The Poets of San Francisco: A Journey Through the City’s Laureates and Their Legacy

The Poets of San Francisco: A Journey Through the City’s Laureates and Their Legacy

There’s a kind of magic drifting through San Francisco—right there, where the land bows to the sea and clouds descend to whisper stories to the hills. And in this city, sculpted from impossible corners and streets that seem like labyrinths of dreams, poets dwell. Not just any poets, mind you; these are the Poet Laureates, the keepers of the city's voice.

Since 1998, San Francisco has chosen these souls to write on its behalf, to translate into words the essence of its air: hope, struggle, beauty. Each one has left a distinct mark, yet all have helped us understand that this city beats with a heart crafted from verses.

A Parade of Words and Names

Lawrence Ferlinghetti sitting with a giant pencil and an ash tray in front of him

Image courtesy of Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images

Lawrence Ferlinghetti was the first, way back in 1998. How could it start with anyone else? Ferlinghetti was City Lights; he embodied bohemia itself. His words—always free, always a bit defiant—reminded us that poetry can be a quiet revolution.

Janice Mirikitani

Image credit: Nancy Wong

Then came Janice Mirikitani in 2000, with a voice born from the raw wounds of history. Her poetry was a mirror, showing us truths we often avoid but are impossible to deny.

sm_major4.jpg

Photo source: indybay.org

In 2002, Devorah Major took the mantle, and suddenly the city became a living poem. She saw San Francisco as a mosaic, where every piece had its own color and story, weaving them into a singular, breathtaking canvas.

Jack Hirschman

Photo source: poets.org

With Jack Hirschman (2006–2009), poetry became a shout. Jack didn’t write to decorate—he wrote to shake you awake. His verses, though sometimes painful, were also a balm for those seeking justice.

Diane di Prima

Photo courtesy of Raven Chronicles Online Magazine

Diane di Prima brought something different between 2009 and 2012. Her poems felt like whispers from another era—mystical, almost magical, as though every word carried ancient secrets.

Photos: Alejandro Murguía at Top of the Mark - The Beat Museum

Photo courtesy of The Beat Museum

Then came Alejandro Murguía, the poet of the Mission, with his bilingual, life-soaked verses. From 2012 to 2015, Murguía sang of struggles, loves, and roots that hold firm even as the ground trembles.

CCA diversity studies faculty Kim Shuck receives Academy of American Poets  Fellowship | CCA

San Francisco’s Poet Laureate and CCA Diversity Studies faculty member, Kim Shuck. Photo by Doug Salin Photography.

Between 2017 and 2020, Kim Shuck reminded us of something essential: this land has a history far older than we often acknowledge. Her poems, rich with Indigenous wisdom, urged us to look back to better understand who we are today.

Image of Tongo Eisen-Martin

Photo source: poetryfoundation.org

And Tongo Eisen-Martin, the poet of the streets, troubadour of resistance. From 2021 to 2024, his poetry became a fractured mirror, reflecting our flaws and, at the same time, our potential.

Genny Lim

Photo courtesy of The Beat Museum

In September 2024, Genny Lim takes up the torch. Her voice—warm yet unyielding—sings of lives crossing borders, hands building futures, and dreams with no boundaries. With her, San Francisco continues to write its story, a city forever in the act of reinvention.

San Francisco’s Poetry

What’s remarkable about this city is that its poetry isn’t confined to books. It’s in the air, in the clatter of cable cars, in the salty breeze rolling in from the ocean. San Francisco sings, even when you don’t notice.

And that’s what its Poet Laureates do—they capture that invisible song and turn it into words you can hold. So the next time you walk through Mission, North Beach, or the Embarcadero, listen closely. You might catch a stray line of Ferlinghetti or a warm whisper from Lim.

The poetry is there, in every corner. All you have to do is pause for a moment—and feel it.

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