A Conversation with Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cárdenas

Listen in to an oral history conversation with award-winning Poet Laureate of Wisconsin Brenda Cárdenas, interviewed by writer and poet Maria Kelson, who at the time (as Maria Melendez) was an associate professor of English at St. Mary’s College, and was teaching a course on Chicana literature. Brenda and Maria discuss playing with multiple languages in poems, the joy of listening to the music and rhythm of words, Brenda’s lively ekphrastic collaborations with visual artists over the years, and the hope that comes from writing for the audiences of the future.

Brenda will be in residence with Letras Latinas and the Raclin Murphy Museum Art in late September 2025 to launch “Poets & Art: Ekphrasis at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art,” a multi-year partnership between the Museum and Letras Latinas. In addition to her poetry reading on Wednesday, September 24 at 5:30 p.m., Cárdenas will spend two days at the Museum observing, reflecting, and writing a new ekphrastic poem inspired by an artwork on display. On Saturday, September 27, Cárdenas will lead a community-focused ekphrastic writing workshop. For more information, please visit the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art website.

For more information on Letras Latinas at the Institute for Latino Studies, please visit the Letras Latinas website.