The Altadena Library District will host “From Ashes to Renewal: Voices of Resilience in Altadena” on Saturday, January 24 at 2 p.m. The free event marks one year since the Eaton Fire devastated the community.
The poetry reading features eight poets, including UCLA Distinguished Professor Robin D.G. Kelley, former Altadena Poet Laureate Elline Lipkin, and poets Sesshu Foster, Roberta Martinez, Ruth Nolan, Andrew Wessels, and Désirée Zamorano. Emerging poets Emilia Cabrales, a ninth-grade Altadena resident, and Keily Sahagun will also participate.
Current Altadena Poets Laureate Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon, both 2025 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellows, will host an open mic following the featured readings.
The Eaton Fire, which began January 7, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings.
Sarwar and Lennon received $50,000 fellowships from the Academy of American Poets to launch “After the Fires: Healing from Histories,” a poetry initiative prioritizing participation of Altadena residents who experienced displacement or loss.
“From Ashes to Renewal: Voices of Resilience in Altadena” will run on Saturday, January 24 at 2 p.m. Altadena Library Main Library Community Room, 600 E. Mariposa St., Altadena, CA. For more information, call (626) 798-0833 or visit https://www.altadenalibrary.org/programs?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D194787495.
