Twenty years ago it was rare to read the work of a writer of Dominican descent in US mainstream literary magazines. Two decades later, Dominican writers—from the island or abroad—have made inroads into mainstream publications.

The April issue of Poetry magazine breaks that the long silence on Dominican writing— exemplified by a US literary and media blackout on the Dominican Republic and/or on Black women— by featuring the work of Elizabeth Acevedo. The April edition of the “oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world,” features three poems by Elizabeth Acevedo: Iron, You Mean You Don’t Weep at the Nail Salon? and Hearing That Joe Arroyo Song at Ibiza Nightclub, 2008.

Last year, in an interview for ESENDOM , we asked US-Cuban born writer and translator Ochy Obejas to tell us what female writers she would like to see translated into Spanish and other languages she mentioned, among others, “the very fab New York poet” Elizabeth Acevedo”. We couldn’t agree more with Achy Obejas.

As these poems indicate, her work is experimental but yet familiar. She sings of the heart and her poetry challenges the dominant culture to write her own history on her own terms.

The April issue of Poetry magazine is available here free of charge.

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