Teeth [Paperback]

Aracelis Girmay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

Stunning, highly original poems that celebrate the richness of the author's multicultural tradition, Teeth explores loves, wars, wild hope, defiance, and the spirit of creativity in a daring use of language and syntax. Behind this language one senses a powerful, inventive woman who is not afraid to tackle any subject, including rape, genocide, and love, always sustained by an optimistic voice, assuring us that in the end justice will triumph and love will persevere.

LOVE,
you be the reason why
we swagger & jive,
lift the guitar, & pick up the axe.
when it is i tilt my hat to the side,
wearing colors & perfumes, it's cause, love,
you did it to me. oh,
you do sure turn my tongue to fiddle,
& make the salt taste sweet. man,
i don't need a rooster, or peacock even,
to help me spend my time, nope,
just you, love, right & solid as
a line.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Girmay has put together one of the best debuts by any poet in recent memory." -- Jose B. Gonzalez, co-editor of Latino Boom

"Her keen observations are put forth with an appetite for life without fear or self-consciousness." -- Nicholasa Mohr

"Teeth delivers on its promise to be a fierce, proud book of poems." -- El Paso Times

Book Description

Stunning, highly original poems that celebrate the richness of the author's multicultural tradition, Teeth explores loves, wars, wild hope, defiance, and the spirit of creativity in a daring use of language and syntax. Behind this language one senses a powerful, inventive woman who is not afraid to tackle any subject, including rape, genocide, and love, always sustained by an optimistic voice, assuring us that in the end justice will triumph and love will persevere.

LOVE,
you be the reason why
we swagger & jive,
lift the guitar, & pick up the axe.
when it is i tilt my hat to the side,
wearing colors & perfumes, it's cause, love,
you did it to me. oh,
you do sure turn my tongue to fiddle,
& make the salt taste sweet. man,
i don't need a rooster, or peacock even,
to help me spend my time, nope,
just you, love, right & solid as
a line.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 130 pages
• Publisher: Curbstone Books; First Edition edition (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931896364
• ISBN-13: 978-1931896368
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Collection of Politically and Personally Charged Poetry, August 1, 2007

By 

April E. Mahoney (Vernon, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teeth (Paperback)

Aracelis Girmay's well-received debut book of poems, TEETH (Curbstone Press, ISBN: 978-1-931896-36-8, $13.00), deals with a wide range of topics, from war and exploitation to love, peace, and healing. Martín Espada penned the introduction to the book, describing Girmay as "deeply involved with the world, and her poetry articulates a passion for that world in spite of- or because of- its failings."
The first poem in the collection, "Arroz Poetica," responds to the crisis of the current U.S. war with Iraq. She breathes life into the Iraqi dead, giving names and lives to those caught in the unnecessary crossfire. Girmay strips away abstract political propaganda, exposing the need to consider ethics, humanity, and ultimately reality when dealing with international relations. Girmay answers the question of who the "enemy" is: "They wear ball gowns & suits & rings/ to talk of war in neat & folded languages/ that will not stain their formal dinner clothes/ or tousle their hair." She makes a clear distinction between those who "ordered the missiles" and those who "lose their children...their houses & their streets," offering sentiment and empathy to those who have gone altogether ignored, despite their anguish and sacrifice.
Girmay writes of other unacknowledged tragedies in the world, addressing the inhumane treatment of those suffering in Darfur, as well as issues of race and sexual exploits that ring with a distinct universality. She celebrates her multicultural heritage (Eritrean, Puerto Rican, and African American), infusing strength and courage into characters dealing with a great degree of mental and physical oppression. In "Cyclops Mary on the Avenue, a Monologue," her title character responds to degradation by exploring her own beauty and that of the world around her, while examining her persecutor with pity and resilience.
The aesthetic and aural qualities of language are celebrated in her artful, musical poems "Ode to the Letter B" and "For Estefani Lora, Third Grade, Who Made me a Card." Mastering Sounds and playing with meanings, Girmay shows her immense skill and careful diction.
One of the best poetry collections I have ever read, TEETH transports the reader into a world in which despair is acknowledged and explored, but ultimately hope reigns.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings a distinctive and creative voice to her free verse lyrics., July 7, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teeth (Paperback)

A writer, poet and educator, Aracelis Girmay brings a distinctive and creative voice to her free verse lyrics. Her poetry is energetic, original, and celebratory. She is also not afraid to express through her poetry views of the world and the human experience that are as thoughtful as they are thought-provoking. Very highly recommended to the attention of poetry enthusiasts who appreciate skill and imagination, "Teeth" is a compilation of Girmay's poetry that also reflects her Eritrean, Puerto Rican, and African American heritage. 'Limay, Nicaragua, April 1998': Mountains/tangled with bones,/fields, roads,/rivers jangled,/volcanoes jangled/with bones/on their backs,/into the earth/nevermind merengue/nevermind the cooking/nevermind the quiquiriqui/of roosters/singing Rise.

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent!, February 27, 2011

By 

mclicious "mclicious" (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teeth (Paperback)

She writes poetry like she's a real person, writes poetry like she is creating an ethnology, writes poetry like she's living it, writes poetry like it's a newspaper editorial, writes poetry like it's a protest song, writes poetry like she is a poet. So much good going on in this book.