By Matt Sedillo
Photography Courtesy of Briana Muñoz
Published 3/21/2023 8:50 Am PST

Briana Muñoz is a writer from Southern California. Born and raised in San Diego, Briana attended her mother's Mexican folklore dance classes and on ranches, where her father trained horses. She is the author of the poetry collection Loose Lips, which was published by Prickly Pear Publishing.

You have achieved quite a bit in the world of letters in a short time. At what point did you begin to write seriously? What was that process like for you?

I've been writing since I was a child, probably 10 years old. In junior high, I remember telling my English teacher that I wanted to be an author and then in high school, I even had a teacher help me submit poetry for publication. However, it wasn't until I was attending a community college later that I took my first creative writing class. That is when I started taking writing seriously because it reignited a literary fire inside of me. I was submitting poems for publication, getting those accepted for publication, and even winning awards. This is also the time when I started performing poetry. So, in turn, shout-out to all of the English teachers and professors for guiding a young poet. 

In 2022 you traveled to San Francisco, San Diego and New York with pressmates from FlowerSong Press. You also read at Book Soup, Tia Chuchas and a number of other prominent LA bookstores. In many ways it was the return of the poetry troupe. What was your experience with this like? 

Yes, it was a busy year! Well I want to highlight that this poetry troupe was made up of Chicanx/ Latinx poets. When I was younger, I'd romanticize groups like the beat poets. Not necessarily their work but their experience and impact. And so, touring and working in collaboration with my Flowersong pressmates, felt like we were doing something really important. Not only were we sharing poetry but we were sharing our culture and hopefully spreading a bigger message with that.

You have performed in Mexico and Cuba how has your work been received internationally?

Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, yes. Throughout my writing career, I have felt that it's important to translate my poetry into Spanish. That has come in handy when performing poetry in Latin America. It's been received very well. In 2017 when I was in Havana, Cuba as an invited poet for their International Poetry Festival, people would come up to me after our panels and ask if I had any books for sale. At that time, I hadn't published any books yet. Not only was my poetry received very well but those experiences also just really pushed me to really dedicate myself. I got back home and immediately started on my first book. The manuscript was accepted by a publisher the year following.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Write without any shame. When I first started writing, sometimes I'd want to censor myself thinking my ideas would be too extreme. Free yourself. When you do, you'll find that people will value your work because you dared to go there or said something no one has said before. Network. Attend open mics and poetry readings. Support other poet's events. In doing this, not only are you building community but the next time someone has an opportunity (like a feature spot for a monthly reading or some project), they'll think of you and invite you on. 

What can we look forward to from Briana Muñoz in the near future?

I've been slowly working on manuscript number 3 so you can look forward to a new poetry book soon. But, I've also just recently moved to Albuquerque, NM after living in Southern California my entire life so recently I've really just been trying to explore and meet the poetry community here. I facilitate a monthly writing circle (in-person and online) called the Poetry as Harm Reduction Writing Circle and all writers are welcome. Lastly, my partner Johnnie and I are expecting!

So, prep yourselves for all the motherhood-as-a-revolutionary-act poems. Ha!

Matt Sedillo has been described as the "best political poet in America" as well as "the poet laureate of the struggle" by academics, poets, and journalists alike. He has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, among other publications.