editor’s Note
Below you will find poetry in the original Spanish by Juan Armando Rojas alongside the English translation by Paula J. Lambert. The poems are excerpted from the manuscript El camino que lleva nuestros nombres / The Path that Carries Our Names.
Juan Armando Rojas is a Mexican-American transborder poet, essayist, and scholar. He is the author of ten poetry collections, most recently Aurora Boreal (2023), an audio- poetry album available on all major streaming platforms. His bilingual manuscript, The Path That Carries Our Names, co-translated with U.S. poet and translator Paula J. Lambert, features poems that have appeared in Mid-American Review, Plume, and Taos Poetry Journal. Rojas’ work has been translated into English, Arabic, Portuguese, and Italian, and is widely recognized for its exploration of borderland identity, language, and cultural memory. He holds a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature from the University of Arizona, completed postdoctoral studies at Amherst College (2002–2004), and served as poet-in-residence at the University of Coimbra in Portugal (2011). In addition to his creative work, Rojas has held various academic leadership roles in the United States. He currently serves as the President of the Hispanic Ohio Writers Association and is the recipient of numerous literary awards and research grants for his contributions to poetry and transnational cultural discourse.
Paula J. Lambert has published five full-length poetry collections including Terms of Venery, Revised (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions 2025) and six chapbooks including Sinkhole (Bottlecap Press 2025). Lambert is also a literary translator, small press publisher, and visual artist. Her work has been supported by the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. Her mentorship has been recognized by PEN America. A strong supporter of the intersection of poetry and science, she lives in Columbus with her husband, Dr. Michael Perkins, a philosopher and technologist. More at www.paulajlambert.com.