David tomas martinez biography of martin

INTRODUCTION

“Often, the most ordinary fears obscure the most / obvious truths.” – from “Motion and Rest” in Hustle

David Tomas Martinez’s poems in Hustle unflinchingly examine the experiences of his youth—his activity in a gang, the complicated dynamics of his family life, his time in a shipyard and in the navy, and eventually, his discovery of poetry.

From the littered freeways, canyons, and backyards of his San Diego childhood to the tree-canopied, uprooted concrete streets of Houston—where he later moves—Hustle shows us a young Martinez negotiating life at the brink of manhood, and later looking back.

“Part of my goal in writing this book, which was based chiefly on my experiences, was to allow some of the people I grew up with, many who have been silenced by societal and internal forces, to have a voice” he told 32 Poems.

Martinez wanted Hustle to be unconventional and a reflection of his personality.

He recruited his long-time tattoo artist, Bryan Romero,