Hello.
My name is Melissa Lozada-Oliva. I’m a Guatelombian (Guatemalan-Colombian) American writer (poetry, novels, screenplays) My book peluda (Button Poetry 2017) explores the intersections of Latina identity, feminism, hair removal & what it means to belong. My novel-in-verse Dreaming of You (October 2021, Astra House) is about bringing Selena back to life through a seance & the disastrous consequences that follow. I am the co-host of podcast Say More with Olivia Gatwood where we dissect the world through a poetic lens. My next novel CANDELARIA (Fall 2023, Astra House) is about a Guatemalan grandmother at the end of the world, and how her granddaughters started it. I’ve done brand work with Facebook, Instagram, Google, Armani, and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. I’m interested in horror because I’m scared of everything. I like when things are little funny so that I have space to be a little sad. My work and/or I have been featured or is forthcoming in NPR, VOGUE, REMEZCLA, PAPER, The Guardian, BreakBeat Poets, Kenyon Review, Vulture, Bustle, Glamour Magazine, The Huffington Post, Muzzle Magazine, The Adroit Journal, and BBC Mundo. These photos of me are taken by Bridget Badore.