This collection reflects the author’s deeply rooted passion for nature, for life, and for being. Agosín spent her summers at the Chilean seaside, near Neruda’s home at Isla Negra. “The sea, the rocks, marine images became important elements in my creative work,” she said recently. Here she creates a world where everything touches the sea and is, in turn, touched by it, a world peopled by those who “carry the scents of the river and the sign of water.” “Agosín’s voice [is] ripe with sensuality.”—Booklist The poems in this collection by critically-acclaimed Chilean poet, editor and human rights activist Marjorie Agosin reflect her deep-rooted passion for nature, for life, and for being. Agosin creates a world where everything touches the sea and is, in turn, touched by it—a simple world where when her son is born she asks for 'a flower, a light, a glass of water'. From the child who 'discovers the sky' in water to the young couple who promised to be 'a single branch of water, one single stream', to the old women 'making their way toward the sea...to dissolve in the beat of the waves', Agosin fills her world with people who can 'carry the scents of the river and the sign of the water'. Bilingual edition—text in both English and Spanish.
Author
Marjorie Agosín was born in Maryland and raised in Chile. She and her parents, Moises and Frida Agosín, moved to the United States due to the overthrow of the Chilean government by General Pinochet's military coup. Coming from a South American country and being Jewish, Agosín's writings demonstrate a unique blending of these cultures. Agosín is well known as a poet, critic, and human activist. She is also a well-known spokesperson for the plight and priorities of women in Third World countries. Her deep social concerns and accomplishments have earned her many awards and recognitions, and she has gained an international reputation among contemporary women of color. Agosín, a passionate writer, has received critical acclaim for her poetry collections, her close reflections on her parents and family, and her multi-layered stories. Within every novel, story, or poem, she captures the very essence of Jewish women at their best. Agosín's works reveal the experiences of pain and anguish of Jewish refugees. She writes about the Holocaust as well as anti-Semitic events that occurred in her native land. Agosín has many fascinating works and is recognized in both North and South America as one of the most versatile and provocative Latin American writers. Agosín became a writer to make a difference: "I wanted to change the world through peace and beauty," she said. Today she is not only a writer, but also a Spanish professor at Wellesley College.
