Book Thoughts #22

The Siren World

By Juan J. Morales

    By far, this is one of my two favorite poets (the other being Idris Goodwin). This is also another writer where I show my bias. Morales was my professor in university as well as my academic advisor, so getting to experience a small part of him again in this poetry book brought back a bunch of pleasant memories. 

    The Siren World really brings home to me the tension between being from a certain place but "being" from an entirely different place. A lot of what is brought up in this collection is the back and forth between Morales' insights into historical figures and events; and his more recent feelings about his personal heritage and the experiences he has with his family and friends. You can really feel this as he talks about travelling to visit family. This collection brings a nuanced flavor to a larger discussion of cultural and societal shifts that appear when families migrate, whether between pieces of the same country or between countries themselves.

    Honestly, my favorite poem of his appears in this book, which is called "What I Said One Time When A Woman Called Me Jose." (If you want to read it, click this link for that poem and another one of his which is fun.) I really wish Morales would record a video of him reading this poem in front of an audience because the reaction is always priceless! I personally got to hear it at least two times that I can remember, the more memorable of the two being at a book reading back in March 2016 (which is almost a decade to the day of writing this... wild thought there). I won't spoil it by typing the last line of the poem, but it is the best last line of a poem that I've heard in a long time. 

    If you are looking for a poetry collection that doesn't feel like it runs the same paths that other poetry collections tend to run, I would highly recommend this book. I would also recommend this book if you want a collection of poems that make you think of Latin heritage and experiences (whether you are Latino/a or not yourself). Also, I would just recommend Morales' work in general. His writing is fantastic and I wouldn't ask for a better creative to look up to as I continue my own working in fiction and blog writing.