Cultural Evidence

Rating:
Summary: An amazing first monograph
Review: In _Cultural Evidence_, Ms. Cariaga displays the full scope of her considerable poetic talents. The collection is compelling and earnest, and her artistry is breath-taking. She has given us the gift of her voice with the publication of this first monograph, years in the making.

Influenced by the innovative work of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, the poems are always richly nuanced and layered with many meanings that newly reveal themselves after each rereading. However, one never gets the sense of 'knowing' a poem completely, even after numerous readings.

The three-part structure of the book, along with the fascinating epigraphs from which she takes the titles of her chapters, provides a sense of the delicate balance the work negotiates on multiple levels: art, silence, language, politics, identity, power, and love.

The poet specifically deals with, among other things, her family's histories and her identity as a Filipino (American) and a woman.

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: This is a great book. Note, however, it is authored by Catalina Cariaga