Photo of Brenda Cardenas

Brenda Cardenas

  • Associate Professor Emerita, English

Education

  • MFA, Creative Writing-Poetry, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 1995
  • BA, English, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1987

Research Interests

  • Poetry Writing
  • United States Latinx Literatures and Cultures
  • Performance Art
  • Poetry in Collaboration with Other Arts

Related Activities

  • Faculty for the CantoMundo Latinx Writing Retreat, University of Arizona Poetry Center, June, 2020
  • Faculty for “Pintura: Palabra—Poetry Inspired by Art, a Master-Level Workshop in Ekphrasis” in conjunction with Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C, February, 2014.
  • Ex-Officio Board Member, MARCH (Movimiento Artistico Chicano) Inc, Chicago, IL
  • Ex-Oficio Advisory Circle Member, Con Tinta Latino Literary Organization

Awards and Honors

  • University of Wisconsin System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award (UW-Milwaukee), 2017-2018.\nEnglish Department’s Faculty Graduate Teaching Award for 2015-2016.
  • Arts and Humanities Research Travel Award, December, 2014.
  • Wisconsin Humanities Council Grant for “Cantos Latinos: A Mosaic of Latino Poetry,” a Collaborative Project with Milwaukee Public Libraries, UWM Creative Writing Program, Woodland Pattern Book Center, and Latino Arts, Milwaukee, WI, March 2012.
  • Appointed Poet Laureate of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Milwaukee Public Library System, April 2010-April 2012

Selected Publications

Cárdenas, Brenda E. “What Will We Give Our Children?” The Golden Shovel Anthology: New Poems Honoring Gwendoyn Brooks 1st. Ed. Kahn, Peter, Shankar, Ravi, and Smith, Patricia. Fayetteville, Arkansas: The University of Arkansas Press. (2017): 45-46.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “On the Coast in Pedasí” Because We Come from Everything: Poetry and Migration Ed. Aragón, Francisco, and Trellis, Emma. online: The Best American Poetry Blog. (2017): 1.
. Resist Much/Obey Little: Inaugural Poems to the Resistance Ed. Cárdenas, Brenda E., Boughn, Michael, Bradley, John , DeSilva-Johnson, Lynne, Fleisher, Kass, Harrison, Roberto , Johnson, Kent, Levy, Andrew, Mackey, Nathaniel, Medina, Ruben, Metres, Philip, Noveno, Nita, Patton, Julie , Randall, Margaret, Rothenberg, Michael, Strofolino, Chris, Waldman, Anne, Welish, Marjorie, and Williams, Tyrone. New York, New York : Spuyten Duyvil Press and Dispatches Editions. 2017: 738
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Our Lady of Sorrows” POETRY 207.6 Ed. Share, Don. Chicago, IL: Poetry Foundation. (2016): 601.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Placa/Roll Call” POETRY 207.6 Ed. Share, Don. Chicago, IL: Poetry Foundation. (2016): 599.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Placa/Roll Call Podcast” March 2016: Roll Call POETRY Podcast Ed. Share, Don . Chicago, IL: Poetry Foundation. (2016): podcast.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Chiral Formation” Jet Fuel Review 10. Ed. Jordan, Jess, Cotter, Michael, Parr, Sabrina, Muench, Simone, and White, Jackie. Romeoville, IL: Lewis University. (2015): 1.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Inverse” Jet Fuel Review 10. Ed. Jordan, Jess, Cotter, Michael, Parr, Sabrina, Muench, Simone, and White, Jackie. Romeoville, IL: Lewis University. (2015): 1.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Spiral Unwound from the Inside Out” Jet Fuel Review 10. Ed. Jordan, Jess, Cotter, Michael, Parr, Sabrina, Muench, Simone, and White, Jackie. Romeoville, IL: Lewis University. (2015): 2.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Ghost Species” City Creatures: Animal Encounters in the Chicago Wilderness Ed. Van Horn, Gavin, and Aftandilian, Dave. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. (2015): 332-333.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “The Red Fox Who Toys with the Dead” City Creatures: Animal Encounters in the Chicago Wilderness Ed. Van Horn, Gavin, and Aftandilian, Dave. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. (2015): 115-116.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “On the Coast in Pedasí” Cave Canem Anthology XIV: Poems 2010-2011 1st. Ed. Horton, Randall, and Meyers, Alison. Detroit, MI: Willow Books. (2014): 14-15.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Ars Resistencia” I Didn’t Know There Were Latinos in Wisconsin: Three Decades of Hispanic Writing Ed. Mireles, Oscar. Madison, Wisconsin: Cowfeather Press. (2014): 84-85.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Juan Felipe Herrera: Secret Rubble Juggler” Angels of the Americlypse: New Latin@ Writing Ed. Giménez-Smith, Carmen, and Chavez, John. Denver, Colorado: Counterpath Press. (2014): 87-90.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Under Water” Verse Wisconsin 113. Ed. Busse, Sarah, and Vardaman, Wendy. (2014): 5.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. Brenda Cardenas: Spotlight on U.S. Hispanic Writers Ed. Dorn, Georgette M. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. 2014: Online
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Nexus” Cuadernos de ALDEEU 26. Ed. Gala, Candelas, Jato, Monica, Dick, Bruce, and Fisher, Andres. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: La Asociación de Licenciados y Doctores Españoles en Estados Unidos / Spanish Professionals in America, Inc.. (2013): 234.
Cárdenas, Brenda E. “Rupture” Cuadernos de ALDEEU 26. Ed. Gala, Candelas, Jato, Monica, Dick, Bruce, and Fisher, Andres. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: La Asociación de Licenciados y Doctores Españoles en Estados Unidos / Spanish Professionals in America, Inc.. (2013): 233.
Cárdenas, Brenda E., and Harrison, Roberto A. Bread of the Earth/The Last Colors (Chapbook) Ed. Daniels, Jeff. Berkeley, CA: Decentralized Publications. 2011: 7
Cárdenas, Brenda E. Boomerang: Poems by Brenda Cárdenas Ed. Keller, Gary. Tempe, Arizona: Bilingual Review Press. 2009: 92

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