In honor of MLK Day 2021 and Inauguration Day, San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto, in collaboration with the San Mateo County Arts Commission and local teacher Mr. Jim Ward, has announced the release of the anthology, I Have a Dream: Inaugural Poems for a New Generation by San Mateo County Youth.
The idea for the anthology came about after more than 100 of San Mateo County’s high school students spent the last month of 2020 attending poetry workshops and crafting inaugural poems. Partly inspired by the Academy of American Poets’ 2021 Inaugural Poem Contest, Cassinetto and Ward challenged the students to write about their views, their experiences and their hopes for America. Their purpose was not only to amplify the voices of young people, but also acknowledge that they are co-authors of the national and community narrative. The anthology features the work of 111 youth, ages 6 to 16.
For more information, please email smcpoetlaureate [at] smcl [dot] org.
PALOMA PRESS 