Dreaming the End of WarThis gripping suite of twelve dreams, infused with the conflict along the border of Mexico and the United States, traces humanity's addiction to violence and killing--from boys stepping on ants to men shooting animals, men shooting women, men shooting enemies. The Dreams begin in a desert landscape where poverty and wealth grate against each other, and the ever present war becomes "as invisible as the desert sands we trample on." The dreams, however, move toward a greater peace with Sáenz providing an unforgettable reading experience. From "The Fourth Dream: Families and Flags and Revenge": I don't believe a flag Some men would hate me "Rage," Sáenz said in an interview, "must be a component of any writer's life. But this rage must also be contained--otherwise our very bodies will become chaos--our minds will become chaos. We need order." Sáenz finds that order in poems, transforming his rage into something "more beautiful and gracious and forgiving." Poet and novelist Benjamin Sáenz has written 10 books of poetry and prose, most recently In Perfect Light (HarperCollins). He was a Catholic priest, doing missionary and charity work in London, Tanzania, and the barrio parishes of El Paso, Texas. Upon leaving the priesthood, he was awarded a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University. He teaches in the MFA program at University of Texas, El Paso. |
From inside the book
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... stare out at a garden that is mine . I own rows and rows of books . In my boyhood there were only rows of crops . There is comfort in this life . I've worked for this . And it did not come cheap . And yet this summer brings no hint of ...
Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I stare out and see only what is in my head . I dream of things in the day . In the day . I dream in my house needs fixing . I dream that nothing the labor it will take to build a wall- then to tear it down . I ...
... stare across the river , too , and there I see my wife -my wife and those I loved and lost and mourned . I see my niece . She is whole again — and perfect- and standing next to my sister and my mother and my father , all their ailments 66.