Rachel Zucker

Valerie Martínez’s first book of poetry, Absence, Luminescent (Four Way Books, 1999) won the Larry Levis Prize and a Greenwall Grant from the Academy of American Poets.  It was a finalist in the Walt Whitman, National Poetry Series, and Intro Award competitions.  Her second book, World to World, was published by the University of Arizona Press in 2004.  Martinez’s translations of the poetry of Uruguay’s Delmira Agustini (1886-1914), A Flock of Scarlet Doves, was published by Sutton Hoo Press in 2005. 

Martinez’s poetry, translations, and essays have appeared in many literary journals and magazines including Parnassus; The Colorado Review; Puerto del Sol; The Notre Dame Review; Luna, Tiferet, The Bloomsbury Review, and AGNI.  Her poems have appeared in various anthologies of contemporary poetry, including The Best American Poetry (1996); New American Poets--A Breadloaf Anthology; American Poetry--Next Generation, Touching the Fire--Fifteen Poets of Today’s Latino Renaissance; Renaming Ecstasy--Latino Writings on the Sacred and Junta--Contemporary Latino/a Poetry of the Avant Garde.  Martínez served as assistant editor of the anthology Reinventing the Enemy’s Language--Contemporary Writing by Native Women of North America (Norton 1997) and an essay about Joy Harjo (along with poems by Harjo and Martínez) will appear in the anthology Efforts and Affections: Women Poets and Their Mentors (University of Iowa Press, 2007). 

Valerie is the author of a multi-genre play entitled “Heart of the Goddess,” set in a 16th century Aztec village and contemporary America.  It had its first staged reading at Greer Garson Theater in Santa Fe in March 2006 and was featured in the Southwest Playwrights Festival in March 2007.  She is also a member of the creative core team of Littleglobe, Inc., an artist-run non-profit organization that collaborates with diverse communities on creative projects promoting social and environmental health.  Recently, Littleglobe created Memorylines Santa Fe: Voces de Nuestros Jornadas, a new opera collaboration that premiered at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, in May 2007.

Valerie has a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.F.A. from The University of Arizona.  She has taught at the University of Arizona, Ursinus College, New Mexico Highlands University, University of New Mexico, and in the rural schools of Swaziland.  She is currently Asst. Professor of English and Creative Writing and Director of Interdisciplinary Studies at the College of Santa Fe.