It’s been a while since my friend Elizabeth Beechwood and I taught our workshop on Creating Nonhuman Characters, but I have some good news for those looking to delve into this topic:  Elizabeth has released a nonfiction book, How to Write Animal Characters, that includes insights, examples, and exercises to help writers bring their animal characters to life, especially as viewpoint characters.  She’s been studying this topic for a long time and has put together a fantastic resource.  She coined the term The Wilding—you do not want to miss that section! 

In other news, my friend Laura Burge is part of a team putting together an exciting new event, Wholehearted Writers Week.  This will be an online writer’s conference in January offering a blend of live and asynchronous discussions, a great lineup of speakers, and an emphasis on community and professional development.  I’m a huge proponent of professional development (it’s the business major in me), and I wholeheartedly (ha!) encourage folks to check out this event and consider applying.  If you do that by the end of this weekend, there’s an early bird discount. 

And finally, the OryCon schedule is still locking into place, but one thing I’ll share is that I’m scheduled for a kaffeeklatsch.  If you’re attending the con and would like to hang out in a small group setting, I hope you’ll join me! 

Happy National Dark Poetry Day!  My poem “I Write a Rite of Pyrite” is part of this year’s anthology of horror and dark verse by the Horror Writers Association, HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. XII, out today.  I’m honored that this year’s judges and editor selected my poem for inclusion. 

“I Write a Rite of Pyrite” came about as I was thinking about four things:  1) the concept of anti-closure and how it might be put to use in a horror poem, 2) dehumanizing transformations, 3) playing with shape and white space, and 4) regret, particularly in a world of rapid-fire communication, indignation, and retaliation. 

I’m still pinching myself.  I found out that The Inca Weaver’s Tales has won 1^st place in the Chapbook category of the 2025 Elgin Awards!  There are so many talented poets getting their work out into the world, I honestly didn’t think my debut chapbook, a mini-chapbook at that, stood a chance.  When I first heard about the nomination, I had to count the pages of poetry to make sure it even qualified. 

There are a lot of kind people in the world.  We need reminders of that.  There are people who take the time to read and nominate and vote for speculative poetry, including the members of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA).  That warms me. 

The fact that so many of them voted this year for a chapbook that celebrates Latine culture, indigenous people, and women in particular, warms me very much. 

This chapbook wouldn’t exist without the awesome team behind Sword & Kettle Press’s New Cosmologies series.  To repeat what I said when it first came out:  Special thanks to Monica Robinson for her careful editing and for creating the lovely cover, to Naseem Jamnia for their stunning work on the layout, and to founding editor Kay Allen for overseeing the New Cosmologies series and including my work as part of it.  They’ve put in hours of work stitching each chapbook by hand. 

I wouldn’t be half the poet I am if not for my parents’ support.  I still remember calling them up during my freshman year of college, explaining how I wanted to add a second major, English with a Creative Writing Emphasis, on top of my Business Economics degree.  And they said yes, including when I wound up in the program’s poetry track.  Similarly, my sisters have been championing my learning and growth for my entire life, and for that I’ll always be grateful. 

Thank you also to my English professors at Santa Clara University, especially those who taught me poetry and those daring enough to include speculative literature in their coursework. 

And much love always to my husband and sons, who make it all worthwhile. 

People are going to do what they do, they’re going to think what they think, and I am going to go on writing for the open-minded ones out there.  That work will include, among other themes, Latine futurisms, the fear of displacement necessitating removal of one’s identity, embracing one’s cultural roots, shared trauma and shared healing, smart and successful Latina businesswomen, and my intersectionality.  If I can open someone’s heart and mind a little more in the process, that will warm me most of all. 

As we near the spooky season, I wanted to share that my poem “Peter Pumpkin Eater’s Most Delectable Carving” has been reprinted in Graveside Press’s Gathered Here Today anthology of horror poetry and visual art.  This poem originally appeared in last year’s HWA Poetry Showcase (and I’ve got a new poem accepted in this year’s volume as well; more to come on that next month). 

Looking ahead, here’s the lineup for Akua Lezli Hope’s Speculative Sundays online reading series for Speculative Poetry Month in November: 

If you’re in the Portland area this October, I’ll share my OryCon schedule as soon as I have it, and I’ll be participating in the Beaverton City Library’s Horror Authors Book Party. 

