Interview with Nico Martinez Nocito
by Linlang Zhao
Nico Martinez Nocito (they/them) writes fiction and
poetry with a queer, speculative bent. They are a Nebula
finalist and three-time Rhysling nominee whose work
has been published in Strange Horizons, Haven Spec, and
Apex Magazine. Learn more about Nico and their writing
on Bluesky and Instagram @nicowritesbooks, or on their
website, www.nicomartineznocito.com
Orion’s Belt: In your works, I see a lot of fresh and diverse descriptions of human emotions. Do you think humans are the medium of emotions, or do emotions manifest themselves without humanity?
Nico Martinez Nocito: The ability to embody emotions is part of what draws me to speculative poetry, and I find that the interplay between emotions and humanity - and who gets to be considered human - appears a lot in my work. I'm not sure I have a precise answer to this question, though I love it; feeling feels much more flexible than human and nonhuman categories, and that limitlessness draws me to it in all forms of writing.
Orion’s Belt: As both a fiction writer and a poet, how do you know when an idea is asking to become a poem rather than a story?
Nico Martinez Nocito: Usually, I rely on the emotional core of the piece. If my idea is strongly grounded in a feeling, whether linked to a setting, character, or situation, I'm more likely to write it as a poem. Otherwise, a story becomes my preference, particularly if it's a more elaborate idea that will take longer to execute. In particular, if I want worldbuilding or context to be directly explained rather than implied, I often gravitate toward prose pieces. That said, the line between poetry and flash/microfiction is very thin, and I often will swap between those forms with the same idea if something isn't working. For example, my poem "SOLD: One Soul, Gently Used" (out now from Haven Spec) accrued nearly a dozen rejections as a drabble before I chose to rewrite it in its current form.
Orion’s Belt: If you could control everything in the field of SFF, what would you want to see more?
Nico Martinez Nocito: I would love to see even more space for poetry, and an increased blurring of the boundaries between poetry and prose. I'm so thrilled that we have a Nebula poetry award now, and I hope we'll continue to see new venues and recognition for poetry and poets. On a broader level, though, what I most want to see more of are the angles, perspectives, and writers that I don't even know to look for yet. I love reading weird, experimental, innovative pieces that force me to look at the world differently, particularly from marginalized voices, and I think what we need most in SFF are the ideas I haven't thought to expect.
Orion’s Belt: Are there any works of yours that you wish more readers would encounter? We'd be delighted to help promote them here!
Nico Martinez Nocito: I would be thrilled if readers checked out my poem "The Mermaid Speaks of Social Justice From the Bathtub," a weird meditation on complicity in modern systems of oppression that was published in May by Strange Horizons. It's one of my favorite pieces I've written!
Orion’s Belt: Intimacy is portrayed in a very conflictual manner in your pieces. For example, in “Creature with the Ticking Heart,” I was struck by how closeness can feel both deeply desired and strangely detached. How do you approach these tensions when writing about intimacy in your works in general?
Nico Martinez Nocito: Relationships are incredibly complicated, and they're something I explore frequently in both my poetry and prose. To me, writing authentic relationships is grounded in deeply knowing the characters on an individual level in addition to how they relate to one another, something that causes inherent tension. As for detachment, part of what I love about poetry is its ability to make the reader feel removed from, or closer to, the subject of the piece through stylistic and linguistic choices. Poetry forces the reader to become part of the relationship, which I feel suits it nicely to this topic.
Orion’s Belt: I especially admire how this poem presents freedom as conditions shaped by power. Were you drawing on any particular, special moments that remind you of such a nuanced state?
Nico Martinez Nocito: As a trans person, freedom feels by conditional right now, and very much shaped by institutional as well as personal power - what gender you present as, how well you pass, where you're fortunate enough to live. I draw on trans themes a lot in my work, and "To the Swallow's Final Hatchling" is very much an example of that.
Orion’s Belt: Why did you choose Swallow as the core symbolism, instead of other birds?
Nico Martinez Nocito: I've always loved swallows. Something about their erratic, darting movements has long caught my attention. The swallow was at the heart of this poem from the start; I can't think of another bird that feels to me not just as free, but as carefree. The juxtaposition between that and what actually plays out in the poem was something I knew I wanted to anchor it.
Orion’s Belt: Thank you!
