Mayor Michelle Wu and the powers that be in Boston's literary scene have crowned Parker-Vincent Alva as the city's new Youth Poet Laureate. The collaboration behind this endeavor includes Boston Public Library, 826 Boston, and several other local literary hubs.
Alva, a Boston Latin School student with a flair for poetry and performance, snagged the title at a lively showcase in the Roxbury branch of the Boston Public Library. His words will soon spill across the pages of his own book, hitting shelves in all 26 library branches, and he'll be pocketing a cool $3,000 stipend for his poetic efforts. Wu sung praises of Alva's promise, noting, "The voices of our youth should not only be seen as potential for the future, but an opportunity to inspire others – and those voices deserve to be amplified," according to Boston.gov.
Alva's poetry leans into the intricate dance of desire and identity, a subject he's explored through his affiliations with BLS's Theater Company and the Yellow Submarine Improv Troupe. Adding to his artistic resume, the GrubStreet Teen Summer Writing Fellowship alum has left his mark in BLS's literary magazine, The Register.
Among the finalists and semifinalists sharing the stage with Alva were Alyssa Mascarenhas and Farhiyo Omar, representing local high schools with their own brand of fervor and verse. These young scribes too, showed that Boston's youth is a force to be reckoned with in the literary arts. During his tenure, Alva will also receive guidance from Boston's Poet Laureate, Porsha Olayiwola. Expounding on the opportunity, Olayiwola told Boston.gov, "I am eager to work with Parker. He is an incredibly brilliant younger person with a clear passion and talent for poetry. I look forward to how Parker will help influence the poetry scene in our city."
The Boston Youth Poet Laureate initiative stems from a citywide commitment to literary appreciation, a collaboration with Urban Word that also gave rise to Alondra Bobadilla and Anjalequa Birkett, the first and second Youth Poet Laureates respectively. It's a testament to the city's resolve in giving its youth not just a platform but a loudspeaker, to broadcast their thoughts in a language all their own – verse.
