Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Hernandez Diaz.
Hi Jose, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started writing in high school after meeting an influential English teacher, Mrs. Weir. Next, I went to community college at Cerritos College where I took my first writers’ workshop. I transferred to UC Berkeley, majored in English. I also received an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch-LA in Culver City. I have published in various journals: Los Angeles Review, The Missouri Review, Colorado Review, Iowa Review, Georgia Review, Poetry Magazine, The Southern Review, Yale Review, and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. In 2017, I was one of two southern Californians to be awarded an NEA Fellowship in Poetry. I work as an educator, editor, and writer. I have taught creative writing at places like Beyond Baroque in Venice, The Writer’s Center in DC, and Hugo House in Seattle. I am based in Norwalk, CA, originally from Buena Park, CA.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have battled with mental health issues. I also grew up low-income, first-generation Mexican American. Hasn’t always been easy. Luckily, my parents shielded us from most hardship growing up, so I didn’t see as much struggle as we actually were going through. I had an older sister, Letty, who was an English Major and high school English teacher who helped pave the way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am known primarily for my creative writing: poetry and prose poetry. I am the author of The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020) and Bad Mexican, Bad American (Acre Books, 2024). I also teach generative workshops for various literary organizations, primarily online. I have given readings for Harvard University, The Museum of Latin American Art: MOLAA in Long Beach, CA, UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Channel Islands, Beyond Baroque in Venice, Central Michigan University, and various other locations.
What sets me apart is my dual interest in prose poetry and Latinx poetry. I am known for writing surreal, absurdist prose poems as well as documenting my experiences at a first-gen, Mexican American growing up in southern California.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I feel perseverance and having the support of a semi-traditional Mexican American family has been key to my success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.josehernandezdiaz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jose_hdz_dz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jose.hernandezdiaz.7/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoseHernandezDz
Image Credits
Victor Jorge Sanchez Jr.
