Word Play
The poet Lupe Mendez is an animated storyteller. He’ll change the tone of his voice, switching between English and Spanish as he speaks softer and then louder. It’s a delivery he honed over 17 years teaching high school English in Houston. Mendez still works for the Houston Independent School District, but now he’s a curriculum writer and teaching coach.
To get the full picture of Mendez’s storytelling, it’s best to see him onstage reciting poetry about his Texas roots, discovering other writers of color, and discussing why he chose to teach. He moves his hands as he talks, adding urgency, and sometimes incorporates the audience, asking them to repeat certain phrases to emphasize his spoken words.
To say Mendez knows what he’s doing would be an understatement. He’s been sharing his poetry across Texas and the nation for almost. And last year, the state Legislature named Mendez the Texas poet laureate for 2022.
