How Long to Read Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002

How Long Does it Take to Read Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002?

It takes the average reader 4 hours and 22 minutes to read Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002 by Martín Espada

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

"An astonishing collection of political poetry at its finest."—The Progressive, Favorite Books of 2004 Alabanza is a twenty-year collection charting the emergence of Martín Espada as the preeminent Latino lyric voice of his generation. "Alabanza" means "praise" in Spanish, and Espada praises the people Whitman called "them the others are down upon": the African slaves who brought their music to Puerto Rico; a prison inmate provoking brawls so he could write poetry in solitary confinement; a janitor and his solitary strike; Espada's own father, who was jailed in Mississippi for refusing to go to the back of the bus. The poet bears witness to death and rebirth at the ruins of a famine village in Ireland, a town plaza in México welcoming a march of Zapatista rebels, and the courtroom where he worked as a tenant lawyer. The title poem pays homage to the immigrant food-service workers who lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center. From the earliest out-of-print work to the seventeen new poems included here, Espada celebrates the American political imagination and the resilience of human dignity. Alabanza is the epic vision of a writer who, in the words of Russell Banks, "is one of the handful of American poets who are forging a new American language, one that tells the unwritten history of the continent, speaks truth to power, and sings songs of selves we can no longer silence." An American Library Association Notable Book of 2003 and a 2003 New York Public Library Book to Remember. "To read this work is to be struck breathless, and surely, to come away changed."—Barbara Kingsolver "Martín Espada is the Pablo Neruda of North American authors. If it was up to me, I'd select him as the Poet Laureate of the United States."—Sandra Cisneros "With these new and selected poems, you can grasp how powerful a poet Espada is—his range, his compassion, his astonishing images, his sense of history, his knowledge of the lives on the underbelly of cities, his bright anger, his tenderness, his humor. "—Marge Piercy "Espada's poems are not just clarion calls to the heart and conscience, but also wonderfully crafted gems."—Julia Alvarez "A passionate, readable poetry that makes [Espada] arguably the most important 'minority' U.S. poet since Langston Hughes."—Booklist"Neruda is dead, but if Alabanza is any clue, his ghost lives through a poet named Martín Espada."—San Francisco Chronicle

How long is Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002?

Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002 by Martín Espada is 256 pages long, and a total of 65,536 words.

This makes it 86% the length of the average book. It also has 80% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002 Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 5 hours and 58 minutes to read Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002 aloud.

What Reading Level is Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002?

Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002 is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002?

Alabanza: New and Selected Poems 1982-2002 by Martín Espada is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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