Otonos y Otras Luces

Spanish native Gonz lez, a recipient of the prestigious Reina Sofia de Poesia Iberoamericana prize in 1996, has published his first book of poetry in nine years. The first of four sections, ""Otonos"" (""Autumns""), sets the tone of loss for the rest of the book, with meditations on the passing of summer into fall and winter. In the next section, ""La luz a ti debida"" (""The Light Owed to You""), Gonz lez explores the relationship between an old and cynical man and his young and idealistic lover through wistful poems that they write to each other during and after their affair. Following, in a kind of elegy to a fellow poet, Gonz lez offers a complex portrait of the moral choices of an artistto speak the truth, to stay in his country or be an outsiderand explores the romantic ideal of the natural world as a source of inspiration. The last section considers the effect of the past on the present, alternating between despair and hope. Gonz lez's poems will remind readers of Russian nesting dolls, which open to reveal smaller dolls inside. They each reveal something about relationships with the self, lovers, and the world. Although his themes are complex, Gonz lez's language and imagery are very clear and accessible. Recommended for public and academic libraries with a strong poetry section.Adriana Scopino, Brooklyn, NY