MARIPOSAS: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry

by Emanuel Xavier

Emanuel xavier is author of two collections of poetry, Pier Queen and Americano, and a fiction novel, Christ Like. He also edited Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry and selected finalists for Best Gay Erotica 2008. His work has appeared in many publications including The James White Review, Genre, Long Shot, Virgins, Guerrillas & Locas, and Queer & Catholic. He is the recipient of the Marsha A. Gomez Cultural Heritage Award and a New York City Council citation for his many contributions to gay and Latino culture.

"Just as blood curses through our queer Latino veins, so does a complex and sometimes contradictory history. The words captured in this volume of poetry perfectly capture a moment in time in which we all are in flux and yet still very much grounded in the moment. Personally, these poems speak to my being, my sexuality, my erotic desires, my future hopes and my wishes for new generations and yet they also stand for the danger that those words might also be fragile and easily forgotten. It is up to the reader to make these words count for something. And, simply said, it's just an amazing and moving collection of poems that truly represents who we are as queer Latinos at this crucial moment in time." -Andrs Duque, LGBT rights activist

"An 800-year-old tradition of Hispanic poetry gets a substantial augmentation, and at the same time, a wondrous makeover, with the rich, varied, sensual, often bi-lingual work in this collection. It helps that the translations by Xavier are so true; and that the poets amassed from all over the Americas, are mas o menos gay in subject matter and attitude." - Felice Picano, author

Genres: Poetry, Queer, Latinx

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2008

About the author

Emanuel Xavier helped open the doors for queer poets of color to take center stage and speak their truths. Through passion and perseverance, he emerged as an LGBTQ+ icon, as proclaimed by The Equality Forum. Long before diversity, equity, and inclusion became buzzwords, Xavier gave voice to his lived experiences, confronting politics, sexuality, and religion in poetry collections such as Pier Queen, Americano, If Jesus Were Gay, Nefarious, and Radiance.

Following Selected Poems of Emanuel Xavier—named one of Kirkus’ Best Indie Poetry Collections of 2021—he returned to an intimate exploration of Latinx and LGBTQ+ culture, community, and identity with Love(ly) Child (Rebel Satori Press, 2023), a finalist for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His forthcoming collection, Still, We Are Sacred (Rebel Satori Press, 2026), continues this work with poems of survival, resistance, and unapologetic queer joy.

Reviews

[Floricanto Press Latino Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have also been prominent openly queer Latino poets such as Federico Garcia Lorca and Reinaldo Arenas. Today, this tradition continues with poets such as Rigoberto Gonzalez, Rafael Campos, Jaime Manrique, Francisco X. Alarcon, and Richard Blanco, amongst so many others throughout the world and this anthology, MARIPOSAS:A Modern Anthology ofQueer Latino Poetry. Whether straight, bisexual, closeted or openly gay, Latino voices have made a deep mark in the poetry scene. Despite distinction in style, dialect, and customs within the Latino mosaic, our voices have been unified by a determination to be heard. Much like poetry in general, whether academic or self-taught, the need to express ourselves cannot be restricted within borders. Whatever language transferred between pen and paper, it is imperative to share our experiences with the world at large.