Judges
Catherine Abbey Hodges, an award-winning poet and teacher, has been scribbling her thoughts in spiral-bound notebooks since she was in elementary school. Her most recent book of poems is In A Rind of Light, published in 2020 by Stephen F. Austin State University Press. Catherine teaches English at Porterville College, where her students keep her awake and amazed. Learn more, and read some of her poems, at www.catherineabbeyhodges.com.
7th-8th Grade Judge
Mariah Bosch is a queer Chicana from Fresno. She is a recent graduate of the Fresno State MFA program in Creative Writing and her work can be found on Poets.org, Hobart, Cosmonauts Avenue, and elsewhere.
9th-12th Grade Judge
Michael Jasso (not to be confused for your dad) is a poet, teaching artist and organizer based out of California's Central Valley. He is the founder of The Loud Mouth Poetry Jam, Visalia's premiere slam venue for 8+ years. Since he started competing 11 years ago, he's represented his venue at NPS 2014 & 2015, competed as a storm poet at IWPS 2018, and has coached several of Visalia's reps. Much like your dad, he tells cringey jokes, loves grilling, and asks if your oil has been changed as his form of "I love you."
Adult Judge
Jefferson Beavers is a Chicano/pocho writer based in Fresno. He works as a communication specialist in Fresno State's English Department, where he supports graduate students in the MFA Creative Writing Program and coordinates the Fresno Poets Archive Project.
Spanish Language Judge
Aideed Medina is a poet, and spoken word artist. She is currently serving as president of Reforma del Valle Central, advocating for libros y comunidad. Her work has appeared in Fresno State's Club Austral Literary Magazine, Chicano Writers and Artists Association Journal. Online on La Bloga, Poets Responding, Art of the Commune, and as part of a collection of original art songs composed for The Opera Remix, Fresno Grand Opera. She is currently working on a collection of poems related to her exploration of California's natural history.
