By Lucha Corpi
Publisher: Arte Publico Press – Houston , Texas
The book, Confessions of a Book Burner, is an account of Lucha Corpi’s life using personal stories and thoughts detailing how she became an acclaimed poet and novelist. The book is full of interesting stories from her childhood; some funny, some tragic.
One interesting story recounts a tale of how her grandfather stayed the night with a fierce and rugged clan known as the serranos. During this time he discovered a body hanging alongside other cuts of meat. When they fed him soup the following day he was extremely hesitant to eat it and became sick. The following night he quietly snuck away afraid that he would fall into their cannibalistic hands. Although Ms. Corpi didn’t hear this story directly, it was a story that was told to her and has since made its way into the family history for posterity.
In her book, the author details much of her growing up years (up to the age of six) living in Mexico with no running water and having to depend on water carriers. She also describes her bond with Victor, her older brother. Victor had refused to attend school without her, and so she was allowed to go with him at the age of four and sit quietly at the back of the room. This is where her early academic education began. Although she couldn’t really participate in classroom activities, she was able to learn and absorb much of the material. This helped to propel her in school. When her turn came to start school, she was tested and automatically moved to the second grade. It was there that she first became exposed to the world of poetry through a teacher.
She discusses her grandfather’s asking of forgiveness on his deathbed and how that impacts her mother. This allows Ms. Corpi to get a small glimpse into her mother’s soul and to seeing who she was as a person.
Throughout the book, Ms. Corpi refers to her love of writing and poetry and the trials and tribulations she encounters to reach her goal of becoming a poet and writer. As I read her book (page 360), I found one of my favorite lines, “I stop at the open mouth of the mailbox, and for an instant I consider what it will cost me to bare my soul in public.” The line left me speechless and in awe of the use of her words and emotion. If this doesn’t give credit to her writing abilities, I don’t know what does.
The book is strewn with various childhood memories and stories that encompass everything from her dislike of dolls to the many pets that lived within her home; rabbits, dogs, cats, roosters, hamsters, parakeets, fish and others. To accompany her pet stories, she further discusses the time when her sister diligently tried to make her dog smile. The outcome wasn’t what her sister had hoped for. You’ll have to read the book to see what happened – an interesting twist.
Another one of my favorites was her hopes in getting the “Edward James Olmos Kiss” as he made his way through his various fans and how all of that panned out. Ms. Corpi doesn’t miss a beat in baring her soul and how it made her feel. So did she or didn’t she get the kiss? I won’t tell.
I could go on and on with the many stories that the author included in her book, but that would spoil it all. A lively and out of the ordinary book that is sure to delight you at every turn. Again, a testament to her writing skills, her fight for education, and for women’s and civil rights. The writing is easy and straightforward and the flow of the book is lucid. I loved it and am looking forward to reading more of her material.
Source: Book was provided by publisher for review. It was reviewed by Corina Martinez Chaudhry.
