By Brian Dunlap
During the Coronavirus pandemic, poet Angelina Sáenz revised her monthly open mic, La Palabra, and made it a weekly series for 10 weeks: 10 Poets in 10 Weeks. One poet a week was featured. They ranged from Jenise Miller to Willie Perdomo to Octavio Quintanilla. She’s been the host of the Highland Park-based open mic for just over two and a half years.
Continue reading “News From Poet Angelina Sáenz”By Brian Dunlap
Avenue 50 Studio was packed with poets, folding chairs and powerful and difficult-but necessary-words. It was the third Sunday in December and Santa Ana winds sent a chill through Highland Park. But the front room inside the gallery dedicated to local Latinx art, with an emphasis on Chicanx artists, was a safe space filled with familiar faces. It was the final La Palabra open mic of the year.
By Brian Dunlap
Earlier this week three L.A. poets, Irene Monica Sanchez, Angelina Sáenz and T. Sarmina got accepted into the prestigious VONA/Voices of Our Nation summer workshop at Realm Academy in Berkeley. The workshop is for emerging poets and prose writers-of-Color.
Continue reading “Three L.A. Poets Get Accepted to VONA/Voices”
by Brian Dunlap
The last time La Palabra was held at Avenue 50 Studios in December, host Karineh Mahdessian couldn’t hold back tears that spoke to the deep connections she’s made during her time as host of the long running open mic reading series. Karineh’s time was coming to a close. The community she helped nurture packed the back room to help send her off.
Continue reading “There is a New Host for Avenue 50’s La Palabra’s Open Mic Poetry Reading Series”
Los Angeles Literature 