Major Works

I Used to be a Superwoman

The Chicano Movement is not dead. It lives on, fierce and passionate, in the voice and person of Gloria Velasquez. Her ardent verses are a pledge reiterating her allegiance to la causa and a call to arms demanding that others perpetuate the struggle. A consummate oral performer and speaker, Velasquez has been uniquely successful in transferring onto the printed page the drama of reciting poetry on barrio streets. These pages burn with the fire of action and commitment.

Xicana on the Run

In Xicana on the Run, Velásquez reconstructs a Chicana consciousness that addresses issues of politics, love, war, solitude, poverty and feminism. Velásquez’s poetry reveals a variety of political perspectives and themes that are both universal and personal. In paying homage to her humble barrio roots, Velásquez includes vintage photographs from her childhood, which illustrate her desire to further immortalize her parents, Juan and Francisca, and her only brother, Fini, who was killed in Vietnam.

Toy Soldiers & Dolls (Forthcoming)

Synopsis of Toy Soldiers and Dolls (Soldaditos Y Muñecas):

This short novella consists of a collection of 14 stories that are interconnected by the same protagonist, Esperanza, and the secondary characters, who are significant friends or family members. The novel is set in northern Colorado, though it includes a variety of settings which include New Mexico, Mexico, Paris, Vietnam, and California. Each of the stories focuses on different themes ranging from racism, love, aging, sexual abuse and feminism. A major theme is Vietnam since the protagonist’s brother is killed in this tragic war. Moreover, the novel includes a series of Vietnam letters. Magical realism abounds in this collection—tears become rivers (water is a key motif symbolizing hope), a magical vine helps an elderly lady disappear into the sky, the Green House where the protagonist lived becomes Noah’s arc and rats, which appear in “Guernica,” become Esperanza’s constant companions.