Full Description
A traditional game of chance popular in Mexico and in Mexican American culture, LoterÍa is poetically rendered in Esteban RodrÍguez's eighth collection, with each poem revolving around one of the fifty-four cards. Using the image presented as a catalyst for exploration and self-reflection, RodrÍguez unveils the familial journey between two countries and cultures through both a surreal and narrative lens. Here, a mother unearths a severed hand in the desert. A father discovers his heart among a heap of discarded items. And at one point, the speaker—toggling between his role as witness and son—finds himself in a canoe on a river contemplating the meaning behind an authentic experience. Lyrical, insightful, and honestly engaging, LoterÍa sheds light on a world that doesn't so easily reveal itself, adding to RodrÍguez's prolific and important oeuvre.
Contents
2 El diablito 1
21 La mano 2
9 El barril 3
40 El alacrÁn 4
34 El soldado 5
42 La calavera 6
6 La sirena 7
12 El valiente 8
20 El pÁjaro 9
43 La campana 10
54 La rana 11
39 El nopal 12
45 El venado 13
52 La maceta 14
4 El cartrÍn 15
23 La luna 16
46 El Sol 17
27 El corazÓn 18
1 El gallo 23
22 La bota 24
36 El cazo 25
14 La muerte 26
32 El mÚsico 27
25 El borracho 28
33 La araÑa 29
38 El Apache 30
30 El camarÓn 31
28 La sandÍa 32
31 Las jaras 33
24 El cotorro 34
18 El violoncello 35
7 La escalera 36
11 El melÓn 37
15 La pera 38
8 La botella 39
13 El gorrito 40
10 El Árbol 45
53 El arpa 46
17 El bandolÓn 47
44 El cantarito 48
41 La rosa 49
26 El negrito 50
51 La palma 51
49 El pino 52
47 La corona 53
37 El mundo 54
29 El tambor 55
19 La garza 56
50 El pescado 57
5 El paraguas 58
16 La bandera 59
35 La estrella 60
3 La dama 61
48 La chalupa 62
Acknowledgments 65
About the Author 67
