Hello Atelier 033
Mercedes Lucero
I grew up in a small Midwestern town where poetry was, at best, mentioned in passing during school. We got no further than Walt Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe, with perhaps a nod to Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Suffice it to say there has been a whole world of poetry that I’ve missed. However, this week’s guest, writer Mercedes Lucero, has inspired me to explore this mysterious genre. As a result, my reading list has me reaching back to iconic writers like Sylvia Plath as well as delving into contemporary works by Claudia Rankine.
Reading about Mercedes’ recent book Stereometry intrigued me – who is this writer that created what she calls “a poetic curriculum” to measure and weigh the feelings of grief and loneliness? We met Mercedes in her small apartment in Lawrence, Kansas and sat in a room full of art, books and the most amazing Philodendron plant named Gwendolyn. Listen in as we talk about her passion for words, the pressure of being a first-generation student and her techniques for writing.
In this episode:
- Mercedes Lucero: Learn more about Mercedes on her website. Keep up to date on her blog and events. Don’t miss out on the new work on her blog called Model Survivors, a piece which addresses sexual assault. It was nominated for “Best of the Net” by Jellyfish Review.
- Mercedes’ writing: Read a selection of Mercedes’ written works.
- Stereometry: In Mercedes’ recent book Stereometry, she combines poetry and math to create an ordered world into which she can explore the ideas of grief and loneliness. Learn more and purchase Stereometry here.
- Claudia Rankine & Beth Loffreda: Two writers that have been an influence on Mercedes. Together, they created the book The Racial Imaginary. Read more about Rankine’s work here. And read more about Loffreda’s work here.
- Kaveh Akbar: A poet mentioned by Mercedes. Learn more about his work.
Want to hear more about the world of writing? Listen to our interview with author Freya North in episode 13.
