Aftershocks of Disaster: Puerto Rico Before and After the Storm

Editors: Yarimar Bonilla and Marisol LeBrón

Publisher: Haymarket Books (2019)

Two years after Hurricane Maria hit, Puerto Ricans are still reeling from its effects and aftereffects. Aftershocks collects poems, essays, and photos from survivors of Hurricane Maria detailing their determination to persevere. 

The concept of "aftershocks" is used in the context of earthquakes to describe the jolts felt after the initial quake, but no disaster is a singular event. Aftershocks of Disaster examines the lasting effects of hurricane Maria, not just the effects of the wind or the rain, but delving into what followed: state failure, social abandonment, capitalization on human misery, and the collective trauma produced by the botched response.