Review: The Poet X + Acevedo events in LA
I spent the weekend going to different Elizabeth Acevedo readings in LA. I'd previously seen her videos on Youtube and read a digital galley of THE POET X, but I was unprepared by how awesome she would be in real life. She's funny, down to earth, intelligent, and talented! She knows how to work a room, drawing people in with her storytelling, her emotions, and her honesty.
This woman wrote a RAT ODE, and made it amazing. She is officially my inspiration, and I need to connect my students to her work!
After these events, I told myself that I'd need to do a second read of THE POET X, but this time with the audio book. Elizabeth Acevedo's voice is powerful and expressive, and it adds a completely different layer to her work.
The book is a novel in verse, told through the perspective of Xiomara, who goes through life feeling silenced, seen yet unheard. She has a volatile relationship with her mom, which blows up in some of the most heartbreaking scenes of the book. I cried when I read some of the treatment Xiomara suffered at the hands of her mother, and I honestly harbor a lot of resentment towards this fictional mom. Xiomara discovers poetry, which gives her the courage to lift her own voice and speak.
THE POET X is so relatable for teenage Latinas, who struggle with gendered expectations, religious expectations, and cultural norms. Read it. Share it with your mom, your sister, your neighbor, and your students.
*****