Nina Serrano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nina Serrano
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|---|---|
| Born | Weehawken, New Jersey |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin |
| Genres | poetry, plays, historical fiction |
| Spouses |
Paul Richards
(m. 1987) |
| Children | Valerie Landau, Greg Landau |
Nina Serrano (born in 1934) is an American poet, writer, and storyteller. She also produces independent media. Nina lives in Vallejo, California.
She wrote Heart Songs: The Collected Poems of Nina Serrano (1980). Another book is Pass it on!: How to start your own senior storytelling program in the schools. Her poems appear in many collections, like Under the Fifth Sun: Latino Writers from California. She has also translated poems by Peruvian poet Adrian Arias. Today, Nina leads storytelling workshops for older adults and in elementary schools. She used to direct the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program. Nina is also an activist who supports social justice, women's rights, and the arts.
Contents
About Nina Serrano
Early Life and Education
Nina Serrano was born in 1934 in Weehawken, New Jersey. Her parents were Ida and Joseph Serrano. She grew up in New York City, in neighborhoods with many different cultures. Nina studied theater and anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the 1950s, she traveled with student groups who promoted peace. They visited places like Soviet Russia and revolutionary China.
A Career in Writing and Media
While raising her family and teaching, Nina worked in theater, radio, and film. She helped create movies about different countries. In 1968, she met poet Roque Dalton in Cuba. They wrote a TV drama together, which was shown on Cuban television. This experience helped her become a writer.
When she returned to San Francisco, Nina focused on journalism, playwriting, and poetry. She wrote articles about important events. Her poems were published in local newspapers. In 1969, she joined Editorial Pocho Che, a group of Latino poets. Her first poetry book, Heart Songs, was published in 1980. Over the next 30 years, she published more poetry books. She also appeared in many poetry anthologies. Nina began translating poetry, including works by Peruvian poet Adrian Arias. In 1982, she helped translate an important economic plan from Nicaragua.
In 1972, Nina joined Communicacion Aztlan. She wrote and produced radio programs for KPFA. For over 20 years, she continued her radio work. She also wrote and produced several plays for the stage. These included The Story of the Chicken Made of Rags and The Story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. She also wrote and produced film scripts. Some of these films are Que Hacer? and Después del terremoto.
Nina's Creative Works
Poetry Collections
- The Heart Suite Series:
- Heart Songs: The Collected Poems of Nina Serrano (1969–1979)
- Heart's Journey: Selected Poems (1980–1999)
- Heart Strong: Selected Poems (2000–2012)
- Stop Monsanto!
- To Die of Joy in the River
- A Poem for You: Learning to See in Darkness
- On New Years Day Unicorns Fly
- A Poem for You: A Sudden Warm Day in Winter
- Love Passed Over Us Like a Cloud
- Traces of Love
- Poems in the Redwoods
- Poems in Balmy Alley
- Welcome Immigrant Children, Bienvenidos
- Tribute to Ralph Maradiaga
- A Winter Solstice Poem for You
- Women I Know
- I am So Visible
Films She Worked On
- Que Hacer: What is to Be Done?
- Después del terremoto
- Back from Nicaragua
- La Cantata de Santa Marie de Iquique
Other Writings
- Education for Storytelling
- Assassinations of a Poet: Memories of Roque Dalton
- The Story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
- The Story of the Chicken Made of Rags
- Program of Economic Reactivation for the Benefit of the People: 1980
- Nicaragua Way
Awards and Recognition
Nina Serrano has won several international film awards. She received the XXXIII Mostra internazionale D'Arte Cinematografica award for Que Hacer: What is to Be Done?. She also won an award at the Kraków, Poland International Film Festival for After the Earthquake: Despues del terremoto.
In 2010, Oakland Magazine named her "Best Local Poet." In 2024, she received an Adelle Foley Award from PEN Oakland. This award recognized her work as an author, radio host, and activist.
Community Involvement
Nina Serrano has been very active in her community. She served as an Arts Commissioner for Alameda County. She also directed San Francisco's Poetry in the Schools program. Nina helped start the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco. She is still involved there today.
For a long time, she has produced radio programs on Pacifica Radio station KPFA (94.1 FM) in Berkeley, California. She hosts La Raza Chronicles and Open Book. Her programs are also heard on KZCT in Vallejo.
Nina Serrano appeared in a video called "Frida en El Espejo/Frida in the Mirror." This video was shown at the SF Film Festival in 2009.
