“Vera writes so we know how it was for him, and that makes us more alive too. He makes story link to poetry so that it matters to others. He allows the writing to evolve voluntarily and doesn’t push to persuade; letting people, sights, tastes, smells do the talking.” Washington Independent Review of Books

“there is much to inspire awe and provoke reflection.” Lambda Literary

“The poetry of Dan Vera is clear, strong, honest and funny. He’s the sharp-eyed observer in the corner who doesn’t say much, but makes every word count. He handles the political and the personal with equal grace, even as the lines blur. Dan Vera is damn good company. You’ll see.” Martín Espada

“Vera's book couldn't come at a better time, with immigration reform
and LGBT issues at the forefront of the national debate.” Florida Agenda

“a cohesive voice and message.” Out Smart

“Vera does not shy away from challenging dominant notions of separateness and togetherness, celebrating the beauty of border-crossing weeds and “all the names we give to [their] persistence.” Goodreads

“so much of Vera’s work is about a simultaneous “splitness” and “togetherness” — between Cuba and the United States; between English and Spanish; between revering history and lamenting its fallout.” Lambda Literary

“a prescient understanding of the copious interplay between language and culture, made more lush still by the mediation of his Romantic imagination.” Orlando Menes

“fascinated with language and memory” Living Out Long Island

“These poems evoke the various ways that language exiles us and embodies the indelible past — who we are, where we came from, how we know.” Valerie Martínez

“a careful look at the untraceable impacts of the words that surround us. Each of us—whether we mean to or not—looks back to find out where we are and why we are what we are. Dan Vera’s new collection operates as a kind of soulful blueprint for this search.” Tim Seibles

“Vera's poems are witty and funny, thoughtful and poignant, definitely worth the read.” DC Public Library

“Writing with authority, assurance and passion, Speaking Wiri Wiri earns Vera his rightful place alongside his poetry heroes, living and dead.” Dallas Voice

“If I were in the classroom, I'd want to teach this book, to talk to students about the challenges and rewards of writing poetry that illustrates, as Adrienne Rich said, that the personal is political. And that we can learn from well-crafted poems, poems with narrative impulse and image, about what matters.” Goodreads

“profound knowledge of the interconnected layers of culture, politics, and history reverberates throughout Vera’s poems.” Ahron Taub

“When reading Dan Vera, we are married to the 3 hearts of poetry: intelligence, style, and honor. This is the most satisfying book of poems we can read if we want to witness language with a real poet as its servant.” Grace Cavalieri