World of Words: San Antonio Celebrates 25th Annual National Poetry Month

March 31, 2021 - San Antonio

By Jade Esteban Estrada, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel

April is National Poetry Month and the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts and Culture and San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson invite the community to participate in this celebration of poetry. 

Now in its 25th year, National Poetry Month was first launched by the Academy of American Poets to remind the general public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture. The City of San Antonio joined the National Poetry Month celebration in 2009 to increase public awareness about the importance of poetry, the many talented poets that call San Antonio home, and poetry’s place in the Alamo City’s culture. More than 30 events have been scheduled for this year’s celebration, including readings, workshops, performances, and discussions. 

“Poetry allows us to reflect on our past, express our hope for the future, put our emotions into words, and communicate with one another,” said Department of Arts and Culture Director Debbie Racca-Sittre in a press release. “Poetry, written or spoken, has the power to bring us together. We invite all members of our community to learn about this important art form, celebrate the incredible San Antonio artists that create it, and even try it for themselves.”

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The kickoff event to National Poetry Month, VIVA Poesia: Palabra, Musica, y Cultura presented by the City’s World Heritage Office, will be streamed online on April 3 on Mission Marquee Plaza’s Facebook page and the World Heritage Office’s YouTube channel. This year’s theme is Dale Shine A La Luz, a celebration focused on light, harmony, peace, and community healing. Hosted by the Anthony the Poet, the godfather of San Antonio poetry, the event features presentations and performances from spoken word poets including Sanderson, music by the Agarita Chamber Players Ensemble, photography by Sarah Brooke Lyons, and community artwork and visual poetry submissions. 

“Through all of the challenges and triumphs we’ve faced, if nothing else, we can take this time to chronicle our stories,” said Sanderson, who is San Antonio’s fifth poet laureate and was recently featured in Glitter Political. “Whether you use stanzas, free verse or song lyrics, give yourself permission and agency to write from your heart. If not, read the poetry of someone you respect and attend a virtual event.”

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National Poetry Month San Antonio continues throughout the month of April with online and socially distanced, in-person events held across the city and by many of the Department of Arts and Culture grant-funded, nonprofit arts partners. This includes multiple writing workshops and readings presented by Gemini Ink, URBAN-15 Group’s Mega Corazon 2021, Centro Cultural Aztlan’s Poesia en Aztlan, the 9th Annual San Antonio Book Festival, SAY Si’s Youth Expression Showcase, San Antonio Museum of Art’s No Ocean Between Us poetry reading, and Bihl Haus Arts’ How’s Things? reading. 

For more information about National Poetry Month San Antonio, visit their website. 

Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @getjaded