March 20, 2025
Welcome everyone! I teach English, creative writing, and poetry at PPSC, and I’m a local author and poet. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the glorious imaginations and creations of our talented students, our talented faculty, and our talented Nearby Universe faculty and staff creative writers’ group.
I want to help my students to not only develop their voices, but to believe in their voices. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices, to stand up for ourselves and for our fellow human beings, every single one of our fellow human beings, with the conviction that what we say, what we write, and what we do matters. Tonight is more than a celebration of fantastic poetry and prose. It’s a celebration of that audacity to speak up for what vibrates within us as right, as just, as sacred. And we all have that power and courage within us.
Songs are alive, poems and stories are alive, visions are alive. They want to be born. They whisper to us, asking to be written down. And then they want to be sung, they want to be shared. Your dreams and visions of beauty and truth and justice need to be shared. For it is the artists and musicians, the storytellers and poets who must imagine a better world: imagine it, write it down. And then, if there is any hope for that imaginary world of love and beauty and justice to be born for real, we have to say it out loud. We have to say it and sing it and stand up for it and demand that it be heard.
Our visiting writer tonight, after our student, faculty, and Nearby Universe readers, is Jose “Joser” Guerrero, a poet, musician, actor, MC/Motivational speaker and educator who has dedicated his entire career to creating critical art and music that speak on the issues our communities face, seeking to inspire, inform and mobilize the community. A true poet is a prism, reflecting the pain of injustice to light one moment, so sharp it chills us to our bones—and warming us the next, reminding us of the wonder and beauty all around us. Both experiences open our hearts, and our hearts lead us to righteous action; this is how poetry changes the world. Thank you for speaking your truth and setting such a powerful example.
I have so much gratitude for all the people who made tonight happen! This celebration would not be possible without the help of our wonderful theater chair Professor Sarah Sheppard Shaver. Thank you so much for letting us use this fantastic space and helping me set up so many cool things for tonight, like the real-time Spanish subtitles.
I would also like to thank the Studio West Art Gallery Director, Madeline Zeikus, for the use of the gallery and lobby space. Thank you to the Latino Alliance and Student Experience and Equity for the excellent workshop and delicious refreshments, especially David Lopez, Marah Armijo, Araceli Delgado Trujillo, and Enrique Romo, and Kandy Ruiz for coordinating with the Canvas Pantry. Collecting these donations and offering the Know Your Rights workshop as part of the evening gives another dimension to all the beautiful words we’re going to hear tonight: the dimension of action. I appreciate you all so much!
I would also like to thank the English Department, especially Mandy Solomon, the editor of Parley, our PPSC literary and academic journal; please, take a free copy of the journal. Later, tonight, tomorrow, listen for the whisper of the muses. What did you think, sitting here tonight, or in the workshop? What did you feel? There are poems and stories in you who want be born—set them free. Getting published is another powerful way to use your voice.
My thanks also go out to the Creative Writing Program team, especially Amie Sharp, our visiting writer coordinator, Lisa Macedo for publicity, and Audrey Hartman for coordinating the sign language interpreters. Thank you sign language interpreters! Finally, I would like to thank my beloved, Gaurav Bhagat, for filming tonight and for so much more.
Student readers: Araceli Trujillo Delgato, Scarlet Gruber, Damon Gallegos. Open mic: Kevin Persaud. Faculty: Amie Sharp, Amber Ridenour Walker. Nearby Universe: M.R. Hyde, Richard Curran Trussell, Brook Bhagat. Visiting writer: Jose “Joser” Guerrero.
I encourage all of you to keep using your incredible imaginations and your incredible voices. Your vision is valid! Your voice is needed. It takes all of us. Write down the songs that come, and share them. When we stand up for that vision of a world of love, beauty, and justice, we take the first step in creating it. Thank you everyone. Good night!
The Nearby Universe 