Jason Perez is no stranger to a bookstore. It’s a place where he can support other writers while finding inspiration.
It’s also become the backdrop for many of his workshops, where he shares his work as San Diego’s Poet Laureate.
And that’s why he chose to do his interview at Libélula Books & Co in Barrio Logan.
Perez says, “ I did a lot of youth outreach talking to people young writers at local high schools in districts and continued the conversations around poetry and social justice.”
ABC 10News first sat down with Jason in May of 2023, as he was getting settled in his new position as an ambassador for the arts for the City of San Diego.
Perez had been appointed by Mayor Todd Gloria. As the City’s Poet Laureate, he got the opportunity to introduce poetry to different communities, encouraging people to use poetry as an outlet to express their feelings.
He adds, “To try to figure out what importance poetry can be for story-telling .. reflection for debates and a number of ways we can use poetry.”
His two-year term is ending, and he’s now looking forward to what’s ahead.
Aside from finishing up his second book, which is centered around San Diego, he wants to find ways to keep the community engaged.
He says, “I wanted to get everybody in the same space to dream together to purse different collaborations and where we go from here.”
So he’s put together a poetry festival at UC San Diego this Saturday, to showcase the diverse, colorful, and growing poetry community in San Diego.
