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This week's Pause for Poetry focuses on Martín Espada's reading of "Alabanza: in Praise of Local 100," a poem from his book Alabanza, New and Selected Poems 1982-2002.
Alabanza is a Spanish word meaning "praise or admiration," which is often presented in the form of song or music. In this work, Espada memorializes, with passion and pathos, the 43 members of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 100, who perished during the World Trade Center attacks while working at the Windows on the World restaurant.
Poet, editor, essayist, and translator, Martín Espada has been called the "voice of the Hispanic working class." In his 16 books, he has managed to create highly accessible yet fiercely political works that often speak to, and respond to, oppression, discrimination, and injustice.
With this in mind, let's all hit the Pause button on our lives for a few minutes and watch this stirring performance of "Alabanza: in Praise of Local 100" by Martín Espada.
Comments
Thanks, Laura,
Laurainterviews is awesome.
I have some more great profiles lined up that I think you'll enjoy.
frank
That poem is so finely crafted and has such a potent message that I'm sure it will end up in poetry textbooks for years into the future. What a treat to see the video.
Brian,
I agree. It's an excellent poem on paper, and really awesome when he reads it live.
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