Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

congratulations. you have found the hidden book. invocation by bob holman

the sidewalk of high art introduction by miguel algarín

I. POETRY IN THE TWENTIETH-FIRST CENTURY

paul beatty
DARRYL STRAWBERRY ASLEEP IN A FIELD OF DREAMS
AT EASE

nicole breedlove
AN OPEN LETTER TO MYSELF
FRONT PAGE OR BUST
"THERE MUST BE A CONSPIRACY"

dana bryant
FANTASY LOVER #5
HOUSECLEANING

regie cabico
CHECK ONE
GAME BOY

xavier cavazos
LONELY NIGHT IN NEW YORK
AT THE AIDS CLINIC
U. N. RESOLUTION

samantha coerbell
THE ROMANTICIZATION

malkia amala cyril
BLUES TOMORROW
WAIT

alvin eng
ROCK ME, GOONG HAY!
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHINESE NEW YEAR'S

maggie estep
THE STUPID JERK I'M OBSESSED WITH SEX GODDESS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

reg e. gaines
PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY AIR JORDANS
THOMAS THE BURNT ENGLISH MUFFIN
JUST ANOTHER MISUNDERSTOOD BROTHER

eliza galaher
NO, FUCK ME
YOU KILL MY LOVE
FOR YOUR LOVE FOR ME KILLS ME

christian haye
SENDIN' OUT A. P. B.

indigo
HIS VICTIM
PEEPHOLE

cf0tito lespier
I HEARD THE BIRD
MAMBO IN "T" MAJOR

tony medina
NEW YORK CITY RUNDOWN (EUROPEAN ON ME)

ed morales
REBIRTH OF NEW RICAN
THE LAST HISPANIC

tracie morris
PROJECT PRINCESS
MORENITA
THE SPOT

dael orlandersmith
POEM II FOR ANNE SEXTON
SHE'S COME UNDONE
MOTHER LOVE

willie perdomo
NIGGER-REECAN BLUES
REFLECTIONS ON THE METRO NORTH, WINTER 1990

kevin powell
TWINS
PUNKS JUMP UP TO GET BEAT DOWN

kathy price
LA NEGRA
CELIBACY

carl hancock rux
GENEVA COTTRELL, WAITING FOR THE DOG TO DIE
SAVE THE ANIMALS

hal sirowitz
I FINALLY MANAGED TO SPEAK TO HER
DEFORMED FINGER
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

paul skiff
"THE SMILES OF TWO OVER"
JUNE 15, 1990

peter spiro
WE ALL NEED
WORK
CAUSE AND EFFECT

adrienne su
THE EMPEROR'S SECOND WIFE
ELEGY
ADDRESS

edwin torres
DIG ON THE DECADE
I.E. SEDUCER
MISSION-FUCKIN'-IMPOSSIBLE

mike tyler
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORD IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE
7:00 AND THE TULIPS ARE RED
THE BAKERY HAS NO BAKERS

II. POETRY OF THE 1990S

alurista
ROMA ROJA RAJA TABLA
VORAZ
LEÓN
FOOLISH RITUALS

jimmy santiago baca
DUST-BOWL MEMORY
BELLS

pardCHOICES
BLACK MESA

catherine bowman
1-800-HOT-RIBS
MR. X
DEATHWATCH BEETLE

diane burns
SURE YOU CAN ASK ME A PERSONAL QUESTION
ALPHABET CITY SERENADE
PEÑA'S SON

wanda coleman
TOUGH LANGUAGE
AMERICAN SONNET
DREAM 7219

martín espada
REBELLION IS THE CIRCLE OF A LOVER'S HANDS (PELLÍN AND NINA)
TWO MEXICANOS LYNCHED IN SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, MAY 3, 1877
LATIN NIGHT AT THE PAWNSHOP

jose-angel figueroa
SATINLADY BLUES
BORN TO ACT OUT

hattie gossett
PUSSY & CASH
SUN RA!

