Natalie Diaz Becomes First Latina To Win The Pulitzer Prize For Poetry
Natalie Diaz is an Indigenous, Latina poet telling her experience through poems to give the world an intimate look into her world. Diaz’s work has been honored with a recent Pulitzer Prize making her the first Latina to ever win the award for poetry.
Natalie Diaz made history as a poet with her latest book “Postcolonial Love Poem.”
This is the Arizona State University professor’s second book and speaks extensively to the colonial violence against Native Americans. The book of poetry touches on the desires and pleasure from the Native American perspective in the face of the violence that the community has experienced. Diaz was born and raised in the Mojave Indian Village in Needles, California. She is also an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Tribe.
“I was very emotional with this award and I think part of it is because when I set out to put the book together, I knew I wanted to be at stake,” Diaz told The Arizona Republic.
Diaz leans on her identity and experience to tell the stories of her people with an authentic voice.
Her poetry is telling the story of the people who raised her. Her town is clearly proud of her achievement according to a tweet she has deleted. The town has transformed the few stores they have to sell the award-winning poetry book.
“We don’t have bookstores where I come from. We don’t even have a grocery store,” Diaz wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “So my tiny 120 degree desert town is selling my Pulitzer Prize poetry book at our Dollar Stores (we have 3) & Liquor stores (we have several). Maybe this is the most ‘poetry’ poetry can be & where.”
Diaz’s poetry is an intimate portrayal of Native American life.
Diaz’s work has given an entire culture and community representation that reached one of the highest awards available to poetry. Congratulations on this amazing achievement, Natalie!
