20 pages • 40 minutes read
Alberto RíosWhen There Were Ghosts
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“The Border: A Double Sonnet” by Alberto Ríos (2015)
A double sonnet is two adjacent sonnets that mirror one another, totaling 28 lines (a single sonnet being 14 lines). Ríos’s poem in this form also explores the themes of Living in Borderlands and Blended Identity.
Rather than use the image of a smoke-filled movie theater, as in “When There Were Ghosts,” Ríos uses a list of many different things—like the line in bifocal glasses, men competing for the love of a woman, and a blood clot—in his double sonnet to describe the border. “Line” is repeated in the first and last lines of the poem (Line 1 and Line 28), demonstrating the mirroring effect of the form.
“My God, It’s Full of Stars” by Tracy K. Smith (2011)
This poem by former United States Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith uses the cinema to describe eras of history as well as the condition of the US throughout time. Movies such as Planet of the Apes and The Ten Commandments are alluded to, while works such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (which provides the title of the poem) are more directly referenced.
“My God, It’s Full of Stars” is also strongly hauntological, with the science fiction works of the past describing a future that never arrived. Real life events, such as the launch of the Hubble Telescope, the Arecibo Message, and the AIDS epidemic provide the alternate future to those works of fiction.
“La Isla de Los Monstros” by Virgil Suárez (2000)
This poem by Cuban poet Virgil Suárez also combines the experience of the theater with the American immigrant experience. Unlike “When There Were Ghosts,” which has relatives becoming figures in the movie and vice versa, “La Isla de Los Monstros” features the speaker becoming one with the depicted Godzilla.
Both poems use film to explore what it means to transcend nation. The two poems starkly contrast what it means to feel at home, defined by Suárez’s inability to return to Cuba.
Further Literary Resources
“Malagueña Salerosa (aka La Malagueña)” from Enamorada (1946)
This YouTube clip shows the movie stars mentioned in the poem—María Félix and Pedro Armendáriz—in a famous musical moment. Hearing the song “Malagueña Salerosa (aka La Malagueña),” as well as seeing the stars, helps the reader understand the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema that Ríos writes about. Watching the film Enamorada is suggested by the Academy of American Poets’ lesson plan for Ríos’s poem.
Books & Co. | Arizona PBS from PBS (2023)
This is the series hosted by Alberto Ríos on Arizona PBS, in which he interviews authors. While not every season of the show is available, many of the more recent ones are, providing broad insight into the creative process of dozens of authors, as well as Ríos himself.
Notable recent episodes include his discussions with Edgar Cantero, whose bilingual writing career is already notable in the USA and abroad, as well as David Sedaris, extensively published essayist and comic.
Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria E. Anzaldúa (1987)
Published by Aunt Lute press, this book explores the idea of borderlands and is an important work in Chicano literature. Anzaldúa offers readers in-depth discussions of concepts, like mirroring and hybridity, that inform Ríos’s themes and poetic structure.
“An Evening of Chicano Poetry” from the Library of Congress (1986)
This recording features readings by several notable Chicano poets, including Alberto Ríos and Sandra Cisneros. While early in his career, this recording gives insight into the intended delivery of his poems as well as the greater movement of Chicano poetry of the late 20th century.
Listen to Poem
This is a recording of a Zoom call, in which Alberto Ríos reads “When They Were Ghosts” for Cutthroat Magazine’s series on Chicanx Writers of the 21st Century.
