Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Noelia Corzo, District 2
Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, District 4
Subject: Resolution Appointing Antonio De Jesús López as San Mateo County Poet Laureate and Proclamation Designating April 2025 as National Poetry Month
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to:
A) Adopt a resolution appointing Antonio De Jesús López to the honorary post of San Mateo County Poet Laureate for a two-year term from April 8, 2025 through March 31, 2027; and
B) Approve a proclamation designating April 2025 as National Poetry Month.
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BACKGROUND:
The tradition of naming a Poet Laureate began in 17th century England when John Dryden was first named to the post. The United States Library of Congress appointed an official “Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry” in 1937. In 1985, an Act of Congress changed the name of the position to “Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.”
California was the first state to name a Poet Laureate informally and the position was codified by the State Legislature in 2001. A number of California counties and cities have followed suit and established the position of Poet Laureate, including the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Alameda, and Santa Clara.
In April 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution establishing the honorary post of San Mateo County Poet Laureate for the purpose of promoting awareness and heightening appreciation of poetry and the spoken word throughout San Mateo County. To qualify as the Poet Laureate, an individual should be a San Mateo County resident of five years or more, demonstrate a commitment to reading and writing poetry, embrace the opportunity to engage in civic discourse, and commit to serve a two-year term in the post.
The San Mateo County Poet Laureate represents San Mateo County and the art of poetry through outreach activities related to poetry; will propose and lead a community project throughout their term; will present appropriate works at a minimum of four selected County-sponsored events during the year, including events involving schools and youth; and will open the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meetings with a poem every quarter.
To date, there have been four San Mateo County Poets Laureate: Caroline Goodwin, Lisa Rosenberg, Aileen Cassinetto, and Jorge Tetl Argueta.
Furthermore, in 1996, to support American poets of all ages in their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry, the Academy of American Poets established the month of April as National Poetry Month - the largest literary celebration in the world.
DISCUSSION:
An ad hoc Poet Laureate Advisory Committee ("Advisory Committee")-co-chaired by Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Lisa Gauthier, and which includes members from the Office of Arts and Culture, San Mateo County Arts Commission, San Mateo County Libraries, and poets laureate emeritus-was established to recommend selection of the next San Mateo County Poet Laureate.
At the close of the application period, seven outstanding San Mateo County poets applied for the post and the Advisory Committee selected two finalists for interviews. In-person interviews were then conducted by the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee unanimously recommends appointment of Antonio De Jesús López as San Mateo County Poet Laureate.
Born and raised in East Palo Alto, California, Antonio De Jesús López is a poet and the author of Gentefication (Four Way Books, 2021), which won the 2019 Levis Prize in poetry. Mr. López was a National Book Critics Circle Emerging Critics Fellow and CantoMundo Fellow. He is also a Macondo Writers Workshop member and has received scholarships to attend the Community of Writers, Tin House Workshop, Key West Literary Seminar, Vermont Studio Center, and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. His work has been published in PEN/America, Palette Poetry, The New Republic, Tin House, and Poetry Northwest, among other publications. His book, The Right to Remain Violets, is forthcoming from Tia Chucha Press in 2026.
Mr. López earned an MFA in poetry at Rutgers-Newark, a MPhil in modern Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oxford, and a BA in African American studies and cultural studies at Duke University. He is pursuing a PhD in modern thought and literature at Stanford University, expected June 2025. Mr. López served on the East Palo Alto City Council from 2020 to 2024 and as mayor from 2023 to 2024.
National Poetry Month seeks to highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets, introduces citizens to the pleasures and benefits of reading poetry, brings poets and poetry to the public in immediate and innovative ways, and connects the next generation of creative minds with the art of poetry. National Poetry Month presents the ideal opportunity to commence the term of San Mateo County’s fifth poet laureate, Antonio De Jesús López.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the accompanying resolution as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
The appointment of Antonio De Jesús López as San Mateo County Poet Laureate will amplify diverse voices and expand access to the arts. A celebrated poet and community leader, Mr. López will engage underrepresented communities through bilingual Spanish outreach, public readings, and educational programs. His leadership fosters cultural appreciation, literacy, and civic engagement, ensuring poetry remains an inclusive medium that inspires and empowers all residents.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the appointment of Antonio De Jesús López as San Mateo County Poet Laureate.