Curanderismo, Poetry, and How to Heal a Broken Heart with Tommy Archuleta, Santa Fe Poet Laureate

Encounter Culture

Let’s be honest: these are turbulent times for us all. No matter who you are and what your personal circumstances are, it’s likely that you may be in need of some remedies or poetry—or both! Santa Fe Poet Laureate Tommy Archuleta offers both in his new collection, Susto.

The book of poems weaves poetry about love and loss with meditations on the New Mexican landscape. Threaded between the poems are remedios for a broken heart. No matter your ailment, these remedios are bound to offer some relief.

“With each evolution of each draft, there's just this beauty that was coming out,” Archuleta says. “Because being asked, ‘Why the heck do you write about death so much? My God, all of you guys--all the way back to Dante.’ … I don't know what his excuse is, but I think the reason is because it's a way of embracing the present life that you do have.”

ENCOUNTER CULTURE EPISODES TO CATCH UP ON:

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Learn more about Tommy Archuleta’s readings and poetry workshops

Request a reading or workshop from Tommy Archuleta

Susto, poetry collection written by Tommy Archuleta, Santa Fe Poet Laureate

CulturePassNew Mexico State Library

For further reading and more resources, view the full show notes.

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Encounter Culture is a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Hosted by Emily Withnall, editor at El Palacio Magazine Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Technical Director & Post-Production Audio: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Editor & Production Manager: Alex Riegler Associate Producer & Editor: Monica Braine (Assiniboine/Lakota) Theme Music: D’Santi Nava

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