In February and March of 2021, the Las Cruces community will come together and read When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka for the Big Read. When the Emperor was Divine follows the experiences of a Japanese American family as they are incarcerated by the United States government following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, the host for the Big Read, is pleased to announce a virtual poetry reading and invite members of the Las Cruces community to participate. Writers are invited to submit up to three poems on themes of incarceration, historical trauma, New Mexican history, healing from trauma, Japanese American identity, and creating community among differences. Poets will be selected by Albuquerque Poet Laureate Mary Oishi for participation in a pre-recorded poetry reading.
Please send submissions by January 16th, 2021 to Mary Oishi at poetoishi@yahoo.com. Submissions may be sent as pdf, word document, or RTF. Please include name, phone number, and email address. Poets selected to participate will be contacted and recording arranged.
For more information, contact bsauer@las-cruces.org at (575) 528-4085.
This document can be made available in alternative formats by calling 575/528-4102 (voice) or 575/528-4008 (TTY) If you require an accommodation for a disability to participate in this event, call the library at 575/528-4102 (voice) or 575-528.4008 (TTY) at least 48 hours in advance.