Juan Felipe Herrera

"In this collection of poems, written during and immediately after two years on the road as United States Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera reports back on his travels through contemporary America. Poems written in the heat of witness, and later, in quiet moments of reflection, coalesce into an urgent, trenchant, and yet hope-filled portrait. The struggle and pain of those pushed to the edges, the shootings and assaults and injustices of our streets,...

¿Alguna vez has imaginado quién serás cuando crezcas? Cuando Juan Felipe Herrera era niño, recogió flores, audó a su mamá a alimentar a los pollitos, durmió bajo el cielo centelleante y aprendió a decirles adiós a sus amiguitos cada vez que su familia seguía el camino campesino. Al crecer, Juan Felipe Herrera se convirtió en poeta. Su hermoso poema, "Imagina" y las sugerentes ilustraciones de Lauren Castillo le hablarán a...

The author recalls his childhood in the mountains and valleys of California with his farmworker parents who inspired him with poetry and song.

Fresh from the country, Juanito is bewildered by his new school. Everything he does feels upside down: he eats lunch when it's recess and goes out to play when it's time for lunch, and his tongue feels like a rock when he tries to speak English. But a sensitive teacher and his loving family help Juanito find his voice through poetry, art, and music. Juan Felipe Herrera's playful language and the magical illustrations of Elizabeth Gómez capture the...

A country boy leaves home to visit the far-off city and the seashore even farther away as he enjoys a vacation with his father.

"Hymmnn" and "Hum Bom" by Allen Ginsberg, featuring Bono, Juan Felipe Herrera, and a chorus of religious chant practitioners