Here’s a link to Airtime: A Public Poem, an essay published in the global journal Ragazine about a recent public poem performance installation at the New York City Poetry Festival: http://ragazine.cc/2018/01/desiree-alvarez-public-poetry/
Dolls, Freaks, Art: American Poets Creating a New Mythology by Christine Butterworth-McDermott
Very happy about the glowing review of Devil’s Paintbrush in The Pleiades Book Review by Christine Butterworth-McDermott in which she says “Alvarez’s work is blessed by unique language” and “her world is one in which self-made magic, how we observe and envision and assemble, becomes paramount to full engagement.” Feeling very honored, thank you Pleiades, Christine Butterworth-McDermott, and Bauhan Publishing.
I’m happy & honored to be included in Helen Klein Ross’s new anthology and reading at the NYPL book launch:
Wednesday, November 2 from 6 to 8 PM New York Public Library 476 Fifth Avenue at 42nd St, near Grand Central Station The Margaret Liebman Berger Forum on the 2nd Floor, Rm 227
Mythical and magical, this debut collection from painter and poet Alvarez portrays human behavior as an interconnected aspect of nature’s kingdom. Alvarez slowly, steadily peels back onion-skin layers of history in order to uncover elements of the sublime. Often structuring her poems as series of declarative statements, she utilizes sharp language that never distracts from the central mood or atmosphere. She recounts history, whether personal or cultural, not …read more
I’ll be reading from my new book Devil’s Paintbrush (winner of the 2015 May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize) at The Juilliard School on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 6:00 pm with poets Helen Klein Ross and Danniel Schoonebeek.
Three Muses Reading series, The Glorya Kaufman Studio, The Juilliard School, 2nd Floor, 65th St. west of Broadway, New York City
– The following essay appeared in the Winter 2001 volume of Denver Quarterly published by the University of Denver and won the Robert D. Richardson award for best essay published in a volume year.
The Model as Painter and Painted
— Desirée Alvarez
The women of Michael Angelo are the sex.
The women of Correggio are seraglio beauties.
The women of Titiano are the plump, fair, marrowy Venetian race.
The women of Parmegiano are coquettes.
From Henry Fuseli, Aphorisms on Art (1741-1825)
For the past seven years I have been a woman in Philip …read more