Richard Vargas

Graduated from Cal State Univ. Long Beach in 1978, where I studied under Gerald Locklin, Richard Lee, and Dora Polk. I published/edited five issues of the Tequila Press Review, 1978-80. Some of the poets I published were Gerald Locklin, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Alberto Rios, Ron Koertge, Kirk Robertson, Nila Northsun, Dennis Cooper, and others. During this same period, the editor of the most influential small press magazine of the day, The Wormwood Review, published a large sampling of my work in the publication’s spotlight center section. I was the featured poet in an issue that included poetry by Bukowski, Lyn Lifshin, and Gerald Locklin. Rattle, a Los Angeles based poetry review, included me in their tribute to Latino/Chicano poets in their Winter 1999 issue. I was invited to read at the 2nd Annual Chicago Latino Book & Family Festival in Nov. 2000. Rattle: Poetry for the 21st Century, included my work in their "Best of..." issue, Summer 2006. Poems from 1st book, McLife, featured on Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac/NPR 2/9 and 2/18, 2006. Runner-up in Rattle's 1st annual poetry contest, 2006. 2nd book, American Jesus, published fall 2007, Tia Chucha Press.Richard has been published in The Wormwood Review, Rattle,Main Street Rag, Blue Mesa Review, Willow Review, Rockford Review, Java Snob, Touched by Eros, Breakfast All Day (U.K.), Bilingual Review/Bilinque Revista, Chiron Review, and others.Currently co-organizer for the 516 WORDS poetry series @ 516 ARTS Gallery, Albuquerque,New Mexico.