Lotería: Poems

"A traditional game of chance popular in Mexico and in Mexican American culture, Loterâia is poetically rendered in Esteban Rodrâiguez's eighth collection, with each poem revolving around one of the fifty-four cards. Using the image presented as a catalyst for exploration and self-reflection, Rodrâiguez unveils the familial journey between two countries and cultures through both a surreal and narrative lens. Here, a mother unearths a severed hand in the desert. A father discovers his heart among a heap of discarded items. And at one point, the speaker-toggling between his role as witness and son-finds himself in a canoe on a river contemplating the meaning behind an authentic experience. Lyrical, insightful, and honestly engaging, Loterâia sheds light on a world that doesn't so easily reveal itself, adding to Rodrâiguez's prolific and important oeuvre"--