HEY YO! YO SOY! 40 YEARS OF NUYORICAN STREET POETRY, A BILINGUAL EDITION is a 386-page poetry collection, comprised of Meléndez’ three previously published books: Casting Long Shadows (1970), Have You Seen Liberation (1971), and Street Poetry & Other Poems (1972). Meléndez, who is one of the founders of the Nuyorican Movement, not only tackles coming of age as a poet and activist, he also tackles political, intellectual and linguistic topics that remain relevant to this day.
HEY YO! YO SOY! chronicles the evolution of Meléndez’ relationship with El Barrio, and his political and social awakening as a poet, writer and activist. The sense of not belonging to neither Puerto Rico or the United States evolved into his involvement with the Nuyorican Movement, which critiqued and challenged the social and political institutions and policies that were hindering Puerto Ricans in New York City. It was this social commitment and activism that has served as the defining characteristic of poetry. HEY YO! YO SOY!’s influences range from minimalist poetry to code-switching, from Afro-Caribbean music to concrete poetry in a literature of resistance which explores the political and social issues of Puerto Rico into an international dimension that embraces the past, present and future writers of the Nuyorican Movement. It is the first book to be translated from the English to the Spanish, which links cultural connections in the Spanish-speaking community. From the profound to the poignant to the comedic, Meléndez provides an important, historical look at a pivotal period in American society. HEY YO! YO SOY! 40 YEARS OF NUYORICAN STREET POETRY, A BILINGUAL EDITION is a collection to be devoured as a single sustained narrative, from the first page to the last; a worthy addition in anyone’s library. Cover art: Jaime “Shaggy” Flores. Photo credit: Wazuri-Gente Meléndez.
Here's What People Are Saying
“Papoleto’s book, HEY YO! YO SOY! is a wonderful insight into the mind and creation of a classic Nuyorican Poet. It is not just a compendium of forty years of Nuyorican Poetry; it also shows the growth and development of a Nuyorican Legend. For up-and-coming poets, writers, and spoken word artists, this book is a must-read. Not only is the poetry an oral history of events of close to a half a century, but his words/commentary paint a beautiful mosaic of the raw power that Nuyorican Poetry contains. Kudos to Papoleto and the publisher for putting this invaluable text together for all to enjoy!” ~Frank Perez author, poet, and playwright
“HEY YO! YO SOY! reveals a courageous voice watching and living the harsh realities of poor Puerto Rican and Black communities. In contrast with the beauty of nature and the world of the “privileged” classes are the violence and pain of the world of poverty, drug addiction and cultural oppression. These poems communicate an absurd, tragic sense of life, sometimes with humor. They reveal the role of the state and religion in both creating and neglecting these conditions. Papoleto encourages us to revolt, to create a freer world by rebelling, even in the smallest acts. This book is a gift of love.” ~Myrna Nieves, Ph.D. writer and editor of anthologies, professor at Boricua College in New York City
“HEY YO! YO SOY! presents forty years of Meléndez’ poetry, the authentic sound-the songs-of life perceived through an ‘open window’ in El Barrio. To begin, the poet announces himself in the rollicking, prancing title poem, ‘Hey Yo! Yo Soy!’ The following sixty-plus poems echo the rhythms of El Barrio and reveal its inner life through sharply etched images. With distilled clarity, Meléndez renders the disappointment, loneliness, and anger of ugly ghetto streets and redeems that pain with his poet’s desire to hear the ‘lovely sounds’ and attain ‘new growth.’” ~Evelyn A. Flory, Ph.D., Head of School (Retired) St. Paul’s School for Girls, Baltimore
“In HEY YO! YO SOY!, poet Jesus Papoleto Meléndez is the true voice of a poet, who disrobes society for us to see it raw and naked as it is in its own skin. Many of us are not ready to see society as it is. Papoleto brings us closer through his magnify glass of words, drawing us to the sad, dark, and rebellious part of our humanity that deserves to be seen and analyzed. His poetry represents freedom of speech and thinking, bringing voice to the often-silenced perspectives in our society. I look forward to sharing these poems with my friends and students—we are all in need of a linguistic venue for our critical thinking.” ~Melissa Nieves, director of Adult Education, Union Settlement Association
“Finally, a body of work from the school of Nuyorican Poetry that calls us from the street while we’re on the rooftop making faces at the stars: The Birth of Yo in Us. You can feel the steam of winter wreck our souls in Papoleto’s verse; in it, you find the cascading flow of personal and political evolution born of chaos and fracture. Poetry has never spoke louder; same goes for love in this collection. Let Papoleto’s book, HEY YO! YO SOY!, serve as a chronicle of transnational awakening.” ~Willie Perdomo, PEN Beyond Margins award-winning author of Smoking Lovely (2004)
“Jesus Papoleto Meléndez is a living spanglish lexicon. HEY YO! YO SOY! is a testament to the dedication & documentation of the nuyorican experience. it carries so many words in between the pages: longevity, strength, survival, transformation. a very necessary piece in the literary history of puerto ricans in new york.” ~Bonafide Rojas, publisher of Concourse Press, and author of When The City Sleeps (2012)
“The beat and rhythms of Papo’s voice, his cadence and unique style, are synonymous with a mosaic; pieces of jazz and blues, street drums, guaguancó, tumbao, bomba and plena, English/Spanish/Spanglish, an operatic Mack the Knife, screaming in defiance, held together by hope for a better tomorrow!” ~Mariposa Maria Teresa Fernandez, poet
“The poetry of Papoleto Meléndez blends and stretches the English language in novel ways to create a unique poetic voice. Like a jazz musician, he emphasizes or distorts words, sentences, and punctuation in his verses to form meaningful soundscapes. In live performances, his voice evolves into an Indian chant-like trance, while on the written page his elaborate use of typography and layout makes you, literally, visualize and hear his poems. HEY YO! YO SOY! provides a much-needed collection of the work of a true American original, in both English and Spanish.” ~Javier de Pisón, journalist
“From San Diego’s Barrio Logan to the streets of East Harlem, Papoleto Meléndez is a legendary figure. This volume of collected and lovingly translated poetry is long overdue. The poems sing with rhythms of the streets, but Papa’s cogent use of metaphor and penetrating insight elevates him to the ranks of the great poets of this era.” ~DeeDee Halleck, founder of Paper Tiger TV, and co-founder Deep Dish Network, Democracy Now, and lndymedia
“Papoleto’s poetry captures the essence of a time and place that is ‘relevant’ even to the streets of El Barrio today, catching the pain of a culture trapped within a society that still does not recognize its ma/dad against a great people and land. I wept with the junkie and raised my fist with the revolutionary as I read words written long ago as I understood, yet again, my Nuyorican heritage is still a privilege not to be taken lightly.” ~Caridad De La Luz of De La Luz, Inc.
“Jesus Papoleto Meléndez ‘s poetry is an important chronicle of the life of one of the early Puerto Rican writers published in the United States. From his poem “THEY-THOSE” to “have you seen liberation” to “of a butterfly in el barrio,” Meléndez ‘s vision, feelings and views of his world are presented with vivid resilience and decided purpose; his passion for social justice and love of his community gleaming through these pages.” ~Nancy Mercado, Ph.D., author of It Concerns the Madness (2000)
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