I don’t know Mercedez personally, but I know of her. She’s a superstar in the poetry slam community. One of our Plume subscribers, Michelle Jewett, responded to a call on our newsletter for suggestions for our “Women Who Write” column–our goal is to feature as many kinds of women writers as we can find. Michelle said, “I was at a writing retreat for women academics (via the Critical Race Studies in Education Conference here in ABQ a few years ago at UNM) and she came to the retreat and performed a bunch of her poems. I bought her book [I Bloomed a Resistance From My Mouth] at the time (published through Swimming with Elephants Press).” Michelle was impressed.
And we’re impressed too–I just went down the rabbit hole of watching YouTube videos of Mercedez and didn’t regret a minute!
PLUME: When did you know you were a writer?
MH: I knew I was a writer at a very young age. It didn’t occur to me that I was a poet until I was encouraged to read something aloud at my poetry club in High School. It was then that I realized I have the gift of words and rhythm, which is the gift of poetry.
PLUME: Where do you get your ideas?
MH: I’m a Chicana/o Studies Major and a die hard Burquena so a lot of my inspiration comes from history, specifically the history of my people and where I come from. I like to write about cultura, heritage, history, social justice and ultimately my identity and how I move in the world with that identity.
PLUME: How supportive is your local community for writers?
MH: My specific community for poets is EXTREMELY supportive. I have a community that is open and caring. We show each other love always and we create space for each other, not just as writers but as human beings. We accept people for who they are and we welcome them with all their baggage. It’s a really huge support group that works hard together to ensure that the many colorful communities we have in Albuquerque are safe in our spaces.
PLUME: We at Plume consider you a successful writer–How do you define “success” for a writer? For yourself?
MH: Defining success has always been a tough concept for me because I feel like everyone is different. I feel successful as a writer because I’ve been lucky enough to touch people’s lives with my poetry and I know that impact is the biggest indicator of success for me personally. For others it could be to be published, or to have a lot of youtube subscribers or maybe it’s as simple as a piece of writing was shared and validated by someone they care about. There’s so many ways to describe success as a writer. I think we have to find what makes us feel good about ourselves and keep doing that.
PLUME: Do you have a writing shero? A fellow woman writer from whom you get inspiration?
MH: I have so many! Some of my favorites are Gloria Anzaldua, Maya Angelou, and a lot of my close poeta friends who are brilliant.
PLUME: What are you currently working on?
MH: My writing career has recently gone into hibernation. I’ve switched hats and have been focussing on being a community leader and president of a non profit I spear-head with the help of my community. It’s called Burque Revolt and we are an intergenerational poetry slam non profit that focuses on creating safe and brave spaces for all ages and identities to enjoy in Albuquerque. We host five shows/open mics/poetry slams a month and welcome all people to come enjoy the amazing poetry that our locals have to offer.
Sometimes I get a flash of inspiration though. I have unfinished poems scattered across multiple notebooks and google docs that I hope to compile in 2020 for a new publication. When I get the time, I’m definitely looking forward to pushing out a new poetry book.
PLUME: What are you reading?
MH: I’m so busy right now, there’s nothing I’m currently reading. But! I enjoyed the first few chapters of Bruja Born by Zorida Cordova. Hopefully during Winter break I can find some time to catch up.
PLUME: You’re pretty big in Albuquerque’s slam / spoken word community… do you have aspirations for other kinds of writing? Other artistic projects?
MH: I’d love to try theatre, playwriting or producing documentaries one day. I’ve always been a story teller, even as a young kid so trying these different mediums one day would be dope! For now, being a poet satisfies my creative urges.
PLUME: Tell me 3 things that you keep on your desk
MH: What do I not keep on my desk?! Ha!
- A Selena Quintanilla water bottle. Her face is on it so I always see my biggest idol when I’m hydrating.
- A pen shaped like a Dachshund I was gifted for Christmas by my partner Isaac. He bought it for me because we have a weenie dog named Buster Brown and it looks just like him.
- A notebook. I have a really fancy Mac computer, but something about physically writing things down makes me happy.
We certainly look forward to seeing what else Mercedez will do. She is fierce and fabulous and her words have an important place in this world.
You can follow her on Instagram @lapoeta_cedez, and on Facebook
FB: Mercedez Holtry – Poet, Artist, Spoken Word
IG: @lapoeta_cedez
OFFICIAL BIO: Mercedez Holtry is a poet, writer, mentor, and Chicana feminist who focuses on bringing out her roots, experiences and lessons learned through her poetry in hopes that they embrace her people and other artists around her. She has represented ABQ on multiple final and semi final stages for national poetry events. She is a Brave New Voices finalist (2013), a two time finalist at the Women of the World Poetry Slam (2015, 2018), A National Group Piece Champion (2016), the winner of Modesto’s “ILL List Slam” in California (2017), a featured poet in Mexico City’s “Diverso” an international poetry festival embracing Mexican voices through poetry (2017) and holds multiple Albuquerque Slam Championships.
She has worked with youth in poetry workshops in multiple cities around the country including Aspen Words’ “Poetry in the Schools” project since 2015. Mercedez is not only a poet but an outreach coordinator for Warehouse 508, Albuquerque’s Arts and Entertainment Center, in which she organizes workshops and poetry events for the youth to participate in. Since graduating from the University of New Mexico with her degrees in Chicano Studies and Journalism & Communications, she continues to cultivate the poetry slam community in Albuquerque, and co-founded and spearheaded Burque Revolt, an intergenerational poetry slam organization that creates safe spaces for all ages to enjoy. She is passionate about spoken word and aspires to continually learn all she can about her art through working, slamming and organizing for her community.