On March 20, Xicano poet José-Luis Moctezuma celebrated the release of the Latino Poetry Anthology with a poetry reading at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA). During the event, Moctezuma shared insights into three poets and their works that he chose to highlight in honor of the anthology.
The Latino Poetry Anthology features the works of 180 poets, spanning from the 17th century to the present. Among the included poets are renowned figures like Lola Rodríguez de Tió, José Martí, and Juan Felipe Herrera.
Moctezuma began his reading with a newly written six-part poem, created earlier that morning in response to the UMFA’s “Salt 16” exhibit. Each section of the poem was inspired by a different painting in the exhibit. The first part corresponded with Arleene Correa Valencia’s artwork, The Marigold Flower. Moctezuma’s lines reflected the vibrant imagery in the painting, stating, “Blooms in marigold and gold blooms into a yellow more verdant and alive in the flowing valleys of Napa.”
After sharing his new poem, Moctezuma read three pieces from the Latino Poetry Anthology: Roberto Harrison’s “a grotesque sign of Panamá with cooling shadow,” Rodrigo Toscano’s “Latinx Poet,” and Vanessa Angélica Villarreal’s “A Field of Onions.”
Following the reading, Moctezuma joined Professor Michael Mejia, director of creative writing at the University of Utah, for a Q&A session. Mejia asked Moctezuma to explain why he selected the three poems for the event.
“Roberto is very much a mystic, spiritually-minded poet,” Moctezuma explained. “I love the virtuosity, the lyric for its own sake, and I think Roberto, as a Latinx poet, embodies that for me.”
Moctezuma then discussed Toscano’s work, noting how it contrasts with Harrison’s poetry. “Rodrigo Toscano is very much political and focused on the radical politics of the day,” Moctezuma said.
Mejia also asked Moctezuma about Toscano’s use of the term “Latinx Poet” and its significance, particularly the ending of the root word “Latin.” Moctezuma explained the evolving nature of identity terms like “Hispanic” and “Latino/Latina,” stating, “These terms are constantly under construction because identity and race have an intersectional lens that we have to think through. It shows how unstable these categories can be.”
Moctezuma went on to discuss Toscano’s perspective on Latinidad or Latinx, noting that Toscano sees these identities as potentially problematic and paradoxically restrictive. “He’s poking fun at inclusivity by being as broad as possible,” Moctezuma said.
In discussing Villarreal’s work, Moctezuma praised her as part of a new generation of poets who defy expectations. He referred to her poem A Field of Onions, saying, “As a Latinx poet, her work is expected to be ‘sellable,’ but she works against that and brings a fresh perspective.”
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