Age Eligibility

Kelsi Vanada has translated poet Berta García Faet's La edad de merecer [La Bella Varsovia, 2015] into THE ELIGIBLE AGE. This outstanding bilingual edition of poetry does not shy away from sentimentality and emotional charge. The poems use formal and linguistic experimentation to tell the story of the poet's coming-of-age as a woman and writer in a world where roles for both are already defined. The title itself is a feminist critique of the idea that for a woman to be of an age to marry means that she begins to deserve certain things. Garcia Faet blends vocabulary from multiple academic realms with more personal revelations about her emotions and sexuality, including descriptions of her body's changes through puberty and love letters to male and female lovers. She affirms all language as the stuff of poetry, refusing to obey conventions of syntax and punctuation. She invites readers into refreshingly candid statements like: "i'm ashamed to admit it, but you won't find anyone in the world / who believes in love / with greater intensity greater faith greater fervor / than i."

The intimacy of Vanada's and Garcia Faet's artistic collaboration breathes vitality into this new work, as the sharing of a voice that now speaks in two languages brings a new dimension to the poetry. Parallel Spanish and English text is included, enhancing the experience for readers. "THE ELIGIBLE AGE is one of the most significant books of the last few years, and Berta García Faet has become the most representative voice of her generation."--Unai Velasco, poet.

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