Bio

Joel Sedano (they/them) is a Queer and Trans poet. They are of Mexican and P'urhépecha descent. Joel has an M.F.A. in Writing: Poetry from Columbia University and M.A. in Performance Studies from New York University. Currently, they are a first-year PhD student in the Theatre & Performance program at The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Joel is smiling and looking off-camera. They are wearing a white sweater with a Basquiat-inspired designs featuring various colors, including black, red, yellow, and blue. They hold a mint-colored felt hat with a beaded rim in green, mauve, and cream. Thei
Ryan Cook (left) and Joel (right) pose together after a chance encounter at McNally Jackson. Both face the camera, each resting one hand on the other’s shoulder while their other arms wrap around each other’s waists. Joel wears a light orange shirt with a

Works

Joel is a transdisciplinary artist whose work spans poetry, photography, film, podcasting, and critical conversations, all deeply rooted in themes of resilience, identity, and transformation. Their photography, featured in WerkHaus Zine and Lux the Zine, captures the fluid intersections of movement, memory, and the environment. In film, they produced, wrote, directed, and narrated Post-Prismatic (2020), a visually striking critique of homophobia and transphobia within the Medical-Industrial Complex, which premiered at the Queer Women of Color Film Festival.Their commitment to amplifying marginalized voices extends to podcasting, co-hosting Resilience Against Power and Privilege (R.A.P.P.), which centers racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and grassroots activism. Additionally, their engagement with No, Dear Magazine’s Issue 29 CHRONIC conversation series with Ryan Cook, further highlights their dedication to interrogating systems of power. Whether through the lens, the page, or the mic, Joel’s artistic practice remains an ever-evolving exploration of storytelling as resistance.

Publications

And a Father His Son
Pan(')cha Zine, “Macho” Issue, (July 23, 2024). Print.Dawn of the Dead 1:25,
The Shining 78:57,
Bodies Bodies Bodies 19:28,
Rabid 7:42,
Midsommar 47:54
It Always Finds Me, Querencia Press (April 19, 2024). Print.Carrie 76:46
Pan(')cha Zine, “Supernatural” Issue (April 14, 2024). Print.For Me, I Know
Encephalon Literary Arts & Neuroscience Journal (April 10, 2024). Online.Self-Portrait as Rain
No, Dear Magazine (June 4, 2023). Print and Online.Citrus Grove: Land Back
Cordite Poetry Review (February 15, 2023). Online.A Taste of Honey
Honey Literary (February 14, 2023). Online.Conformed but Transformed
Olney Magazine (September 28, 2022). Defunct.60 for 60: The Brazier
Columbia Journal (January 21, 2022). Online.Foreword,
Fire Walks with Me,
Measureless to Men
Semana De La Mujer Journal, Chicano Student Program,
University of California, Riverside (Winter 2021).
Co-authored with Syren. Print.Post-Prismatic
“We Are a Rainbow” feature,  Love and Pride the Musical (Spring 2019). Defunct.Blues in my Sleep
Art of Writing Anthology, University of California, Berkeley (Spring 2019). Print.Welcome to America
Phineas Literary Magazine (Spring 2015). Print and Online. 2nd Prize

Joel stands against a beige backdrop with framed photos behind them. They smile at the camera, wearing a white tank top layered under a black-and-white bandana-patterned button-up shirt.

Current Projects

Villian
Poetry Collection
This manuscript, the first in a trilogy, uses horror films as a lens to expose how the social constructs of gender and sex manifest as the true monsters—scar(r)ing, h(a)unting, and stalking Trans and GNC folx. Through a series of ekphrastic poems, each titled after a film and time-stamped to pivotal moments of terror and reflection, the collection reclaims horror as a space for critique and visibility. As part of a larger trilogy, this work draws inspiration from distinct film genres that explore issues affecting Trans and GNC folx, engaging cinema as both an archive of fear and a site of resistance.Untitled
Collection of Essays
This project, tentatively called For Today I'm Her(e), explores moments of gender dysphoria while offering counter narratives of Trans joy as acts of resistance against societal expectations of masculinity. One essay in the collection is inspired by "Polished: A Series on Nailing It," a year-long photo project exploring self expression. Drawing from the resilience of strong, complex femme and female characters from movie musicals, the piece reclaims visibility and celebrates gender expansiveness.Untitled
Collection of Short Stories
*This manuscript, tentatively titled Somebody Else's, is a collection of horror and science fiction stories that examine the lasting impacts of settler colonialism. One of the stories reimagines Medieval vision quests in a contemporary setting, exploring the intersections of grief, horror, and the misinterpretation of mythical figures in Indigenous-Latin American culture.

Lets Connect!

Want to talk poetry, collaborate on creative projects, or simply connect over the power of words? Feel free to reach out! Contact info below.

Joel smiles at the camera, posing with their right arm propped under their chin. Their head is turned slightly to the side, with a white flower tucked behind their right ear. They wear a brown t-shirt with a pocket, embroidered with orange poppies.