Funny Bones: Craft a Calavera Poem with San Antonio Legend Anthony Flores

Tuesdays, October 1 & 8, 2024, 6:30-8:30pm CST, in-person at Gemini Ink
Instructor: Anthony Flores
Nonmember: $110; Member: $95; Student/Educator/Mil $75

Explore the comedic and poetic mischief of creating a calavera poem in honor of Día De Los Muertos. A calavera is a traditional form of poetry from Mexico that uses satire to create humorous and lighthearted rhyming poems about the living. 

This form explores the living through the lens of death (Calavera is Spanish for “skull”), which can provide catharsis and deep reflection on impermanence. Calaveras can be written to address rich people in business, famous people, family, friends, and even government officials.

In this two-session workshop led by Anthony “The Poet” Flores, we will learn the history of the traditional Mexican calavera poem; compose our own Day Of The Dead creations; and apply literary devices, such as irony, rhyme, and repetition, to take our piece to the next level. We will leave the workshop with a list of places to read our new poems around town during the holiday celebration.

This course is open to writers of all skill levels, 18+. 

Students will leave this workshop with the following:

• The first draft of a calavera poem
• Exposure to literary devices and structures
• Insight into a historical and culturally significant poetic form 
• A list of places to read and share your poetry

Anthony “The Poet” Flores is a three-time San Antonio Grand Slam Poetry Champion who has represented the city six times at the National Poetry Slam. His performances include HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and Lincoln Center. He currently judges the San Antonio Public Library’s Young Pegasus Poetry Contest. Anthony is the founder of The University of Spoken Word and authored CINCUENTA: 50 Poems Celebrating Half A Century Of Life. 

Parking at Gemini Ink
Gemini Ink offers free parking along the back wall of our downtown offices. Please access this parking lot from Augusta St and first park in any of the 12 spots along the back wall. Only when these 12 spots are full do we ask that you park elsewhere in our lot. We now rent our offices from UTSA and are collaborating with them to create a secure and accessible parking lot for our community of writers and readers.