Nuyorican World

LAST OF THE PO'RICANS Y OTROS AFRO-ARTIFACTS is the first poetry collection by Not4Prophet, showcasing a vibrant blend of poetry that captures the cultural essence of Puerto Rico and New York City through the perspective of a Puerto Rican from Ponce, residing in El Barrio/East Harlem and the South Bronx. In exploring this sense of "otherness," which encompasses struggles with poverty, racial pride, and racial tensions, Not4Prophet pays tribute to the pioneers of the Nuyorican and Black Arts movements. Composed in free verse and rich with cultural and historical allusions, LAST OF THE PO'RICANS pushes boundaries and confronts readers with striking imagery and clever wordplay that dares to address difficult topics.

HEY YO! YO SOY! 40 YEARS OF NUYORICAN STREET POETRY, A BILINGUAL EDITION is a 390-page collection, comprised of Jesús Papoleto Meléndez' three previously published volumes of poetry: "Casting Long Shadows" (1970), "Have You Seen Liberation" (1971), and "Street Poetry & Other Poems" (1972). As a prominent figure in the Nuyorican Movement, Meléndez explores his development as a poet and activist, addressing political, intellectual, and linguistic themes that are still pertinent today. Notably, HEY YO! YO SOY! reflects on his evolving connection to El Barrio and his feelings of not fully belonging to either Puerto Rico or the United States. The collection draws inspiration from various influences, including minimalist poetry, code-switching, Afro-Caribbean music, and concrete poetry, all within a framework of resistance that examines Puerto Rico's political and social issues on a global scale, while honoring the past, present, and future writers of the Nuyorican Movement. This is the first book to be translated from English to Spanish, fostering cultural ties with the Spanish-speaking community and offering a significant historical perspective on a crucial era in American history. HEY YO! YO SOY! is meant to be read as a cohesive narrative from start to finish, making it a valuable addition to any library.

BORICUA PASSPORT evokes the complex in-betweeness that represents the contemporary Puerto Rican condition as filtered through the prism of poet J.L. Torres' life experience. For many Puerto Ricans the sense of being unhomed-having a homeland but not really feeling at home anywhere-is a real lived experience determined by a persisting and unsettled colonial condition. In BORICUA PASSPORT, Torres, screams, shouts, rejoices, celebrates, tickles and challenges with a poetry sprinkled with Spanish/Spanglish that is immediate and urgent. His is a testimony to the indefatigable Puerto Rican spirit which, although burdened by this colonial condition, still strives to cobble a hybrid world full of love, passion and hope. BORICUA PASSPORT will transport any reader into this limbo world with all its fascinating incongruities and descriptive vistas. It's your passport into a world simultaneously real and imaginary, one most people don't even know exists. A must read!