Poetry at the Point - January 22 with Maria T. Balogh, Joanna Fuentes, Lorenzo F. Gonzalez, and Alondra Lenis

POETRY AT THE POINT on January 22 will feature poets María T. Balogh, Joanna Fuentes, Lorenzo F. Gonzalez, and Alondra Lenis. Poetry at the Point is held at THE FOCAL POINT in Maplewood on the 4th Tuesday of the month. This reading series invites local and regional poets, and established and up-and-coming poets to share their words. The event is free. 

MARIA T. BALOGH is a bilingual, bicultural poet, fiction writer, performing Caribbean folkloric dancer, occasional doodler/painter, and educator. She dances and MCs for “Grupo Atlántico,” a Caribbean Folkloric dance group affiliated with MAC, where she often performs her original poetry related to the dances. She has a book of poetry in Spanish by Ediciones Torremozas, a Spanish publisher, and a collection of poetry and fiction in English by Cool Way Press. Her fiction and poetry have been published in journals from the USA and South America, including Bellerive, Untamed Ink, Literalchaos 2008 and Bad Shoe. She has been all over and done just about everything, including building rural aqueducts while in the Peace Corps. She now teaches Spanish, specializing in Latin American literature and culture, and creative writing at University of Missouri–St. Louis.

JOANNA FUENTES is an Engineer with an MBA from St. Louis University. Her job involves technology and travel, allowing her to experience different cultures, landscapes and human capabilities. These experiences are the inspiration for her writing. She has written poetry booklets, a travel blog and a variety of essays and articles. She uses poetry to share her feelings of appreciation and love for nature’s wisdom, the beauty of the planet we live in and the talents that human beings can develop for positive influence in the world. 

LORENZO F. GONZALEZ was born in Cuba and lives in University City. He has degrees in several disciplines from several countries: Nuclear Physics and Electronics from Hungary; Computers Science from Sweden and the United States; Education from University of Missouri–St. Louis. He is an instructor in the Political Science department at UMSL where he teaches Comparative Politics and Political Systems in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. For many years he has taught Advanced Conversational Spanish at St. Louis Community College. His book To Return to Cuba was published in 2017 in both English and Spanish.

ALONDRA LENIS was born in Mexico City, Mexico. She is the second child of three daughters. She was raised by a single mother. She is currently in her third year at University of Missouri–St. Louis, studying psychology in the arts. She has a folkloric group where she teaches kids her culture and traditional dances. She works part time in housekeeping and is raising her only child by herself. He is one of her inspirations to do poetry as well!

The Focal Point is at 2720 Sutton.  Parking is free in the lot on nearby Marietta Avenue or street parking. Readings start at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments available at the Maya Cafe next door. For more information or to read for the series contact Poetry at the Point Curator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For information about the event, contact Erin Quick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

http://stlouispoetrycenter.org/poetry-at-the-point/