Thursday, June 9, 2022, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Dramatic readings and deep reflections on poetry and its relationship to political struggles, social and individual alike, this event showcases some of our movements’ cutting edge poets! We’ll be joined by returning S&S guest Matt Sedillo, as well as Flowersong Press poet-collaborators: Briana Muñoz, David Romero, and Iris De Anda. Tune in to hear poems from their latest publications, and stay for a discussion of how these authors think about the nexus of poetry and politics today!
Matt Sedillo writes from the vantage point of a second generation Chicano born in an era of diminishing opportunities and a crumbling economy. His writing – a fearless, challenging and at times even confrontational blend of humor, history and political theory – is a reflection of those realities. He has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, among other publications, and has spoken at Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba, at numerous conferences and forums, and at over a hundred universities and colleges. He is the author of the Flowersong press books *Mowing Leaves of Grass* (2019), and *City on the Second Floor* (2021) both of which have been taught in college classrooms across the country.
Briana Muñoz is a writer from Southern California. Raised in San Diego, she spent a lot of her time at her mother’s Mexican folklore dance classes and at ranches where her father trained horses into sunset. She is the author of *Loose Lips*, a poetry collection published by Prickly Pear Publishing (2019) and of *Everything is Returned to the Soil *published by FlowerSong Press (2021). Her work has been published in the Bravura Literary Journal, the Dryland Literary Journal, the Oakland Arts Review, in Boundless: The Anthology of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival, and the forthcoming anthology, Reimagine America, among others. She is an Indigenous Mexica danzante. She is also the co-creator of Hairy Leg Lingerie, a creative collective birthed to highlight local talent from the non-binary, femme, and trans communities.
Iris De Anda a Guanaca Tapatia poet, speaker & musician who has been featured with KPFK & KPFA Pacifica Radio, organized with Academy of American Poets, performed at Los Angeles Latino Book Festival, Feria del Libro Tijuana, Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba and is named one of Today’s Revolutionary Women of Color. Author of Codeswitch: Fires from Mi Corazon & Roots of Redemption: You have No Right to Remain Silent. Find her at www.lawriterunderground.com
David A. Romero is a Mexican-American spoken word artist from Diamond Bar, CA. Romero is the author of My Name Is Romero (FlowerSong Press 2020), and founding member of Ozomatli, Ulises Bella. Romero has appeared at over seventy-five colleges and universities in thirty-three different states in the USA. Romero’s work has been published in literary magazines in the United States, England, and Canada, including: North American Review, The Temz Review, Literary Cultures, Black Bear Review, Pine Hills Review, and Angels Flight • literary west. Romero’s poetry deals with family, identity, social justice issues, and Latinx culture.