Winds of the People is a dramatic anthology of poetry from the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The Civil War was a luminous tragedy, a prelude to World War II and the popular struggles of our era. In their involvement and response, the poets of Spain and Latin America produced a magnificent body of verse, richly varied and intimately entwined with the popular spirit, that stands as a testament not only to the cause of liberty, but to the power of poetry’s spirit engaged.
Little of this work was translated into English before World War II began; and after that it was forgotten as such, though the cause was not. What has appeared since then has been scattered through translations of individual poets. This volume is the most substantial sample of this splendid legacy to appear in 40 years.
Its compiler and translator, Michael Rossman, was an organizer and occasional poet in the New Left, and lived in Berkeley, where he taught and wrote about education and political culture until his death in 2008. Winds of the People is out of print, though ALBA has a number of copies available.