Rio Grande Valley

“Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out.” | Gloria E Anzaldúa

Roman Valentine Alcázar

poet

Gloria E Anzaldúa
1942-2004

author | feminist theorist | poet | writer

Cecilia Ballí

anthropologist | journalist | writer

Rey Banda

author | educator

Marisela Barrera

performer | writer 

Nayelly Barrios

activist | educator | writer
 | co-founder of Angry Tias & Abuelas

Irene Beltrán Hernández

author

Michael Benavidez

author

David Bowles

musician | professor | translator | writer

Aristeo Bristo

educator | painter | poet | writer

Búho

Book Café | Brownsville 

Amanda Calderon

filmmaker | photographer | writer

Christopher Carmona

activist | editor | writer

Nati Carrillo

writer

Oscar Cásares

 professor  | writer

Raúl Castillo

actor | playwright

Ana A. Cavazos

author | poet 

Julieta Corpus

poet

Rosa Linda Cruz

author

César L. de León

poet | poet-organizer for Poets Against Walls 

Rubén Degollado

author | writer 

Eduardo R. del Rio

author

Mark Esperanza

educator | poet | writer

Giana Gallardo Hesterberg

author | speaker | teacher

Daniel García Ordaz
The Poet Mariachi

poet | singer/songwriter | speaker | teacher

Maribel Garcia

scholar | teacher | writer

Thomas Ray Garcia

educator | writer 

Eliza M. Garza

author | entrepreneur | speaker

Erika “La Erika” Garza-Johnson

poet

Kristyn Garza

poet

Xavier Garza

artist | author | illustrator

Hector Gomez

writer

Rodney Gomez

poetry | visual poetry

Gabriel González Núñez

académico | autor | cuentista | poeta 

Genaro Gonzales

novelist

Juan Antonio González

poet

Erasmo Guerra

author | journalist

Melitón Hinojosa Jr.

poet

Rolando Hinojosa-Smith
1929-2022

author | essayist | poet

Gabriel Hugo

author | poet 
| founder of The Raving Press

Gume Laurel III

author

David Leija

author

Rossy Evelin Lima DePadilla

activist | scholar | writer

Carmen Lomas Garza

artist | author | illustrator

Arturo Longoria

historic naturalist | writer

Margarita Longoria

editor | librarian
 | founder of Border Book Bash Celebrating Teens & Tweens of the RGV

Daisy Lopez

author

Victoria I. Lopez

poet | 
2022 McAllen Poet Laureate

Stephanie “Stevie” Luna

poet

Domingo Martinez

author | memoirist | writer

Noemi Martinez

cultural worker | diversity editor | poet | teacher | writer

Rosa Esthela Mora

author | educator

Andrea Mosqueda

author

Juan Nepomuceno Cortina 
1824-1894

folk hero | writer

Brenda Nettles Riojas

poet 

David Norec

author

Melissa Nunez

essayist | poet

Juan Ochoa

author | educator

Efrén C. Olivares

author | human rights attorney

Roberto Ontiveros

artist | literary critic | writer

Amalia Ortiz

activist | actor | writer 

Américo Paredes
1915-1999

folklorist | writer

Bianca Alyssa Pérez

editor | poet

Emmy Pérez

academic | poet 
Poets Against Walls co-founder | 
Texas Poet Laureate 2020

Jaime Perez

author

Jiovanna L. Pérez

writer

Ricardo Perez

author

Poesía En Atril

founded by Eduardo Villarreal Delos Reyes

Poets Against Walls

collective | poetry | spoken word | testimonio

Alma Quintanilla Castillo

artist | educator | poet

Sarah Rafael García

author | founder of Barrio Writers

Ron Ramírez

writer

Katelynn Rentería

literacy advocate | speaker | writer

Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival

McAllen

Roberto A. Rocha

poet | writer

Gloria Rodríguez

poet

Isaías C. Rodríguez

author | educator

José Antonio Rodríguez

poet | memoirist | translator

Mayanin Rosa

poet

Rudy Ruiz

advocate | author | social entrepreneur

Yelitza Saenz

writer

Jose Sanchez

documentary filmmaker | journalist | storyteller

Sylvia Sánchez Garza

poet | writer

Veronica Sandoval aka Lady Mariposa

poet | spoken word artist

Diana Scott

illustrator | writer

Rolando Serna

poet | writer

Priscilla Celina Suarez

author | poet

Natalia Sylvester

author | writer

Margo Tamez

Lipan Apache | herstorian 
| poet | professor

Roberto de la Torre Hurtado
1954-2020

  folklorist | organizer | poet | writer 
| founder of Voces en la Frontera

Elva Treviño Hart

memoirist

Wendy Trevino

grant writer | poet

Unfolded Poetry Project

founded by Victoria I Lopez 
2022 McAllen Poet Laureate

Andrew Valdez

actor | performance poet

Olga Valle-Herr

author | poet | writer |
2016 McAllen Poet Laureate

Edward Vidaurre

author | editor | poet | publisher |
2018-2019 McAllen Poet Laureate

Adela Villalpando

author | educator

J. Villanueva

poet | writer

Eduardo Villarreal De los Reyes

poet | Poesía En Atril founder

Vanessa Angélica Villarreal

essayist | poet

María Elena Zamora O’Shea
1880-1951

author | lay historian | teacher

Lucinda Zamora-Wiley

poet | teacher

Sofia Zamora-Wiley

poet