Shelflife

FEMININITY CAN BE BAD TO THE BONE

Named Albuquerque’s sixth poet laureate in June, acclaimed poet and performer Anna C. Martinez shares detailed and deep-rooted stories through her debut collection of published poems, Pura Puta. Filled with poetry highlighting women and how they fit into society, the anthology is an intimate poetic memoir about reclamation of power, spirituality, and sexuality. Martinez is passionate about finding ways to empower the female spirit while touching on hard to hear realities of life as a woman, which has opened the door for Martinez herself to do some introspection. A celebrated civil rights attorney, the Española native says that while these two professions seem disconnected, they are both tied together by making a positive impact on those whose voices aren’t often heard.

ATM: How did you start writing poetry? ANNA C. MARTINEZ: When I was younger I used to write as a way to process trauma, and that would sometimes come out as poetry, but by the time I got to UNM and I was introduced to the poetry community there, I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my written works, which then became poetry. ATM: What helps a poet find their innermost truths? AM: You have to come at it from where your heart is. ATM: How did growing up in Española shape your perspective on life? AM: It’s a place that’s rich in history and mythology and spirits, both nature spirits and human spirits. There is a very intricate balance of dark and light there. ATM: How did the book come together? AM: They were originally poems that lived in separate notebooks, but when I finally got the poems lined up where they all seemed to just blend right in beautifully, then is when I saw the real message and the real theme and pain of (the book). ATM: The title is striking. Tell us how it came about. PURA PUTA

By Anna C. Martinez Casa Urraca Press 248 Pages $18.00

AM: ‘Pura’ means pure, but it can also mean ‘nothing but.’ ‘Puta’ is a whore, so you can look at it as a play on the virgin whore dichotomy. Also, the ‘r’ and ‘t’ are the only letters that separate those two things, the whore and the virgin. ATM: What’s the most gratifying thing about sharing your work at poetry slam events? AM: For me, the best thing is when I have a woman walk up to me and say, ‘Oh my god, I have never heard a woman speak like that before.’ That’s what it’s all about. ATM: Your poems in Pura Puta are autobiographical, but many women can surely relate. What advice would you give to those dealing with trauma? AM: You have to grapple it from where your strengths are, from where your experience lies. For me that’s always been reading and writing and understanding that I wasn’t alone. ATM: Poetry is inherently personal, and Pura Puta showcases that so beautifully. How did you approach such graphic and visceral topics in this collection? AM: The poems come to me, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like I’m writing them, it feels like I channel them. I get an idea and plant seeds and so they kind of flow through the sound as I’m speaking them (into existence). Those come out that way because that’s how they need to come out. ATM: What was the significance of writing the first poem in Pura Puta in spanglish? AM: There’s (definitely) a reason for that. One of my biggest shames as a daughter and as a mother is that I don’t speak Spanish well, and by the time they tried to make me do it, I was already very fluent in English. My kids also say that it’s the one thing that they regret that I didn’t give them. ATM: After finishing Pura Puta, did you have any reflections or changed attitudes? AM: I’m not saying trauma is beautiful, but it’s beautiful to find a way out of the trap of the pain of (trauma), and if it comes out as art, then you have to consider that poem beautiful. —ET

SHELFLIFE MYSTERIES OF NATIVE HISTORY

Through extensive research and study, recognized ethnohistorian Ray John de Aragon pulls back the veil on known and unknown tales that have permeated Native legends for centuries in his new book, New Mexico Native American Lore. Aragon’s no stranger to the culture—in his time as a student at the University of Albuquerque, he was often outspoken on Native American and Chicano rights. Inspired by his parents’ stories of his own Native ancestry that were passed down for generations, Aragon is committed to sharing all sides of history, not just the victor’s.

ATM: What role has Native American lore played in your life? RAY JOHN DE ARAGON: My experiences growing up in northern New Mexico included stories related to me by my mother, María Cleofas Sánchez de Aragón. She talked about the traditions passed down to her, of some of our male ancestors trading with the Comanche Indians. My father, Maximo de Aragón, as a traveling salesman, procured Navajo blankets, and clay pots they both cherished. They both shared traditional facts and knowledge they passed down to me. ATM: You once spent time as an amateur archaeologist, looking at Spanish and Colonial artifacts. Do you find that that experience inspired you to look beyond the surface of history? RJDA: When one sees, touches, and feels historical objects produced by past, or ancient peoples, they bring you much closer to the lives of those that made them. It is like digging into the dirt and uncovering a much deeper understanding of the human experience. ATM: What’s unique about New Mexico in your analysis of how the lore of Native Americans developed, versus places like Colorado or Arizona? RJDA: People forget there were no actual borders in the past. In fact, New Mexico Territory had a vast undefined area that took in Arizona, Nevada, parts of Colorado, Texas, California, and even went up to Utah at one time, and other present states.

NEW MEXICO NATIVE AMERICAN LORE: SKINWALKERS, KACHINAS, SPIRITS AND DARK OMENS

By Ray John de Aragon The History Press 144 Pages $23.99

Indians were Spanish citizens to be protected by the governor in Santa Fe, and the Spanish military. ATM: An image included in the book, Indian Scalp Dance, from 1875’s Kit Carson’s Life and Adventures, is extremely interesting---how important is the art of Native Americans in the overall context of generational storytelling? RJDA: Native American arts, including dance, and performing, plus literary is extremely important to New Mexico and the rest of the United States. It is important to document the history, traditions, and culture of people for future generations from the perspective of the people who live it and not from the view or misconception of the outsiders looking in. ATM: There are quotes from Native American figures at the start of each chapter that brings in some first-person perspectives. How did you choose which quotes and figures to include? RJDA: I selected Native American leaders that are very highly respected and regarded by their respective tribes; in some cases, also admired by other tribes. They made actual statements that impacted and still impact indigenous history in this country. I was personally stunned by their marvelous words which were transcribed from their original languages. ATM: What do you love about being able to research and learn about past peoples that lived here in New Mexico? RJDA: I love learning more! Much more about my Latino history that has so vastly impacted the history of the United States and is so little regarded, or acknowledged, especially coming from New Mexico. ATM: Is there a story or event in the book that fascinates you the most? RJDA: Everything fascinates me, especially about distorted truths, fabrications, misinformation, and outright lies that have been written by others concerning indigenous history. ATM: Where do you want to go from here as far as research and writing about ethnohistory? RJDA: I hope that by telling the importance of all histories, especially my own in Nuevo Mexico, and the indigenous, we will all be respected and finally acknowledged! We all have so much to give to the ongoing history of our great country! By revealing and knowing the past, this will help us in the present, and better prepare us for the future. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” —ET