“By engaging the past, we build our anchors into the future”. These words embody the artistic drive that is so vividly experienced when engaging with Adela Najarro’s poetry. Students, faculty members and visitors had the opportunity to experience Adela’s reading of “ekphrastic” poetry in an event hosted by The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on Wednesday, March 18th. This event was part of a multi-year partnership between the Museum and Letras Latinas, the literary initiative of the Institute of Latino Studies.
During her presentation at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, Najarro introduced the audience to a variety of different artworks that have served as an inspiration for her poetry. Ekphrastic poetry bridges the visual and literary arts, reinterpreting artwork to give it new meaning. Najarro’s selection of artworks covered a broad range of subject matters and styles, from triptych religious imagery to contemporary portraits.
Najarro’s interpretation of these works revealed to the viewers deep insight into her personal life and experience as a Latina woman in the United States. With works such as “Sin Titulo” (by Arturo Rodriguez) and “Illegal Landscape” (by Gronk), Najarro alluded to the complex emotional hardship that immigration entails. Her poetry is filled with vivid imagery and raw emotion, bringing the artwork to life in a transformed way.
Najarro’s strong ties to her family and her Nicaraguan heritage were also evident in her interpretation of the artworks she portrayed. Her book of poems, Variations in Blue, draws direct inspiration from Nicaraguan’s most beloved poet, Rubén Darío, and his world-renowned book titled, Azul. Variations in Blue offers a vision of Najarro’s reimagined homeland, dominated by volcanoes and lush landscapes. Najarro’s ability to intertwine different artistic devices is also evident in her collaboration with artist Janet Trenchard in the chapbook, Volcanic Interruptions. In a series of different poems, Najarro highlights the vitality of women through the symbolism of volcanic activity native to her homeland.
Najarro excels in using her voice as a Nicaraguan woman in the United States to dismantle Latino stereotypes and highlight the role of women in society. Through the reinterpretation of religious imagery in Ester Hernandez’s “La Virgen de las Patadas”, Najarro is able to express how there is a Virgen de Guadalupe in every woman, present in their strength and conviction even during trying times. Additionally, Najarro brings her own personal relationship with her uncles to dismantle the negative image that is frequently placed on Latino fathers. By dissecting Jesse Treviños’ “Mis Hermanos”, Najarro lovingly describes her family members as the subjects seen on the artwork, reinstating their positive effect on her life and as fathers.
Adela Najarro’s literary artistry and mastery of her craft is an example of how ekphrastic poetry can connect us to both our personal past and shared past as members of society. Through her poetry she brings to life topics that make us reexamine our roles in society and as active members of our communities, where we strive to create a world that is more equitable and uplifting.
Originally published by at latinostudies.nd.edu on March 31, 2026.