NONFICTION

Hustle

by David Tomas Martinez
Sarabande. 2014. 104p. ISBN 9781936747771. pap. $14.95. POETRY
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If you're hustling in America, you're either moving quickly or doing whatever you must do to survive. This debut by Martinez reveals a young poet who combines the kinesthetic energy of swift movement with the quick anticipation of one whose continued survival depends largely on his ability to act. The book relies heavily on authorial persona, with its poems written irreverently and mostly in the first person. It values what is close at hand, and, much like a hustler, its concerns are local and immediate. As one reads, one becomes aware of the world becoming almost unbearably small: Martinez embarks on a nickel tour of San Diego in the summer of 1994 and introduces us to friends with memorable nicknames, all while exhibiting a confidence that is as essential to survival as the ability to think quickly.
VERDICT This first collection serves youth, and, as with many such books, this reviewer is curious to know what Martinez's poetry might look like once the summer of 1994 is as stale as the summer of 1969, and awaits with interest the kind of world Martinez writes once school is out for good.
Reviewed by Chris Pusateri, Jefferson Cty. P.L., Lakewood, CO , Jun 01, 2014
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