“His prolific artistic production, cut off at the age of forty, remains a monumental artifact . . . illustrating his profound conviction that the poet can and must, in his life as well as in his work, serve as the finely-honed scalpel of change, both in word and deed.” Claribel Alegría
“The most daring and innovative Salvadoran writer and intellectual of the twentieth century.” Jaime Barba
Poems of revolution by one of Latin America’s most beloved poets
Born in San Salvador in 1935, Roque Dalton dedicated his life to armed struggle while writing fierce, tender poems about his country and its people. In Historias y poemas de una lucha de clases / Stories and Poems of a Class Struggle, Dalton offers a road map for a liberated El Salvador, writing through the lens of five poetic personas, each with their own imagined history and distinct voice. This collection shows a country caught in the crosshairs of American imperialism, where the few rule the many and the many fight to survive—and yet there is love and humor and self-mockery to be found here on every page, in every verse, as well as an abiding faith in humanity. “I believe the world is beautiful,” Dalton writes, “and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.”
What People Are Saying
“A poet of humor and crass and unrepentant truth . . . his poems have remained a constant in anti-capitalist and anti-fascist struggles over the years, not only in El Salvador but internationally.” Christopher Soto & Tatiana Marroquín
“Roque Dalton’s commitment to the Revolution was like a marriage contract . . . It was his destiny not only to sing it but also to give his life for the Revolution.” Ernesto Cardenal
“This collection comprises five diverse personalities, all poets and each an aspect of the intricate consciousness of one man, Roque Dalton, a Salvadoran writer who sought justice through verse as well as action and whose work is timeless. Dalton became an avid participant in the guerrilla army called the People’s Revolutionary Army and at the same time began publishing poetry with political and sarcastic undertones that make his work so identifiable. . . . A great addition to any collection; recommended for all students and lovers of poetry.” Criticas
“For those who aren’t sure where El Salvador is, this book will locate it for them . . . in the heart of blood and bravery.” Lawrence Ferlinghetti
“Roque had a sense of life and struggle that enabled him to laugh at himself, dig beneath the surface and bring up the most difficult areas of human experience... touching them deeply, exploring them, and projecting them in a way both useful and beautiful.” Margaret Randall
“Roque Dalton’s Historias y poemas de una lucha de clases (Stories and Poems of a Class Struggle) dates back to 1975, and remains as timely as ever. . . [this] is a book filled with courageous testimony, the poet’s typical dry humor, and bone-chilling depictions of state violence. Here, Dalton is hyperaware of the pain and plight of his compatriots, but in addition to his typical grittiness and social critique, we also find tenderness, softness, beauty, and frailty; Dalton’s acute perception is both a rifle and a compass, manifesting in words of both rebuke and encouragement.” José García Escobar, Asymptote