Holly Lyn Walrath, one of the editors of Interstellar Flight Magazine, has been helping speculative poetry make great strides recently.  Through her involvement in creating new Nebula and Hugo Awards for poets, she’s been at the forefront of a lot of exciting discussions about the future of specpo.  That’s why I was particularly floored to see that she included my chapbook, The Inca Weaver’s Tales, in her recommended reading list as part of her annual review of Elgin Award-nominated chapbooks and collections! 

Her article brings up insightful points about how we define the speculative genres, the role of smaller publishers, and more.  Not to mention the great company I’m in with her book recommendations!  I hope you’ll give it a read and look for ways to support the efforts to establish these new major poetry awards. 

“Quevedo’s poems conjure the voice of the Inca, exploring themes of the seasons, planting, folklore, nature, the sacred, and community. Like discovering a lost story retold in contemporary verse, reading Quevedo’s work feels like stepping into the past.”

—Holly Lyn Walrath, Interstellar Flight Magazine

Will you enter the labyrinth with me?  My poem “Ariadne Goes to Knitting Group,” a crowd favorite at my readings, is available online in The Ones Behind the Bookshelves. 

The initial kernel of inspiration for this poem came from my mom, a very talented knitter (as well as seamstress—she inspired that skill in Raya, my main character in Thrice Petrified). 

I really admire how Chatter PDX brings together live music, poetry, and community.  I had a wonderful time reading at the event for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, especially getting to see the musicians, Maria Garcia and Yoko Greeney, play the piano side-by-side, in perfect sync.  Amazing!  I’d seen piano duets before, as well as dueling pianos, but never before pieces arranged for four hands at one keyboard.  And Maria and Yoko looked to be having so much fun in the process. 

I unveiled a new poem I wrote especially for the occasion. 

For those who can’t make it to my in-person readings, I’ll be part of Akua Lezli Hope’s free Speculative Sundays online poetry reading series in November.  I’ll be reading along with Joshua Gage on November 16^th.  Mark your calendar to come celebrate Speculative Poetry Month with us! 

Has a week gone by already?!  My head is still spinning from the flurry that was Seattle Worldcon. 

Some of my highlights: 

I got to hang out with two of my good writing friends, Maggie Slater and Rachel Unger!  Maggie and I hadn’t seen each other in person in many, many years.  It was like no time had passed.  And having Rachel in the mix was an absolute blast. 

I got to meet the editor who gave me my first sale, David Stokes of Guardbridge Books, and thank him for taking a chance on a new writer back in the day. 

I also got to meet up with my mentor, the amazing A. T. Greenblatt, who never fails to inspire me. 

I spotted “in the wild” the special prerelease edition of a new anthology I have a story in, The Muddy Goose Guide to the Weird Northwest. 

I met some outstanding fellow poets at a meetup of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, as well as when I performed selections of my poetry at a group reading and participated on a panel. 

Now I’m prepping for another reading next weekend, as part of Portland’s Chatter PDX series.  The theme for the upcoming event is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and you’d better believe I’ll be bringing the fairy poetry. 

Here’s where you can find me at Seattle Worldcon next month: 

Poetry Readings Saturday, August 16, 2025, 4:30pm-5:30pm PDT

Come bask in the poetic wonders of strange worlds, fantastic narrators, and imaginary perspectives! Hear the poetry of Grand Master Linda D. Addison, Ai Jiang, Devin Miller, Geoffrey A. Landis, Vanessa MacLaren-Wray, and Katherine Quevedo.

Readers:  Ai Jiang, Devin Miller, Geoffrey A. Landis, Katherine Quevedo, Linda D. Addison, Vanessa MacLaren-Wray

Poetry Performance Tips, August 16, 2025, 6pm-7pm PDT

There are many ways to read a poem out loud. Hear from experts as they describe why they do the things they do.

Panelists:  Terese Mason Pierre, EB Helveg, Katherine Quevedo, Linda D. Addison, Mary Turzillo, R. Thursday

If you’re attending the convention and we cross paths, I hope you’ll say hi!