for My Lover"; Campo's voice is characteristically forthright, realistic and impassioned. His interests include, conspicuously, narrative--not just the story of one person's experience ("Pretending fatherhood was simply sperm"), but a clan's ("Our Country of Origin") over generations, or a people's. The poet's assertive exploration of personal and political material is always engaging. However, his language can be both trite and awkward, a willed wrestle with experience that neglects the writer's medium. This is not to miss Campo's talent, which is clear and persistent.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Winner of the National Poetry Series open competition, this is an enigma-as all prize-winning works should be. Campo is simultaneously a new-formalist poet, a physician, gay, and Hispanic, and he makes the combination work, without compromising any aspect. Many poems rhyme, and all lines begin with capital letters. A poem early in the collection opens: "A sonnet? Tension. Words withheld." In the remaining pages, Campo addresses a male genealogy-grandfather, father, lover, (imaginary) son-in tight 16-line poem sequences. Particularly in these sequential poems, he skillfully uses repetition to locate, or transfer, objects and emotions. Many poems humorously triumph over depressing subject matter; there's a court jester who sleeps with the king after the queen's death and a vividly depicted hospital in which AIDS is cured (free of charge). For most collections.
Rochelle Ratner, formerly Poetry Editor, "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr; First Edition edition (July 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558851119
• ISBN-13: 978-1558851115
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,120,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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