Juan Felipe Herrera, 21st Poet Laureate of the United States (2015-2017), will speak at the Shasta College Theatre on September 7, 2016 at 7pm. This is a free event and the public is encouraged to attend. Herrera is the first Latino to hold the position of Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate. In addition to just being elected to a second term, Herrera is also a performance artist and activist on behalf of migrant and indigenous communities and at-risk youth.
From 2012-2014, Herrera served as California State Poet Laureate. Herrera’s many collections of poetry include Notes on the Assemblage; Senegal Taxi; Half of the World in Light: New and Selected Poems, a recipient of the PEN/Beyond Margins Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross The Border: Undocuments 1971-2007. He is also the author of Crashboomlove: A Novel in Verse, which received the Americas Award. His books of prose for children include: SkateFate, Calling The Doves, which won the Ezra Jack Keats Award; Upside Down Boy, which was adapted into a musical for young audiences in New York City; and Cinnamon Girl: Letters Found Inside a Cereal Box.
Juan Felipe Herrera is an energetic and dynamic speaker and will enrapture audiences of all ages and tastes with stories of his life, travels and the people he’s met. For additional information please contact the Shasta College Foundation at (530) 242-7512.
Herrera is the fifth in a series of lecture events sponsored by The Community Speaker Series, a joint effort by The Shasta College Foundation and The McConnell Foundation, designed to inspire, excite and challenge the communities they serve. The Community Speaker Series is dedicated to help deepen discussions and inspire positive activism on a local level for issues with global relevance.
