The Nomadic Press was a local non profit Bay Area publisher that helped circulate the works of many local minority artists. Nomadic Press was most known for creating a space for artists to have a voice and express works that have never been shared before through the many events the press hosted and books it published. After 12 years of publishing, Nomadic Press officially closed all locations in February 2023, transforming its name to the Nomadic Press Foundation. It now provides funds and grants for writers and small publishers as well as sponsorship of literary projects and organizations. Gleeson Library houses some of their titles. Their books feature a wide variety of writings including: minority healing, reconnection with one’s self and culture, self discovery for Black Womanhood and what it means to personally and collectively confront institutional injustices. Here are a few selections we have highlighted, but search the library and discover so much more!
Revenge Body by Caleb Luna explores trauma through various topics such as generational trauma, sexual abuse, eating disorders, suicide/suicidal ideations and more. The poems in Revenge Body centre around the aftermath of the survivors and works to build a future where the survivor isn’t hiding their trauma or succumbing into it again but using the pain to move to a new path to recognize what they faced.
I Am Minor by Ryan Nakano uses simulacrums to represent different minority as depicted through film. Ryan Nakano uses his pictures and words to describe the feelings echoing from each minority as well as the oppressing point of view.
Power of Our Wombs by Jessica Hairston ventures through her life interpretation of wombs from birth to her possible legacy emphasizing the differences in female wombs with associations to historic context, laws/policies, and what it means to form your own family. The poems written create way for the feelings of loss and grief, self discovery, abandonment, and love and intimacy to shine through specifically for those who understand the means of forming your own family or reconnecting with them.
All of Us Are Cleaved by Karen Llagas explores how the relationships we make and those that are forced upon us influence who we are. These poems contend that we are both torn apart and put back together: by our individual efforts, but also by our collective grace. They range from the intimate connections of marriage and family to the larger experiences of migration, political activity, and a worldwide epidemic.
Vuelta by Lourdes Figueroa is a poem about the struggle to reclaim the body via memory and myth, a confrontation with colonialism, and a return to our Pachamama (Mother Earth). Conversing in both english and spanish, the poem unfolds many traditional spanish folktales providing a powerful, cosmic centering of love, especially queer brown love, in response to colonial violence against migrants, women, and the earth itself.
Shifters by Randy James, a USF Alumni with a MFA in poetry, showcases different variations of black queer male love, from family perspectives, devotion to others, and passions.Using symbolism to guide the audience from poem to poem, James evokes a turning point to queer manifestation and maturing in the new day and age.
Credit for text: Malani Parham