Conversations with Poetry Peace

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Poetry Peace. Poetry Peace was founded by Marí Cárdenas and Santi Vele and, shortly after invited, Joyce Ni to join them as a co-organizer. Together, the three of them hope to create a safe space for people from marginalized identities (LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and beyond) to feel empowered to be vulnerable through expression whether it’s through poetry, dancing, storytelling, or more. Their motto is anything is poetry – so share anything you like and they’ll welcome you with open arms.

Hi Poetry Peace, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Marí – We hosted our first “Poetry Peace” event (I say Poetry Peace in quotes because we didn’t really start taking this seriously until we began our Instagram and collaborations in April/May of 2024) in February 2023 because we wanted to create a space for people with marginalized backgrounds to feel comfortable and safe. Before we started hosting our own poetry night, Santi and I went to a poetry night with a lack of diversity and felt underrepresented and prejudiced against, so after that, we decided to try hosting our own poetry event.

Santi – Before the poetry event Marí referenced, we had both been to poetry events hosted by Cuties LA, a Black and queer founded and run organization in LA. We took inspiration from the openness, vulnerability, and safety we felt and wanted to create an environment like that for ourselves. Poetry Peace started with just our friends attending and now it’s a community of strangers becoming friends and chosen family.

Joyce – Going to Mari and Santi’s intimate poetry night way back in 2022 was the first time I’ve ever read my poems out loud. The emotional impact of being able to perform my work was so moving to me, I felt super compelled to deepen my involvement with Poetry Peace. From then onwards, we started hosting events in my backyard and we have only expanded since then.

Marí – The expansion of Poetry Peace came naturally.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Santi – About 15 friends showed up to our first poetry night. It took place in my little apartment in KTown. The next poetry events were hosted at friends’ apartments. Joyce offered the beautiful, front lawn in front of her apartment. Her lawn became a staple of our poetry nights and eventually, she became an amazing co-organizer. As friends shared with friends and friends of friends, our attendees started to grow – from 15 to 20 – to 40 – and now to 60 or more. Our small apartments and Joyce’s lawn in the summer heat could no longer fit our growing community. Eventually, we started reaching out to community centers, bookstores, plant shops, retail stores, and more. We’re so grateful that the Robinson S.P.A.C.E, Dupe Furniture, Persona The Shop, and Latinx With Plants took a chance on us and offered their lovely spaces. Initially, we were worried about compensating these organizations. However, all of them have worked closely with us to make their spaces affordable for us and our attendees. This is what community is about.

Marí: I’d say generally a smooth road! Just general growing pains learning what works and what doesn’t, what we need and what we don’t as we continue to expand. It’s been great though and being able to work alongside each other.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Marí – What I think is kinda cute is our organization name. As we began to regularly host events, I figured we needed a name and Poetry Peace is a double entendre. One being “poetry piece,” since people are writing actual pieces, and another meaning being poetry can bring so much peace by releasing and sharing to folks.

Santi – One thing I love about our poetry events is that it’s not intimidating. There’s no pressure to share advanced poetry, but simply to be yourself and express what’s on your mind and heart. People go up and sing, dance, tell jokes, read tumblr posts, talk about their days, and more. You have the opportunity to be silly and goofy, but also be vulnerable and open with each other. I’ve gone up and cried several times, talking about my best friends or sisters or passed family members. It’s beautiful to be held and seen by my friends, but also by strangers who feel connected to my experiences.

Joyce – Seconding what Santi said about tearing down the intimidating reputation that poetry as an art form has. We want to emphasize in our events that poetry doesn’t always need to be something advanced and academic and anyone can be a poet. Poetry is about self-expression, in whatever shape or form that comes naturally.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Santi – Throughout this journey, I’ve learned to let my guard down and let people in. I grew up in a household where we didn’t express our emotions or love for each other. I’m so grateful for my co-organizers and community who inspire me to be vulnerable, show affection, cry my eyes out, laugh til my stomach hurts, and love with my entire soul. Poetry Peace constantly reminds me what it’s like to hold space with others who play, giggle, and create as much as I do.

Marí – I’d agree with Santi regarding letting people in. Truly I’m so used to spearheading and having to run projects all on my own, because I believe I can do it and it’s ok to tucker myself out through the process but as we’ve been growing, it’s been clear that I (we) need help so ever since we started asking for volunteers, community has come through all the way and more with open arms and excitement. It truly has taught me to let people help us as we grow because as much as it’s my baby, it’s all of our creation so it’s been beautiful to grow with the community and we can’t wait to bring more people on board to help us.

Joyce – Poetry Peace has brought me a community I would have never stumbled across on my own. I learned of the beauty of diversity and meeting people from all walks of life. Befriending people of different ages, careers, cultures, etc. has taught me so much about human connection and how simple it really is when we are all brought together by our desire to connect and create.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poetrypeace.la/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/poetrypeace.la