I Am My Own Path: Selected Writings

A bilingual selection of poems, essays, and letters edited by Vanessa Perez-Rosario and published by the University of Texas Press. I Am My Own Path offers a curated introduction to Burgos’s work, pairing her best-known poems with lesser-known prose and personal correspondence.

Why Read This

If the complete poems feel like too much, this is the ideal alternative. Perez-Rosario’s critical introduction provides context that a newcomer needs: who Burgos was, why she matters, and how her life and politics shaped her art. The inclusion of essays and letters adds dimensions that a poetry-only collection cannot, revealing the thinker and activist behind the verse. The selection is smart and generous, covering all three of her original collections while keeping the volume manageable.

What to Expect

A well-structured anthology that moves between poetry, prose, and correspondence. The editorial framing helps you understand Burgos’s significance without getting in the way of the writing itself. Like the complete poems, this is a bilingual edition with Spanish and English side by side. A more guided experience than Song of the Simple Truth, and an excellent entry point for readers who want context alongside the art.