About the book: I’d Ask You to Join Me by the Río Bravo and Weep but You Should Know Neither River nor Tears Remain, by Jorge Humberto Chávez, is a powerful poetic response to the violence that has shaped contemporary Mexico since the beginning of the so-called “war on drugs.” Rather than reproducing the narratives that often focus on cartels or the machinery of the State, Chávez centers the lived experience of the people of Ciudad Juárez, revealing the intimate and devastating consequences that violence leaves on everyday life. Through a restrained yet emotionally charged voice, the poems evoke a city marked by absence, grief, and memory, where the border itself becomes a fading presence. The Río Bravo emerges as a symbol of both loss and witness, reflecting a landscape where communities struggle to preserve meaning amid disappearance. At once heart-wrenching and luminous, the collection offers a deeply human meditation on mourning, resilience, and the fragile bonds between place, memory, and survival.

About the author: Jorge Humberto Chávez (Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 1959) is a Mexican poet, essayist, and editor whose work is closely connected to the social and cultural realities of the northern Mexican border. Widely recognized for his ability to confront themes of violence, memory, and identity through a lyrical yet direct poetic voice, Chávez has become one of the most important literary figures associated with the border region. His poetry often reflects the lived experiences of communities affected by migration, conflict, and the transformation of urban life along the U.S.–Mexico border. He has published numerous poetry collections and has received important literary honors, including the Premio Nacional de Poesía Aguascalientes. Through his writing and editorial work, Chávez has contributed significantly to contemporary Mexican poetry and to the representation of border realities in literature.

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