The San Francisco Bay Area has one of the nation's richest histories of poetry. This town hall discussion, conducted in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, draws from the multicultural communities that continue to inspire the region and the world.
KALW Executive Director and founder of Youth Speaks James Kass moderates this conversation with:
Norman Zelaya — His writing is inspired by his Nicoya heritage and his lived experience as a SF native and Mission District homeboy. He’s the author of two collections of short fiction, Orlando & Other Stories (Pochino Press, 2017), and most recently, Gente, Folks (Black Freighter Press, 2022). His work has appeared in ZYZZYVA, Apogee Journal, NY Tyrant, 14 Hills, and Cipactli, among other journals. Mr. Zelaya has read and lectured throughout California, and across the country. Also, he’s appeared on stage, in film, and in the squared circle as the masked luchador, Super Pulga. He lives and works in San Francisco, where he’s completing a debut novel.
Genny Lim — She is the recipient of two lifetime achievement awards from PEN Oakland and the city of Berkeley. A San Francisco Jazz Poet Laureate, she is author of five poetry collections and Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, winner of the American Book Award. Lim's play, Paper Angels, was the first Asian American play aired on PBS's American Playhouse in 1985. She has worked with past jazz legends Max Roach and Herbie Lewis and local musicians Jon Jang, John Santos, Francis Wong, and Anthony Brown and the Del Sol Quartet.
Andrew Paul Nelson — He has been an active member of the Bay Area street poetry community since 2009. He is a co-founding member of Coit Tower Poetry Club who meet every first friday on the back lawn @ Coit Tower to celebrate the work of SF poetry legends. He is also the co-founder of the forthcoming Apocrypha Magazine. Nelson has been published in The 16th & Mission Review, Sparkle & Blink, and The Evergreen Review. Apocrypha will publish Nelson's 1st full length book - How to Draw a Guillotine in Spring 2024. This winter Nelson and his wife Caitlyn Skye Wild will open a wine bar and poetry bookstore called Golden Sardine in North Beach.
Josiah Luis Alderete — He is a pocho poet, curator, host of KALW's Bay Poets, host of the long running Latinx reading series Speaking Axolotl, and shopkeeper taking care of the portal known as Medicine For Nightmares.
The event took place on Tuesday, December 5, at KALW's community events space at 220 Montgomery Street in downtown San Francisco.
NOTE: Please click the blue button above the photo to listen to the conversation.
