The City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate serves as a creative leader and cultural ambassador, advancing the civic importance of poetry, literature, and the spoken word across Los Angeles. In partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), the Poet Laureate engages communities through public programming, workshops, and performances that reflect the city’s cultural richness and diverse voices.
Brian Sonia-Wallace is the current Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. A poet, educator, and public artist, his work brings poetry into everyday spaces—sidewalks, libraries, parks, and civic institutions—inviting Angelenos to see their city, and one another, with renewed attention. Over the past fifteen years, he has developed a participatory practice rooted in conversation, collaboration, and care, writing poems with and for thousands of residents across Los Angeles. His work emphasizes access, dialogue, and the belief that poetry can serve as a tool for connection, reflection, and belonging.
Program Focus
The Poet Laureate program reflects the City’s commitment to equitable access to the arts and to fostering meaningful cultural exchange through language and storytelling.
Key areas of focus include:
- Expanding access to poetry and literary arts across neighborhoods
- Engaging communities through inclusive programming
- Activating civic and public spaces through participatory art
- Supporting emerging writers and amplifying underrepresented voices
- Encouraging dialogue, reflection, and community connection through poetry
How to Work with the Poet Laureate
City departments, agencies, and partners are encouraged to collaborate with the Poet Laureate to integrate poetry into civic life, public programming, and community engagement efforts. Brian works in English and Spanish and has led programs with youth, older adults, LGBTQ+ and HIV+ communities, immigrant and refugee communities, and systems impacted communities.
Available Program Offerings
On-the-Spot Typewriter Poetry
Live, participatory poetry written for residents at public events, resource fairs, and civic gatherings. This offering creates one-on-one engagement, inviting Angelenos to share their stories and receive a personalized poem in real time. Examples here.
Poetry Performances and Readings
Original work and curated readings presented at civic events, cultural programs, and commemorations. Performances can be tailored to reflect themes relevant to specific departments, initiatives, or communities. Examples here.
Poetry Walks and Public Activations
Temporary or permanent installations that integrate poetry into the built environment, including poetry walks, signage, and site-specific activations. Past models include public calls for poems and temporary poetry walks that transform civic spaces into shared narrative landscapes. Examples here and here.
Workshops and Classes
Interactive workshops for youth, adults, and intergenerational groups, hosted in libraries, schools, community centers, and city programs. Sessions focus on creative writing, storytelling, and self-expression, with an emphasis on accessibility and participation.
Partnership Opportunities
The Poet Laureate collaborates with City departments, cultural institutions, and community-based organizations to design programs that align with civic priorities and community needs. Potential partnerships may include:
- Cultural programming and public events
- Community engagement initiatives
- Educational and youth development programs
- Public art and placemaking efforts
- Special projects aligned with Citywide campaigns or commemorations
Photo credit: Alexis Rhone Fancher
Contact and Booking
To inquire about collaborating with the Los Angeles Poet Laureate, please contact rentpoet@gmail.com.
About the Laureate
Brian Sonia-Wallace is a poet, educator, and public artist whose work explores the line between the intimate and the monumental, reimagining public space as a site of memory, care, and dialogue. Over the past decade and a half, he has written poems on-the-spot in public for over 10,000 strangers and their communities, a practice that has unfolded into books including The Poetry of Strangers (HarperCollins) and Maze Mouth (Moon Tide Press), as well as performances and public projects across theaters, galleries, and everyday city spaces. A City of LA Master Artist and former Poet Laureate of West Hollywood, Sonia-Wallace has served as Poet-in-Residence for places as varied as the National Parks, Amtrak, and the Mall of America (yes, really). His work centers on creating art that bridges civic space, public memory, and lived experience, often collaborating with LGBTQ+ communities, youth, and elders to amplify voices that are rarely heard. A Fellow of the Academy of American Poets and LA County, his writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, LitHub, Rattle, and American Poets, and has been performed from Walt Disney Concert Hall to the Kennedy Center. He teaches at UCLA Extension, facilitates the APLA Health Writers’ Group, and leads school outreach for Get Lit – Words Ignite. More @rentpoet.