The voices in the Altadena Literary Review 2020 are diverse and beautiful as the flora and fauna of Tovaangar, the ancestral land of the Tongva people, which includes Los Angeles. In this collection are the poetry and prose of the people we see every day who also carry poems within their hearts…from people experiencing houselessness to the youth to your neighbor. We are grateful to bring voices of poets/writers in this book writing words, in addition to English, in the Tongva language, Nahuatl language, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Within this diversity is the song of life, death, suffering, hope and joy reminding us how connected we are to each other and life on this planet and the universe. –Teresa Mei Chuc, Editor-in-Chief, Altadena Poet Laureate 2018 to 2020

When Teresa and I started our journey as co-Altadena poets laureate in 2018, we had no idea of the opportunities and challenges our new titles would bring. Since then we have grown tremendously as poets, publishers and champions for the literary arts.

The Altadena Literary Review 2020 represents the culmination of two years of our efforts to promote poetry and letters, and serves as a historical record of our vision to publish a literary journal that upholds excellence and reflects the diverse voices of not only the Altadena and Pasadena communities, but of greater Los Angeles. Thus, within these pages you will hear a chorus of multi-ethnic voices, as well as voices that represent members of the LGBTQ communities and different socio-economic groups, from those living in million dollar manors to those living in tents. You will hear their love songs and laments, their ditties, dirges, and dreams. By listening we hope you will not only develop a better understanding of the human condition, but a greater empathy and compassion for all of humankind. –Hazel Clayton Harrison, Editor, Altadena Poet Laureate 2018–2020