Acknowledged Legislator

Acknowledged Legislator: Critical Essays on the Poetry of Martín Espada stands as the first-ever collection of essays on poet and activist Martín Espada. It is also, to date, the only published book-length, single-author study of Espada currently in existence. Relying on innovative, highly original contributions from thirteen Espada scholars, its principal aim is to argue for a long overdue critical awareness of and cultural appreciation for Espada and his body of writing. Acknowledged Legislator accomplishes this task in three fundamental ways: by providing readers with background information on the poet’s life and work; offering an examination into the subject matter and dominant themes that are frequently contained in his writing; and finally, by advocating, in a variety of ways, for why we should be reading, discussing, and teaching the Espada canon. Divided into four distinct sections that modulate through several theoretical frames—from Espada’s attention to resistance poetics and concerns for historical memory to his oppositional critique of neoliberalism and support for a class consciousness grounded in labor rights—Acknowledged Legislator offers a cohesive, forward-thinking interpretive statement of the poet’s vision and proposes a critical (re)assessment for how we read Espada, now and in the future.

“Acknowledged Legislator is the much-merited, if long delayed, tribute of the scholarly academy's recognition of the creative achievement, visionary imagination, and wider sociocultural, public significance of perhaps the most genuinely (Pan) American poet of the contemporary Latino Diaspora.”

Poet Martín Espada (b. 1957), who has become synonymous with political activism, is a strong advocate of social equality, often to the detriment of his exposure to a more mainstream audience. This collection offers a comprehensive biographical-critical study of a poet who could be considered the unofficial voice of marginal Latinos. He writes from the perspective of a first generation Nuyorican who experienced overt racial discrimination, and his knowledge of Latin American literature of protest is extensive. In the introductory material, Carvalho provides important biographical information about Espada’s humble origins. The child of a 'dark-skinned Puerto Rican' father and a Jewish mother, Espada was born in the projects of New York City. Against all odds, he eventually became a lawyer, and his academic training is often evident in his politically inspired poetry. As the essays in this volume reveal, Espada’s poetry reflects the poet’s activism as a lawyer who fought for the rights of undocumented Latinos. Another of the book's critical focuses is Espada’s pro-independence poetry in support of the construction of a Puerto Rican nation. This volume introduces readers to the complex colonialist history that promoted the imposition of American citizenship on Puerto Ricans. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers. CHOICE
While this book is primarily meant for academics, it is accessible to--and should be read by--a much broader audience. . . .Acknowledged Legislator is an important and timely book. . . .Carvalho has done a great service for all of us who care about not just literature, but also how literature can (indeed, should) intersect with community, democracy, and social justice. North American Review
If there is a poet that deserves the epithet of ‘acknowledged legislator,’ it is Martín Espada, who is also an essayist, translator, and political activist. His words lay at the service of social justice, the rights of immigrants, of community as a force, and yes, truth…. Edward J. Carvahlo’s compilation honors Martín Espada, his poetry, and his political activism. As most of the essayists engage, one way or another, in biographical accounts of Espada’s life, we muse, in admiration, the continuum of Truth in the poet’s mouth. Sargasso: A Journal of Caribbean Literature, Language & Culture
It is a tremendous pleasure to have this ambitious collection of essays about the American poet who, more than any other writer, combines incisive political critique with utopian longing and unforgettable humor. No season should go by without rereading Espada. Now we finally have a collection of critical essays about his work that informs and challenges. -- Cary Nelson, editor of Anthology of Modern and Contemporary American Poetry
Acknowledged Legislator is the much-merited, if long delayed, tribute of the scholarly academy’s recognition of the creative achievement, visionary imagination, and wider sociocultural, public significance of perhaps the most genuinely (Pan) American poet of the contemporary Latino Diaspora. -- Roberto Márquez, editor of Latin American Revolutionary Poetry (Poesia Revolucionaria Latinoamericana) and William R. Kenan, Jr. Emeritus Professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Mount Holyoke College
This is an impressive collection of critical essays on Martín Espada, meticulously edited by Edward J. Carvalho. Acknowledged Legislator fills a gap in the critical literature, providing substantial and authoritative scholarship on an important contemporary poet. In doing so, it offers enlivening arguments on issues of aesthetics, ethics, culture, and on competing claims for contemporary poetry. -- Lee Upton, professor of English, Lafayette College

Edward J. Carvalho is associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Health Sciences at DeVry University (Philadelphia Metro).

Acknowledged Legislator: Critical Essays on the Poetry of Martin Espada stands as the first-ever collection of essays on poet and activist Martin Espada. It is also, to date, the only published book-length, single-author study of Espada currently in existence. Relying on innovative, highly original contributions from thirteen Espada scholars, its principal aim is to argue for a long overdue critical awareness of and cultural appreciation for Espada and his body of writing. Acknowledged Legislator accomplishes this task in three fundamental ways: by providing readers with background information on the poet's life and work; offering an examination into the subject matter and dominant themes that are frequently contained in his writing; and finally, by advocating, in a variety of ways, for why we should be reading, discussing, and teaching the Espada canon. Divided into four distinct sections that modulate through several theoretical frames-from Espada's attention to resistance poetics and concerns for historical memory to his oppositional critique of neoliberalism and support for a class consciousness grounded in labor rights-Acknowledged Legislator offers a cohesive, forward-thinking interpretive statement of the poet's vision and proposes a critical (re)assessment for how we read Espada, now and in the future.

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