Gallery

State of the Nation: Poetry in the Community hosted by LA County Library

Consul General James Heller and staff of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai reads “There are no kings in America” in honor of Independence Day

THE FUTURE IS POETRY

POETRY CENTER SAN JOSE/WORKS’ WELL-RED FEATURING CASSANDRA BOUSQUET, AILEEN CASSINETTO & KEIKI LENI WARD

HELL/A MEXICAN FEATURING KEVIN MADRIGAL GALINDO, NIA MCALLISTER, HILARY CRUZ MEJIA & ALAN CHAZARO

COASTSIDE POETRY FEATURING SMC POET LAUREATE AILEEN CASSINETTO

FILIPINO AMERICANS OF SAN MATEO COUNTY

Featuring Kimberley Acebo Arteche, Dado & Maria Banatao, Jo Boston, Gio Cuevas, Emily Danuco, Althea De Guzman, Allen Mata, Lisa Suguitan Melnick, Chef Reina Montenegro, Councilmember Flor Nicolas, Christine Padilla, and Leora Tanjuatco Ross share stories of resilience and being Pin@y in San Mateo County.

Produced by Aileen Cassinetto, in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, in celebration of Filipino American History Month.

POETRY & MINDFULNESS
Begin your poetry and mindfulness journey with San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto, San Mateo County Poets Laureate Emerita Caroline Goodwin and Lisa Rosenberg, and San Mateo County Supervisors Warren Slocum and Carole Groom. Presented by the San Mateo County Libraries.

CELEBRATING YOUNG POETS
San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto is joined by The Midpen Media Center founder Elliot Margolies, local teacher Jim Ward, contributors to the youth anthology, I Have a Dream: Inaugural Poems for a New Generation, and winners and finalists of the 2020 Housing Leadership Council Youth Poetry Competition, 2021 Daly City Youth Poet Laureate Competition, and 2021 Poetry Out Loud Competition.

KAPWA: FILIPINO WRITERS ON HISTORY, LEGACY AND BUILDING COMMUNITY
Presented by the Daly City Public Library & San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto. Featuring Eileen R. Tabios, Kirby Araullo, Leny Mendoza Strobel & Vince Gotera.

GROWING HOME
In late 2019, the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County and SMCPL Aileen Cassinetto began collaborating on what would be an annual countywide youth poetry, music & art competition to raise awareness of Affordable Housing Month and highlight young people’s notions of home. The theme this year is “Growing Home,” the title of last year’s winning poem by Abigale Wee. Grand Prize Winners this year, announced by The Honorable David Canepa, President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, are: Rachel Cronin (Poetry, K-5); Marta Olson (Poetry, 6-12); Mina Hui (Art, K-5); Emily Gao & Jane Oh (Art, 6-12); Justin Tha (Music, K-5); William Christensen (Music, 6-12).

BREAKING THE CYCLE AGAINST HATE
The program “Breaking the Cycle Against Hate,” produced by SMCPL Aileen Cassinetto, will air the whole month of May, on Midpen Media‘s (local Comcast) Cable Channel 30 (Tuesdays at 4:30pm, Thursdays at 11am, Saturdays at 5pm, Sundays at 9:30am, and Mondays at 9pm). The program features SMC Harbor District Commission President & Menlo Park Fire Protection Board Director Virginia Chang Kiraly, Burlingame City Councilmember Donna Wills Colson, Redwood City Councilmember Jeff Gee, East Palo Alto City Councilmember Antonio López, former City of South San Francisco Mayor Karyl Matsumoto, Redwood City Councilmember Michael Smith, and youth activist Ashlyn So.

SAN MATEO COUNTY POET LAUREATE SHARES RCPL STORY

WORDS THAT HEAL: An Intergenerational Community Gathering in Celebration of National Poetry Month
Explore poetry’s power to heal and to foster self-care. Enjoy readings by local poets and the creation of a community “word cloud.” Organized by the Daly City Recreation & Library Services, the Daly City Public Library Associates, and the Peninsula Family Service.

ASIAN/AMERICAN WOMXN POETS SPEAK OUT
ILLUMINATE II: Asian & Asian American Women Speak Out. April 16, 2021 marks one month since 8 people, 6 of who were Asian/Asian American women, were murdered. Join an evening of poetry standing solidarity with Asian & Asian American communities. Co-Hosted by Kim Shuck, SF Poet Laureate Emerita, & Lauren Ito. Featuring Aileen Cassinetto, Anouk Yeh, Christine No, Clara Hsu, Jireh Deng, Kimi Sugioka, Lisa Lim & Melinda Luisa de Jesus.

INAUGURAL DALY CITY YOUTH POET LAUREATE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

BURLINGAME READS KICKOFF POETRY EVENT
Featuring Alan Chazaro, Janel Pineda, Randy James & Greer Nakadegawa-Lee. Hosted by San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto, Farming Hope Co-Founder Kevin Madrigal and Burlingame Library’s Elaine Tai, with the support of the California Center for the Book.

THE FUTURE OF WOMEN’S HISTORY
A panel discussion organized by the San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women, featuring Amanda Safi, Hilary Cruz Mejia, Pia Walawalkar and Sophie Mateja, moderated by San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto, with the special participation of Ashlyn So.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021
A panel discussion hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., featuring Filipino/Filipino American women writers Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Migs Bravo Dutt, Luisa A. Igloria & Gayle Romasanta, moderated by Aileen Cassinetto.

POWER TO THE POETS: BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Featuring Bernard Collins, Glenis Redmond, James Cagney, Karla Brundage, McTate Stroman II, Raymond Tyler, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Tony Robles, and Tureeda Mikell. Curated by Aileen Cassinetto. Hosted by Elijah Pringle III.

EAT, DRINK & SPEAK POETRY IN SAN MATEO COUNTY!
A Holiday Poetry Reading and Community Virtual Gathering presented by San Mateo County Libraries, hosted by San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto. Featuring poetry by San Mateo County Poets Laureate Emerita Caroline Goodwin and Lisa Rosenberg, San Mateo County Commissioner Virginia Chang Kiraly, local poets Megan Brown, Joe Cottonwood, Hilary King, Phyllis Klein, Monica Korde, Hilary Cruz Mejia, Diane Moomey, Carol Park, Tony Press, and David Ruettiger.

MONTH OF OVERSEAS FILIPINOS
with Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. and poets Romalyn Ante, Troy Cabida, Prof. Eugene Gloria, Danabelle Gutierrez & Dr. Luisa A. Igloria

PENINSULA VIRTUAL BOOKFEST
Please click here to view all the events.

POWER TO THE POETS: VOTE!

POWER TO THE POETS: UPROAR!

POWER TO THE POETS 2: Juneteenth

POWER TO THE POETS: POETS OF COLOR FOR CHANGE
A historic gathering of poets of color from the East Coast & West Coast, curated by Aileen Cassinetto

PRIDE & POETRY
Featuring Dena Rod, Joe Mendoza & Jan Steckel, with members of the West Bay Community Band and Karen Bryant Shipp. Hosted by Aileen Cassinetto and JP Mangalindan. Sponsored by the San Mateo County Arts Commission.

Conversation with Philadelphia Poet Laureate Trapeta Mayson

DECORATION DAY AT THE MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM, CONNECTICUT
Reading of “Love in the Time of COVID-19: A Community Poem for Healthcare Workers and Other Frontliners, from San Mateo County”