Half the World in Light

Juan Felipe Herrera (born December 27, 1948) is an American poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist of Mexican descent, son of migrant farmworkers who moved frequently across California's San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys. He served as the 21st U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015-2017—the first Latino appointed to the role—and California Poet Laureate from 2012-2015, with notable works including Half the World in Light (National Book Critics Circle Award winner), Notes on the Assemblage, and Every Day We Get More Illegal, alongside major honors like the 2024 MacArthur Fellowship and 2023 Frost Medal.