What "transition" looks like

[T]he best we can do is leave an indelible footprint in the era of transition, so that those that come after can look back and see that we were doing something beautiful and meaningful.

Thus wrote Rigoberto González in his eloquent post at Harriet, the blog at the Poetry Foundation, a few days ago, one he titled “Nuyorican, Nuyorexican.” What caught my attention was his use of the term “transition.” The context, in González’s words, “are what the 2010 census revealed: that Latinos are the largest minority in the United States, that soon we will be the majority.”

Transition from what?

Transition to what?

For the moment, the second question engages me more. For aside from the what the 2010 census portends, a few factoids come to mind when thinking about the last two years and what Latino/a poetry is transitioning towards:

2009 Academy of American Poets’ Walt Whitman Award

J. Michael Martínez

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2009 Gerard Gable Book Award

Joanne Diaz

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2010 Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize

Danielle Cadena Deulen

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2010 Isabella Gardner Poetry Award

Aracelis Girmay

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2010 Princeton Hodder Fellowship

Cynthia Cruz

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2011 NEA Grant Awards: Literature Fellowships: Creative Writing (Poetry)

Blas Falconer

Aracelis Girmay

David Hernandez

Holly Iglesias

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2011 Yale Series of Younger Poets Award

Eduardo C. Corral

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2011 Juniper Prize for Poetry

Carmen Giménez Smith

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2011 Shelley Memorial Award

Rigoberto González


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Note: this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. If I've missed any national distinctions bestowed upon Latino/a poetry by non-Latino-centric entities in 2009-2011, please pass on that good news. Much of what gets posted here is meant to serve as an archive. Thanks.