Poetry has carried me from the streets of the Bronx to the hills and hollows of Appalachia and beyond. This page gathers recent news, honors, publications, and projects—milestones that reflect both the journey and the communities that have shaped my work.
August 21, 2026 -- I’m pleased to announce that I will be participating in the Kentucky Book Festival on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Lexington, Kentucky. I look forward to sharing Orfeito and reconnecting with Kentucky’s vibrant literary community.
August 18, 2026 -- I received this message from Accents Publishing. " We’ve uploaded your book to the printer, and within a couple of days, I expect we’ll be able to order printed copies." This means Orfeito will be available soon. Stay tune for a link or if you want an autograph copy send me a message.
July 27, 2026 -- I am honored to serve as the 2026 Kentucky State Poetry Conference Keynote Speaker on October 31, 2026. I look forward to celebrating 60 years of poetry with writers from across Kentucky and beyond.
June 24, 2026 -- I’m pleased to share that one of my poems submitted for the North Carolina Poetry Society's James Applewhite Poetry Prize has advanced to the next phase of judging. I’m honored and excited to be named a semifinalist.
May 31, 2026 -- Accents Publishing announced the results of their 2025 Open Reading Period. My manuscript Orfeito was among the selected books for publishing in 2026.
March 1, 2026 -- The Heartland Review published the winner the Joy Boone Poetry Prize. My poem Heartland was one among the top 10 finalist published.
February 20, 2026 -- Featured reader at the 35th Anniversary Reading of the Affrilachian Poets, hosted by Transylvania University.
April, 2026 --Keynote, Annual Meeting and Open House, Community Action of Southern Indiana — Jeffersonville, IN
January, 2025 --Featured Speaker, Latina/o Studies Program Speaker Series, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, NC
September, 2024 --Featured Poet, Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home National Reading Series, sponsored by the Library of America, SUNY Oswego — Oswego, NY
September, 2023 --Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, SUNY Oneonta — Oneonta, NY
March, 2023 --Featured Poet, Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, Appalachian State University — Boone, NC
September, 2021 --Keynote Speaker, Asanbe Diversity Symposium, Austin Peay State University — Clarksville, TN
November, 2021 --Judge, Festival of Faith Youth Poetry Contest-- Louisville, KY
January, 2017 --Guest Speaker and Poet, Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Program, University of Wisconsin–Superior — Superior, WI
January, 2017 --Featured Poet, “Affrilachia y el Caribe” Poetry Reading, 42nd Annual Appalachian Studies AssociationConference — Asheville, NC