GAY POETICS OF THE PASSION by LUIS LOPEZ-MALDONADO (forthcoming)
Luis Lopez-Maldonado’s poetic debut is a complex collection of poemas and gay prayers. Contemporary themes are threaded through the work, offering a new perspective on traditional views on Catholicism, and verse poetry. Luis blends genders, sexes, races, classes, and verdades to create an over-satisfying fruit-smoothie intended to fill, over-fill, and spill. We hope you’re hungry, because they open their heart and veins to the reader, slapping around whiteness vibes, racism, sexism, cannibalism, terrorism, immigrationism, displacementism, violencia silencio, abuso, violación, amor, sexo y sexualidad, entre mucho más. You will learn to pray. You will feel feelings. You will find yourself re-reading and re-reading, over and over again. Amen.
LUIS LOPEZ-MALDONADO is a Xicanx activist, poeta, playwright, dancer, choreographer, and educator born and raised in multiple barrios across el Orange County, CA. He/Him/They/Them earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Riverside, in Creative Writing and Dance. His/Their poetry has been seen in The American Poetry Review, Foglifter, Public Pool, and Latina Outsiders: Remaking Latina Identity, among many others. He/They also earned a Master of Arts degree in Dance from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame. He/They are currently adding glitter to the Land of Enchantment, working for the public educational system as a high school Bilingual Educator and Special Education Teacher, holding a Pre K-12 Special Education License and a Pre K-12 Specialty Area License, with endorsements in TESOL, Bilingual Education, Performing Arts, and English Language Arts. He/They are currently a graduate student at the University of New Mexico, to become a principal.