You may have heard of a backyard summer cookout, but have you heard of a backyard floricanto? “Flor y Canto” is the Aztec expression for poetry, with its literal translation in Nahuatl being “in xochitl in cuicatl,” meaning “the flower and the song.” It’s a tradition, especially in Los Angeles, for poets to hold backyard floricantos, coming together to share food and poems under the shade of a tree.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve attended several floricantos at Casa Sedano, the home of Michael Sedano of La Bloga (the longest-established Chicana/Chicano, Latina/Latino literary blog, of which I am a contributor) and Barbara (Michael’s late wife, who recently lost her battle with dementia). Sedano has staked his claim as blogger and photographer to poets. He travels to poetry readings, near and far, and aims his camera in hopes of the perfect poetic pose. He photographed the first Festival de Flor y Canto at USC, celebrating Chicano and Chicana poets in 1973, an event originally hosted by El Centro Chicano. USC’s Digital Library holds original films by the readings thanks to the efforts of producer-director Jesús Treviño and photographer Michael Sedano.
In 2010, Sedano organized a reunion of the original festival poets and invited several newer poets to participate. The Floricanto Festival of 2010 included poets who identify as Chicano, Chicana, Latino, and Latina. I was lucky to be among the participants in an amazing lineup that included Juan Felipe Herrera, Alurista, Ron Arias, Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin, Tony Marez, Mary Ann Pacheco, and Veronica Cunningham.