2/6/2015 Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third World Women Writers by Gloria Anzalda Hermana Resist

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NoemiMartinezisaChicana/BoriwriterslashpoetslashsuperherosirenalivingindeepSouthTexasenelvalle.

SpeakinginTongues:ALettertoThirdWorldWomenWritersbyGloriaAnzalda

SpeakinginTongues:ALettertoThirdWorldWomenWritersbyGloriaAnzalda21demayo80

Dearmujeresdecolor,Ifeelheavyandtiredandthereisabuzzinmyheadtoomanybeerslastnight.ButImustfinishthisletter.Mybribe:totakemyselfouttopizza.SoIcutandpasteandlinethefloorwithmybitsofpaper.MylifestrewnonthefloorinbitsandpiecesandItrytomakesomeorderoutofitworkingagainsttime,psychingmyselfupwithdecaffeinatedcoffee,tryingtofillinthegaps.

Leslie,myhousemate,comesin,getsonhandsandkneestoreadmyfragmentsonthefloorandsays,Itsgood,Gloria.AndIthink:IdonthavetogobacktoTexas,tomyfamilyofland,mesquites,cactus,rattlesnakes,androadrunners.Myfamily,thiscommunityofwriters.HowcouldIhavelivedandsurvivedsolongwithoutit.AndI

June27,2014

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2/6/2015 Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third World Women Writers by Gloria Anzalda Hermana Resist

http://www.hermanaresist.com/speakingintongues/ 2/5

remembertheisolation,relivethepainagain.

Toassessthedamageisadangerousact,writesCherreMoraga.Tostopthereisevenmoredangerous.

Itstooeasy,blamingitallonthewhitemanorwhitefeministsorsocietyorourparents.Whatwesayandwhatwedoultimatelycomebacktous,soletusownourresponsibility,placeitinourownhandsandcarryitwithdignityandstrength.Noonesgoingtodomyshitwork,Ipickupaftermyself.

ItmakesperfectsensetomenowhowIresistedtheactofwriting,thecommitmenttowriting.Towriteistoconfrontonesdemons,looktheminthefaceandlivetowriteaboutthem.Fearactslikemagnetitdrawsthedemonsoutoftheclosetandintotheinkinourpens.

Thetigerridingourbacks(writing)neverletsusalone.Whyarentyouwriting,writing,writing?Itasksconstantlytillwebegintofeelwerevampiressuckingthebloodoutoftoofreshanexperiencethatwearesuckinglifesbloodtofeedthepen.WritingisthemostdaringthingIhaveeverdoneandthemostdangerous.NellieWongcallswritingthethreeeyeddemonshriekingthetruth.

Writingisdangerousbecauseweareafraidofwhatthewritingreveals:thefears,theangers,thestrengthsofawomanunderatripleorquadrupleoppression.Yetinthatveryactliesoursurvivalbecauseawomanwhowriteshaspower.Andawomanwithpowerisfeared.

Whatdiditmeanforablackwomantobeanartistinourgrandmotherstime?Itisaquestionwithananswercruelenoughtostoptheblood.AliceWalker

Ihaveneverseensomuchpowerintheabilitytomoveandtransformothersasfromthatofthewritingofwomenofcolor.

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2/6/2015 Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third World Women Writers by Gloria Anzalda Hermana Resist

http://www.hermanaresist.com/speakingintongues/ 3/5

IntheSanFranciscoarea,whereInowlive,nonecanstirtheaudiencewiththeircraftandtruthsayingasdoCherreMoraga(Chicana),GennyLim(AsianAmerican),andLuisahTeish(Black).Withwomenlikethese,thelonelinessofwritingandthesenseofpowerlessnesscanbedispelled.Wecanwalkamongeachothertalkingofourwriting,readingtoeachother.AndmoreandmorewhenImalone,thoughstillincommunionwitheachother,thewritingpossessesmeandpropelsmetoleapintoatimeless,spacelessnoplacewhereIforgetmyselfandfeelIamtheuniverse.Thisispower.

Itsnotonpaperthatyoucreatebutinyourinnards,inthegutandoutoflivingtissueorganicwritingIcallit.ApoemworksformenotwhenitsayswhatIwantittosayandnotwhenitevokeswhatIwantitto.ItworkswhenthesubjectIstartedoutwithmetamorphosesalchemicallyintoadifferentone,onethathasbeendiscovered,oruncovered,bythepoem.Itworkswhenitsurprisesme,whenitsayssomethingIhaverepressedorpretendednottoknow.ThemeaningandworthofmywritingismeasuredbyhowmuchIputmyselfonthelineandhowmuchnakednessIachieve.

Audresaidweneedtospeakup.Speakloud,speakunsettlingthingsandbedangerousandjustfuck,hell,letitoutandleteverybodyhearwhethertheywanttoornot.KathyKendall

Isaymujermgica,emptyyourself.Shockyourselfintonewwaysofperceivingtheworld,shockyourreadersintothesame.Stopthechatterinsidetheirheads.

Yourskinmustbesensitiveenoughforthelightestkissandthickenoughtowardoffthesneers.Ifyouaregoingtospitintheeyeoftheworld,makesureyourbackistothewind.Writeofwhatmostlinksuswithlife,thesensationofthebody,theimagesseenbytheeye,theexpansionofthepsycheintranquility:momentsofhighintensity,itsmovement,sounds,thoughts.Eventhoughwegohungrywearenotimpoverishedofexperiences.

Ithinkmanyofushavebeenfooledbythemassmedia,bysocietysconditioningthatourlivesmustbelivedingreatexplosions,byfallinginlove,bybeingsweptoffourfeet,andbythesorceryof

2/6/2015 Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third World Women Writers by Gloria Anzalda Hermana Resist

http://www.hermanaresist.com/speakingintongues/ 4/5

magicgeniesthatwillfulfilloureverywish,oureverychildhoodlonging.Wishes,dreams,andfantasiesareimportantpartsofourcreativelives.Theyarethestepsawriterintegratesintohercraft.Theyarethespectrumofresourcestoreachthetruth,theheartofthings,theimmediacyandtheimpactofhumanconflict.NellieWong

Manyhaveawaywithwords.Theylabelthemselvesseers,buttheywillnotsee.Manyhavethegiftoftonguebutnothingtosay.Donotlistentothem.Manywhohavewordsandtonguehavenoeartheycannotlistenandtheywillnothear.

Thereisnoneedforwordstofesterinourminds.Theygerminateintheopenmouthofthebarefootchildinthemidstofrestivecrowds.Theywitherinivorytowersandincollegeclassrooms.

Throwawayabstractionandtheacademiclearning,therules,themapandcompass.Feelyourwaywithoutblinders.Totouchmorepeople,thepersonalrealitiesandthesocialmustbeevokednotthroughrhetoricbutthroughbloodandpusandsweat.

Writewithyoureyeslikepainters,withyourearslikemusicians,withyourfeetlikedancers.Youarethetruthsayerwithquillandtorch.Writewithyourtonguesoffire.Dontletthepenbanishyoufromyourself.Dontlettheinkcoagulateinyourpens.Dontletthecensorsnuffoutthespark,northegagsmuffleyourvoice.Putyourshitonthepaper.

Wearenotreconciledtotheoppressorswhowhettheirhowlonourgrief.Wearenotreconciled.

Findthemusewithinyou.Thevoicethatliesburiedunderyou,digitup.Donotfakeit,trytosellitforahandclaporyournameinprint.

Love,Gloria

2/6/2015 Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third World Women Writers by Gloria Anzalda Hermana Resist

http://www.hermanaresist.com/speakingintongues/ 5/5

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