Maria Luisa Arroyo CruzadoBorn in Manati, Puerto Rico,& raised in Springfield, MA, María Luisa Arroyo Cruzadoearned a BA (Colby) & MA inGerman (Tufts), her thirdlanguage; & an MFA from theSolstice MFA Program. MaríaLuisa writes poetry & creativenonfiction prose that code-swithbetween English, Spanish, German, & Farsi-thecultural languages of herexperiences.María Luisa's poetry collectionsinclude Landscapes: photos & poems (2023), Destierro Means Morethan Exile (2018); & Gathering Words: Recogiendo palabras (2008).Resistencia: Resilience (2023) is her first collection that contains bothpoetry & creative nonfiction essays. In March 2024, she edited &published her first anthology, Pán-o-ply, through her literary imprint, MultiCreative Wisdom, which focuses on creative writing byindividuals who self-identify as BIPOC & female or non-binary.In recognition for her literary citizenship as a poet & intersectionalfeminist educator, María Luisa was named a 2008 MassachusettsUnsung Heroine & the inaugural poet laureate of Springfield, MA(2014-2016). María Luisa was also awarded a 2014 Carlos VegasSocial Justice Award & a 2018 NEPR Arts &Humanities Award.Receiving an honorary doctorate from Smith College in May 2024continues to recognize María Luisa for her two intersecting practices.As a Clark Diversity Fellow, María Luisa is joyfully pursuing herPhD in Comparative Literature at Binghamton University. Read More Read Less