Poetry in Dangerous Times: The Journey of a Chicana Author

The Sanctuary Movement & Mother Tongue

Her widely translated novel, Mother Tongue (Ballantine), set during the Sanctuary Movement, won a Western States Book Award and received critical acclaim from Publisher’s Weekly, The Washington Post Book World, The Nation, and Kirkus Reviews. The novel was inspired by her 1987 indictment on charges of conspiracy in connection with allegedly transporting Central American refugees into the United States. The U.S. government attempted to use her poem, “Nativity: For Two Salvadoran Women, 1986-1987,” against her. A jury acquitted her on First Amendment grounds.

“A great beauty of a book. I am so proud of Demetria Martinez for standing with and for the disappeared.”
— Alice Walker, on Mother Tongue

At the invitation of novelist Manlio Argueta, Martinez spoke about her book in El Salvador at a conference on post-war Salvadoran literature.

Poetry, Novels, and Essays

Martinez’s literary legacy spans Southwest literature, activist poetry, and culturally resonant essays. She has been a recipient of the prestigious Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. Her selected works include:

• Poetry in Dangerous Times: Two Women, Two Worlds (Casa Urraca Press) – Her newest poetry collection, coauthored with poet Susan Sherman.
• The Block Captain’s Daughter – Short story collection and recipient of the 2013 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation.
• Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana (University of Oklahoma Press) – Essay collection and winner of an International Latino Book Award.
• The Devil’s Workshop (University of Arizona Press) – Poetry collection.
• Breathing Between the Lines (University of Oklahoma Press) – Poetry collection.
• Turning – Appeared in the anthology of three Chicana poets, Three Times A Woman (Bilingual Review Press).
• These People Want to Work: Immigration Reform – eBook coauthored with former Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris.
• Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla (University of New Mexico Press) – Coauthored with Rosalee Montoya-Read, winner of a New Mexico Book Awards Young Readers Award.

Writing Retreats & Global Speaking

Martinez has read from her work and spoken about the intersection of art and activism throughout the United States. She has also participated in the Festival Internacional de Poesía de Granada, Nicaragua, and the Festival de Libros in Guadalajara, México. Translations of her work have appeared in Mexican and Uruguayan publications.

Today, Martinez leads creative writing retreats in New Mexico, including “Poetry in Dangerous Times: From Witness to Resistance” and “Poetry and the Contemplative Life: A Day of Renewal.” She lives with her wife in La Cienega, New Mexico.