Another America/Otra America

Barbara Kingsolver, a fresh college graduate, moved to Tucson, Arizona, with hopes of open space and adventure. She found another America, which she chronicled through her poetry, sharing her home with refugees and committing their tragic stories to paper. Her early poetry explores racism, discrimination, and troubled immigration systems, leading her to confront the realization that the national myth of America was a hypocrisy. Another America is a luminous book of poems that explores American society and our individual place within it, written with clarity and empathy for her subjects. With a new introduction from Kingsolver, it is a striking portrait of a country separated by those with privilege, those without, and the lives that are lived in between.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: Basic Books

Barbara Kingsolver, a young college graduate, embarked on a journey to Tucson, Arizona, seeking open spaces and adventures. However, what she discovered was a different America, a world she documented through her poetry, sharing her home with refugees and capturing their tragic stories of life at and beyond the borderland.

Kingsolver's early poetry intertwines past political events, such as the US-backed dictatorships in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, with the government surveillance prevalent during the Reagan years. It expands into a broader examination of racism, discrimination, and troubled immigration systems that she witnessed firsthand. These experiences culminate in her emerging adulthood, where she confronts the realization that the national myth of America she had subscribed to was a hypocrisy. This realization would shape her not only as an artist but also as a citizen.

Another America, a luminous book of poems, is a deeply moving and beautifully crafted exploration of American society and our individual place within it. Written with a balance of clarity regarding America's shortcomings and empathy for her subjects, Kingsolver's poetry resonates with a richness of language and spirit, eloquently expressing her insights with great compassion. As in her fiction, Kingsolver's poetry exudes a depth of emotion and spirituality, conveying her thoughts with profound tenderness.

In a new introduction by Kingsolver, she reflects on the current border crisis, adding a contemporary perspective to this timeless work. Another America serves as a striking portrait of a country divided by those with privilege and those without, as well as the lives that exist in the spaces between. It is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of a society and the human experience, offering a profound reflection on our shared humanity and the challenges we face as a nation.

Weight: 120g
Dimension: 208 x 138 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781541600386