By Brian Dunlap

It was a hot, August Sunday in Boyle Heights. Mid-afternoon, Ceaser Chavez was quieter than usual. It might’ve been due to the Delta variant raging across the county. It might’ve also been due because it was Sunday, the only slow day in L.Á. Still, some stores were open like Boyle Heights Amor, a small store front selling natural medicine.

I had traveled there to the Eastside, to attend David A. Romero’s release party, next door at Re/Arte, for his poetry collection My Name Is Romero.

Across the back wall of Re/Arte, six shelves displayed Romero’s three books of poetry. Several chairs were set up facing the front entrance. Before the reading began, two Latinas sat in the front row, poet Matt Sedillo hung out with the man of the hour, and founder and owner of Re/Arte Viva Padilla, and her young son, sat on the couch along the Northwest wall.

As usual with community literary events, the book release started late, giving any late arriving attendees—like a cousin of Romero’s and his wife—the chance not to miss the party. Then, the event began.

Romero is a hustler, originally making a name for himself in the world of spoken word poetry, repping Diamond Bar, his hometown. He said it was unusual for a spoken word artist to rep a city, much less a middle class city like Diamond Bar. But he did so and still does rep his hometown, because community is important to him, especially the people and their culture that make it their distinct home. That is why many of his poems capture place, such as the poem “Undocumented Football,” from My Name Is Romero.

Also, Romero hustles by booking readings at colleges around the country; traveling to local Southern California Barnes and Nobel stores to get his book on their shelves; is available to lead workshops that teach writing techniques, promote critical thinking around social issues and encourages attendees to open themselves up emotionally, among other activities.

Romero had his release party for his new book on Sunday, as the country slowly opens back up, because it was released last year, during the heart of the pandemic.

The book launch began with Matt Sedillo as the MC in a Q & A with Romero. Sedillo asked how the book came into being and about identity and the identity behind names and family history. Themes in the book. They laughed and made friendly jokes at each other’s expense, while still maintaining the Q & A. Their natural back and forth revealed their bromance and created an engaging atmosphere in which to discuss these heavy issues surrounding identity: language, history and place, etc. After each poem Romero discussed, he read it aloud. Doing so, enhanced the depth of their discussion.

The audience was small, but it made the release party more intimate and allowed the back and forth to be more casual and familiar than it otherwise would’ve been. This intimacy carried over to the book signing portion where I was able to hear fascinating stories and reminiscences about Romero’s father and grandfather from a cousin. About how Romero’s father got the nickname “Flash,” as a child, though he was the slowest person people knew. Stories I wouldn’t have heard with a bigger audience and less time with the author of the hour. The local poet from Diamond Bar, David A. Romero, author of My Name Is Romero.