An Evening Honoring Texas Poet Laureate Dr. Octavio Quintanilla

On Friday evening, the Our Lady of the Lake University community gathered to celebrate Dr. Octavio Quintanilla, 2025 Texas Poet Laureate and esteemed OLLU faculty member, during a night of poetry, reflection, and inspiration.

Dr. Quintanilla shared selections from his acclaimed collection The Book of Wounded Sparrows, offering profound insights into the resilience and beauty found within the written and spoken word. His reading reminded attendees of poetry's enduring power to connect hearts, challenge perspectives, and illuminate the human experience.

Dr. Quintanilla is the author of If I Go Missing, The Book of Wounded Sparrows-longlisted for the National Book Award-and Las Horas Imposibles / The Impossible Hours, winner of the 2024 Ambroggio Prize from the Academy of American Poets. In addition to his poetry, he is the founder of the VersoFrontera literature and arts festival, publisher of Alabrava Press, and a former Poet Laureate of San Antonio. His visual poems, known as Frontextos, have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Texas and beyond.

OLLU extends its sincere gratitude to Dr. Quintanilla for sharing his voice, creativity, and passion for language with our community. His work continues to inspire students, faculty, and all who value the transformative power of the arts.