Stories of barbara jane reyes blog

Born in the Philippines and raised in the Bay Area, Barbara Jane Reyes has been navigating the nuances of multiple languages from an early age. Her poetry continues to navigate multiple languages, multiple cultures, and multiple meanings, offering a richly layered look into the complexities of identity.

She is the author of three chapbooks and four collections of poetry, with a fifth, Invocation to Daughters, forthcoming in November from City Lights Publishers.

Cooked Just Right: An Interview with Barbara Jane Reyes

Based in Oakland, Reyes spoke with us by phone about gender, teaching, and why she absolutely loves being known as a Filipina-American poet. NEA: You grew up amidst multiple languages, which you now incorporate into your poetry. How has having these various languages to draw on shaped your relationship with words in general? BARBARA JANE REYES: I think a lot of it had to do with learning who spoke what language.

In my family, there were people who spoke Tagalog. There were people who spoke Ilocano, which is anoth Others Would Tell Me Nothing Is Mine: Talking with Barbara ... XYS