Do you enjoy reading or writing poetry? Would you like to meet and work with some of the most respected poets from Mexico and the United States? In 2009, U.S. Poets in Mexico will bring their premier annual event to Merida (Yucatan) in January and then in May the second event will be held in Jalapa (Veracruz). This is an opportunity not to be missed!

U.S. Poets in Mexico is bringing together contemporary American and Mexican poets to Mexico. These week long events will feature poetry workshops, readings, lectures and other activites.
The January 2009 Merida faculty will include the following distinguished poets: C.D. Wright, Bob Holman, Forrest Gander, Pedro Serrano, Maureen Owen and Mónica de la Torre.
In addition to the workshops there will Readings by the Faculty and by prominent Mexican Poets. The featured Mexican poets will be: Pedro Serrano, Coral Bracho and Mónica de la Torre, all from Mexico City; Valerie Mejer from San Miguel de Allende and Briceida Cuevas Cob, a Maya language poet from Campeche.

Along with numerous books of poetry, the January 2009 Merida faculty have collectively received many awards, including: 3 Guggenheim Fellowships, a MacArthur Fellow, 2 Lannan Foundation Fellowships, a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, 2 Gertrude Stein Awards for Innovative North American Poetry, an Obie, a Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts award recipient, an American Book Award winner, 2 Emmys, a Bessie Performance Award, an International Public Television Award, a Barnes and Noble "Writers for Writers Award" by Poets & Writers, a Robert Creeley Award, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and more.

Participants will have the option to study Spanish and travel to nearby cultural sites. Two day trips will be offered: one to a sacred site and one to an ecological reserve or place of natural beauty. In January, 2009 we will visit Uxmal and Celestun Reserve.

The yearly workshops coincide with Merida's annual Festival of the City, and Spain will be the guest country during this celebration of Merida's 467th anniversary. Merida will be alive with performances of music, dance, theater, literary events, art exhibitions and films from Mexico and Spain.
U.S. Poets in Mexico was formed in 2008 by poet and artist Sheila Lanham. The program was born out of a love of poets and poetry, a love of Mexico, a desire to know more about Mexican poetry and to share that knowledge.
For more information on the sponsor and poets, or to apply to be a participant please see http://www.uspoetsinmexico.org
This is a great mid-winter activity!!