Still, We Are Sacred

"I have been a devotee of Emanuel Xavier's poetry since his legendary debut, Pier Queen, and his 7th and newest collection, Still, We Are Sacred, only strengthened my admiration for his artistry. These poems, ruminant at times with memories and dreams, mournful or sparkling with joy at others, blaze with a poetic force, sharpness and realness that have always been among the hallmarks of Emanuel's poetry. They also possess a truthfulness and intimacy that draw you into the heart of the poet's experiences, never sacrificing humor or an unforgettable turn of phrase, showing how a true literary artist lives, survives, and thrives as a brown, queer man in the 21st century." -John Keene

In Still, We Are Sacred, Emanuel Xavier gathers poems of queer survival, memory, and belonging. Moving through faith and doubt, family and chosen kin, love, grief, and joy, these poems honor lives shaped by resistance and care. At once elegy and affirmation, the collection insists on tenderness as a radical act and on the holiness of those who remain.

Emanuel Xavier is a queer Latinx poet whose work emerged from New York City's ballroom culture and the Nuyorican arts movement. An unexpected literary voice shaped outside traditional institutions, he writes toward survival, faith, sexuality, and chosen family. He is the author of several poetry collections, including Pier Queen, Americano, If Jesus Were Gay, and Love(ly) Child. He lives in New York City.