PRINCETON NJ Press Release

Library of America Grant Leads to Latino Poetry Program This Fall

Princeton Public Library has received a grant from Library of America in support of programs celebrating Latino poetry. The $1,200 grant, part of Library of America’s Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home initiative, has led to the development of discussion programs to be held at the library this fall.

“We are honored to be the only public library in New Jersey to receive the grant,” said Executive Director Jennifer Podolsky. “And we’re pleased to share the resulting programs that explore Latino poetry with our community this fall.”

The centerpiece of the initiative is “Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology,” a volume of works by more than 180 poets spanning the 17th century to today and edited by poet Rigoberto González, professor of English at Rutgers University.

A panel discussion of the anthology, featuring González, will be held at the library Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room and livestreamed on YouTube. Vincent Toro, assistant professor of English at Rider University, and multidisciplinary artist Dimitri Reyes round out the panel which will be moderated by performer and educator Vivia Font. Registration through the library’s events calendar is requested.

A series of four discussions hosted by poets Enriqueta Carrington and Carlos Hernández Peña and based on the "Places We Call Home" Project Reader, will be held during October and November. The discussions will highlight eight themes integral to the tradition of Latino poetry and will be held in the Conference Room and on Zoom. Registration through the library’s events calendar is required.

Featured discussions are:

Oct. 9, 6-7:30 p.m. - "Ancestry & Identity" and "First & Second Homes"

Oct. 23, 6-7:30 p.m. - "Voice & Resistance" and "Language / Lenguaje"

Nov. 6, 6-7:30 p.m. - "Family and Community" and "Music and Performance"

Nov. 20, 6-7:30 p.m. - "Labor" and "Earth, Landscape, and Myth" This session is in-person only in the Newsroom.

This program is presented as part of Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home, a major public humanities initiative taking place across the nation in 2024 and 2025, directed by Library of America and funded with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective.