" This whole book stands up and dances off the page.
It sings, it chants, it howls, it performs."
— Carmen Tafolla, author & Texas Poet Laureate, 2015

"National slam poetry phenom Amalia Ortiz proves that the improvisational jazz and rap riffs of the slam stage can in fact translate to the page in unapologetic, electric and rich poetry."
—Yvette Benavides, San Antonio Express-News

"Ortiz defiantly redefines la mujer chocante into a heroic, admirable figure who embraces her faults and her strengths. Thus completed, she stands in solidarity with her sisters and other marginalized groups in stirring, hard-hitting piece after piece.“
— David Bowles, author, award-winning translator & award-winning critic

"our inside jokes, fantasies, shame, glory, historia, foibles and gifts. All are reflected in Ortiz’s poems..."
— Tony Diaz, Librotraficante, Texas Observer
 

Rant. Chant. Chisme. is the debut collection of poetry by south Texas native Amalia Ortiz, featuring writing from the first decade of her career. Selected by NBC News as one of the 10 Great Latino Books of 2015. Readers will get a taste of life on the border from the perspective of a young woman of color struggling to write herself into existence. These poems introduce a unique new transcultural feminist viewpoint as the poems call for social and political change along the borderlands.

Ortiz, an award-winning performance poet known for her dynamic delivery style, relinquishes control of her writing to the reader, but not without first imparting the theatrical stage directions stated in the book’s title, which commands readers to recite these poems aloud in a spoken word celebration exploring culture, music, and place while encouraging the reader to embrace diversity and find their own storytelling voice. 

Available on Amazon, or buy a signed copy of Amalia's book for $17 (+$3 shipping):