Monterey County’s Newest Poet Laureate: Rachelle Escamilla

Rachelle Escamilla, a 41-year-old from Hollister, California, has been a passionate advocate for poetry, literature, and the arts since childhood. She was named the county’s new poet laureate earlier this year, and is the second poet to hold the honor, following Daniel Summerhill. Escamilla will serve as an advocate for poetry, literature, and the arts, and lead a community project to make poetry more accessible and contribute to the county’s poetry and literary legacy.

She attended Gavilan College, San Jose State University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Escamilla has also taught creative writing at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, and wrote about food and fashion for a Chinese magazine. She returned to the United States and worked as a radio show host for KKUP Cupertino’s “Out of Our Minds” until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Escamilla has been teaching poetry classes at California State University at Monterey Bay and takes burlesque and pole dancing classes in her free time. Monterey County’s poet laureate, Escamilla, has gained confidence and representation of Chicano poets.

She launched the first Latinx Poetix Symposium in 2018, bringing Latinx poets from around the world to Monterey. Escamilla believes social justice and diversity work are important in her life, especially in poetry. She hopes to create a Black, Indigenous, and person of color book fair with poets and bring back the Latinx Poetix Symposium. As Monterey County’s poet laureate, she plans to teach poetry classes at Ms Tryss Boutique dance studio, bring pole dancers and poets together at Pearl Hour, expand summer programs, and collaborate with local spaces.

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