AWARDS

Recipient of the
​2019 Discovered Award
for Literary Artists in
 Sonoma County

JUROR'S STATEMENT

Ernesto Garay’s poems take us to the border, to the streets, to the desert, to abuela’s kitchen. 

They offer us love and anger, hope and despair. They speak the language of the people. And they tell the stories of Central American immigrants struggling to find a home in the United States. Mr. Garay is a brave storyteller who doesn’t shy away from difficult material. In fact, he makes real poetry out of human suffering. 

These poems both open our eyes and lift our spirits. We can’t look away. The Salvadoran Death Squad lives in the same world as the melodious Toucan birds. A boy runs. A woman makes pupusas. A man cruises the Mission. Immigrants fight for life at the border. Mr. Garay gives voice to these human beings living on the edge. He finds poetry in their daily existence. And he uses the language of the people so that their stories aren’t lost in translation. 
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We found these poems to be surprising, alive and vibrant. And we were impressed with Mr. Garay’s range, not only in the stories he wants to tell, but in the craft itself. He’s an important poet for our time.