I write while I'm walking, on little scraps of paper. If I have a melody going, I can feel it for days. Juan Felipe Herrera dayfeelmelody Change image and share on social
What I really had was stories, the oral traditions of my parents. We moved so much that that was really our encyclopedia. A dream world told to me from my parents in the living room. Juan Felipe Herrera dreamencyclopedialive Change image and share on social
Yes, I am the first Latino poet laureate in the United States. But I'm also here for everyone and from everyone. My voice is made by everyone's voices. Juan Felipe Herrera latinolaureatemake Change image and share on social
Sometimes you can do things with Spanish - like verbs and genders - easier than you can in English. Juan Felipe Herrera easyenglishgender Change image and share on social
In my writing, I want to address all communities, you know. I've spent many years talking about Chicano culture, Chicano history, and at the same time, I've also been in many communities and presented my work in many communities, in many classrooms, and that's where my vision is and my delight is and my heart is. Juan Felipe Herrera addresschicanoclassroom share on social
I tell my workshop students, 'I want you to think of yourselves as artists. Then, when you're writing, you're painting, you're crafting, you're making a design, you're sculpting, you're creating choreography, sound, a sound script.' Juan Felipe Herrera artistchoreographycraft share on social
I like marketplaces. I like train stations; I like being in trains. I like airports. I like walking down the street with a pen in my hand, writing, writing, writing. Juan Felipe Herrera airporthandmarketplace Change image and share on social
Poetry is a call to action, and it also is action. Juan Felipe Herrera actioncallpoetry Change image and share on social
I remember looking at James Joyce's journals. It was just amazing - it looked like ants had written on the page. So much writing on one page, every corner of the page was filled. Some of the lines were underlined in yellow or blue or red. A lot of color, intense writing. Juan Felipe Herrera amazeantblue share on social
We went from crop to crop, field to field. And my father had that army truck, a 1940s army truck from Fort Bliss, El Paso. Juan Felipe Herrera 1940sarmybliss Change image and share on social