HOPEFUL HEROES

Well-known and potentially less familiar Latin American artists, scientists, and more step into the spotlight in this companion volume to Bravo! (2017).

In a brief introduction, Engle adds intent behind this “brief sampler of poems” on “independent thinkers who serve as role models for determination or creativity.” Surveying the Americas, the author considers figures from eras as far back as the 15th century—see the fierce poem “Proud” on Anacaona, the brave leader of the Taíno people—to contemporary times. Historical trailblazers such as the revolutionist Simón Bolívar and chroniclers Martín de la Cruz and Juan Badiano stand beside the athletic might of Cuban Olympic winner Ramón Fonst Segundo and renowned soccer player Pelé. About half of the featured heroes are women, including the Indigenous Peruvian resistance leader Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua and wartime healer Mariana Grajales Cuello. Each vaguely biographical poem amounts to a few stanzas, ranging from the sublime—see “Courageous,” a powerful ode to modern Indigenous environmentalists—to the perfunctory, like in “Movie Star” for Juano Hernández: “Many years later, in 1949, I receive / a Golden Globe nomination for my role / as the star of Intruder in the Dust, a movie.” Short biographical notes at the end offer a few more clues for readers to explore further on their own. Menéndez’s watercolor artwork shines throughout each hero’s double-page spread, depicting these immense figures in bold form against mostly monochromatic backgrounds of warm colors.

Worthy songs of praise for Latine legends.