Drum Dream Girl

“Tula [Books are door-shaped]“ by Margarita Engle (2013)

“Tula” is the name of several poems in Engle’s book The Lightning Dreamer. Like the drum dream girl Millo, the titular Tula is a historical feminist Cuban figure. Tula is the nickname of Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda—an abolitionist poet, playwright, and novelist who started to publish her work in 1840. Tula was forbidden to read, which is comparable to how Millo was forbidden to play drums. Both female figures transcend the gender boundaries of their society at various times.

“Kinship“ by Margarita Engle (2015)

This poem explores Engle’s own mixed heritage. She contrasts her Mami’s stories about Cuba with the stories her Ukrainian-Jewish-American grandmother tells. The stories of her Cuban relatives include details about “tropical” (Line 6) life on the “island” (Line 5). Similar details about Cuba are included in Drum Dream Girl.

“The Drum“ by Nancy Morejón (2003)

Nancy Morejón is a modern Cuban poet. Like the Castro sisters, she was born in Havana, but a few years later in 1944. Her poem “The Drum” is featured on the Smith College website as part of her profile as a visiting poet there. It emphasizes the role of drumming, especially its physicality, upon which Engle touches in her poem.