WEBVTT

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When Georgia O'Keeffe was asked
why she painted her flowers so

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big, she answered in
her wonderful voice

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that it was "To
force us to notice."

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And that's one of the roles that
I think minority writers play.

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They force us to notice
what has not been part

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of our American literature.

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I said to a high school
class this morning,

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one of the roles that I
think minority writers play

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is they make American
literature more honest.

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So I wanted to do a series of
poems about Mexico and being

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Mexican-American or
Chicano or Hispanic--

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whatever word you're
most comfortable with.

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The first is actually
pre-Hispanic entitled,

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"Cañon del Sumidero" which is a
canyon right outside of Tuxtla

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Gutierrez.

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There's a legend
about the canyon.

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"Their cries were drowned
literally in that green.

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Their cries tumbled and
twisted like the bodies.

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Even babies falling that leap
from the Spaniards glint.

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Indians running, running for the
last time to that high cliff.

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Mothers throwing their own
out away from the rocky ledge.

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Throwing themselves
into that green glint

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of the startled river.

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The canyons, caves,
and trees trapping

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cries echoing, echoing
and yells like conquerors.

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That last triumphant gasp.

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Green."

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