About the Book
Readers of all ages have long admired Pat Mora's extraordinary
literary gifts. Her poems and prose works alike, written for both adults
and young readers, have received awards and critical acclaim for their
grace, luminosity, and craftsmanship.
In this anthology, Pat Mora has gathered the best of her poems
with young-adult readers in mind, and has added to them several
new poems published here for the first time.
Using the cactus plant as her guiding metaphor for our
existence, she presents more than sixty lyrics grouped variously
into "Blooms," "Thorns," and "Roots."
Each section opens with a line drawing by artist Anthony
Accardo, and the whole is prefaced by a brief introduction, "Dear
Fellow Writer," in the poet's uniquely warm and informal voice.
Much like a blossoming young man or woman, My Own True Name has
been fifteen years in the making. And lovers of poetry will find
it - like a lovingly tended garden - an eye-opening and delightful
place to enjoy and explore.
A Note from Pat
I enjoyed selecting poems for teens from my first three poetry
collections, Chants, Borders and Communion. I’ve also written some
new poems for this book and a letter to young writers. My hope is
that young adults who read the book will write their own poems and
enjoy the word-play as I do.
Highlighted Reviews
“Interlaced with Mexican phrases and cultural symbols, these
powerful selections, representing more than 15 years of work,
address bicultural life and the meaning of family...The rich,
symbolic imagery, raw emotion, and honesty will appeal to mature
teens, and young writers will find inspiration in the warm
introduction addressed to ‘Dear Fellow Writer,’ and its challenge to
‘Listen to your inside self, your private voice … explore the
wonder of being alive.’”
—Booklist
“Mora...has chosen poems with themes that are
accessible to, yet challenging for teens, a few of which appear in
both English and Spanish. Occasional footnotes explain historical
references or Spanish phrases. The introduction encourages young
writers, as do the poems themselves. This anthology speaks to a
young adult audience, and it should find many readers.”
—School
Library Journal
“Pat Mora’s new collection of nonrhyming poetry
calls on young adults to embrace their identity with passion … Again
and again, she compares generations and speaks of differences, of
changes. Mora’s goal is to provide confidence for her young readers
and to encourage a path of passion and interest without
misrepresenting the difficulties they might encounter.”
—Austin
American Statesman
“Mora gives voice to the soul of the American
Southwest … This anthology will enhance unit studies in
multicultural issues, American diversity, immigration, and the
Mexican-American experience. Using the subtly vivid palette of the
desert, Mora applies rich brushstrokes to her canvas to create a
Mexican-American reality.”—Linworth Publishing, Inc.
"This collection does know life, flower, and
song. It is a collection for young adults to build upon their own
voices, right above Pat Mora's bones."
—Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
"In "My Own True Name," Pat Mora investigates
the origin of identity through 62 poems, crafted to give the reader
a more-than-cursory view of the Mexican-American's status in this
country … Mora is careful to illustrate how important language can
be. When words are combined with the spirit of the land, the poet
reveals the secret of language's power. Because she is a native of
the southwestern United States, Mora translates that area into a
homeland that rises above borders and nationalities. There is an
indomitability accompanying that region, and it gives its people the
strength to survive."
—
"Mi Poema Es Tu Poema: Mora celebrates
multiculturalism in multilingual verses," Home News Tribune
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