About DECAY
Decay is a collaborative poetry collection by Conner Bouchard-Roberts of Winter Texts and Christina Vega of Blue Cactus Press. In this expanded third edition, their poems intertwine so seamlessly that individual authorship fades, leaving readers to experience the work as a single, fluid voice. With visual elements that mimic the natural flow of rivers or drifting leaves—designed by Bouchard-Roberts—the collection explores transformation through both form and content. The volume is double the length of earlier editions and includes a closing collaborative text that distills the creative tension and harmony that shaped the book. Originally conceived in 2020 amid intimate personal upheaval and artistic camaraderie, Decay emerges from a shared history of poetic exchange, design, and philosophical dialogue between the authors. Vega’s poems trace the unraveling and reshaping of self through early parenthood, gender dysphoria, and societal dissonance, while Bouchard-Roberts’ contributions reflect a distinct yet complementary meditation on impermanence. What binds the work is not uniformity, but a commitment to the truth of change— violent, beautiful, and inevitable. As one identity dissolves, another flickers into being. This is the nature of decay.
Chris Vega (they/them) is the founder and publisher at Blue Cactus Press, where they make books that spark dialogue about liberation alongside authors, artists, and creative professionals from historically marginalized groups. Chris is also a two-spirit Chicana poet from the U.S./Mexico borderlands. Currently, they live on Puyallup and Nisqually land with their daughter, Catalina.
Through their publishing practice, Chris hopes to stimulate local creative economy, build wealth among People of Color, and tell stories that allow people to reimagine themselves and the world around them. Chris’ latest poetry collection, Decay, was co-written and co-published with Conner Bouchard-Roberts of Winter Texts and Blue Cactus Press in 2025. Chris’ previous books include the poetry collections Vega and Maps (2023 and 2017, Blue Cactus Press).
Prior to publishing, Chris served in the U.S. Army as a Chinese-Mandarin Linguist. They hold undergraduate degrees in Anthropology (New Mexico State University, 2010) and Chinese Mandarin Language (Defense Language Institute, 2012). They will graduate from Seattle University’s Master of Business Administration program in December 2025.
Chris believes revolution starts at home.