CTN would like to celebrate some of the poets in our familia during this month dedicated to poetry with their achievements and activities. Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and—of course—poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives. (https://poets.org/national-poetry-month)
CTN Peer Mentor, Poetry Editor for CTN’s Journal of Ideas and Pedagogy, and founder of Voces Cosmica, Fernando Flores, presented at “April is the Coolest Month” at Bazan Branch Library in San Antonio. Poetry readings and music were featured.
CTN Peer Mentor, Lupe Mendez, will read at the Texas Laureate Celebration on May 11th in Houston at the Museum of Fine Arts from 7-8:30. This will be Flores’ last reading as the Poet Laureate of Texas.
CTN Peer Mentor, ire’ne lara silva, was one of the poets featured at Latinx Poetics: An Evening of Poetry and Jazz at S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington D.C. on April 29th. Participants listened to readings by National Humanities Medal Recipient, Richard Blanco and author, Ruben Quesada, in an onstage conversation with ire’ne lara silva and féi Hernandez.
Ire’ne also participated in the Teachers of English for Equity and Diversity student organization’s poetry and a mini workshop.
CTN Peer Mentor and former PAC instructor, Juan Tejeda, who along with Anisa Onofre, established Aztlan Libre Press in 2009. During poetry month, Aztlan Libre Press randomly highlighted the poetry books and poets it published over the last thirteen years, beginning with “Pandemia & Other Poems” (2020) by Edward Vidaurre which was a Poetry Finalist for the Writers’ League of Texas Book Awards in 2021.
CTN PAC instructor, Gerard Robledo, joined other poets in reading at the Poetry and Conversation with Reggie Scott Young event held at Poetic Republic Coffee in San Antonio on April 19.
CTN Peer Mentor and Board Member, Mike Guinn, along with his daughter, Manaiya, will be Keynote Entertainers at the Texas Network of Youth Services “TNOYS’ “ 40th Annual Conference on Services to Youth and Families which takes place June 13-16, 2023 in Houston. Additionally, there will also be a limited virtual event here https://tnoys.org/2023-annual-conference/ They, along with Valerie Kelso, will also be presenters at the 35th Annual National Independent Living Conference “Growing Pains 2023” For Adults and Youth August 16-19, 2023 In Denver https://www.danielkids.org/conferences/independent-living/