Lorna Dee Cervantes and Matt Sedillo feature at Encinitas Library

Lorna Dee Cervantes and Matt Sedillo feature at Encinitas Library for Ocean of Poetry!

Pacific View Arts Center (Rooms 3 & 4)

380 W. F Street,

Encinitas, CA 92024

1 pm - 3 pm

Lorna Dee Cervantes

Matt Sedillo

Born in San Francisco, raised in San José, Barrio Horseshoe, Lorna Dee Cervantes was a self-taught activist by 15, taught herself how to run her own printing press and was Founding Editor/Publisher of MANGO Publications at 20, and author of the American Book Award winning EMPLUMADA at 24. A XícanIndX poet (Chumash/Purépecha), Cervantes (PhD/ABD, History of Consciousness) was a Professor of English for 20 years at the University of Colorado, Boulder, serving as Director of Creative Writing. Cervantes has held faculty positions at the University of Houston, the University of California, Berkeley, where she has served as a UC Regents Lecturer in the English department, and as a Visiting Writer at Yale, Vassar, and others.  Awarded 2 NEA Fellowships, 2 Pushcart Prizes, a Lila Wallace/Readers Digest Award, state arts grants, and numerous awards for 6 books of poetry including her recent, April on Olympia, Cervantes has presented her poetry at 100s of campuses, venues and countries over the past 50 years. Her poems have appeared in 100s of anthologies and publications (Norton, Heath, Penguin, Poetry). Her newest, FIRE: Poems Against Pandemic, is forthcoming from El Martillo Press (2026). 

Matt Sedillo has been described as the "best political poet in America" by investigative reporter Greg Palast as well as "the poet laureate of the struggle" by historian Paul Ortiz. His work has drawn comparisons in print to Bertolt Brecht, Roque Dalton, Amiri Baraka, Allen Ginsberg, Carl Sandburg,  and various other legends of the past. Sedillo was the recipient of the 2017 Joe Hill Labor Poetry award, a panelist at the 2020 Texas book festival, a participant in the 2012 San Francisco International Poetry Festival, the 2022 Elba Poetry Festival, the 2023 Guadalajara Book Fair, 2024 Medellin Poetry Festival, the 2025 Hurlingham Poetry Festival, the 2025 Ghazipur Literary Festival, the 2025 Guadalajara Book Fair and the recipient of the 2022 Dante's Laurel. Sedillo has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Axios, among many other media outlets and publications. Sedillo has spoken at Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba, the National Library of Chile in Santiago Chile, Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, at numerous conferences and forums such as the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education, the National Association of Chicana/Chicano Studies, the Left Forum, the US Social Forum, and at over a hundred universities and colleges, including UNAM, the University of Cambridge, UC Berkeley, Stanford, the University of Napoli among many others. Matt Sedillo is the author of Mowing Leaves of Grass (FlowerSong Press, 2019) and City on the Second Floor (FlowerSong Press, 2022) and Mexican Style (FlowerSong Press 2025). All of which are taught at universities throughout the US. Sedillo is the current literary director of The Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the National Coordinator for the World Poetry Movement US, and host of Radio La Raza on KPFK. 

Ocean of Poetry is Encinitas’ poetry series. It aims to provide the opportunity for everyone to discover the possibilities of poetry, both as audience members and readers.

The "season" is six readings a year, on the second Sunday of the month, October to April (but skipping December). Each reading presents a featured reader and also hosts an open reading. Some of California’s finest poets have been our featured readers.

The open reading segment is a chance for poets, both aspiring and experienced, young and old, to sign up and read one or two of their own poems (or the poems of others). The atmosphere is warm and welcoming for all readers, regardless of experience, age, or anything else. (Although we do recommend that parents consider any poetry reading as potentially PG13). Or just come to be entertained, enriched, and supportive of the local literary community. No poetry experience required – these readings are for everyone! 

When: 1:00 to 3:00PM, the second Sunday of each month, October to April (except December)

Where: Pacific View Arts Center & Encinitas Library, Community Room (see below for each event):

Doors Open at 12:30 PM for seating and open reading sign-up.

Ocean of Poetry is a series curated by poet/songwriter/teacher Darius Degher, who hosts the readings; Dr. Marit Anderson (of Awaken the Poet Within) hosts the open reading segments.

Darius Degher is a maker of both poetry and music, as well as a creative writing teacher. His poetry has been published in many literary magazines and in his collection To See the Sound. He’s released more than a dozen albums of music (all streaming widely), played on national stages, and been nominated for San Diego Music Awards.

Visit www.dariusdegher.com

Ocean of Poetry is a City of Encinitas Cultural Arts Program.