Award-winning poet Martín Espada to give public reading at STCC

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College will host acclaimed poet Martín Espada for a special poetry reading and discussion as part of National Poetry Month.

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (Building 19), Forum (First Floor). This event is free and open to the public.

Martin Espada (photo by Lauren Marie Schmidt)

Espada will read selections from his latest book, “Jailbreak of Sparrows,” published by Knopf in 2025 and engage in a discussion with the audience. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase books, and refreshments will be served.

Espada is a distinguished poet, editor, essayist and translator with more than 20 published works. His previous poetry collection, “Floaters,” won the National Book Award for Poetry and a Massachusetts Book Award. His other notable collections include “Vivas to Those Who Have Failed,” “The Trouble Ball,” “The Republic of Poetry,” “Alabanza” and “Imagine the Angels of Bread.”

Recognized with numerous literary honors, Espada has received the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the Shelley Memorial Award, the Robert Creeley Award, an Academy of American Poets Fellowship, the PEN/Revson Fellowship, a Letras Boricuas Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His powerful poetry often explores themes of social justice, history, and personal identity.

This event is part of STCC Library’s 2025 exhibit, “Classics Reimagined: Find Belonging in Literature,” which showcases the work of 28 distinguished authors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Martín Espada to STCC for this special event,” said Erica Eynouf, dean of the library. “His poetry is powerful and thought-provoking, and his visit aligns perfectly with our ‘Classics Reimagined’ exhibit, which highlights literature’s ability to foster belonging and connection. This will be an inspiring evening for our students and the community.”

Event Details:

  • What: Martín Espada Poetry Reading and Discussion
  • Where: Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons (Building 19), Forum (First Floor)
  • When: Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
  • Who: Free and open to the public

For more information, please contact Kathryn Good-Schiff, (413) 755-4555, kmgood-schiff@stcc.edu.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu