New Release
Poems from the Road
Poems from the Road: A Travelog Renga in Haiku, Haibun, and Senryū is a poetic journey chronicling a 80-day road trip from Mineral, WA, to Boston, MA, undertaken in 2018. This collection captures the essence of travel through the continental United States, presenting a tapestry of scenic impressions and reflective moments along the way.
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The author, a poet with a physical disability who uses a wheelchair, shares the joys and complexities of traveling with a disability. Despite the challenges, the journey unfolds with enriching experiences, showcasing the indomitable spirit of exploration and the profound joy of being alive.
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Beginning in Mineral, WA, during a writing residency, the book's inception was inspired by the serene environment and the works of Beat Generation writers, including Jack Kerouac and Matsuo Basho. The residency provided the space to gather fragments of poems, which later blossomed into a cohesive narrative.
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Using Instagram to document the journey through photos and videos, the author created a visual and poetic record, reminiscent of the Japanese haiga style.
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The haiku, senryū, and haibun forms are meticulously interwoven, creating a rich, layered narrative. The haiku, with its focus on nature, and the senryū, highlighting human experiences, offer contrasting yet harmonious perspectives. The traditional renga structure, particularly the hyakuin renga, guides the flow of the poems, each verse a stanza in the long-form poem.
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The collection's aesthetic draws from the vibrant colors of the landscapes encountered, inspired by the Impressionists, especially Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. The poet's use of color and imagery echoes van Gogh's Japonaiserie, bringing a vivid intensity to the scenes depicted.
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Poems from the Road is not just a travelog but a meditation on life, nature, and the human spirit. It invites readers to experience the changing landscapes and the internal reflections of the poet, celebrating the beauty of the journey and the resilience of the traveler.
Available
About Me
Cristina Cortez is a first-generation Latin-American poet born to immigrant parents. She holds a B.A. in English, Creative Writing & Literature, and History with Minors in Latin American & Caribbean Studies with Honors & Distinction from Hofstra University (2015), and a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics, from the University of Washington Bothell (2018). Her thesis, Un-bound is a cross-genre memoir about living life with a disability. She was a speaker at TEDx Everett (March 2017).