The Alamo Colleges District will host former U.S. Poets Laureates Joy Harjo and Ada Limón as part of the 5th Annual National Day of Collective Healing. The event, which is open to the public at no cost, will take place on January 29, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Carver Community Cultural Center.
Attendees can expect both a poetry reading and a conversation with the poets. Organizers aim for the evening to foster community engagement and reflection through poetry.
“The Alamo Colleges District is proud to welcome Joy Harjo and Ada Limón,” said Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores. “We look forward to the insight and inspiration they will share with our faculty, staff, students, and the broader community.”
Joy Harjo served as the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and is a member of the Muscogee Nation. She has published ten books of poetry in addition to plays, children’s books, memoirs, and music albums. Her recognitions include Yale’s Bollingen Prize for American Poetry (2023), a Guggenheim Fellowship, awards from the Poetry Foundation, and several lifetime achievement honors. She also holds roles such as chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and Chair of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation.
Ada Limón was named Time Magazine’s Woman of the Year in 2024 and has authored seven books of poetry including Startlement: New & Selected Poems; The Hurting Kind; The Carrying; and Bright Dead Things—several earning major literary award nominations or wins. Limón received a MacArthur Fellowship as well as a Guggenheim Fellowship. She also writes picture books for children and edited an anthology on nature poetry.
Free tickets are required due to limited space.
