Looking for The Gulf Motel - A Review

First of all, I had the opportunity on 4/27/13 to hear Richard Blanco read.  Listening to him read "Betting on America" was hilarious as it reminded me of my younger days with the whole family huddled in front of the one TV set (in the living room) tuned to the only channel showing the pageant and the discussions of why who should win.  The memories came back so vividly when he read "Betting on America." My senses came alive with the imagery that the words painted.

I finally finished reading The Gulf Motel and overall, it was a good read as I could feel a closeness to the author. I just wished he had read "Habla Cuba Speaking" because his tone would've helped me understand his words even better.  I keep looking at different angles and seeing varying images.

Throughout, you get a feel of "fracturing" and him piecing it together. He pieces together memories of his father:  In "The Port Pilot," we learn of his father's job in Cuba, him sitting with his father on a rock and his father dying. I like the way he used a photo he didn't have to create a more lasting photo of words in "Papa at the Kitchen Table."

 Most of his poetry is free form but he did use one form (that I recognized): villanelle. In the villanelle, "Love Poem According to Quantum Theory" he takes pieces from his poetry world and pieces from his scientific world (specifically physics). 

His poems do not just speak about his experience but I feel that we can all relate. One such experience is that of the disconnect between generations (regardless of the cause of the disconnect) which any reader can appreciate.

Blanco, Richard.2012. Looking for The Gulf Motel. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.