Francisco X. Alarcón, Feb. 21, 1954 ~ Jan. 15, 2016
Split
This Rock is among the countless poets, writers, activists and friends who are
grieving the loss of beloved Chicano poet Francisco X. Alarcón.
Beyond his
award-winning poetry collections and children’s books, Francisco was known for expressing
his commitment to human rights through a spiritual poetic voice. In April 2010, along with Odilia Galvan Rodriguez, he created the Facebook group Poets Responding to SB 1070 as a way for poets,
artists and activists to share their poetic statements about the racial
profiling Arizona state law that targeted immigrants and people of color.
Francisco
teamed with Split This Rock’s executive director Sarah Browning and poet/activist
Rick Villar to create what was a tour de force poetry reading at AWP 2011 in
Washington DC: A Multicultural Floricanto in Response to Arizona SB 1070, which
featured dozens of poets, including Martín Espada, Sonia Sanchez and many
others. At the same AWP, Francisco teamed with Split This Rock to create a poetry reading
on the Capitol grounds to bring attention to xenophobia. Francisco loved Split
This Rock and what it stands for, attended the festivals, and captivated all of
us with his loving spirit.
We will find a way to celebrate his life and work at
this year’s festival, even as we will deeply miss his passionate presence.
Among the many, many tributes:
Francisco Aragón: A Lesson in Mentorship and Generosity, at Letras Latinas
Rigoberto González: Remembering Friend, Mentor and Poet Francisco X. Alarcón, at NBC News
Joseph Ross: Dark Stones that Give Life, at JosephRoss.net
Among the many, many tributes:
Francisco Aragón: A Lesson in Mentorship and Generosity, at Letras Latinas
Rigoberto González: Remembering Friend, Mentor and Poet Francisco X. Alarcón, at NBC News
Joseph Ross: Dark Stones that Give Life, at JosephRoss.net
