Sentado a revés / Vladimir Amaya / 2019

Sentado a revés / Vladimir Amaya / 2019

Vladimir Amaya is a legend in Salvadoran circles, and this short chapbook dramatically illustrates why. Amaya’s work carries the same spirit of what some call la generacion de la sangre, or the Bloody Generation. These writers obsess over the violence and blood spilt in the streets, and I’d include writers like Moz, Sol Quetzali, and Miroslava Rosales as some of their most potent writers. Here, we get the shit imagery reminiscent of Rosales’ work in poems like “Mi patria se respite en los excrementos.” Overall, his work is some of the best in this heavy vein. 4 out of 5.