Flor Y Canto
An evening with Ernesto Cardenal
Saturday May 16, 7:30pm
The Flor y Canto Literary Festival and the San Francisco Poetry Center present an evening with the internationally acclaimed Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal in celebration of his 90th birthday and a life of poetry and activism.
Author of more than thirty books and awarded all major Latin American literary prizes, his reading in Spanish will be accompanied by an English translation.
The International Flor y Canto Literary Festival will bring writers and poets from far and near, including Nicaragua’s Ernesto Cardenal, Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis Rodriguez, and Mission District native Lorna Dee Cervantes.
The festival will take place over three days in San Francisco’s 24th Street Corridor and will also features children’s workshops, panel discussions, and an evening of poets reading their work in various local businesses, including a panadería.
The International Flor y Canto Literary Festival is the first event in which Latino poets in the United States have gathered in an international effort to promote poetry, literature and literacy. The tradition of the Flor y Canto goes back to ancient Mesoamerica when poets would gather to celebrate poetry and friendship. In that same tradition, the International Flor y Canto Literary Festival has expanded to include poets of many backgrounds. In keeping with the promotion of literacy, the workshops on Saturday May 16th will focus on interactive participation with young poets, translators, and writers of bilingual literature.
The Festival is also part of promoting the 24th Street Cultural Corridor as part of the cultural legacy of Latinos in the Mission District. Its presence will help to solidify the concept of the 24th Street Cultural Corridor by hosting the majority of its events, readings, and receptions within the Cultural Corridor, while engaging community organizations and small businesses to participate and sponsor the festival.
Read more about Flor Y Canto here
Full Festival Schedule:
Thursday May 14
6:00pm: Opening Ceremony.
The Festival and Kickoff begins at Café La Boheme, 3318 24th St.
6:30–7:30pm: Paseo Poetico. One hour poetry readings at various venues along the 24th Street Corridor.
Mission Malcriados, La Boheme, 3318 24th St. Hosted by Alejandro Murguía
Featured Poets: Jorge Argueta, Leticia Hernandez, Baruch Porras-Hernandez and Tomás Riley
Voices of Indigenous America, Modern Times Bookstore 2919 24th St, Hosted by Josiah Flores. Featured Poets: Harold Terezon, Aja Duncan, Kim Shuck, Maceo Montoya, and special guest
Pan Dulce Poets: Harina, Agua, y Corazón, La Reina Mexican Bakery 3114 24th St. Hosted by Ricardo Tavarez. Featured Poets: Marguerite Muñoz, Giulio Sorro, Edward Raineri and Joseph Rios.
State of Emergency, Galería de la Raza, 2857 24th St. Hosted by Amalia Alvarez;
Featured Poets: Maurisa Thompson, Clarissa Rojas, Yosimar Reyes, Terrilyn Woodfin, Benjamin Bac Sierra, and Garrett Murphy
Old Mission Original Gangsters, Adobe Books, 3130 24th St. Hosted by Norman Zelaya. Featured Poets: Estela de la Cruz, Francisco Orrego, A.D. Winans, Michael Koch
Soldaderas de Poesia, Artillery Apparel Gallery. 2751 Mission St. Hosted by Katie Tomzynski. Featured Poets: Dottie Payne, Raina J.Leon, Ploy Pirapokin, Katya Bitar, and Aimee Suzara.
8:00-10:00pm: Voz Sin Tinta: Flor y Canto
Alley Cat Books. 3036 24th St. Hosted by Marguerite Muñoz. Featured Poets: Amalia Alvarez, Cesar Love, Marguerite Muñoz, Jessica Mejia, Josiah Flores, Ricardo Tavarez, and Katie Tomzynski.
Friday May 15
7:30pm: Four Corners: Five Directions
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts 2868 Mission St.
Featuring: Luis Rodriguez Jr., Roberto Vargas, Daisy Zamora, Lorna Dee Cervantes, and Demetria Martinez
Book Sales and Signings: Mission Cultural Center Lobby
Saturday May 16
11:00am-1:00pm: Literary Activities for Young Children.
Casa Bonampak 1051 Valencia St. Hosted by Kimberly Escamilla
12:00-2:00pm: Camp Comparativo: A Youth Interactive Poetry Workshop for 12-17 Year-Olds.
An interactive (Re)Reading of Poems by Charles Bukowski, Claribel Alegría, & Emily Bronte. Alley Cat Books 3130 24th St. Hosted by Jessica Mejia
2:00-4:00pm: Write a Children’s Book: Taller de Escritura.
Alley Cat Books. 3130 24th St.
2:00-4:00pm: The Art and Craft of Translation: A Panel Discussion.
San Francisco Public Library: Mission Branch. 300 Bartlett St. Moderated by Barbara Paschke and Ricardo Tavarez. Featured Panelists: Art Mantecon, Jack Hirschman, Jose H. Cadena, Sara Marineli, Andrew Joron, Gustavo Calderon, and Judith Bernhard. Translators, writers, professors and students will discuss the dynamics of translating literature. Panelists will address common issues with translating literature and poetry, including word choice, syntax, context and literal meaning. The panelists will share insights gained by presenting passages they previously translated. Q&A to follow.
4:00-6:00 pm A Month of May Days: World Poetry Movement (Movimiento de Poesía Mundial) and the Revolutionary Poets Brigade.
El Tecolote Community Newspaper 2958 24th St. Hosted by Jack Hirschman, Poet Laureate Emeritus. Reading from the work of Roque Dalton in Spanish, Yannis Ritsos in Greek, and Nazim Hikmet in Turkish.
4:00-6:00pm: Launch Party for Cipactli no. 19, a Journal of Art and Literature of Latina/ Latino Studies.
Alley Cat Books 3130 24th St. Hosted by Katie Tomzynski, Rene Juarez Vazquez, and Cesar Coraizaca
7:30-9:00pm: Ernesto Cardenal: Poeta
Brava! for Women in the Arts, 2781 24th St.
9:15-10:00pm: Closing Reception.
Brava! for Women in the Arts, 2781 24th St.