Conjuro

Xanath Caraza’s first book-length collection Conjuro: Poems, with introduction by Fred Arroyo, is published by Mammoth Publications, a Native-owned literary press. In this tri-lingual text, Caraza combines Spanish, English, and Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) to create a continuous spell of verse. Caraza’s writing derives from her awareness of Indigenous thought: words are tangible objects, not abstractions; they are capable of influencing physical reality’s web of interactions. The poet’s connection to her Indigenous and Mexican heritage energizes her verse. This debut collection establishes her as a major voice of 21st American letters. Conjuro shows how multiple cultures co-exist for United States immigrants and descendants. It is appropriate for young adults, Latin American Studies, Indigenous American Studies, and Midwest U.S. Studies. To travel Conjuro’s poetic, terrestrial tapestry, to let its strong linguistic currents move you, is to reside on the earth that Xanath Caraza sings into existence. I could listen to her cantos all the days of my life, and know in this music the enchantments, traditions, and streets to travel back toward home. Fred Arroyo