Jose H Roldan Rivera
Contact
Education
MFA - Creative Writing
City College of NY | CUNYMA - English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting
Southern New Hampshire UniversityBA - Sociology
Lehman College | CUNYJose H Roldan Rivera
About
Hola! I'm José, born and raised in the South Bronx and proudly a child of the Puerto Rican diaspora.
I bring lived experience into the classroom—blending creativity, heart, and real-world perspective to help students find their voice and purpose. Whether I’m teaching, performing, or writing, I create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered.
My work is rooted in storytelling, community, and cultural pride—and I believe education should be both transformational and deeply personal.
Current Projects
José is currently developing multiple interdisciplinary creative works, including:
Decolonized, a historical-fantasy television pilot exploring the suppressed ancestral histories of the Caribbean through the lens of a queer, Nuyorican protagonist in 1970s Bronx.
His second solo show, which blends memoir, performance poetry, and cultural commentary to reclaim narratives around body image, identity, and healing.
- A creative nonfiction novel told through a hybrid narrator that catalogs emotional memory, masculinity, and love from a queer Boricua perspective.
“” (published under José Roldan Jr., creative non-fiction vignette — BreadcrumbsMag): A lyrical meditation on grief, cultural identity, and the intergenerational weight of silence and memory.
“” (published under José Roldan Jr., creative non‑fiction essay—FourthThreeThree.org): A reflective exploration of mental health, narrative embodiment, and community discourse.