Curriculum Vitae & Résumé
Ekiwah Adler Beléndez Biography
Early Journey with Poetry
Ekiwah was born with cerebral palsy, weighing 900 grams - the size of a mango cupped in one hand, turning purple while trying to breathe. Because of this, he travels the world in a wheelchair.
Ekiwah's journey with poetry began at a young age. His parents recall that, at just four years old, he talked to the mountains of Amatlan in a way that surprisingly resembled free verse. Later, at the age of 10, he learned to use a computer and started writing love poems. He shared them with his fellow elementary school students in Cuernavaca, and immediately, the children wanted copies. This early success caught the attention of The Institute of Culture in Morelos, a government-funded organization promoting culture.
Recognition
The success of his first book, "Soy," attracted the attention of the renowned Mexican journalist and novelist Elena Poniatowska. Ekiwah's second poetry book, "Inexhaustible Words," was also published by The Institute of Culture.
Life-Altering Health Challenge
At the age of 16, due to his spastic muscles, Ekiwah developed scoliosis, which caused his spine to tilt to one side, to the point where his head was constantly looking down. Initially reluctant to undergo surgery due to a previous negative surgical experience and chronic pain, his parents were informed that without the surgery, his life could be at risk. His mother presented his case to the renowned surgeon Roy Nuzzo, along with a copy of one of his books, "Weaver." Remarkably, Roy Nuzzo mobilized funding from German hospitals to perform one of the world's most expensive surgeries, saving Ekiwah's life and drawing the attention of reporters. NBC Dateline featured his story in an interview with Stone Phillips, highlighting the generosity of Roy Nuzzo and the miraculous role of poetry in saving his life.
Unexpected Mentorship by Mary Oliver
Around the same time, a friend happened to live next door to Mary Oliver, the renowned poet. She was given one of Ekiwah's books, and to his surprise, she not only read it but also insisted that she would only read at the Fine Arts Work Center if Ekiwah was allowed to read alongside her. This unexpected opportunity left Ekiwah both honored and flabbergasted. After the joint reading, Mary Oliver even wrote a preface for his new self-published book of poems in English, titled "The Coyote's Trace."
Educational Pursuits and Broadening Horizons
Ekiwah left his small village in Mexico to attend college, where he achieved a B.A. from Hampshire College in Amherst Massachusetts on full scholarship. It was there that he could navigate the streets in a motorized wheelchair for the first time. He presented his thesis play, "A Diary about Crossing the Street for the First Time in a Wheelchair-Accessible City," with Greg Josselyn.
Around this time, he became the youngest poet ever to be invited to the Dodge Poetry Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious poetry festivals in the country. This gave him the great fortune of engaging in direct conversations with poets such as Coleman Barks, Tony Hoagland, and Robert Bly, which deeply inspired him.
Literary Career Abroad
During his time in the U.S., the literary agency Blue Flower Arts discovered him after attending his reading at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, where he was introduced by Mary Oliver. His literary career abroad expanded, and he presented his poetry at various literary festivals and conferences worldwide, including Yale University / New Haven Children's Hospital's "Arts for Healing Festival," "Writing the Medical Experience" at Sarah Lawrence College, "Mythic Journeys" in Atlanta, and the "Poetry Therapy Conference" in Boston, the 8th World Conference on Disability Conductive Education in Munich, Germany, Vancouver's Writers International Festival, and 40th International Festival of Authors in Toronto. Of note, later, during the pandemic, he presented a unique conversation about Ecology, Poetry, and Disability Justice for Theater of War Productions.
Mentorship and Focus on Craft
Three significant events changed his life dramatically. He realized that being considered a "poet prodigy" wasn't enough. He wanted his work to deepen and mature. Although he enjoyed giving readings, he recognized that his work needed refinement. He spoke to his agent at the time, Allison Granucci, expressing the need for someone who could teach him how to revise his work thoroughly. Ekiwah sought guidance to sharpen his craft. Allison recommended a mentor Fran Quinn who, like Mary Oliver, believed that a poem could be revised countless times before being considered finished.
Life Transformation and Parenting
Upon finding this new teacher, Ekiwah lost interest in publishing and public readings. He dedicated years to honing his craft, which resulted in his latest book, "Love on wheels." While he had previously written about ethereal and mystical experiences, it was with this mentor that he confronted the joys, trials, and tribulations of life in a wheelchair, something he had previously chosen to ignore. The transformative result of working with Fran Quinn was so profound that Ekiwah moved to Mexico after college and became a full-time devoted parent.
His entire book was translated into Spanish and published by Editorial 17, an institution interested in critical studies spanning various domains, from ecology to disability studies, social justice to philosophy. Editorial 17 was captivated by the literary craftsmanship and the way the collection addressed taboo themes related to disability through personal experience, including topics like sex, desire, and the quest for a home of one's own.
Literary Journaling
Ekiwah has contributed to literary and academic journal communities, especially as a featured poet in the collected volume "Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability," edited by Sheila Black in 2011. He was also included in "The Pushcart Prize XXXV: Best of the Small Presses 2011 Edition." Other features include: the Massachusetts Review ("Barely a Difference and "Evening Summer Rain"), Sunken Gardens Anthology ("Love Song to my Motorized Wheelchair"), CURA ("After EAB"), American Athenaeum ("Morning Coffee Klatch"), Theodate ("The Gift"), Squarely ("I Bargained for this Wheelchair"), Specter ("Eating My First Peach after Knee Surgery"), and Golden Sparrow Literary Review ("I Am the Light"), with other contributions to Poetry Kanto, Border Voices, Alforja, and The Body Therapy Conference Magazine. They have also contributed poems to newspapers such as La Jornada, El Diario de Morelos, and El Sol de Morelos, reflecting his commitment to sharing a poetic voice across all mediums.
Promoting Inclusion through Poetry
Since then, Ekiwah's book has been presented at various festivals and forums across Mexico, including Biblioteca Vasconselos, UNAM, FILIJ, Festival Oximoron in Querétaro, Festival Diverso de Arte e Inclusión in Puebla, and Primer Foro de Inclusión a Través de los Lenguajes Artísticos in Chihuahua. These festivals recognize the continued challenges of inclusion for individuals with disabilities and seek to address these issues. Ekiwah realized that poetry could do more than just inspire in an ethereal sense; it could challenge, question, and provide answers to real-world problems. Thus, he devoted himself to bringing poetry into spaces where it typically lacks a voice, such as clinics, hospitals, jails, rehab centers, homes for the elderly, and low-income schools.
Accolades and AWP Literary Festival
Ekiwah's work as a workshop leader in poetry earned him the George Garrett Award for Literary Excellence and Distinguished Teaching by the Association for Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). He also presented "Love on wheels" at the association for their book festival, which is widely regarded as the most attended literary festival in the U.S.
Influence Beyond Poetry
Apart from his poetry work, Ekiwah has been involved in a podcast featuring the real story of two women in wheelchairs who must escape family to protect their love, thanks to a grant from the British Council and Mexico's Secretary of Culture. He has also been featured in recent news articles where he lives currently – Morelo, Mexico. His passion for poetry revolves around addressing urgent conversations regarding human rights, diversity, and the journey toward love without exclusion.
Full Résumé
Ekiwah Adler Belendez Resume.pdf