Poetry as Mapping Kinship and Collective Cultures
A Poetry Reading with Writing Exercises
April 11, 2026, 2pm-4pm
West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
Free, RSVP requested: https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/literary-arts/city-poet
Find new ways of writing your poems! This trio of poets laureate discuss the ways collective cultures shape the ways they read, write, and understand the world. They will share their poetry on the extended family as a map for seeking understanding and survival. The first half is a poetry reading and the second half will offer attendees writing exercises. Hosted by West Hollywood Poet Laureate Jen Cheng with co-presenters Anaheim Poet Laureate Camille Hernandez (Motherlands, Finishing Line Press, 2025) and Glendale Poet Laureate Raffi Joe Wartanian.
Jen Cheng is the Poet Laureate of West Hollywood, author of a poetry collection Braided Spaces, a Poet Laureate Fellow with The Academy of American Poets, a California Arts Council Fellow, and a Tin House Workshop alumna. She is a multidisciplinary artist who blends East-West influences as Feng Shui Poetry. She is a teaching artist with writing centers such as The Poetry Society of New York, The Loft Literary Center, and UCLA Extension. Visit https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/literary-arts/city-poet for more info.
Camille Hernandez is a Black and Filipina poet, mother, and organizer. She is Anaheim’s third Poet Laureate (2024-2026) and was named one of the 125 most influential people of Orange County by the OC Register (2025). Equipped by her matriarchal cultures and motherhood journey, Camille writes and leads from the fluid depths of tenderness, protection, and intuition. She authored Motherlands (Finishing Line Press) and The Hero and the Whore (Westminster John Knox Press). She’s the editor of Anaheim Poetry Review. She’s a fellow of The Watering Hole, a participant of the McCormack Writers Workshop (formerly Tin House), and a mentee of AWP’s writer to writer program. Her website is www.camillehernandez.com
Raffi Joe Wartanian is a writer, musician, and educator who teaches writing at UCLA and serves as the inaugural Poet Laureate in the City of Glendale, California. A 2025-2026 Laureate Fellow with the Academy of American Poets, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Academy of American Poets, and elsewhere.
Staff Contact: Mike Che, mche@weho.org, 323-848-6377 