By Greg Hardesty, contributing writer
In high school, when his love of creative writing took root, Gustavo Hernandez wrote poems in a journal.
That passion took full flower more than two decades later when Hernandez decided to finish his college degree.
One of the first classes he took in 2014 at Santiago Canyon College was creative writing taught by novelist and professor Lynnette Beers.
“On the first night of that class, he had such a welcoming presence, but he also didn’t realize just how talented he is as a writer,” Beers recalled. “He admitted that he was late to the game as far as getting his bachelor’s degree, but he was always open to learning and so helpful to other students.”
Although skilled at writing short stories, Hernandez, then 34, embraced poetry. He graduated from SCC in 2018 and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in creative writing-poetry from Cal State Long Beach in 2021.
“My experience at SCC was amazing,” Hernandez recalled. “I ran into so many professors who were great at their jobs and who really encouraged me to keep going.”
Hernandez’s first collection of poems, “Flower Grand First,” was published in 2021 by Moon Tide Press. His two-year appointment as poet laureate of Orange County started Jan. 1.
“This has honestly been one of the best things to happen to me,” said Hernandez, who was 6 when his parents and three siblings immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico, to Santa Ana. “The poetry community has meant so much to me. Geography is everywhere in my work, and to be able to represent poetry in Orange County is a dream come true.”
Personal journeys
The position of Orange County poet laureate was created by the arts cooperative LibroMobile, which operates a bookstore in Santa Ana. Poet laureates are considered among a region’s most esteemed poets and are appointed to represent and advocate for poetry in the region where they live.
“When I found out that Gustavo was chosen as poet laureate of…
Read the full article here