I Am My Own Path

Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario is a translator and a professor at the City University of New York, and the managing editor of Small Axe, a project devoted to Caribbean cultural criticism. She is the author of Becoming Julia de Burgos: The Making of a Puerto Rican Icon, which is also available in Spanish.

• Translating Julia de Burgos by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario Part I. Selected Poems Poema en 20 surcos / Poem in 20 FurrowsA Julia de Burgos To Julia de Burgos, translated by Grace Schulman To Julia de Burgos, translated by Roberto MÁrquez RÍo Grande de LoÍza Rio Grande de LoÍza, translated by Grace Schulman Rio Grande de LoÍza, translated by Roque Raquel Salas Rivera Momentos Moments, translated by UrayoÁn Noel PentacromÍa Pentachromatics, translated by Robin Myers Nada Nothingness, translated by Roque Raquel Salas Rivera Ay Ay Ay de la grifa negra My, Oh My, Oh My of the Nappy-haired Negress, translated by Roberto MÁrquez Mi alma My Soul, translated by Carina del Valle Schorske Ochenta mil Eighty Thousand, translated by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario Yo misma fui mi ruta I Am My Own Path, translated by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario CanciÓn de la verdad sencilla / Song of the Simple TruthPoema detenido en un amanecer Poem Confined in a Dawn, translated by Josefina BÁez TransmutaciÓn Transmutation, translated by Jack AgÜeros ArmonÍa de la palabra y el instinto Word and Instinct in Harmony, Translated by Josefina BÁez CanciÓn desnuda Naked Song, translated by Josefina BÁez Yo fui la mÁs callada I Was the Quietest, translated by Carina del Valle Schorske Te seguirÉ callada I Will Follow You Hushed, translated by Aurora Levins Morales CanciÓn de tu presencia Song of Your Presence, translated by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario CanciÓn de la verdad sencilla Song of the Simple Truth, Translated by Roberto MÁrquez El mar y tÚ / The Sea and YouEl mar y tÚ The Sea and You, translated by Aurora Levins Morales Casi alba Almost Sunrise, translated by Cyrus Cassells VÍctima de luz Victim of Light, translated by Aurora Levins Morales CanciÓn amarga Bitter Song, translated by Josefina BÁez Entre mi voz y el tiempo Between My Voice and Time, translated by Josefina BÁez Dadme mi nÚmero Give Me My Number, translated by UrayoÁn Noel ¡Oh lentitud del mar! Oh Slowness of the Sea!, translated by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario ¡Oh mar, no esperes mÁs! Oh Sea, Wait no Longer!, translated by Josefina BÁez Poema para mi muerte Poem for My Death, translated by Roberto MÁrquez Poemas sueltos / Loose PoemsCampo Country, translated by Roque Raquel Salas Rivera Countryside, translated by Robin Myers Una canciÓn a Albizu Campos A Song for Albizu Campos, translated by Carina del Valle Schorske Himno de sangre a Trujillo Bloody Hymn for Trujillo, translated by Aurora Levins Morales CanciÓn a los pueblos de AmÉrica y del mundo Song to the Hispanic Peoples of America and the World, translated by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario Canto a JosÉ MartÍ Song for JosÉ MartÍ, translated by Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario Farewell in Welfare Island Despedida desde Welfare Island, translated by Mayra Santos-Febres The Sun in Welfare Island El sol de Welfare Island, translated by Mayra Santos-Febres Part II. Essays, Interview Essays, Vignettes, and SketchesTranslated by Robin Myers Ensayos/Essays La mujer frente el dolor de la patria Women and the Pain of the Nation Ser o no ser es la divisa To Be or Not to Be Is the Motto Triunfa Juan Bosch en concurso periodÍstico Juan Bosch Triumphs in Journalism Contest Cultura en funciÓn social The Social Function of Culture JosÉ de Diego, el hombre transmutado JosÉ de Diego, the Transmuted Man Con los hÉroes de la independencia hispanoamericana With the Heroes of Hispanic American Independence PresentaciÓn de Marigloria Palma Introducing Marigloria Palma Luis LlorÉns Torres enfermo en Nueva York Luis LlorÉns Torres Ill in New York Carmen Alicia Cadilla Carmen Alicia Cadilla Entrevistas/Interview Essays PlÁtica con Esteban Soriano A Conversation with Esteban Soriano Con Narciso Figueroa, pianista puertorriqueÑo With Narciso Figueroa, Puerto Rican Pianist Con Eusebia Cosme, gran recitadora cubana With Eusebia Cosme, Great Cuban Performer of Poetry Con Noro Morales, director de orquesta puertorriqueÑo With Noro Morales, Musical Director of Orquesta PuertoriqueÑo Con Conrado VÁsquez, pintor revolucionario mexicano With Conrado VÁsquez, Revolutionary Mexican Painter Con Josephine Premice y su arte folklÓrico haitiano With Josephine Premice and Her Haitian Folk Art Con Carlos Alfonso RÍos, poeta peruano With Carlos Alfonso RÍos, Peruvian Poet CrÓnicas/Vignettes and Sketches Perfiles de mexicanos, voces de MÉxico en Baltimore Mexican Profiles, Voices of Mexico in Baltimore Iris y Paloma en el Museo de Arte HispÁnico Iris and Paloma in the Hispanic Society Museum and Library En la Cantina de la Juventud In the Youth Canteen Iris y Paloma caminan por Harlem Iris and Paloma Take a Walk through Harlem Iris y Paloma en el Museo de la ciudad de Nueva York Iris and Paloma in the Museum of the City of New York Puerto Rico en el alma de un niÑo Puerto Rico in the Soul of a Child Part III. LettersTranslated by Robin Myers The Burgos GarcÍa Family Acknowledgments A Note on Translations and Editions Notes Bibliography to the Introduction Contributors Index

"How grateful I am that nuestra Julia de Burgos, writer, feminist, social activist, can now become more fully accessible to monolingual English readers. With this comprehensive critical introduction to her life and work, nuestra Julia becomes a Julia for all of America. A treasure trove for those who did not know of her work or want to know more." - Julia Alvarez, author of The Cemetery of Untold Stories "This collection is a timely and necessary work of scholarship and translation as well as a revisiting of an important voice in Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and hemispheric poetic and political thought. Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario’s collaborative efforts and ethical care serve to illuminate new dimensions of Julia de Burgos’s thought and legacy." - Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez "Everyone should rush out immediately and get a copy of this dazzling, monumental translation of Julia de Burgos’s extraordinary writing. The work of Burgos is graced by a strikingly brilliant rendering by some of today’s most inspired and inspiring literary translators, many of whom are themselves celebrated writers. I Am My Own Path is a treasure trove, a lighthouse, and essential reading for anyone interested in poetry, poetics, Puerto Rican letters, or the literature of the Americas. This vital volume is a historical event not to be missed!" - Rachel Galvin, author ofUterotopia: Poems "This collection, which further establishes Julia de Burgos’s importance and gives her work new expression in English, is orchestrated by a scholar who knows de Burgos and her work better than anyone else: Vanessa PÉrez-Rosario. She has assembled an all-star lineup of influential poets and scholars to help translate de Burgos’s writing for a multilingual readership. Period translations from decades back are complemented by new ones from a stellar array of emerging and established contemporary literary figures.  The deft, top-notch curation of this book makes it a powerful tool for expanding our understanding of de Burgos’s work." - Esther Allen, translator of The Suicides by Antonio Di Benedetto