Poetry. Native American Studies. Latino/Latina Studies. Art. This book of poems and stark, vivid illustrations is rooted in the female soul of indigenous Mexico. The Tzotzil women of the Chiapas Highlands are the poets and the artists. Ambar Past, who collected the poems and drawings, includes a moving essay about their poetics, beliefs, and history. The Cinco Puntos edition of INCANTATIONS is a facsimile of the original handmade edition produced by the Taller Leñateros. It was reviewed in The New York Times. The collection also features the collaborative efforts of Xalik Guzmán Bakbolom and Xpetra Ernandes.

Author City: Chiapas MEX

At the age of twenty-three, Ambar Past left the United States for Mexico. She lived among the Mayan people, teaching the techniques of native dyes and learning to speak Tzotzil. She is the creator of the graphic arts collective Taller Leñateros in Chiapas and was a founding member of Sna Jolobil, a weaving cooperative for Mayan artisans.