The Spines of Love

The Spines of Love features selections from Victor Terán’s poetry for the first time in a trilingual edition—in their original Isthmus Zapotec (an endangered indigenous Mexican language) and in David Shook’s Spanish and English translations. Terán’s knotty but digestible free verse weaves a sexual conception of love dripping with natural imagery drawn from the Juchitán region. Surveying pain and melancholy, anger and resentment, this confessional collection runs the gamut of emotions resulting from a man’s love lost. Ultimately, the book’s title rings true: yes, love can hurt, but even when it has run its course, it can provide tremendous strength.