Bodies & Words —poems by Celia Lisset Alvarez -paperback
Bodies & Words —poems by Celia Lisset Alvarez -paperback
Bodies & Words is an exploration of male-female relationships at different stages of life. The poems range from the frustrations and surprises of early adolescence to the adjustments of early relationships, the desires and anxieties of middle age, and the wisdom and acceptance of later years. Along the way, these poems challenge gender stereotypes about love, women, marriage, desire, infidelity, and aging. The title refers to a Joyce Carol Oates story quotation: “In love, there are two things: bodies and words. The words go along with certain bodies, sometimes the name of those bodies, their ‘names,’ and sometimes the words those bodies exclaim.” The book examines this rather cryptic message by investigating the labels we use to define ourselves and others and the relationships between us. From the opening poem, “Rock Gate Park,” nothing is what it seems—love is cruel rather than tender and just as much a desire for dominance as a yearning for the beloved. Early relationships are unstable and based on fantasy; later relationships are also unstable, but bear the weight of guilt and disappointment. The collection leaves us questioning whether men and women ever truly see each other as what they really are.
ISBN-13: 978-1-954573-37-6
eISBN-13: 978-1-954573-38-3
Celia Lisset Alvarez writes of more than Bodies & Words, in her book of poems of the same title taken from a Joyce Carol Oates quote—though words are her forte and bodies of love her theme. She tells fascinating and gripping stories in free verse narratives, rich with details and pointed observations. Her narratives are plush with description, poetic scrutinies, and philosophical reflections that immediately pull the reader in. Often, she leads us into ironic truths that are sometimes stranger than fiction. Celia Alvarez is a skilled, honest, clever, and entertaining writer well worth the reading.
—Daniela Gioseffi
These poems refuse to be ignored. They grab you by the collar, pull at your cuff if you dare to think you can just walk away, eye the sweat beading your bared throat, and insist you pay attention. Celia Alvarez’s poems define the relationship between bodies and words with an unflinching eye. The accretion of detail forms new stars and creates new planets to adorn new galaxies. We recall our own faults without regret.
We remember that red dress.
—Christina Pacosz
Alvarez writes with an abundance of wisdom but not a lick of pretension, exploring what it means to be a woman, a writer, a Cuban-American, a Floridian. She faces contradiction head-on—revels in it, in fact, with observations that both disarm and delight and language that reveals a poet in her prime.
—Tania Runyan
Celia Lisset Alvarez, author of Bodies & Words is a graduate of the University of Miami's creative writing program. She is the author of three previous collections of poetry, Shapeshifting (winner of the 2005 Spire Press Poetry Award), The Stones (Finishing Line Press 2006), and Multiverses (Finishing Line Press 2021). Her poetry, stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has been nominated for both a Pushcart Prize and a Best of the Net Award. She is currently the editor of Prospectus: A Literary Offering. Alvarez was born in Madrid, Spain, to Cuban parents fleeing from Castro’s communist regime. The family now lives in Miami, Florida.
