The San Joaquin Valley is home to a number of renowned poets, past and present. Just yesterday, Juan Felipe Herrera, a former U.S. Poet Laureate, got a shoutout during Governor Gavin Newsom’s inauguration. Earlier this month, Fresno City College professor Lee Herrick came out with his own new book of poetry, "Scar and Flower." It's Herrick's first book since he finished his tenure as Fresno’s Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017.
In this compilation of poems, Herrick writes about gun violence and suicide, and themes he's explored before, like adoption. When asked why he chose such complicated topics, Herrick said, "For me, the best poems are the ones that call you out whether you want to write them or not."
Listen to the interview above to hear more.