U.S. Poets in Mexico 2009-2019

Thanks to everyone who participated in our events over the last 10 years!

U.S. Poets in Mexico held 7 conferences and 2 residencies, bringing together over 200 poets! Those poets consisted of poetry workshop faculty and readers, workshop participants, translation workshop faculty, lecturers, performers, distinguished & emerging Mexican poets, 6 indigenous language poets, 5 American full-tuition Fellowship Award recipients, and 21 Mexican full-tuition fellowship award recipients.

It was truly a pleasure to explore Mexico’s poetry, regional cultures, archaeological sites and biosphere reserves with you. We toured the following archaeological sites: Uxmal, Kabah, Dzibilchaltun, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba, Muyil and Monte Alban. We explored nature and took boat trips at Celestun Biosphere Reserve (Yucatan) and Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve (Quintana Roo). Events took place in Merida (4 years), Oaxaca (3 years) and Tulum (1 year).

I am currently concentrating on my artwork. I hope to update the USPiM archives on this website.

Thanks so much, again.

Sheila Lanham, Founder & Director

Previous USPiM Conferences, Residencies & Poets

Oaxaca 2018, December: USPiM Resident: Anne Waldman collaborating with Efraín Velasco Sosa

Merida 2018, January: USPiM Resident: Hoa Nguyen Poeta Mexicana: Daniela Camacho

Oaxaca 2016, January: Major Jackson, Eileen Myles, Charles Alexander, Mark Statman, Susan Briante, Pedro Serrano Poetas Mexicanos: Tedi Lopez Mills (CDMX), Pedro Serrano (CDMX), Efrain Velasco Sosa (Oaxaca), Victor Teran (Zapotec language, Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca) Fellowship Award: Devreaux Baker; Mexico Awards: Haydee Ramos Cadena, Yendi Ramos, Clyo Mendoza Hererra, (Oaxaca), & Ana Teran, Ana Franco, Helena Moguel, Ximena Rojo de la Vega (all 3-CDMX)

Oaxaca 2014, Día de Muertos: Andrei Codrescu, Ron Silliman, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Anselm Berrigan, Catherine Wagner, Translation: Clare Sullivan Poetas Mexicanas: Maria Baranda (Mexico City), Natalia Toledo (Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca; Mexico City), Rocío González (Oaxaca/Mexico City), Guadalupe Ángela (Oaxaca), Fellowship Award: Leah Silvieus; Mexico Awards: Oscar Tanat (Oaxaca)

Merida 2013, January: Tom Sleigh, Ron Silliman, Nicole Cooley, Lynn Emanuel, Mark Weiss, Translation: Suzanne Jill Levine Poetas Mexicanos: Mario Bojórquez (Puebla), Álvaro Solís (Puebla), Rubén Márquez Máximo (Puebla), Ambar Past (San Cristobal de las Casas) and Maruch Mendes Peres (Chiapas, Tsotzil Mayan language), Gabriel Magana Merlo (Guadalajara), Fellowship Award: Emilia Phillips; Mexico Award: Fernando de la Cruz

Tulum 2011, January: Diane Wakoski, Jerome Rothenberg, Paul Hoover, Mark Weiss, Translation: Jen Hofer Poetas Mexicanos: Luis Cortés Bargalló (Mexico City), Rocío Cerón (Mexico City), Carla Faesler (Mexico City) , Feliciano Sánchez Chan (Merida, Mayan language) Fellowship Award: Mary Kasimor, MFA Translation Award: Alice Jennings; Mexico Awards: Victor Vivas, Chany Castro Polanco (Cozumel) and Ana Mar Morena Perez (Playa del Carmen), Addy Garcia Guerrero (PdC), Berenice Moreno (PdC), Rosa María Adame Aspinwall (PdC)

Merida 2010, January: Mark Doty, Anne Waldman, Martin Espada, Translation: Pedro Serrano Poetas Mexicanos: Pura López-Colomé (Mexico City), José Vicente Anaya (Mexico City), Pedro Serrano (Mexico City), Bricieda Cuevas Cob (Campeche, Mayan language), Fellowship Award: Jennifer Perrine, Mexico Awards: Omar Gongora Guzman, Fernando de la Cruz, Melissa Larios Luna, Raul Moarquech Ferrera-Balanquet (Merida)

Merida 2009, January: C. D. Wright, Forrest Gander, Bob Holman, Jack Collom, Translation: Mónica de la Torre Poetas Mexicanas: Coral Bracho (Mexico City), Mónica de la Torre (NYC), Valerie Mejer (San Miguel de Allende), Bricieda Cuevas Cob (Campeche, Mayan language), Mexico Awards: Fernando de la Cruz, Christian Nunez Tello, David Ele Araujo, Melisa Grisel Bermudez (Merida)

Poetry

Ron Silliman lecture

English language poets have visited Mexico for a week of inspiring literary discourse and writing workshops with their peers, and were introduced to contemporary Mexican poets and their work. Starting in 2018, Resident U.S. Poets will work with Mexican poets on special projects.

Cultural Immersion

Monte Alban, Oaxaca

Visiting poets have learned about local culture, indigenous languages and customs, and visited archaeological sites, museums and ecological sites.

Translation

Forrest Gander & Alfonso D'Aquino at the Museo de Antropología de Xalapa for a USPiM sponsored Translation Residency, June 2010

We continue to encourage and support translation projects. Translation workshops were available at our past conferences with teaching professionals who specialize in Latin American literature - particularly Mexican poetry.