the heel press

When did you first realize you had a passion for writing poetry and what were your earliest inspirations? And where do find inspiration today?

I started writing poetry during my first years of college. My turn to poetry was a natural way to express myself initially about the Chicano Movement, which was a very powerful influence in my life.  Poetry gave me a way to channel some of that emotion in a creative and articulate way.  Later I found that deeper memories and experiences leant themselves to poetry, as well.  Writing poetry is like suspending time for a while and writing without creative limits. Many dimensions in my life can inspire me to do that.

 Do you have a particular style or pattern to your poems? Is there certain theme that seems to weave itself through all of your poetry? Do you have political or religious motivations? Or perhaps, do you just write something on paper when you are inspired…about anything?

In the early years there was definitely a political bent to my poems: anger, struggle, identity, movement, power, oppression, war, liberation, etc.  Now, I am more inclined to introspection; I love the sound and feeling of words strung together to say something from deep within myself, sometimes even against my own will.  Time is a persistent theme in my poetry, and struggle, too, although over the years the nature of this theme has changed.  Now I’m not as interested in physical or political struggle as I am in the struggle to be at peace spiritually and emotionally, and my poems reflect that.  I still like to write poetry that works best when read aloud, though.

Talk about the process of producing a poem. Do you like to be alone? Listening to music? Do you spend hours re-working a line? Do you write over a span of months, years? Describe how you get from nothing on paper to a completed piece.

If I have not committed myself to write a poem for someone or for an occasion, most often for me, a poem just begins to form in my mind. Yes. I must be alone. Sometimes I lock myself up in the bathroom to assure no disturbances from people in the house. I don't take months writing one piece, but normally write several drafts of a poem, until I am happy with the rhythm, sound, and meaning of my words. I use a pen and often just start writing on the clean paper with the first phrase that I have already been turning over in my mind, and from there something more begins to form, at times surprising me.  Some of my poems have been evolving over a period of years, while others get written and then put away with a sense that they are finished.  Sometimes I think everything I’ve written is basically one long poem.

How do you know when you have finally finished writing a poem? Is there a sense of calm or closure, or do you feel that you never truly finish a piece?

There can be a deep satisfaction when you feel you have completed a poem, while other times I feel restless and want to keep altering the poem ad infinitum. For me poems must be heard, and when I share a poem I often change a word here or there in one reading and change it again in another.  For the most part, I see poetry as very fluid and very much of a certain moment.  And as the moment changes, so does the poem sometimes.

You are bi-lingual; fluent in both Spanish and English.  From your perspective, do you prefer one language over the other in terms of capturing the essence of your thoughts and emotions on paper?

I used to think, and sometimes still do, that I prefer Spanish for the simple poetic power of the words in Spanish. I do believe it is a more sonorous language." Polvo", "dust" I used to definitely prefer the word "polvo", but now "dust" is just as good..

I believe English is just as powerful a language for poetry, it is just different…different cadence, sound, tone, etc. I have had this experience in translating my poems.  Sometimes I am not even aware of changing the language and other times I actively search in my mind for the best way to express a certain idea or image.   I probably write more in English than Spanish now, though I’m not certain why that is.

Talk about music. What kind of role does that play in your life and writing?

I love music for the same reason I love poetry:  the rhythm, the lyrics, the combination of notes and sounds, the flow and feeling a really great piece creates in my soul.  I listen to music a lot and I get a great deal of creative inspiration from music as a whole.  I don’t, though, think my poetry is specifically influenced by any type of music.  My son is a guitarist, though, and I think it would be cool to maybe write something that combined his guitar and my words. 

Do you believe that there is a likeness in the emotion attached to all creative processes, like composing music or writing a poem or taking a photograph? What is it do you think that allows a person to produce something original and creative?

I am not sure, but I do think there is a profound similarity to the creative process. A freeing of the mind, imagination, and even body to express one's inner visions or feelings, or movements:  the aloneness, the tension, the necessity, the adventure, the connection.  In some ways I don’t like to overanalyze what makes me creative because I don’t want to kill the magic; my muse is very illusive; I believe that all creative people have some deep impulse to create, but what drives that impulse might be very different from person to person.  And the chosen media is, I think, a part of that individual impulse.

The Heel Press is a place for creative expression. Members can submit anything from pieces of photography and painting to pieces of fiction and poetry.  Recently, there has been a growing number of young poets on the Heel.  What would you say to all of these individuals who are tying to find their voice and foster their talent? What makes someone’s work worth reading and embracing?

I believe that the value of any creative expression is first and foremost in the expression itself.  And as it is made available for others, its value will be different for everyone who reads it or shares in the experience.  That’s one of the reasons I think it’s counter-productive for anyone trying to create to do so for a specific audience – you never know how someone will receive your work, so if you have the urge to create, honor the urge without the anxiety about whether anyone will like it. Most artists know this.

 How would you respond to the notion that writing for a hobby is a waste of time?

 Nothing is a waste of time if you are involved in the creative process, because the creative act occurs outside of time.  What is a worst waste is resisting the urge to write because you don’t feel “serious” about it, or can’t make the time.

If we browsed through your personal bookshelf, what would we find?

I like, maybe even love, books!  Lots of literature, from Melville to Poe, history from Hofstadter to Balibar, poetry from Pablo Neruda to Brontonski.  My musical tastes run to Bob Dylan, Lilia Downs, and as for art I enjoy many artists such as Matisse, Van Gogh, Kahlo, and various kinds of folk art, especially Mexican. 

What do you think of the Heel Press’ mission to provide a creative outlet for both artists and writers on the same space?

Since I see writing as a type of artistic expression, I think what Heel Press is doing is fantastic.

Manuel, I’d like to thank you very much for spending some time with us.  Much appreciated. Do you think it would be too much trouble to share one of your poems with us here?

The red sun’s sword

    Slashes my soul

Black blood flows

   From my darkness

I am the son

  Of an ancient people

I cry tears of blood

       And fire

During the day

      I hunt

And at night

    I carry mountains

              On my back.