Carlos Andres Gomez

Colombian American poet Carlos Andres Gomez will perform his original work at two Jamestown Community College locations.

Both events are free and open to the public.

At 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Gomez will present at the North County Extension Center in room 117 of the Training Center. At 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, Gomez’s performance will take place in the Student Union of the Jamestown Campus, with a reception and book signing to follow.

Gomez is the author of “Hijito,” which was awarded the Foreword INDIES Gold Medal and the International Book Award for Poetry in 2020; and the coming-of-age memoir “Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood,” released by Penguin Random House in 2012. His most recent book, “Fractures,” was selected by Pulitzer Prize-winning former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey as the winner of the Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry.

Gomez has also appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and Inside Man, directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington.

Hailing from New York City, Gomez has performed at more than 700 colleges and universities in 46 U.S. states and headlined shows in 26 countries across five continents. He has been featured on NPR, TEDx, Upworthy, Central Park SummerStage, and partnered with John Legend for Senior Orientation, a program to counteract bullying and champion inclusive masculinity among high school students.

A former social worker and public school teacher, Gomez first made a name for himself by winning at the Apollo Theater’s celebrated Amateur Night and later as a member of the renowned Nuyorican Poets Cafe’s slam team.