Del Mar College observing Día de los Muertos with Nov. 3 poetry reading and moderated conversation
“Poetry as Remembrance: Voices, Memory & Día de los Muertos” features reading by poet and retired DMC Professor Emeritus of Political Science Elizabeth N. Flores; free public event also includes moderated conversation and audience activity
Article by Melinda Eddleman
The annual holiday, Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, is a celebration and a time when families in Mexico and across the United States welcome back the spirits of deceased loved ones on Nov. 1-2. Often characterized by music and ofrendas or temporary altars with the deceased loved one’s favorite food, photos and other items that remind family members of those they have lost, poetry is another way to honor the dead.
In the spirit of the holiday, the Spanish Program with Del Mar College’s Communications, Languages & Reading Department will observe the holiday with a poetry reading, moderated discussion and audience activity during “Poetry as Remembrance: Voices, Memory & Día de los Muertos” on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This event is a celebration of poetry and Día de los Muertos and will explore how poetry honors our loved ones, preserves our memories and keeps our cultural traditions and stories alive across generations.
The free public event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the White Library’s Studio @ 218 (Room 218) on the Heritage Campus located at 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404). Get online directions and a campus map.
Questions may be directed to Professor Morin at jmorin@delmar.edu or 361-698-1582.
The event features poet and retired DMC Professor Emeritus of Political Science Elizabeth N. Flores, who was the College’s first Mexican American Studies Program coordinator, reading from her work via livestream from New Mexico. The former Social Sciences Department faculty member taught at DMC for over 40 years.
Flores’ poems can be found in Corpus Christi Writers 2022 and Corpus Christi Writers 2023, TPA Quarterly, the Windward Review, the Texas Poetry Assignment, The Senior Class: 100 Poets on Aging and ¡Somos Tejanas!: Chicana Identity and Culture in Texas.
After the reading, Flores will join DMC Speech Communications adjunct faculty member Claudia Morales to lead a conversation about poetry, memory and Día de los Muertos.
Morales joined the Communications, Languages & Reading Department in 2011 and teaches Introduction to Mexican American Studies. She has been involved with the Mexican American Studies Program, which is an Associate in Arts degree program, since joining the department.
“Poetry as Remembrance: Voices, Memory & Día de los Muertos” will wrap up with an audience activity, “Bring a Poem, Bring a Memory,” with participants exploring poetry, memory and Día de los Muertos during this engaging recognition of the holiday. Morin and Languages Lab Coordinator Maria Mata will co-lead the activity and encourage participants to bring a favorite poem, short piece of writing, quotation or passage connected to someone or something they wish to remember and honor.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
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