Interview with Jose Hernandez Diaz, Author of The Parachutist

Ahead of the release of The Parachutist, his third poetry collection with Sundress Publications, Jose Hernandez Diaz sat down to discuss the themes and inspirations behind his writing. Diaz’s work explores the intersections of Chicano heritage, family, and the absurd. In this interview with Sundress intern Mia Grace Davis, he talks about the symbolic elements that populate The Parachutist, such as skeletons and balloons, as well as his unique blend of autobiography and surrealism. He reflects on the importance of family in his work, the significance of his title poem, and the role of imagination in shaping his poems.

Mia Grace Davis: Can you take us through the narrative progression of The Parachutist? Where do we start, and where do we end?

Jose Hernandez Diaz: The collection begins with linear verse poems, autobiographical poems about family, and growing up as a first generation Mexican American in Southern California. The rest of the collection consists of different series of prose poetry. I am not so much interested in a narrative progression, however. When I write, I tend to take it one poem at a time; I am not always thinking in terms of sequence, like a novel or anything linear.

MGD: In a similar vein, how do the different sections (I-IV) work together? How do they stand on their own?

JHD: Again, I prefer each poem, each series, to stand on their own as opposed to being read like a linear novel or prose. My goal when I write is to write the best poem I can at that moment, not really focusing on a larger scheme, plan, or connectivity. I want to write bangers; each poem has that goal and not much else in terms of overall cohesion.

MGD: What are some of the symbols behind the leaves, skeletons, balloons, and cigarettes in this collection?

JHD: Leaves, skeletons, cigarettes tend to reveal an interest in death or existential dread. The balloons work more as a symbol of ether, imagination, daydreaming, fantasy.

MGD: Why did you pick the poem “The Parachutist” to be the title of the collection as a whole?

JHD: I feel “The Parachutist” is a memorable piece: it’s evocative, absurd, and innovative. Overall, I think it symbolizes some of the whimsical and surreal interests of the book as a whole.

MGD: Can you tell me more about the significance of family in this collection? How was the process of writing these poems specifically?

JHD: My two main interests are autobiographical poems/family poems about growing up first generation and realism. Also, I am interested in prose poetry that is surreal and absurdist or fantastical.

MGD: Can you speak about The Parachutist’s relationship with both fiction and nonfiction and how they interact on the page?

JHD: At first, I was worried about writing a book with autobiographical poems in the beginning and surreal prose poems at the end. But then I thought, I haven’t seen this before, let me be the first.

MGD: What conversations do the varying structures (prose poetry, couplets, etc.) have with the thematic landscapes of each poem?

JHD: Reality and magic can sometimes coexist.

MGD: I have to know—why is the man specifically wearing a Pink Floyd shirt?

JHD: It is a way to explore the third person, persona, and character building without always writing about the “I,” at least not directly. Also, Pink Floyd is thought of as a psychedelic yet award winning band, so the man might be seen as someone who has creative, imaginative interests or is a daydreamer.

MGD: Which poems in The Parachutist are you most proud to share and why?

JHD: I like them all, like children, but I am more interested in the poems that stand out to someone else or readers. It always makes my day when someone says they like a specific poem or tags me on social media with a specific poem as their favorite.

MGD: If readers were to take one thing away from this collection, what would it be?

JHD: To dream.

The Parachutist is available now!

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Jose Hernandez Diaz, a 2017 NEA Poetry Fellow, writes prose that traverses the cultural intersections of Chicano heritage and surrealism. He is the author of Bad Mexican, Bad American (Acre Books, 2024) and The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020). His work has appeared in The American Poetry Review and Yale Review. 

Mia Grace Davis (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Stanford University. Her work appears in Gone Lawn, The Tusculum Review, and Ice Lolly Review, among others. She is a 2023 National YoungArts Finalist in Writing and a U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts Semifinalist. Visit her at miagracedavis.com.