Meet Joseph Delgado of Mohave Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Delgado.

Joseph, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am originally born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, spent most of my life steeped in the vast urban space of concrete and empty lots and an ever expanding city. I was always inspired by the sudden stillness of the deserts of the southwest. As a poet I found adventure and roamed in the three great large deserts that compose this land. I found myself drifting, trying to find a place to call home as well as fine tuning my craft and voice in relation to my poetry and art practice. In my wayward search for the beauty in this ever changing land I found myself setting down in rugged western Arizona deep in the Mojave desert and amongst the Mojave peoples; finding both beauty and home. A place not necessarily of my own but has become my own; here I can find the space to write honestly of my homeland and my new adopted lands. In the desert of Arizona I have found a rhythm, a vibration that has allowed me to explore language in unexpected ways, just as unexpected of moments of beauty and resounding complexity of life make themselves apparent in the sands of this remarkable landscape. I wouldn’t be able to progress in my writing career without the clarity and clear skies of this land humming and teeming with both nature and stunning cacophony of the people that not only populate these realms but continuously help fuel my literary and artistic praxis.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I find it a rare occurrence to meet any human who has been able to make their journey on smooth flat roads. Like so many others I have encountered my fair share of troubles, the ever present neurosis of human nature, the unexpected obstacles and even the expected. It is through these challenges that I am who I am, not a product of struggles or pain but a person whole who embraces and challenges both the good and bad and even the cringe in my short existence; it’s those experiences, those moments of learning, of suffering, of tumult that makes us stronger. To endure is the greatest virtue, even when in the darkest times and through the narrowest gorges of our life paths. A life without failure could be seen as a life without flavor.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a published poet, I have two major poetry collections both from Korima Press; my books are Ditch Water (2013) and Broken Mesas (2021). My work is heavily influenced and centered on my queerness, work that is mined from memory, dreams, desires, and failures. My work could be described as confessional adjacent. I’m obsessed with creating emotive experiences and images utilizing ‘concrete language; I tend to eschew abstraction and challenge myself to formulate images and sentences that may defy orthodox language arts but make for fascinating explorations into landscapes, scenes, poems that act as photographs always suggesting something that might be present just beyond the frame or horizon.
I feel that my work takes on challenges and concepts that might not seem community sanitized or work that may be for all audiences but I feel my work is a part of a larger story, my poetry as integral component of a larger desert world. I refuse to look away from scenes that may be difficult to witness but may be critical to understanding our human nature or at least my own.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is enduring. To endure is the greatest virtue. Even failure is success, because you are moving forward, learning, growing, evolving. Success is not always achieved but can always be deeply felt.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchwaterghosts
• Other: https://Barrenmesa.com

Image Credits
All photos by Joseph Delgado