Brenda Cárdenas — Embracing Art and Culture
When reading Brenda Cárdenas’ works, it is virtually impossible not to become immersed in her culturally diverse world and her varied array of creative inspirations. She writes linguistically rich, emotionally charged poetry that calls for the praise and appreciation of all forms of art. It is clear that her aim is to not only inspire and be inspired by art but to document and share a variety of human experiences through interesting and thoughtfully crafted pieces, such as her poetry and her cooperative musical endeavors. For the In Process series, Cárdenas presented her poems during our special event in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, sharing not only her culture but her language and inspirations as well. A very important part of her identity displayed in her work is the mixed cultural and linguist background that she comes from.
Embracing her multi-cultural background and heritage as well as acknowledging the literature and experiences that have made her who she is has always been an inspiration for Brenda Cárdenas. Due to her Mexican-American familial heritage, many of her poems are written in both English and Spanish. When speaking on her linguistic style in an interview, she explained, “My first real language was Spanglish” (In Process.) Her poems are usually not only in English or only in Spanish, but blend both together for a variety of effects such as creating beautiful and melodic works. This linguistic feature comes from her background in living in a culturally diverse household where she picked up pieces of language from everyone around her, which included even more than just the aforementioned Spanish and English. Code-switching poems are something that Cárdenas did not see as much when she was younger; she was only made aware of this style in her higher education. This lack of multi-cultural representation only led to Cárdenas becoming more excited by the prospect of code-switching when she was formally introduced to the style. Writing in this form is beneficial for speakers of multiple languages as it frees them from the limitations of one language and gives way to expressing oneself in a true and free sense. In some of her poetry that includes both languages, certain idiomatic expressions are from one language whereas others are in another. Languages are built and shaped by the people that use them, and as such, certain phrases in one language simply do not translate or mean the same when put into another form. An example is the Spanish use of “un beso” not being a direct translation of the English “kiss” as it means something deeper in Spanish on a cultural level. Brenda Cárdenas elaborates that the reason for her use of code-switching and interweaving language does not always have to be for this cultural reason, but sometimes rather she does such for an artistic effect. No matter the reason, her Spanish and English work together in a harmonious and audibly pleasing blend that creates striking, intriguing, and introspective poems that beg to be read aloud and listened to.
One of the most striking elements that is woven throughout the work of Brenda Cárdenas is how much art and creativity mean to her, and in turn, how she uses her natural ability to inspire others to create art. Ekphrastic poetry is a way in which she hybridizes her own creativity with the creative works and stories of others. When she visited the In Process Series, Cárdenas read multiple poems while showing the artwork that inspired them. She briefly touched on Day of the Dead, the culture and attitudes around death, and how these have inspired some of her writing. One example of these varying attitudes was a set of poems written in response to a series of visual pieces by an artist portraying the various names given to death in Mexico. In discussion, she elaborated on the real-world events and stories that worked alongside the pieces to fuel her poetry. This layered art involves the lives of so many people before it even reaches the audience, making the whole reading feel like a community experience. It is easy to be present as she reads and feel connected to others through her voice. Cárdenas uses her art as a unifier that spreads the awareness of others and makes one feel that despite all the differences, at the end of the day we are all human, and all of our experiences and backgrounds matter. She is a master at blending such a wide variety of inspirations together to create something that is both entirely new and yet still shows its roots.
When Cárdenas reads, it is a full-body experience; her words dance off the page and make themselves known to the listener. Even on the page, there is often a shape that the words take, another way in which her works embrace art as they are not only poetry but sometimes visual pieces. She said that she has been in a band with another poet and various musicians who worked to create pieces of music from their poetry. All of her work is inspired and creative, and anyone who comes across it cannot help but be inspired by her. In order to experience her poetry, one must embrace art. One of her pieces that especially calls for its performance and shows her appreciation of art and artists is “Poem for the Tin-Tun-Teros.” Seeing this piece read live was a wonderful treat as each line flows together to create a beat as well as vivid imagery of the people she is celebrating with this poem. For our National Hispanic Heritage Month event, she read the poem twice, once in English and once in Spanish. This was a brilliant way ito show the effect of writing poetry in more than one language as it demonstrated the different uses of word choice and language beautifully. This poem has been adapted by Daniel Alfonso Junior into a choral piece that has been published by Hal Leonard (In Process.) As the poem is inspired by those who find music in everything and make the world a more musical and creative place, this full-circle moment is quite exciting.
Cárdenas’ most recently published book of poetry, Trace, contains many of her Spanish-English fusion poems. One poem that mixes both cultures and languages is “Top Fifteen Reasons Mexicans Love Tortillas,” which is inspired by another poem with a similar title written by Natalie Diaz, “Top Ten Reasons Indians Are Good at Basketball.” From the title of Cárdenas’ poem, one might not expect this poem to be filled with a sense of longing and nostalgia. However, the way in which Cárdenas mixes together languages and cultures creates a moving and somewhat heartbreaking sense of losing one identity in order to create a new one. Within the poem, tortillas serve as a unifying instrument from generation to generation as food is an important factor in bringing people together. Cárdenas presentation of this poem was especially moving as it felt like hearing the lived experience of someone whose family was brought together through the use of such a pure and loving offering as food.
Authenticity is an important factor in creating art, and for Brenda Cárdenas it is no different. Her poetry and other art, including those inspired by the works of others, are true to herself and to the nature of creativity. She writes to embrace and explore the realms of her creativity, her cultural background, her experiences, her shared and individual fears and hopes, and to inspire and fuel the world of art. Overall, Trace is a delightful and involved collection that make the audience reflect not only about themselves but to look closely at the lives and lived experiences of others that differ from them. Cárdenas is an extremely talented and creative poet who finds inspiration in many aspects of her own experiences that infuse her works with a unique breath of life. Whether enjoying her works through hearing her read, listening to her perform with her previous band, or reading them from a page, one is sure to gain a new or renewed sense to create and be true to oneself.
Koda Widener is a sophomore majoring in Foreign Languages and Philosophy at MTSU. They were enrolled in English 3635-Honors, the In Process Series class, during the Fall 2023 semester.
