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Wednesday, November 10, 2010
This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco- friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.
The campaign is organized for the second time by Eco-Libris, a green company working to make reading more sustainable. We invite you to join the discussion on "green" books and support books printed in an eco-friendly manner! A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.
I am a proud part of the Green Books Campaign 2010. Special thanks to Raz over @ Eco-Libris for inviting me to participate. Here is my review of Valerie MartÃnez's fantastic piece of work, Each and Her.
title: Each and Her
author: Valerie MartÃnez
pages: 78
published: 2010
publisher: University of Arizona Press
genre: poetry
This book is manufactured in the U.S. on acid-free, archival quality paper containing a minimum of 30% post consumer waste and processed chlorine free.
Each and Her is a poem about the murders of over four hundred fifty girls and women in or near Juarez and Chihuahua Mexico since 1993. In spite of investigations and arrests, the murders continue. Some were students and some workers in maquiladoras which are factories or assembly plants, their murders linked with evidence of torture and mutilation. Maquiladora operators discriminate against pregnant women and demand their workers use birth control. If a worker is found to be pregnant, she is fired. These workers receive low wages and work long hours.
Some of the snippets are verses from the author, some of them are quotes and excerpts from poems or books.
no two sisters are more unlike than us
cheerleader
chubby recluse
the drag-down hair pulling fights
at night
holding the wooden handles
of a jump rope
bed-to-bed
hold tight you said
between us
-pp. 33, Each and Her
Valerie Martinez lists some of the women's names, ages ranging from 7 through 60's.
The author's voice within these verses is sad as it tells the story of these lost women. Some of the pages have a single word such as sigame, which means follow me in Spanish. I found that while I was reading, those singular words would make an impact. They were perfectly placed within the poem.
A typical maqui work schedule
60 hours per week
typical daily wage-$8.29
weekly salary-$49.74
deduction for union dues-4%
net weekly pay-$47.74
typical shared rent or contribution
to family income-$45.71
amount left over per week
for food clothes shoes
and medical attention-$2.03
-pp.36, Each and Her
About the author:
Valerie Martinez is a poet, teacher, translator, playwright, librettist, editor and collaborative artist. Visit her website here: http://www.valeriemartinez.net/
