Jesse James JohnsonJesse James Johnson is a queer Tejano/Chicano poet who has lived in the Tenderloin for almost thirty years. Born in Austin, Texas he is a product of the Chicano/a Arts Renaissance Movement and thus heir to a literary tradition that regards poetry as force for social transformation. He has facilitated creative writing workshops for special populations including young gay men of color, people with AIDS, the formerly incarcerated, program participants of Hospitality House and members of the SF Drug Users Union. In 2015 and again in 2018 he was a Hidden Gems Awardee of the Wildflowers Institute. He recently received a grant from the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to collaborate on a series of short videos about the Tenderloin. Mine is a Community of Misfits and Outlaws is his first published book of poetry. However as an active poet for more than 25 years, he has given readings, inspired his neighbors to action, and incited artists to change the world around them. Read More Read Less