Tarta Americana

The ruminative fourth collection from Martinez (Museum of the Americas) blends personal narrative and broader social commentary. Rock-and-roll legend Ritchie Valens serves as a symbol in poems that reflect on cultural identity, the transient nature of fame, and the personal influence of music. In “XIX,” Martinez investigates race and assimilation in the music industry, addressing Valens’s fate: “when your producer, Bob Keane, sliced your name in half from Valenzuela to Valens, was he keen to the violence performed (historical, epistemic, psychological, etc.) to sell you?” Factual accounts of Valens’s life allow Martinez to explore the musician’s legacy within its historical context. The title poem explores the American experience using Don McLean’s “American Pie” (tarta americana, in Spanish) as a touchstone. Martinez frequently employs a stylized spelling—“#Amerikkka”—to critique U.S. society, particularly on issues of race, politics, and social justice. Throughout, he highlights the contradictions and complexities of American culture and the importance of critically examining its present-day realities. These intellectually stimulating and emotionally evocative poems reward careful reflection. (Sept.)