Anna Martinez 'thrilled to death' to represent ABQ as its sixth poet laureate

Aug. 26—Anna Martinez grew up surrounded by artists.

Her father an artist. Her mom a singer.

Even a brother followed in the footsteps and is an artist and teacher in Albuquerque.

Oftentimes, as a child, this left her perplexed as it would seem she didn't inherit the artistic gene.

Little did Martinez know that her life would be a journey — with each chapter adding to her book of life and the unfiltered poet she's become.

It's within those experiences, Martinez found a cadence to her voice — one which continues to grow.

As of July, Martinez was named the city of Albuquerque's poet laureate. She is the sixth to hold the position since it was created in 2012.

She will serve a two-year term in the position which began July 1 and will lead a community outreach project during her tenure.

Martinez follows in the footsteps of Hakim Bellamy, Jessica Helen Lopez, Manuel González, Michelle Otero and Mary Oishi — a group she has learned to know well over the course of her journey in poetry.

Oishi, who is the outgoing poet laureate, says Martinez is a creative force.

"Anna doesn't need any advice from me," Oishi says. "She just needs to keep being the amazing powerhouse that she is."

A distinct voice

New Mexico-based poet Don McIver has known Martinez for several years and familiar with her work.

"Of all the laureates, Anna's background from Española means she has a distinctly northern New Mexico voice and understands the struggles of many from Española," McIver says. "This means she understands the dark, underbelly of life in Albuquerque as well, and speaks from a place of compassion and a commitment to improve their lives. She's fearless and often speaks truth to power, which is the job of the poet, but she does it in a fiery, take no prisoners way. I would describe her poetry as fearless, unflinching. Whether she is writing a poem for slam or an erotic reading, Anna is willing to 'go there.' "

Albuquerque is one of many cities — including Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Santa Fe — with poets laureate.

Martinez will get a $5,000-a-year stipend for the position.

"When I was filling out the application and the letter of intent, both of my parents came to mind," Martinez says. "I would accompany my dad when he used to do portraits on the plaza when I was little. He would draw me and by the time he was done with mine, he would have a line of customers. That would give me the afternoon to roam the museums. I often thought my dad would have his work in a museum. It still hasn't happened because he doesn't draw Southwest themes."

A poet's journey

The application brought back the memories when Martinez wondered what her artistic medium would be.

All her life, poetry was there.

"With the lack of having none of the skills that my family had, I began working hard to find my art," she says. "To have finally found it in poetry is amazing. I had to figure out how to share it and how to manifest it. Thinking back now, I was really good at helping my dad bring out his artistic ability. It was what he needed in that moment."

Poetry was always a presence in Martinez's life — she just didn't know it.

The seed had been planted when she was a child, it just needed time to be cultivated.

She was an early reader, learning at the age of 3.

By the age of five, Martinez's family had made the move from California back to New Mexico, specifically Ranchitos, near Ohkay Owingeh, where her grandmother had a farm.

"It was a real culture shock," she says of the move. "One thing was certain, my grandma had books."

It was during this time that Martinez began to develop her love for the written prose, thanks in part to "Charlotte's Web."

"My grandma was reading when Wilbur gets sold to the farm and I could see it in my head," Martinez recalls. "That was a moment when I realized when imagination and words, and the way they are written, can spark all the senses. It was like a painting in the mind. That was the key for me and I remember identifying as a storyteller."

Then in fifth grade while in Catholic school, Martinez and her class were assigned to write a poem.

"I didn't know what a poem was and I rebelled," she recalls. "I didn't write it for a couple of days and got the assignment done to shut the teacher up. Through it all, I kind of liked it. I knew I was a performer at heart. I wrote it to get a spark out of the senses. That was 50 years ago. Ms. Frank was her name."

Representing Albuquerque

Martinez has reached another milestone with the position.

She's still laying out the plan for the project she will embark on for the next two years.

"The hard part is sitting still and plan things," she says. "I'm thrilled to death to think for two years, I'm the poet that gets to represent Albuquerque. This city has a rich culture in arts, politics, poetry, revolution. I think that New Mexico is the center of revolutionaries in the country. The poetry community has just shaped and given me life. It wasn't until I ran into the slam community that it all started to come together. My heart has always been about conveying a message."

Aside from poetry, the Española Valley High School and University of New Mexico alum is a civil rights attorney and also works with the Legislature. She's not one to back down from a hot-button issue and always speaks her mind.

She wants her project to involve these two aspects.

Her plans are to get poetry in front of kids while moderating some "know your rights" and writing workshops in the community centers where there are after-school programs.

She envisions the workshops to be in two parts. One would consist of writing about free rights. The second part would be crafting the thoughts into a poem.

"I also want to teach how to take a poem and then find space at a microphone and perform it," she says. "I have a feeling that many world issues will come up in the poetry. I know guns in schools will come up and I'm prepared to talk about that and the rights involved. This will all help them get a little civic engagement and to understand that each person can be a responsible voter."

Martinez would also build time in for parents to get involved in the process.

"A lot of what I've noticed about my work that satisfies me most is the biggest service is helping everyone understand how it works," Martinez says. "There's nothing to be afraid of. The hardest topics to talk about are usually the most important. I've wanted to do a project like this for so long. I'm always pushing forward."

On the stage

Martinez cut her teeth performing poetry at events around New Mexico.

She's often performed at events put on by Kevin Kennedy, a local comedian and promoter, and is dubbed the "poet of the comics."

Kennedy has been impressed with Martinez for years, as he often books her for his events.

"Anna commands the room like no other," Kennedy says. "It could be loud and chatty before I get her up. After she starts (her poetry), the whole room pays attention. She's a master of words, delivery and timing. A true gem. Albuquerque is lucky to have her."