A Celebration of Latino Poetry

The Paul Sawyier Public Library and the Kentucky Book Festival are proud to present a celebration of Latino poetry featuring poet and critic Rigoberto González.

In a newly released anthology edited by González, Library of America brings together more than 180 poets whose poems bear witness to the beauty and power of this vital and expanding tradition: its profound engagement with pasts both mythical and historical, its reckoning with the complexities of language, land, and identity, and its vision of a nation enriched by the stories of immigrants, exiles, refugees, and their descendants. Spanning from the 17th century to today, the anthology presents those poems written in the original Spanish and in English translation.

We will begin the evening with a poetry open mic followed by González reading from and discussing Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology. A book signing will follow, with copies available for purchase from Joseph Beth Booksellers. Sign-ups for open mic will begin at 5:30pm. All are welcome!

This program is presented as part of Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home, a major public humanities initiative taking place across the nation in 2024 and 2025, directed by Library of America and funded with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective.

Library of America is a nonprofit organization that champions our nation’s cultural heritage by publishing America’s greatest writing in authoritative new editions and providing resources for readers to explore this rich, living legacy.