Open to the Sun: A Bilingual Anthology of Latin-American Women Poets

The stated goals of the editor of this excellent anthology are: (1) to disprove the charge of sentimentality in the poetry of women (the majority of the texts selected are deliberately not intimate confessions), and (2) to present a large number of poets in a bilingual context so as to make them more easily accessible to more readers. The collection covers the twentieth century with emphasis on poetry written after 1950, although included are early twentieth-century writers María Eugenia Vaz Ferreira, Delmira Agustini, Alfonsina Storni, Juana de Ibarbourou, and Gabriela Mistral, who provide a link between more traditional and contemporary women’s poetry. The collection presents a wide spectrum: twenty poets representing eleven countries. Among the better known are Rosario Castellanos, Claudia Lars, Amanda Berenger, Nancy Barcelo, and Blanca Varela. Included also are Cecilia Meireles, Olga Orozco, “The Nicaraguan Group,” Eunice Odio, Francisca Ossandón, Olga Elena Mattei, Belkis Cuza Malé, Alejandra Pizarnik, and Cristina Meneghetti. The texts are preceded by an informative introduction, by Professor Nora Weiser of Oberlin College, which outlines the scope of the poets presented, how they were selected, and the problems facing the poets in terms of publishing and other restrictions. Also useful is a brief bibliography of English-language works on or about these women writers. The seven translators generally succeed in translating well such complex and varied poetry. The fresh versions of previously translated texts are to be commended. The texts themselves reflect the spectrum of attitudes toward social protest, family and personal concerns, and artistic creation and growth. This anthology is a remarkable achievement, filling the void of accessible information on Latin American women writers, and it will prove invaluable to classes in Latin American literature, history, culture, and women’s studies.