This volume introduces to English readers the life and work of Vida- luz Meneses (b. 1944), one of the most acclaimed poets writing in Cen- tral America and a public figure of distinction during the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua (1979-1990), when she held leadership positions in the new Ministry of Culture. Although poems from her first books appear in anthologies published around the world -Great Britain, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Re- public, and the United States- no selection in English has included more than a five-poem sampling of her work, and the total number available in English from all published sources is under twenty. Hispanophone literary critics know and savor her work, yet only a few critical treatments (university theses) have appeared in the United States. Familiarity with her poetry and life story will trigger revision of the accepted interpretations of Nicaraguan history and letters. This volume presents her poetic works and their translation on facing pag- es, in addition to my substantial interviews with Meneses conducted between 2005 and 2013, which affirm the centrality of her life experi- ences in her works and highlight the choices confronting her and her peers.
