Sara Santistevan has a debut chapbook, The Root From Which Freedom Blossoms, and has shared some excerpts from it’s poems! Please read them below!
Excerpt from “Spanish Lessons”
"But the root always remembers the soil/the reaping / and now, I am so stiff / I cannot speak the tarnished Spanish/the pure poetry / of my girlhood."
Excerpt from “Cuando hay hambre, no hay pan duro”
"Here’s another truth: I can be easy / like my assimilated surname. / Watch me reverb the landscape / for your convenience..."
Excerpt from “Immaculate Conception”
"I was not made / to care nor conquer anyone else but myself..."
Excerpt from “Nepantleras (For my little sister)”
“…you already are magic! / You’ve found it before: in the blue light of dawn, / and immersed in the earth, among her roots swirling serpentine. / You don’t need to fog the windows of memory to find light outside yourself; you hold the sun’s life within your laughter.”
Dedication (will be found in the front matter of my chapbook)
"To my unmet ancestors and younger self: May these words amplify the deepest wishes you were too afraid to say. May these words manifest the truth of our mythos.
To my blood and found family: May these words honor our multifaceted culture and values. May these words document our love.
To the future generation of Latinas and all girls of color: May these words comfort you. May these words encourage you to use your voice unapologetically."
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"Sara Santistevan was born and raised in Orange County, where she grew up around vivid storytellers. She is lifelong writer who first ventured into the world of poetry after a successful 7th-grade poetry project. She received the 2021 Kresge College Reyna Grande Scholarship for her poetry on the Latinidad; the funds allowed her to complete her debut chapbook,The Root From Which Freedom Blossoms.
Sara has writing published or forthcoming inShō Poetry Journal, Akewi Magazine, The Acentos Review, The Marbled Sigh, The Looking Glass Review, F(r)iction, Penumbra Online,and elsewhere. In both her artistic and editorial work, she
aims to build bridges between historical and personal narratives and amplify diverse voices in literature.Her future goals include pursuing an MFA in Poetry and a PhD so she can contribute to research and writing about the intersection between ancestral and individual memory in contemporary poetry. In her free time, she can be found at a cafe, a nearby beach or pool, or her local library. She has a soft spot for walkable cities, flavored lattes, quirky earrings, and anything cute— especially cats!"
(Biography included in her forthcoming chapbook)
Click here to learn more about her!
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1 / Books
The Root from which Freedom Blossoms - Fauxmoir (forthcoming)
2 / Poetry
Incantation - Latin@ Literatures (forthcoming)
At Red Willow Canyon Mouth / Domestication of the Transient Mermaid - Penumbra Online
After Buena Vista Social Club’s “Veinte Años” / Abecedarian of Xinachtli - Shō Poetry Journal, No. 5
Cure for an eldest daughter's Burnout - The Acentos Review (July 2024)
One Million Prayers, Highly Compressed /"How do you say your last name?" - The Marbled Sigh, Issue 3
Arroz con Leche / they don't invite the family witch to the memorial service - The Looking Glass Review, "Motherhood, Martyrs, Misfits"
Fragmented Input / Ludling: A Transformation of Ordinary Language / Here's how to actually say our last name - Akéwì Magazine, Issue 2: Sankofa
3 / Fiction
"The Art of Remembrance" - F(r)iction's Dually Noted Contest (Fall 2023)
"The Visitors" - Metamorphose Literary, Volume 4
4 / Articles, Reviews, and Interviews
5 Emotional and Existential Narratives about Cats - F(r)iction
A Review of Santa Tarantula by Jordan Pérez - F(r)iction
An Interview with Shashi Bhat - F(r)iction
A Review of You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi - F(r)iction
(Information taken from https://www.sarasantistevan.com/writing)
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Instagram: @sarita.santistevan
Website: sarasantistevan.com
Linkedin: Sara S.
Linktree: linktr.ee/sarita.santistevan
