User:José Antonio Orellana Artolozaga

José Antonio Orellana Artolozaga (Nom de plume: jaoa) (April 21, 1950) is a Mexican American poet of Spanish, Italian, and Basque descendent. His poetry is known for its use of metaphor, mysticism, and the erotica. According to jaoa “love and lust, in their purest form, are interlaced by mutual attraction. Lovers exist within this realm, which forms the essence of life’s greatest pleasure. My poetry is dedicated to honoring the wonder and beauty of love and lust.”

Orellana Artolozaga was born in Charcas, San Luis Potosí, México. His father (Antonio Orellana Trujillo) was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and his mother (María Del Socorro Artolozaga Díaz) was born in Charcas, San Luis Potosí, México. José Antonio inherited his father’s affinity for Boxing and mechanical aptitude while his mother gifted him with a love for the arts. He immigrated to the United States in 1957 and during his youth, he spent long hours listening to the music of Mexico’s golden age. These periods induced a great nostalgia for the motherland—something that greatly influence his writing.

The years of the late 50’s were punctuated by the music and films of Pedro Infante (José Pedro Infante Cruz) who is, even after half a century after his death, known as Mexico’s most beloved actor. Orellana Artolozaga longed for the actor’s charismatic demeanor, etching it into his perception of the México he left behind. Hence Infante’s inherent passion is also morphed into José Antonio’s poetry.

Although Latin Americans are well known for their signature machismo, jaoa transcends the old ways by weaving in the now. In the old days, women were perceived more as articles rather than as a source of emotional enrichment. Orellana Artolozaga uses the essence of the old romanticisms with the bold inference of today’s perspectives; hence, jaoa’s poetry acknowledges woman as man’s equal.

Many writers have influenced Jaoa’s life, and the following comprises a list of some of the poets and philosophers that have been an impetus to his writing: W.B. Yeats, Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, Jack Kerouac, Sharon Olds, Edna Vincent Millay, Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, Federico Lorca, Sor Juana Della Cruz, Andre’ Breton, Joyce Mansour, Dorianne Laux, Billy Collins, Simone de Beavoir, Jean Paul Sartre etc. The list is endless.

José Antonio Orellana Artolozaga is a Vietnam War Veteran and; although, his tour of duty was US based, José Antonio has a great appreciation for the lessons he learned as a young Mexican immigrant serving in the armed forces. In the mix of ethnicities, for the first time in his life, he became aware of the racial tensions of the 70’s. Orellana Artolozaga attended private schools both in the primary and secondary levels. And although he came from a middle class home, he was accustomed to a propriety based environment. Gone were the sport coats and neckties. The world had become olive drab fatigues, mess-halls, and forced marches.

Some time after serving in the US Army, jaoa became an American citizen. He reflects on what moved him to naturalization, and he remembers a time when he felt displaced: “I was a product of a bygone area. There was a time when I was neither Mexican nor American, and I realized that I’d become an entity apart from both countries; nevertheless, I worked and lived in the US, and although I was fluent in both languages, I made my living in America; so, just like water follows the eventual path of least resistance. I settled for what I’d become and tried to improve on that.”

Jose Antonio attended high school in Chicago and was an English major at the University of Norwest Indiana. He also attended Purdue University Calumet, is currently learning Italian, and continues to write poetry. He is a retired steelworker and is currently working on his forth book of poems.