Loose Woman

Rating:
Summary: A passionate poetic voice
Review: "Loose Woman" is a collection of poetry by Sandra Cisneros. Throughout the book Cisneros revels in a sort of "bad girl" image: the overall persona is that of a passionate, sexual woman who's had her share of both joy and disappointment. At times she sounds like a Latina soul sister to Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg.

The book is mainly in English, but peppered with Spanish words and phrases; there is one poem entirely in Spanish ("Amorcito Corazon"). Cisneros writes about love, womanhood, Latina identity, and creativity.

Some of my favorite selections from "Loose Woman": "You Bring Out the Mexican in Me," a Whitmanesque celebration of both the speaker's lover and of her own ethnic identity; "Dulzura," with the memorable opening line "Make love to me in Spanish"; "Down There," which celebrates menstruation with vibrantly graphic language; and the title poem, in which the speaker declares "I break laws, / upset the natural order."

The book is throughout spiced with a colorful medley of multicultural references: Dolores del Rio, Nebuchadnezzar, Mohammed, Houdini, the gargoyles of Notre Dame, Sir Walter Raleigh, Marilyn Monroe, etc. Cisneros' language is often raw and sexual, sometimes playfully elegant; I loved her phrase "the origami of the brain" (from "Night Madness Poem"). Definitely a worthwhile collection of poetry from an intriguing Latina voice.

Rating:
Summary: A Poet on the Loose
Review: Again, Sandra Cisneros paints the poetic sky with her lyricism and word play. What other poet possesses such gift and style? Cisneros's poem titles in LOOSE WOMAN (1994) such as "I Am on My Way to Oklahoma to Bury the Man I Nearly Left My Husband For," "Down There," "Original Sin," "A Man in My Bed Like Cracker Crumbs," and "You Bring Out the Mexican in Me" speak for themselves.

For their originality and fire, I recommend this volume of poetry by the brave and thundering Sandra Cisneros.

Rating:
Summary: Sexy and Fun
Review: Sandra Cisneros' collection of poetry is wonderful. Fun to read and very real, down to earth, very chilled out.

This book is perfect for both beginners and long-time poetry readers. It doesn't take long to "figure out" what Cisneros is trying to say, mostly because she spits it out like a bullet and doesn't beat around the bush. She tackles tough subjects and doesn't flinch a bit. She's right in your face telling you "how it is."

I don't know much about Cisneros, but I can guess she's an incredibly beautiful, sexy, fiesta Latina. She writes about sex and love and race and life like a woman who has lived through it all. Her book is hot and spicy and will keep you on your toes.