Alma y Corazon

Writing in the Rhythm of Life

de Lupe Castillo, Teresa Ortiz, Aaron Johnson-Ortiz

In early 2000, Lupe Castillo and Teresa Ortiz were invited to be part of a new group of Latino spoken-word writers who would later be called Palabristas. When Teresa and Lupe met, they quickly realized that they both shared a love for family, community, and poetry. 20 years later, following a much-celebrated Palabristas anniversary event, Teresa and Lupe began conversations about collaborating on a book of poetry. They started collecting their poems and deciding on the thematic rhythm of the book. Next, celebrated muralist Aaron Johnson-Ortiz’s artwork became an important addition to the collection with impactful visual images that depict the emotions and narratives in their poems. *Alma Y Corazon: Writing in the Rhythm of Life* was born. Teresa Ortiz poetry will make you feel like you are traveling in a narrative trip from Central America and Mexico to Minnesota, where you’ll feel at home hanging out in places, loving the people and honoring our sacred culture. Teresa borrows her verses from her ancient culture, her ancestors and her loved ones. Teresa’s poetry is intimate and courageous, sometimes dark and hard, sometimes revolutionary, sometimes filled with the beauty of nature. Lupe Castillo’s poetry feels like you’re sitting at her kitchen table sharing a cafe de olla, as she shares her life through poetry. The power of these poems carries the courage of a mujerista indigena woman, filled with ancestral energy that amplifies the strength of warrior women who came before her. Lupe’s stories often intertwine with the readers’ own lived experiences. The poems of Lupe Castillo and Teresa Ortiz are ingrained with childhood memories from family and loved ones. Their life experiences of activism and solidarity in the struggle to reaffirm their identity as mujerista women and as Xicana/Indigena/Mestiza/Latina. This poetry book reasserts and honors those they love, and those who came before them. As a result, you will find *Alma Y Corazon: Writing in the Rhythm of Life* is honest, impactful, and heart centered.