Come gather and hear decolonized verses, spanglish poesia, Latine spokenword, Pocho poems and neighborhood chisme at Speaking Axolotl, the Bay Area’s long running monthly Latine Reading series. 10 slot open mic goes up a las 6:50PM. Open mic poets have 7 minutes to read.

This month’s feature are Marvin Flores and Keith Ross.

Marvin Flores is a a Chicano poet, teaching artist, and community organizer who won the 2024 Youth Speaks Bay Area Slam and went on to represent the Bay Area at the national youth slam in Washington, D.C. His work centers on bringing poetry to underserved and underrepresented youth in the South Bay, with the goal of launching a youth slam specifically for local voices. Marvin is also a member of Los Jaguares, a student-led organization at Foothill College dedicated to political education, advocacy, and holistic community support addressing the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of Latino students and their broader communities. He is also the first ever poet laureate of his college campus.

Keith Ross is an author, editor, and educator. He was born in Los Cabos, Mexico, in 1985. He is the editor at Barco Varado Ediciones. Some of his books have won awards in Mexico, and he has published works in various genres, including fiction, poetry, and essays. He studied a Master's in Spanish Philology at the SpanishNational Research Council, in Madrid, Spain; a Master's in Social Studies and Humanities, anda BA in Spanish and Literature at the University of Baja California Sur

NOTA; Speaking Axolotl is a BIPOC reading series which means black and brown poets ONLY on the mic. Whyte folks are more than welcome to listen and enjoy but their presence is not requiered.