Amy M. Alvarez explores the cultural, spiritual, and place-based experiences of Afro-Caribbean and African American diasporic peoples in this haunting and emotionally charged collection of poems that meditates on the meaning of home and existence. Born in New York City to Jamaican and Puerto Rican parents, Alvarez draws readers into a journey of self-discovery and identity, connecting the past with the present while highlighting the complexities of navigating life as a multicultural American. The musicality of her language weaves together themes of environment, family, and migration, as well as her own ancestry as a Black Latinx woman. Makeshift Altar is an intimate collection that explores identities forged by colonialism and displacement and shaped by individual choice and collective power.
"These poems stand up straight and sing their love loud then bow their heads low to lament and mourn and remember Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Jennifer Laude. From Monongahela Means Falling to Fly to the perfectly executed Sometimes, Alvarez offers up a masterclass on form and function. This poet and these poems are just what America needs right now!"
Frank X Walker, author of Buffalo Dance
"Makeshift Altar is required reading-rich, tender, and eloquent. Alvarez explores culture, heritage, family, and belonging. By the end of this collection, I felt like I was part of the mountains "skirting the continent of what is." Once I picked this book up, I could not put it down. It is the birthing ground for fresh images and answers to the difficult questions. Alvarez has made a way for us wh
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, author of The Limitless Heart: New and Selected Poems
