Skip to main content

POETRY MONTH! SPOTLIGHT ON DR. MARIA ALMA GONZALEZ PEREZ

   
  
Poetry is like a song, like a psalm, like a prayer. Poetry is different things to many people, and April being Poetry Month,
The Latina Book Club is celebrating by featuring Latino poets all month long.


Welcome Dr. Maria Alma González Pérez, whose new collection of Spanish poetry evokes feelings of love, community and survival.



Vivamos la realidad
de nuestra sangre
que nos da nuestra
identidad.
---Dr. Maria Alma González Pérez


  
Dr. Maria Alma González Pérez has written a beautiful collection of poems in Spanish entitled CANTOS DEL ALMA Y DEL CORAZON.  It’s an emotional assortment of 50 poems to celebrate love, love of her parents, love of family, and love of her culture.  We especially loved her poem, Vivamos La Realidad, which translates roughly into Living the Truth. In it she proclaims that it is the blood of the people that carries the truth of their race and the truth of their identity.   

Another striking aspect of González Pérez’ book is that each poem is paired with a stunning photograph that compliments the poem. The words alone are rich, emotional and memorable, but alongside the photo the reader gets an immediate visual that strikes at the heart faster. If we could, we would rip out each page and frame them to display around the house.  Bravo, Dr. González Pérez, Bravo.


SUMMARY:  CANTOS DEL ALMA Y DEL CORAZON expresses feelings and emotions from personal experience. This collection of 50 poems written in Spanish provides the reader with a sensitive, yet realistic perspective of love, the family, and culture among other topics. Each poem is complemented by a photograph that serves as a scenic backdrop to enhance its meaning. Includes an instructional guide of classroom activities for the teaching and discussion of poetry in the classroom.


CANTOS DEL ALMA Y DEL CORAZON expresa sentimientos y emociones brotadas de la experiencia del diario vivir.  Esta colección de 50 poemas provee al lector con una sensible perspectiva del amor, la familia, y la cultura entre otros temas.  Cada poema es complementado por una fotografía que sirve como fondo pintoresco para encarecer su significado. Finalmente, un apéndice de actividades sirve como material suplementario para la instrucción y discusión de la poesía en el aula bilingüe.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Dr. González Pérez is a poet and writer.  She is also a former bilingual education professor and director for the University of Texas Pan American Starr County campus. She writes Spanish poetry, children’s bilingual and local South Texas history books, as well as teacher training materials. She lives in Zapata, TX, a community along the Rio Grande border area. Learn more about her at www.delalmapublications.com.



READ LATINO

READ LATINO POETRY