Uploaded November 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In October 2014, Luis J. Rodríguez was named Los Angeles poet laureate, the city’s second person in this role. During his two-year term, he will be composing poems, hosting readings and workshops, and serving as a cultural ambassador.
“Poetry is . . . a powerful means to enlarge one’s presence in the world,” says Rodríguez. After recovering from heroin addiction and overcoming gang violence, he became a strong advocate of poetry as a tool for social change. In his newly appointed role as poet laureate, he will be able to impact youth across Los Angeles at a much greater scale.
Watch Rodríguez talk about his passion for the written word, the meaning of lyric expression, and the social value of poetry.
In October 2014, Luis J. Rodríguez was named Los Angeles poet laureate, the city’s second person in this role. During his two-year term, he will be composing poems, hosting readings and workshops, and serving as a cultural ambassador.
“Poetry is . . . a powerful means to enlarge one’s presence in the world,” says Rodríguez. After recovering from heroin addiction and overcoming gang violence, he became a strong advocate of poetry as a tool for social change. In his newly appointed role as poet laureate, he will be able to impact youth across Los Angeles at a much greater scale.
Watch Rodríguez talk about his passion for the written word, the meaning of lyric expression, and the social value of poetry.
