Brenda Cárdenas is the author of Boomerang (Bilingual Press, 2009) and the chapbooks Bread of the Earth / The Last Colors with Roberto Harrison (Decentralized Publications, 2011); Achiote Seeds/Semillas de Achiote with Critstina García, Emmy Pérez, and Gabriela Erandi Rico (Achiote Seeds, 2008); and From the Tongues of Brick and Stone (Momotombo Press, Institute for Latino/a Studies, 2005). She also co-edited Resist Much/Obey Little: Inaugural Poems to the Resistance (Spuyten Duyvil Press and Dispatches Editions, 2017) and Between the Heart and the Land: Latina Poets in the Midwest (MARCH/Abrazo Press, 2001). Cárdenas’ poems and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in Latino Poetics: The Art of Poetry, The Golden Shovel Anthology: New Poems Honoring Gwendolyn Brooks, POETRY, City Creatures: Animal Encounters in the Chicago Wilderness, Angels of the Americlypse: New Latin@ Writing, The Quarry: A Social Justice Database, the Library of Congress’ Spotlight on U.S. Hispanic Writers, Jet Fuel Review, The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry, Pilgrimage, Verse Wisconsin, RATTLE, and many others. She has also participated in a number of inter-arts projects including What Will I Find?, a photography, music, and poetry I-Book edited by Mark Perlish (2016);  Mind the Gap, a portfolio of print-poem translations edited by Tim Abel and Sara Parr (2013); Poetry Everywhere, a series of poetry films (The Poetry Foundation and docUWM, 2009); and Sonido Ink(quieto)’s Chicano, Illnoize, a spoken word and music CD (DeSPICable Records, 2001). Cárdenas served as the Milwaukee Poet Laureate from 2010-2012 and teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Twitter Username: @CardenasBrendaE

Publications

• Boomerang: Poems , Bilingual Press (January 2009)
• From the Tongues of Brick and Stone: Poems , Momotombo Press, Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame (2005)
• Between the Heart and the Land: Latina Poets in the Midwest , MARCH/Abrazo Press (2001)
• Resist Much/Obey Little: Inaugural Poems to the Resistance (co-editor) , Dispatches Editions and Spuyten Duyvil Press (2017)

Awards

• Poet Laureate of Milwaukee, WI(2010)
• Illinois Arts Council Finalist Fellowship in Poetry(2004)
• Chicago Women in Publishing First Place Award for Editing(2002)
• Illinois Arts Council Finalist Fellowship in Poetry(2002)
• UW-Milwaukee English Dept. Faculty Graduate Teaching Award(2016)

Employment

• Associate Professor of English--Creative Writing at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (September 2007 - )

Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee (May 1987)
• Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing--Poetry from University of Michigan--Ann Arbor (April 1995)

Genres of Interest

Poetry