Author Spotlight: Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl
Buy: When the Goddesses Abandoned Tlalticpac | Maiz Poppin Press | October 2026 | ISBN: 978-1-971128-03-0 | Page Count: 84
What non-living poet/writer had the biggest influence on your book?
Gloria Anzaldúa. This book is an homage to her. Although I majored in English, I had never even heard of her until I went to the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival. Thanks to Daniel García and others, it was at her tombstone that my exploration began. I couldn’t believe what I was reading! I resonated almost entirely! Then, throughout the editing process, Osmani Alcaraz-Ochoa did an outstanding job of helping me expand and connect to her on an even greater level; thus, creating brand new work, responding directly to her writing. She had her Mundo Zurdo and I have my Rancho Paraíso de las Diosas where we both seem to live in a world of our own.
Can you talk about your use of form and theory?
I am so excited to introduce a new poetic structure: The Mexican-American Sentence. It is inspired by Allen Ginsberg’s “American Sentence”. This structure consists of a single twenty-one-syllable sentence, containing some sort of political undertone that impacts Mexican-Americans/Raza. In the book, you will see The Mexican-American Sentence listed as a poem, but in actuality, it is a collection of 13 poems. Each sentence stands alone. Each sentence/poem makes a statement about the current political climate en ingles y en español. Additionally, the poem, Hyphen-Nation, is also a collection of Mexican-American Sentences that focus on ethnicity and last names. Hyphen-Nation is more than just a poem, it’s a movement. Additionally, this is the first time I have written and recorded a corrido, El corrido del 47. Unlike the traditional corrido that elevates heroes, this is a call-to-action that came to life from lyrics to song in a recording studio. Sadly, because of the spasmodic dysphonia that lives in my throat, my singing voice isn’t what it used to be, but I don’t care! Nothing will ever stop me from singing or writing or speaking my truth!
If you could organize a reading with any writers living or dead, who would be in the
lineup? Where would you host the event?
OMG! This reading would be a phenomenal, historical and international event. The line up?
¡Hijole! Well let’s begin by giving this event a name: "Noche de las Diosas Divinas" and naming
the place, The Goddess Mercado Bazaar in Montebello, CA. This event would start with a
musical performance by Amparo Ochoa, a hardcore, Mexican, political artivist. To kick off the
readings, Rosio Castellanos, one of my favorite Mexican feminists. Next up a few of my favorite,
hard-hitting, living authors: Iris de Anda, Brenda Vaca, Luz de Cuba, Maria Herrera, Mayahuel
Xuany, Aideed Medina, and Sandra Cisneros, with a musical intermission by none other than
Jenni Rivera. The night will culminate with yet another musical performance by Lila Downs
preceding Sor Juan Inez de la Cruz and Gloria Anzaldua as the final authors.
What are some key themes present in your book?
Well, I love to divide my books into sections. I love titles and subtitles, headings and subheadings, and nicknames, too. I have a thing for naming everything. Don’t ask me why! Therefore, not surprisingly, this book also contains sections, or chapters, if you will. No-Sabo-Landia dives into the world of linguistic freedom, playing on the word “linguistic” (lingua, lengua, tongue) from food to language. Las excomulgadas delves into a range feminist themes like empowerment and equity. La pinche politica gets pretty political, focusing on universal and human rights. Temixoch (the land of dreams) explores just that—our hopes and dreams and wishes. And En fin, the tiniest section, is a direct response to Anzaldúa and her writings which explore both the writing and thought processes and human and otherworldly connections and interconnections.
What is poetry to you?
Poetry is my catharsis. When I was in my early teens, one of the first people to read my work was my tía Lourdes, an educator, school administrator, and avid reader. She immediately identified my work as cathartic. My tender brain had no idea what she meant, and so I asked, “Tia, ¿qué es eso?” Undoubtedly, my poetry is a form of bloodletting, release, letting go, throwing things into the fire, but not to forget, rather transform. As I bleed on paper my soul resurrects, my emotions bloom, my tears form rivers, providing new currents and movement, baptizing barren, dry lands with new life.
Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl, or Diosa X for short, is a multilingual, multidimensional spoken-word artist, workshop facilitator, and international, award-winning poetiza. She is a seasoned language arts educator with a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in Cross-Cultural Teaching. Most recently, Diosa X’s books have received accolades in the 2026 International Latino Book Awards. Beginning with MeXicana: poemas y más poemas, the book won the silver medal for Best Latina Themed Book. She also received honorable mentions for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award (Bilingual & English) for West of the Santa Ana and Other Sacred Places, Conversaciones con los difuntos / Conversations with the Dead, and When the Leaves Come Tumbling Down: An A to Z Poetry Collection About Loss, which also won Regional 2nd Runner-Up in Inlandia’s Hillary Gravendyk’s Poetry Prize in 2023. Furthermore, Diosa X’s “The Weight of the Scales” was selected as a finalist for Somos en escrito’s Best Raza Short Story Award in 2023. Lastly, in 2022, Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl was named Slam Diaspora’s grand champion, which took her to Brazil to compete at the 2022 Abya Yala Slam. Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl is currently serving as a board member for Círculo de Poetas and Writers, is an active member of Cultura Without Borders’ Steering Committee, works as a Poet-Teacher with California Poets in the Schools, and is a workshop presenter for Palabras del Pueblo. She has facilitated various poetry workshops in both English and Spanish at events like the Rio Grande International Poetry Festival, the California Adult Education Programs Conference, the CalPoets Symposiums, and several libraries across Southern California. Diosa X has been published in a variety of anthologies and literary magazines across the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. Some examples of publications are: the Latino Book Review, The Stafford Challenge, the San Diego Poetry Annual, CABE’s Multilingual Educator Magazine, and the award-winning Somos Xicanas anthology. She is the author of eight poetry collections and one chapbook. To learn more about Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl’s work, feel free to visit her website at www.diosax.net.
