Linda Ravenswood: California Poets Part 6, Four Poems

Linda Ravenswood

October 18th, 2023

California Poets: Part VI

Linda Ravenswood

Four Poems

Land acknowledgment and Three poems from Linda Ravenswood

i acknowledge that my home

& birthplace in California

exists upon the occupied territory

of hundreds of Indigenous tribes.

This homeplace has been stewarded by our Indigenous ancestors

since time immemorial.

i acknowledge the Gabrielino & Tongva peoples

as the traditional stewards of Tovaangar (the unceded territory of Los Angeles).

i acknowledge the land & the water.

i acknowledge that tribal continuity

& community preservation depends on clean, shared,

secure & sustainable land & water access.

i acknowledge the history upon which the state of California has been built,

how policies, systems, & structures of spoken & unspoken racism

oppress & erase People of Colour.

i honour & respect the history

of the original inhabitants & places that preceded the founding of Los Angeles

& i am committed to sharing this history in my work.

i am committed to continuing the work

of kinship, listening, support, & reparation as well

as building long-lasting relationships with Indigenous & other community partners.

i am grateful to work for the taraaxotam (Indigenous peoples)

& for their continuing flourishing, security & safety.

i offer thanks & homage to our shared Honuukvetam (Ancestors), elders,

& ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present & on their way.

Author Bio:

Linda Ravenswood (BFA MA PhD abd) is an award winning Poet and Performance artist from Los Angeles.

Recent books include Cantadora — Letters from California (Eyewear London/The Black Spring Press Group 2023), The Stan Poems (Pedestrian Press 2022), XLA POETS (Hinchas Press 2021), You Will Not Be Forgotten – Tlacuilx (Hinchas de Poesia 2021), and Hymnal (Mouthfeel Press 2012). The Arthur Smith Prize winning collection — a poem is a house — is forthcoming from Madville Press in 2024.

Linda is the founding Editor in Chief of The Los Angeles Press, est. 2018. She introduces the programmes ‘Poets Café’ and the new ‘Teach Me’ (on Education in California) on KPFK radio 90.7 FM — available on air and online at kpfk.org.

Linda is the founder of the poet laureate programme in Glendale, California (2022). She is currently working to bring poet laureate programs to Burbank, California and Pasadena, California at the requests of their libraries.

Accolades include an Oxford Prize, The Edwin Markham Prize from Poet Laureate of The United States Juan Felipe Herrera, The Arthur Smith Prize, Finalist for The Rachel Wetzsteon Prize from MAP Press (2023), Finalist for The Gunpowder Prize from Alta (2023), Finalist for the Hilary Gravendyk Prize (2017 and 2018), three time nominee for The Pushcart Prize for Poetry, (2009, 2012, 2023), Shortlist for Poet Laureate of Los Angeles 2017, Shortlist for The International Beverly Prize in 2019.

Linda Ravenswood is NDN / First Nation, (Pokanoket, Wampanoag) and a Mayflower descendant on her mother’s side, and an Indigenous/Mestizaje from Baja California Sur on her father’s side. She was raised in Los Angeles by Jewish Holocaust survivors from WWII.

Find her at thelosangelespress.com