Official Review: states of unitedness by J.C. Salazar

[Christina O Phillips]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "states of unitedness" by J.C. Salazar.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” This is a quote from Robert Frost and it perfectly describes J.C. Salazar’s collection of poems, states of unitedness. I cannot remember the last time that I enjoyed a book of poetry as much as I enjoyed this one. This book is full of emotions that I have had but could not fully explain and now I do not need to as this book does it for me.

J.C. Salazar was born in Monterrey, Mexico and grew up in Houston, Texas. To use his own words, these poems “contain a preoccupation with our connection as human beings as well as our unitedness as citizens of America.” states of unitedness is a collection of over 60 poems divided into six sections, each having its own theme such as Loves, Random and Real; Tributes; and Tattered Earth. While the majority of the poems are written in free verse, the topics of the poems have more variety.

What did I like about this book? Everything. The topics ranged from love to family to friendship to celebrations of icons such as Selena Quintanilla and to the immigrant experience. Salazar writes about many people (not just Selena, but also family members), emotions, and events in a way that, as a Mexican-American, I can relate to, but that is not to say that this book is only for what Salazar calls “hyphenated Americans.” The strength of his writing style is that he is able to write about these unique experiences in a way that one does not have to be an immigrant to understand. Salazar also expresses thoughts on the issues of Syrians and the Middle East along with comments on humanity and humaneness.

There is nothing negative that I can say about this collection. Poetry has its own rules, especially when it comes to punctuation, so I cannot say that there are any errors in the poems. I found one mistake in the introduction, but other than that this collection seems to be very well edited. There are two poems that are completely in Spanish so that could prove to be a challenge for readers without any knowledge of the language.

I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. states of unitedness is a love letter to what Salazar calls “hyphenated Americans,” and it helps non-hyphenated Americans to get a good look into the Mexican-American culture and his experiences. I recommend this to all readers of poetry. This collection was so moving that I know I will re-read it many more times.

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states of unitedness
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Like Christina O Phillips's review? Post a comment saying so!

[DogoMulla]

I could use some good poems myself. It's been quite a while. I would say there isn't so much of them nowadays. Thank you for the excellent review Christina.

[spencermack]

Being able to connect with a book emotionally is an amazing feeling. Poetry is a style that isn't for everyone all the time. Then there are those poems that leave the heart swooning. Glad it was such a great read, I look forward to getting my hands on it.

[Dentarthurdent]

Thanks for your use of examples in your review. That makes it easier to understand what you took away from the book. I love the Frost quote you quite expertly applied to your introduction.

[kandscreeley]

Sounds like there's a lot of great topics covered here. Still, poetry isn't my thing. It never has been. I'm glad you enjoyed this one so much, but I'm going to have to pass. Thanks for the review, though.

[T_stone]

I've read two books on poetry and I must say it really isn't for everyone. But, I'd lobe to read this one because it contains themes I relate to very well. Thanks for the review.

[Christina O Phillips]

Thanks for your use of examples in your review. That makes it easier to understand what you took away from the book. I love the Frost quote you quite expertly applied to your introduction.

Thank you!

[IamShing]

Nice messages. Good to know someone has written good pieces of poetry.

[Crazyreader01]

I love poetry and completely agree with you that it is emotions expressed in a magical way, so I'll definitely look into this. Thanks for the review!

[Juliana_Isabella]

This sounds like a lovely collection. I hope the Spanish poems don't scare away potential readers, especially when there are so many translation services available.