The Spire

Julia Kane ’27

Staff Writer

On the evening of February 15, students and faculty filled the Rehm Library for the first of the spring semester’s Working Writers Series, highlighting Oliver de la Paz, a current professor at the college. De la Paz is a poet, author, and educator who teaches classes at Holy Cross such as Poetry and Poetics and Introduction to Creative Writing, among others. He is the author and editor of seven books and is the Poet Laureate of Worcester from 2023 to 2025.

During his poetry reading, de la Paz orated eight poems, six of which were from his most recent work, providing background information and inspiration behind each of them. His latest book, titled The Diaspora Sonnets, delves into de la Paz’s familial experiences and upbringing. It was long-listed for the National Book Award and won the New England Book Award for Poetry in 2023. He talked about the technical process in addition to the creative process, giving the audience a glimpse into his mind before reading each poem aloud. De la Paz illustrated the challenges of serving as Poet Laureate, amongst those of writing poems under a certain prompt or general idea. He spoke eloquently and passionately, and the program was well-received by the audience. 

The Working Writers Series provides irreplaceable experiences for individuals to learn more about a writer’s work and hear from them directly. In the fall, Holy Cross welcomed writers such as J.D Scrimgeour, W. Ralph Eubanks, and Francisco Cantú, among others, to speak on their experiences and individual works. Whether majoring in English or not, stay tuned for upcoming Working Writers Series events!

Copy Edited by Lilly Baumfeld ’27