Gioconda Belli

A collection of twenty-seven poems, presented in facing-page Spanish and English, from the Nicaraguan author and activist, Gioconda Belli. I first encountered Belli's work through her novel, The Inhabited Woman, and I immediately sought out her other books. From Eve's Rib was the only other title then available in English.

These poems, infused with a strong feminist ethos, speak of motherhood and menstruation, love and country, and of course, revolution. Like a bridge between the intimate and show more the public, they bear out the maxim that "the personal is political." Every beautiful, well-crafted poem in this collection is worth the reader's attention, but my favorite is probably And God Made Me Woman, which opens the book like an invocation:

And God made me woman.
With the long hair,
with the eyes,
the nose and mouth of a woman.
With curves
and folds
and soft hollows.
God carved into me a workshop for human beings.
Delicately wove my nerves
and carefully counted
and balanced my hormones;
composed my blood
and poured it into me
so that it would flow
through my entire body.
And so ideas were born,
dreams,
instincts,
everything that was gently created
with hammering whispers
and the drilling motions of love,
the thousand and one things that make me woman every day,
that make me arise proud,
every morning,
and bless my sex. show less

This magical-realist novel, said to be based upon Belli's own experiences as a Sandanista, follows the parallel narratives of Lavinia, a modern-day Nicaraguan architect who becomes involved in the struggle to overthrow her country's dictator; and Itza, a 16th-century Nahuatl warrior-woman fighting the Spanish conquistadors. History is alive in more than a metaphorical sense in The Inhabited Woman, as the spirit of Itza, trapped in an orange tree, is literally consumed by Lavinia. When the show more time comes, Itza knows what to do...

The Inhabited Woman was my first exposure to the magical-realism of Latin American fiction, and I was enchanted. This tale of love and conflict was a moving reflection on the interconnectedness of all struggles for justice, highlighting the many ways in which current events are a continuation of historic patterns. show less

La autora coqueteaba en una entrevista radiofónica (Carne Cruda, CC392) que su nombre proviene de gioco, juego en italiano. A esto se puede añadir que su apellido significa hermoso. Así es su poesía: juego, un juego hermoso. Juego del instinto, de lo sensual. Poesía de la tierra. Una tierra grumosa, áspera, suave, lodosa, fría o caliente. Una tierra que se palpa, que se huele, que se saborea, que se hace carne y cuerpo de mujer, y de hombre. Una poesía que canta a la esperanza, a la show more ilusión; a lo que de éstas hay en toda revolución, tanto personal como política, y en concreto a la lucha sandinista de la que la autora fue partícipe. Poemas militantes con lo cotidiano, con la vida: con todo lo bueno que ésta tiene pero también con su dolor. show less

Decir que este libro lo comencé el domingo por la mañana y lo finalicé ese mismo domingo por la noche es hablar de lo mucho que me gustó.

Me gustó mucho la prosa de Belli, el papel de Eva y todos los guiños hacia el papel de la mujer-tierra-naturaleza-bruja-dadora de vida.

La serpiente es también un gran personaje, representante del mal, pero más que del mal, de la dualidad donde es impensable el bien sin su contraparte. Me gustó mucho a Creador irascible y voluble.

Y sí, me fue show more embargando la desdicha conforme avanzaba las páginas.

Este libro lo resumo como una primera gran introducción a la obra de Belli. show less