Midwest Poets Series Welcomes Acclaimed David Tomas Martinez

Sarah Gilmore, Reporter

November 18, 2024

Poet David Tomas Martinez. Photo: davidtomasmartinez/Instagram

On the evening of Nov. 7, poet David Tomas Martinez captivated attendees in Arrupe Auditorium, sharing selections from his collections “Hustle” and “Post-Traumatic Hood Disorder,” which have garnered critical acclaim. Hosted by Rockhurst University’s Midwest Poets Series, the event aimed to “enhance the literary and intellectual lives of Rockhurst University, the Kansas City community, and the surrounding region,” according to the Rockhurst Center for Arts and Letters.

Traveling to Rockhurst from Brooklyn, New York, Martinez, also known as DTM, is a Pushcart Prize winner, CantoMundo Fellow, Bread Loaf Stanley P. Young Fellow, Verlaine Poetry Award recipient, NEA poetry fellow, and NEA Big Read author.

He shared poems that grapple with the complexities of identity, masculinity and survival in America. He spoke openly about his “circuitous” journey that led him from the streets of Southeast San Diego to a celebrated career in poetry. This background informed his perspective and the gritty, unfiltered voice that has become a hallmark of his work.

He began by reading from “Hustle,” his 2014 debut poetry collection, which he described as being “mostly about that time growing up as a teenager.” The collection earned the New England Book Festival’s prize in poetry, the Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award and an honorable mention for the Antonio Cisneros Del Moral Prize.

“I was in a gang, I was a teenage father, I didn’t graduate high school, I sold drugs, then I went to the Navy, and then I went to the Job Corps, and then at 21, I went to play basketball at a junior college,” said Martinez.

He opened with a poem from “Calaveras,” an eleven-part series in the collection where he describes an attempt to steal a car. He recounted the vivid imagery of an escape through a cactus field.

“To get away I ran in a canyon in a field of cactus. The needles ripped my clothes, left spiked fruit behind my knee with a knife wet under a garden hose I cut away skin and spines,” said Martinez.

For Martinez, poetry became a way to process these experiences, with “Hustle” taking over 10 years to write.

“This whole book is filled with a lot of experiences that, in some ways, were edifying, and in more ways damaging,” said Martinez. “It took me a long time to kind of work through them.”

He followed with readings from “Post-Traumatic Hood Disorder,” his most recent collection, published in 2019. The collection received widespread recognition, including being named a finalist for the CLMP Firecracker Award, a PEN America Los Angeles “July Book Club Pick” and a “New & Noteworthy” selection by The New York Times. It also featured Martinez as a highlighted poet in The American Poetry Review and was listed in The Rumpus as a top choice for “What to Read When You Want to Celebrate Poetry.”

This collection too delves into themes of character, trauma, resilience and the challenges of growing up in marginalized communities, blending personal narrative with broader cultural critiques.

Through his poetry and storytelling, Martinez brought his past to life, sharing reflections that resonated with listeners. His work, filled with raw honesty and complex themes, offered a glimpse into a life of resilience, transformation and survival, leaving a lasting impact on those in attendance.

By the end of the evening, Rockhurst’s Midwest Poets Series had fulfilled its mission of “enhancing the literary and intellectual lives” of the Rockhurst and Kansas City community, bringing voices like Martinez’s to the forefront and reminding the audience of poetry’s power to connect readers to themselves and one another.

The Midwest Poets Series will continue in the new year, and all are encouraged to attend the upcoming events: