Edward Vidaurre

“Write with truth, conviction, kindness, and vulnerability. But never fear conflict writing, it's your revolution, it's what keeps you free.” — Edward Vidaurre

Windward Review is proud to announce that Edward Vidaurre’s poems, “Lottery Ticket Man in Mexico City” and “When people say there is nothing here in the Rio Grande Valley,” will be published in Volume 24: Power, Presence, and Perspective. In lieu of this volume’s release, we would like to share more about Edward.

Edward Vidaurre is an award-winning poet, editor, and publisher based in McAllen, Texas. He is the author of ten poetry collections and a 2022 inductee into the Texas Institute of Letters. He served as the 2018–2019 Poet Laureate of the City of McAllen and has been a finalist for Texas Poet Laureate, reflecting his deep commitment to the literary arts in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Texas Observer, and numerous literary journals and anthologies. His collection Jazzhouse received the 2020 Award of Merit from the Philosophical Society of Texas for Best Book of Poetry by a Texas author, and Pandemia & Other Poems was a finalist for the Writers’ League of Texas Book Awards. He has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize multiple times.

Vidaurre is the publisher of FlowerSong Press, where he has edited over 100 books of poetry and anthologies. Through his work as an editor and publisher, he has helped amplify diverse voices and shape contemporary literary conversations across Texas, the United States, and internationally.

Flowersong Press home page with logo

Flowersong Press book listing

Editorial Notes of Praise:

“The poem ‘Lottery Ticket Man in Mexico City’ is a wonderful balance of addressing multiple valuable topics that are necessary for contributing to significant conversations in our world today. I was captivated by the setting of the poem, not only through its exploration of Mexico City and the culture established there, but also through its centering of the main character as a metaphor for the social and political issues prevalent within the larger frameworks of society. The main character stands as a powerful symbol of hope in an environment that often refuses to recognize him.

Rather than remaining unseen, he takes initiative, making himself known and serving as a guiding light within his community by offering possibilities. Equally strong in its emphasis on perspective, ‘When people say there is nothing here in the Rio Grande Valley’ is another example of a poem with a powerful central message. The intentional and creative use of poetic elements in both works makes their environments stand out, creating exceptional content and form that helps readers visualize, feel, and learn from the experiences presented.”

Here is a personal favorite excerpt from Mr. Vidaurre’s piece, “When people say there is nothing here in the Rio Grande Valley:”

“The same moon

that hangs over studio lights and freeway veins,

over oceans working their blue muscles,

over mountains that remember every crossing.

It falls the same on everyone

It falls the same on every block

It drains its light evenly

across our cracked parking lots

our quiet colonias,

our stubborn mesquite trees.”

- Edward Viduarre, “When people say there is nothing here in the Rio Grande Valley”