Woman Without Shame

August 15, 2022
The introspective latest from Cisneros (Loose Woman) sweeps through her life with blunt observations and heartfelt prayers. The frequent use of Spanish words and fresh images of quotidian moments of life in Mexico (“when dawn arrives/ with her furious scent of bolillos,/ orange peels, and.../ Fabuloso” and “my heart... a peeled mango bearing an emerald housefly”) act as both description and invitation. In short, lyrical poems, Cisneros juggles religion (“God Breaks the Heart Again and Again until It Stays Open”), humor (“I Should Like to Fall in Love with a Burro Named Saturnino”), and politics (“A Boy with a Machine Gun Waves to Me”). In keeping with the book’s title, these poems bare her past in the more personal work about sex (“You Better Not Put Me in a Poem” begins with a list of images of previous lovers’ penises: “a curved scimitar,” “a fat tamale plug,” and “a baby pacifier”), about almost dying (“Year of My Near Death”), and about aging (“This loss of the/ right ear’s hearing,/ No cross.// I only half listen/ Anyhow.”) These plainspoken, affecting poems reveal a writer fortified by a sometimes difficult past who has come to embrace the freedom that comes with self-acceptance.

Starred review from March 1, 2023

Novelist Cisneros's (The House on Mango Street; Loose Woman) new collection of poems--her first in nearly three decades--explores womanhood, her ancestry, and humanity. Cisneros narrates her own work, allowing listeners to hear these poems as they were meant to be read. The poems are at turns humorous, emotional, and haunting. The narration is often musical, conveying the rhythm and flow of Cisneros's cadence. A few poems are in Spanish, but Cisneros's emotive delivery emphatically communicates meaning, even for those who don't speak the language. The poems flow together, encompassing the poet's life from her experiences as a young woman to her contemplations of aging and death. While the poems describe Cisneros's personal history, they also provide a powerful window into what it means for women to live for themselves and dispense with cultural and societal expectations. The author's note gives more insight into Cisneros's writing process, both as a novelist and as a poet, as well as her search for and acceptance of life. VERDICT This luminous collection from a treasured writer is a must-listen and a necessary addition to every poetry collection.--Elyssa Everling

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