Antonio López
Antonio López of East Palo Alto is San Mateo County’s 2025-2027 Poet Laureate.
López is a poetician at the intersections of the arts, policy, and social change. He is the son of immigrants from Michoacán, México who moved to East Palo Alto in the 1980s. The first in his family to graduate from college, he holds degrees from Duke University, Rutgers-Newark, and the University of Oxford as a 2018 Marshall Scholar. His poetry and essays have appeared in numerous publications, anthologies and podcasts including Poetry Foundation, Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology, The Slowdown, Poetry Daily, among others. His first book of poetry, Gentefication, was selected by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Gregory Pardlo for the 2019 Levis Prize in Poetry published by Four Way Books.
Antonio served his hometown as a councilmember and mayor for the City of East Palo Alto. From 2021-2023, he worked as field representative for the California State Senate. He serves on the board of several nonprofits, including El Concilio of San Mateo County, Mannakin Dance Theater, the Catalino Tapia Scholarship Fund, among others. He is currently finishing his PhD in the Modern Thought and Literature program at Stanford University. Antonio also serves as the Associate Director for Research and Advocacy for the coast side organization Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS).
Antonio could not be more excited to serve as San Mateo County’s next Poet Laureate. “It is with deep gratitude and steadfast hope that I step into this role as Poet Laureate,” López said. “I believe poetry is not only a mirror—it is a tool for justice, a call to empathy, and a bridge between communities. In every verse, we find the possibility to reflect our shared resilience, to honor the beauty of our differences, and to uplift the voices too often left unheard. San Mateo County is rich with stories of strength, struggle, and triumph. My commitment is to ensure poetry becomes a platform where all our narratives are seen, felt, and celebrated. May this journey draw us closer—one poem, one truth, one heart at a time.”
Read the press release about the Poet Laureate.
Read the poem "County of My Name"
Poet Laureate
On April 23, 2013, The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of the post of San Mateo County Poet Laureate to elevate poetry into the consciousness of San Mateo County residents and to help celebrate the literary arts. Poet Laureates have amplified the role of poetry and the literary arts across the County.
During their term, the Poet Laureate will serve as ambassador and advocate for poetry, literature and the arts throughout San Mateo County. The Poet Laureate is responsible for elevating poetry in our community, educating the public about the value of creative expression, inspiring diverse voices to emerge, creating new points of connection among residents in our county, and increasing access to our cultural resources. It is expected that the Poet Laureate will contribute to the County’s poetry and literary legacy through public readings, engaging programming, and participation in civic events. The Poet Laureate will create and lead a series of programs in the community. Past Poet Laureates include Jorge Argueta, Aileen Cassinetto, Caroline Goodwin, and Lisa Rosenberg. You can learn more about the poets and their projects here.