both forceful and reckless and prudent and
nurturant.
This balance between the two types of
women correlates with suggestions about race.
The dark-haired wild woman and the pale nur-
turing woman can be read as suggesting separate
races or ethnicity. In this sense, the poem seems
to show Mexicans as unbridled and Anglo Euro-
peans as frightened. Such inferences are unfair to
both sides. People would not like to be thought
of as running amok, unable to contain their
emotions, and similarly others do not want to
be viewed as hiding in fear, either. Considering
the question of ethnicity, though, there really is
no firm evidence that Mora intends to use this
poem to make any kind of statement. The swirl-
ing can resemble strands of hair, and in the midst
of a storm they would be nothing other than
dark; the paleness of the other women might
not be there to contrast with the tornado’s dark-
ness, but just to show the women’s fear.
When a poet writes about social issues, as
Pat Mora often does, there is a temptation to
assume that all of her poetry is intended to make
the same point. In ‘‘Uncoiling,’’ Mora describes
a tornado as a woman, and so it would make
sense to question whether she means a woman or
all women. It is a question worth asking, but, on
examination, it just does not make sense. Mora
has imbued this tornado with too much com-
plexity to make it representative of more than
one individual. The poem is powerful enough as
it is, without forcing it to carry some social mes-
sage that it does not support.
Source:David Kelly, Critical Essay on ‘‘Uncoiling,’’ in
Poetry for Students, Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010.
T. Gail Pritchard and Patrick W.
Pritchard
In the following interview, Pat Mora discusses
who she is as a reader and a writer and the way
her writing draws from her experiences.
Pat Mora, featured speaker for the CLA
Breakfast at the 2006 NCTE Convention in Nash-
ville, is a writer of picture books, poetry, and non-
fiction for an audience ranging from young
children through adults. She has been honored
for her writing and her advocacy, and her books
have received numerous awards. Her many hon-
ors include: Honorary Doctorate of Letters, State
University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo, 2006;
National Hispanic Cultural Center Literary
Award, 2006; Civitella Ranieri Fellow ship,
Umbria, Italy, 2003; and National Endowment
for the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing, 1994.
The numerous awards her books have
received include: IRA’s Notable Books for a
Global Society for Confetti: Poems for Children;
ALA’s Notable Books forDoha Flor: A Tall Tale
aboutaGiantWomanwithaGreatBigHeart;the
Americas Award for Children and Young Adult
Literature forA Library for Juana: The World of
Sor Juana Ine ́s, Pablo’s Tree,andTome ́sandthe
Library Lady; and the Toma ́s Rivera Mexican
American Children’s Book Award forA Library
for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ings, Pablo’s
Tree,andTome ́s and the Library Lady.
In this interview, Pat shares with us who she
is as a reader and writer, the way her writing
draws from her experiences growing up in the
Southwest, her passion for family, her love of
language, and her celebration of her Mexican
heritage.
Gail: In an interview with Connie Rockman,
you note your mother influenced you as a reader—
buying you books and taking you to the library.
Tell us more about your reading and writing his-
tory and how that history characterizes you as a
reader and writer today.
Pat: I remember the pleasure of reading
which explains coining the word ‘‘book joy.’’ I
remember reading on my bed on hot El Paso
afternoons, reading in bed when I was home
sick and my dear grandmother would bring me
hot tomato soup, reading in bed at night before
going to sleep. Sounds like I did a lot of reading
in bed, doesn’t it? I’m the eldest of four and our
maternal aunt and grandmother often lived with
us. Maybe that’s part of the explanation for
finding a quiet place to enjoy books.I OFTEN WRITE ABOUT WHAT I LOVE, AND
WHAT I LOVE—MEXICAN HERITAGE, SPANISH AND
LANGUAGES, THE DESERT—IS VIEWED BY SOME AS
INFERIOR. ONE OF MY MOTIVATIONS FOR WRITING
THEN, IS TO AFFIRM AND CELEBRATE WHAT I
CHERISH.’’Uncoiling