Description: Texas Poet Laureate Emmy Pérez gives lyrical witness to the Texas-Mexico border in Paper america, a collection of precious lines of poetry, testaments to resilience and hope.
Brief description: Emmy Pérez, the 2020 Texas Poet Laureate, is the award-winning author of With the River on Our Face and Solstice. A Chicana poet and professor based in McAllen, Texas, she has dedicated her life to uplifting the voices of the Rio Grande Valley and borderlands communities. Her work blends lyrical beauty with social witness, honoring Mexican American heritage, the landscapes of la frontera, and the lived realities of families too often rendered invisible. Frequently compared to Gloria Anzaldúa, Sandra Cisneros, and Langston Hughes, Pérez is known for a powerful poetic voice that bridges activism and artistry.