jessica hagedorn
LATIN MUSIC IN NEW YORK
SKULL FOOD #2

kimiko hahn
THE DETAILS WE FALL FOR
HEAT

david henderson
EVERGREEN (A CHANT FOR THE TROPICAL RAIN FOREST)
POEM-MIGUEL PIÑERO

bob holman
1990
DISCLAIMER
6 SHORT POEMS
ROCK'N'ROLL MYTHOLOGY

patricia spears jones
SPANISH LESSON
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE UNDER THE BIG TIT, ATLANTA, 1973

r. cephas jones
GOD, MINGUS AND MYSELF

eliot katz
DINOSAUR LOVE
WHAT'S THAT CLICKING ON OUR TELEPHONE LINE?

roland legiardi-laura
TRICKSTER RABBIT
MANAGUA MIDNIGHT

nancy mercado
MILLA
JUANITA

jose montoya
THE UNIFORM OF THE DAY
EL SOL Y 'L ROVATO LOCO

gavin moses
POISON
BOOMERANG
MOONDANCE

louis reyes rivera
MARIANITA
PORTRAIT: DOGS AT THE WELL

luis j. rodriguez
MEETING THE ANIMAL IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK
HUNGRY

sapphire
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE
WILD THING

michael scholnick
TO A CERTAIN MR. ALBERT, MY LANDLORD
FOR IRWIN HEILNER
GOOD GRACES

patricia smith
SKINHEAD
SWEET DADDY

sekou sundiata
MANDELA IN HARLEM. (JUNE, 1991)
KING
PHILOSOPHY OF THE KOOL

cheryl boyce taylor
FENCES
YEARNING

emily xyz
"STRONTIUM"
SLOT MACHINE

III. FOUNDING POEMS

miguel algarín
HIV
SHEETS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 1974
BODY BEE CALLING: FROM THE 21ST CENTURY
FATHER AT ZERO-POINT-PLACE

richard august
MARIAM
MASON V. FUREY
INTERPRETING DREAMS

jorge brandon
LA MASACRE DE PONCE
EL ASTRO DE CAROLINA

americo casiano, jr.
SALICRUP
TONIGHT BY VENDOR'S BOOTH

lucky cienfuegos
POEM TO A WOOD SCULPTURE
IN THE POCKET AND SPEND IT RIGHT
PISS SIDE STREETS

victor hernandez cruz
AN ESSAY ON WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
THREE SONGS FROM THE 50S
ART-THIS
HAIKUKOOS

sandra maria esteves
PUERTO RICAN DISCOVERY #20: ODE TO PAPIROS DE BABEL EN EL ATENEO PUERTORRIQUEÑO
PUERTO RICAN DISCOVERY #17: TREASURES OF THIEVES
PUERTO RICAN DISCOVERY #23: PORTRAIT IN RAISING SELF-ESTEEM
TWO POEMS FOR DAVID ALLAN

lois griffith
CHICA
DITTY AND JITTY
WAR 1/15/1991
UNTITLED
BACALAITOS AND FIREWORKS

pedro pietri
YOU JUMP FIRST
PROLOGUE FOR ODE TO ROAD RUNNER
UPTOWN TRAIN
TELEPHONE BOOTH NUMBER 102
TELEPHONE BOOTH NUMBER 227
TELEPHONE BOOTH NUMBER 507
TELEPHONE BOOTH NUMBER 905 ¿
WET HAND ON DRY DREAMS

miguel piñero
LA BODEGA SOLD DREAMS
THE BOOK OF GENESIS ACCORDING TO ST. MIGUELITO
NEW YORK CITY HARD TIMES BLUES
THE RECORDS OF TIME

bimbo rivas
A JOB
LOISAIDA
PARADOX AND SLEEP

ntozake shange
PEOPLE OF WATTS
PORQUE NO ESTAS CONMIGO
BLOOD RHYTHMS-BLOOD
CURRENTS-BLACK BLUE N STYLIN' 31

piri thomas
BORN ANEW AT EACH A.M.
PROLOGUE, SEVEN LONG TIMES

IV. THE OPEN ROOM

elena alexander
SLANT

david allen
THE REVOLUTION WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE OF RAIN

sheila alson
VACANT CHILD

indran amirthanayagam
THE LAST CONDORS IN MANHATTAN

rudolfo anaya
WALT WHITMAN STRIDES THE LLANO OF NEW MEXICO

cynthia andrews
AMNESIA

zoe anglesey
HOLDING HIM NOT AS A CHILD

pauly arroyo
I'M A NUYORICAN

asha bandele
IN RESPONSE TO A BROTHER'S QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HE SHOULD DO WHEN HIS BEST FRIEND BEATS UP HIS WOMAN

0carmen bardeguez-brown
"OYE MAMÁ, OYE, MAMÁ"

denise bell
REALITY?

nicole blackman
DAUGHTER

jennifer blowdryer
FROM WHITE TRASH DEBUTANTE BALL

shorty bón bón
A JUNKIE'S HEAVEN

kymberly brown-valenzuela
KISS DEATH SOFTLY WITH BLUE LIPS

alaan bowe
EVERY KNOTTED FIST

jim brodey
LITTLE LIGHT

lisa buscani
CHEKOVIAN DEPRESSION

steve cannon
ORANGE

nick carbo
THE PRETTY BOYS OF ERMITA

laurie carlos
BORINQUEN

elizabeth castagna
HAD IT BEEN

marcel christian
FAIR PREJUDICE

gabrielle n. lane clarke
ODE TO A BLACK CHILD (AKA MR. AMERICA)

todd colby
LEMON BROWN

matt cook
SCIENCE WAS INVENTED BY A BUNCH OF GUYS WHO WERE SO UGLY THEY COULDN'T POSSIBLY BELIEVE IN GOD

thulani davis
A MAN'S TAILOR / DAKAR

cristina desrosiers
MOUNTAIN CLIMB

carol diehl
FOR THE MEN WHO STILL DON'T GET IT

denise duhamel
FEAR ON llTH STREET AND AVENUE A, NEW YORK CITY

kathy ebel
ARE YOU MRS. LOPEZ' DAUGHTER?

anne elliott
SLEEPWALKING, TOLD IN SLOW MOTION

janice ertbaum
THE DAYS OF POT AND ICE CREAM

evert eden
I WANT TO BE A WOMAN

john farris
MAGIC

gary glazner
TOAD VENOM

gloria
WALK RIGHT

mia hansford
"WHEN TWO STRAW HALF-FEATURED PURRINGS NAVIGATE'

diana hernandez-correa
AH BILLIE

susan hornik
GOODBYE

alan kaufman
BUS

rick kearns
LLANTO SUAVE PARA PIÑERO

michael c. ladd
DEATH BEDS LOVE SONGS AND ANCESTORS

patricia landrum
WOMAN'S SONG

shirley bradley leflore
FOR DIZZ

gary lenhart
INTELLIGENT LOVE

robbie mccauley
TWO STREET THINGS

richard martin
PROPER VENTILATION

greg masters
LOVE

bobby miller
MY LIFE AS I REMEMBER IT

david mills
G-MEN IN THE PINES

eileen myles
PV

ninety 9
ADVENTURES OF PLASTIC MAN

orion
DIRE MANIFESTO

julie patton
"PO TREE!"

carolyn peyser
PLEASE

raymond ramirez (aka bori)
PROJECT BLUES

noel rico
EXCERPT FROM THE SOUTH BRONX

keith roach
ODALISQUE

pard
will sales
THAT KIND OF BLUES

raúl salinas
PUEBLO QUERIDO

ricardo sánchez
25 MAYO 92 EN PULLMANIA, WASHINGÓN

gail schilke
LOS BRAVOS

susan scutti
EPITHALAMIUM

danny shot
MY BAD ANGEL

marc smith
CHICAGO: SANDBURG TO SMITH, SMITH TO SANDBURG

pamela sneed
THE FINAL SOLUTION

sparrow
A TESTIMONIAL

carlton t. spiller
PANAMANIAN NIGHTS

lamont b. steproe
FOR GWEN BROOKS

everton sylvester
WELL?

nate tate
PARANOIA AT ITS FINEST

vipin
LANGUER/LANGUOR

michael warr
BREAKING TILES

jack wiler
MEDITATIONS ON NATURAL MAN

jeff wright
COURT APPEARANCE

Notes on the poets
Acknowledgments