He's the son of a social activist. He's a lawyer. He's a professor. And he's an award winning poet who uses his paper and pen to speak on behalf of those who don't have a voice.
Many of Martín Espada’s poems speak of social issues. He said activism was an important part of his upbringing.
"Social activism was definitely in my blood," said Espada. "My father, Frank Espada, was a civil rights activist, a community activist, and an organizer — some would say the leader of the Puerto Rican community in New York in the 1960s and early '70s."
But what really inspired Espada was his father’s photographic storytelling.
"His photographs hung on the walls of our apartment," Espada explained. "They therefore hung on the walls of my imagination, and they still do. His work as a photographer was a great influence on my work as a poet."
Espada is an award-winning poet and a lawyer who uses his paper and pen to speak on behalf of those who don’t have a voice.
He started writing poetry as a teen.
"I wrote my first poem when I was 15 years old," Espada recalled. "I was a terrible student. I once failed English in the eighth grade. And now, I'm a professor of English, which shows us the zigs and zags your life can take. I defined myself as a poet before I ever went to law school. I did indeed go in that direction because I wanted to make a commitment to my community, and I wanted to do that in the most concrete way possible, and for me, that meant the law."
He took a job at a legal services clinic for low-income residents of the Boston area.
"Eviction defense, no-heat cases, rats and roaches, crazy landlords," said Espada. "What my poetry and my legal practice had in common was advocacy, speaking on behalf of those who didn't have an opportunity to be heard."
But, even as he waited outside of courtrooms for hearings, he’d work on his poetry. Espada eventually left the legal world to focus on literature and his poetry. He’s published more than 20 books and won a coveted National Book Award for Floaters, a book of poetry that takes on social justice issues. His book The Republic of Poetry was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Espada is currently a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Does he feel is poetry is making a difference when it comes to social justice issues?
"My impact is very difficult to quantify," Espada answered. "Poetry cannot be weighed. It cannot be measured. It cannot be boxed. It cannot be labeled."
As someone dedicated to social justice issues, he admitted that this is an incredibly difficult time.
"Frustration is not a strong enough word," said Espada. "It's devastation."
Espada was scheduled to speak at UC Santa Barbara November 13. However, because of the national air traffic issues tied to the goverment shutdown, it was announced Tuesday that the UCSB Arts and Lectures event has been postponed to April 29, 2026.
