¡VIVA! 2024: Contemporary U.S. Latinx Voices in Poetry
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Contemporary U.S. Latinx poetry defies expectations of being simplistic and didactic, instead displaying a rich diversity of voices, experiences, and styles. Poets like Ada Limón and Aracelis Girmay lyrically explore themes of identity and belonging, while José Olivarez and Yesika Salgado offer raw narratives of cultural and personal struggles. Jennifer Givhan and Vanessa Angélica Villarreal blend myth and reality, and Raquel Salas Rivera and Jasminne Mendez push the boundaries of language and form. These poets, several of whom were born in the 1980s, engage with social, political, and personal themes, reshaping American poetry and enriching the literary landscape. Titles available at SFPL.
Luis Alfaro is a Chicano playwright, poet, and performance artist from Los Angeles, and the recipient of numerous awards, including a MacArthur "Genius" Grant. “The Greek Trilogy” reimagines classic Greek theater works through the lens of…
Ada Limón is a Mexican-American poet originally from California, known for her lyrical and direct language, exploring themes of loss, change, and identity. This collection is divided into four sections, each reflecting a different stage in the…
Aracelis Girmay is an Eritrean-Puerto Rican poet from California, known for her humanistic and lyrical work in themes of ancestry, identity, loss, and resilience. The title references a type of horse-drawn police van historically used to transport…
Jennifer Givhan is a Mexican-American poet and novelist from New Mexico, and a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry. "Belly to the Brutal" explores trauma, personal and collective wounds, survival and reclamation of…
Salgado is a Salvadoran-American poet and activist from Los Angeles, known for her work on body positivity, self-acceptance, and the Latinx experience, her writing celebrated for its accessibility, emotional directness, and empowerment of…
Jasminne Mendez is a Dominican-American poet, playwright, and educator from Houston, with work featured in various literary journals and anthologies and is active in promoting Latinx literature and arts. This book’s title refers to a flower that…
Raquel Salas Rivera is a Puerto Rican poet and translator, who served as Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. “Lo Terciario / The Tertiary" is a politically charged, experimental and bilingual work, incorporating historical documents, that explores…
Vanessa Angélica Villarreal is a Mexican-American poet and writer from Texas. Her work addresses issues of cultural heritage and family, borderlands, the quest for self-empowerment, migration, and trauma and the process of healing, written in a…
Ángel García is a Mexican-American poet and educator from California. These poems are based on García's experiences growing up, grappling with the expectations and pressures of masculinity, and addressing harsh realities, such as domestic violence…
An introspective work exploring themes of language, identity, motherhood, and cultural heritage, examining bilingualism and the ways in which language shapes our experiences and self-perception. Alcalá's work is noted for its linguistic dexterity,…
Analicia Sotelo is a Mexican-American poet from Texas. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and her poetry engages with myth, history, and personal narrative. This book opens with poems that reimagine the myth of Persephone, using it as a lens to…
José Olivarez is a Mexican-American poet from Chicago. The book’s title alludes to the contradictions of the American dream of a better life, aspirations met with both hope and disillusionment, where finding one’s place can be welcoming and…
For further reading, this anthology celebrates the dynamic narratives of the Latinx diaspora, mirroring the innovative spirit of hip-hop, presenting poets from various nationalities, genders, sexualities, and races; honoring the past, present, and…
