Join poet Adela Najarro for a talk and reading from her art-inspired work. Najarro’s remarks will center on “ekphrastic” writing—creative writing that responds to or is inspired by works of art. Her presentation will include projections of artworks that inspired some of her poems, followed by her reading of them.
Najarro’s campus visit is part of “Poets & Art: Ekphrasis at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art,” a multi-year partnership between the Museum and Letras Latinas, the literary initiative of the University’s Institute for Latino Studies (ILS). In addition to her poetry reading and classroom visits, Najarro will spend a few days at the Museum observing, reflecting, and writing new ekphrastic poems. On Saturday, March 21st, Najarro will lead a community-focused ekphrastic writing workshop.
Adela Najarro is the author of five poetry collections, including Variations in Blue, selected for publication in 2025 through the Letras Latinas/Red Hen Press Collaborative. Other works include Split Geography, Twice Told Over, My Childrens, and Volcanic Interruptions, a chapbook featuring artwork by Janet Trenchard. The 2024 International Latino Book Awards designated Volcanic Interruptions as an Honorable Mention in the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award category. The California Arts Council recognized Najarro as an established artist for the Central California Region and appointed her as an Individual Artist Fellow. Her extended family left Nicaragua and arrived in San Francisco during the 1940s. After the fall of the Somoza regime in 1979, the last of the family settled in the Los Angeles area. Najarro is the Board President for Círculo de Poetas and Writers and works with the Latinx community nationwide, promoting the intersection of creative writing and social justice. She is currently working on a novel. For more information, visit: www.adelanajarro.com
Originally published at raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu.