Bridging History and Culture with Flor y Canto en el Barrio: A Celebration of Latino Poetry

Business Wire,  June 23, 2008  

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A 15th Century Indigenous Tradition is revitalized in San Francisco's Mission District

SAN FRANCISCO -- Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the San Francisco Public Library, and Litquake announced today the San Francisco International Poetry Festival--Flor y Canto en el Barrio: A Celebration of Latino Poetry. The Festival will take place throughout San Francisco's Mission District, July 24-26, 2008.

Translated to mean "Flower and Song in the Neighborhood," the festival brings young, unpublished poets alongside authors such as two-time winner of the American Book Award, Alejandro Murguia, and San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman for poetry readings, workshops, and a special exchange of culture and history.

"Flor y Canto is about the pursuit of peace through the celebration of poetry, art, culture, and friendship," said the event's curator and critically acclaimed poet Alejandro Murguia. "We want to bring together people from all walks of life to be part of this extraordinary event." Murguia will be joined by other poets including, Alfredo Arteaga, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Tomas Riley, Leticia Hernandez, Roberto Vargas, Marc Pinate and many others.

"What we know is events such as Flor y Canto help bridge great divides," said Donna Bero, Executive Director for the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. "People from across the city who would never strike up a conversation are talking at these festivals. We're excited to continue the conversation by hosting Flor y Canto."

Flor y Canto en el Barrio: A Celebration of Latino Poetry is presented in conjunction with the San Francisco International Poetry Festival. While the International Poetry Festival is a biennial event, in the interim years, Friends of the Library present smaller language poetry festivals, such as this year's Latino Poetry Festival.

The first Latino poetry festival west of the Mississippi was held in 1973 at the University of Southern California, but it was not until 2006 that San Francisco first hosted this event.

"It started out as a small gathering with a few poetry readings in the Mission District," said Murguia, "This year's event will include several additional poetry readings, music, workshops, and other activities. It will still embrace the festival's core purpose of poetry as a bridge of culture and community."

The festival is made possible through the support of several Bay Area organizations and business, especially those located in the Mission District of San Francisco. In addition to the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, Litquake and 826 Valencia, local coffee shops and restaurants such as Philz Coffee, L's Cafe, Casa Sanchez and many others will host readings and other events. "Since community is at the heart of this event it was important for us to gain the support of the local merchants and organizations," said Bero.

The Festival will begin on Thursday, July 24 with a kick-off party at 6:00pm in Balmy Alley (24th St. between Harrison and Folsom) and a Lit Crawl of both established and emerging poets. The Lit Crawl will take place at over six different venues on 24th Street (between Mission and Bryant). Poetry readings and workshops for various ages and interests will continue throughout Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26. For locations of the poetry crawl or for more details visit the Friends' website at www.friendssfpl.org.

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library is a member-supported, non-profit organization that fundraises, advocates, and provides financial support for the San Francisco Public Library.

Flor y Canto en el Barrio: A Celebration of Latino Poetry

Featured Poets

* Lorna Dee Cervantes

* Jose Montoya

* Mamacoatl

* Roberto Vargas

* Jackie Mendez

* Alfredo Arteaga

* Nina Serrano

* Alejandro Murguia

* Cipactli

* Norman Zelaya

* Melissa Lozano

* Javier O Huerta

* Kim Shuck

* Francisco X Alarcon

* Victor Valle

* Naomi QuiSonez

* Marc PiSate

* Milta Ortiz

* Darren de Leon

* Las Manas Tres

* Alejandra Mojica

* Tomas Riley

* Barbara Jane Reyes

* Jack Hirschman

* Leticia Hernandez

* Alfonso Texidor

* Catriona Rueda Esquibel

* Jorge Argueta

* Janet J Cruz

* Adrian Arias

* Noelia Mendoza

* Walter Huracan Gomez

Schedule of Events for Flor y Canto en el Barrio: A Celebration of Latino Poetry

Below is a list of events that will take place during each day of the festival. Please note that each day includes multiple activities.

Thursday, July 24

Event 1: Festival kick-off party and Lit Crawl with young poets

6:00 pm; Balmy Alley, 24th St. between Harrison & Folsom; Lit Crawl locations include:

[TABLE OMITTED]

Event 2: Reception for young poets

9:00 pm; Casa Sanchez, 2778 24th St

Friday, July 25

Event 1: The Word From The Street (Tomas Riley of Youth Speaks hosts teen reading)

2:00 pm; Mission Branch Library, 300 Bartlett St. @ 24th St.