About

For nearly five centuries, the rich tapestry of Latino poetry has been woven from a wealth of languages and cultures—a “tremendous continental MIXTURAO,” in the words of the poet Tato Laviera.

Spanning early accounts of colonial expeditions in the Southwest, visions of the mythical site of Chicano origin, Aztlán, and contemporary expressions of diasporic longing and imagination, the Latino poetic tradition brings dazzling insight to what it means to make a home in America, all the while imparting its own distinct rhythms, lyricism, and candor to American verse.

Recognition of the beauty and power of this tradition has grown in recent years, with Latino poets receiving two national and twelve state Poet Laureateships, a Pulitzer Prize, and three National Book Awards. At the same time the questions confronted by Latino poets—of exile and belonging, language and identity, struggle and solidarity, and labor and landscape—have become ever more urgent.

What does Latino poetry reveal about America? How might it help us imagine a more just, joyful, and capacious future? Places We Call Home, a major public humanities initiative planned for 2024–2025, explores these and other questions through a nationwide engagement with the Latino poetic tradition, illuminating how its legacy of creativity, resistance, and reinvention shapes our evolving aspirations of e pluribus unum.

Join us!

Frequently asked questions

WHAT IS THE LATINO POETRY PROJECT?

Latino Poetry is a national public humanities initiative directed by Library of America, a nonprofit  publisher and cultural institution, in partnership with the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures and arts organizations, museums, and libraries nationwide.

It comprises signature events in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, New York City, and San Juan, Puerto Rico; scholar-led public conversations in seventy-five public libraries around the country; a website with resources and a media archive; and a groundbreaking new anthology.

The initiative seeks to center the rich and diverse voices of the Latino poetic tradition, bringing them into conversation with current debates about the history and promise of America.  With the guidance and participation of prominent scholars and poets, the programming will examine the extraordinary breadth and range of Latino poetry and its ongoing relevance to our national life.

WHO IS INVOLVED?

Latino Poetry is a partnership of numerous arts and cultural organizations, including the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures; the Miami Book Fair; the Chicago and Los Angeles public library systems; the National Museum of Mexican Art; Brooklyn Public Library and the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center; the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio; the Puerto Rican Endowment for the Humanities in San Juan; the Academy of American Poets; Cave Canem; Poetry Society of America; and the National Book Foundation. Other participants include U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco.

Rigoberto González, professor of English at Rutgers University, serves as the project’s Principal Humanities Advisor and editor of Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology. He is supported by a national advisory board of poets and scholars.

Library of America is a nonprofit organization that champions the 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. You can read more about our work and mission on our website.

WHEN ARE THE EVENTS AND PROGRAMS TAKING PLACE?

Project programs run from September–October 2024 (Hispanic Heritage Month) through April 2025 (National Poetry Month), with signature events taking place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, New York City, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, on dates to be announced.

WHEN IS THE LATINO POETRY ANTHOLOGY COMING OUT?

Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology will be published on September 3, 2024, and will be kept permanently in print.

Please direct media inquiries and review copy requests to Leslie Schwartz at lschwartz@loa.org.

WHEN WILL THE FULL WEBSITE AND MEDIA ARCHIVE GO LIVE?

The full website will be launched in late spring/early summer of 2024, and will be updated regularly.

WHERE CAN I LOOK FOR UPDATES AND NEWS ON THE PROJECT?

You can check the project website (LatinoPoetry.org) for all news and updates about the Latino Poetry project, including details on upcoming events and information about the anthology.

And for everything LOA-related—from the latest volumes to upcoming live events—follow us on Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.

Still have questions? Reach out to latinopoetry@loa.org.

Principal
Staff:

HUMANITIES
ADVISORS:

Project Director
Max Rudin
President & Publisher
Library of America
Daniel Borzutzky
Associate Professor of English and Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois Chicago
Daniel Enrique Pérez
Associate Professor of Chicanx and Latinx Studies, University of Nevada-Reno
Principal Humanities Advisor
Rigoberto González
Professor of English
Rutgers University
Michael Dowdy
Professor of English, Villanova University
Alexandra Lytton Regalado
Poet, editor, translator
Project Manager
Brian McCarthy
Associate Publisher
Library of America
Lauro Flores
Professor of Chicano and Latin American Literatures and Cultures and American Ethnic Studies, University of Washington
Claudio Iván Remeseira
Journalist
Public Humanities Fellow
Susana Plotts-Pineda
Library of America
Aracelis Girmay
Creative Writing Program, Stanford University
Roque Raquel Salas Rivera
Poet
Project Coordinator: Poetry
James Gibbons
Contributing Editor
Library of America
Victor Macías González
Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Eliza Rodríguez
Professor and Chair of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies, Loyola Marymount University
Project Coordinator: Web
Ben Lasman
Online Content Manager
Library of America
Tony José Antonio Lucero
Jackson School Associate Director, Chair of Latin America and Caribbean Studies, University of Washington, Seattle
Vincent Toro
Assistant Professor of English, Rider University
Urayoán Noel
Associate Professor of English and Spanish and Portuguese, NYU