Glendale 1 — Tina Demirdjian and Raffi Wartanian holding the new poetry anthology, Jewel City Review, Volume 3 (photo by Karine Armen)

Arts & Culture Community poetry

Glendale Brings in Power of Poetry to Unite Community

October 15, 2026

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GLENDALE — Glendale Central Library hosted a free poetry event on Saturday, September 26, during which poet Laureate Raffi Joe Wartanian presented the third annual Jewel City Review (JCR) anthology of poetry. The day also marked the passing of the torch to the city’s new poet laureate.

A diverse group contributed to the anthology. Some had taken poetry workshops organized by Wartanian; others had participated in Artful Conversations at Brand Library & Art Center, a collaborative poetry workshop led by poet Tina Demirdjian and art historian Valerie Taylor.

Other guest poets included Kim Shuck (Poet Laureate of San Francisco, 2017-2021) and Rhonda Mitchell (Poet Laureate of Altadena).

From left: Rhonda Mitchell (Poet Laureate of Altadena), Kim Shuck (Poet Laureate of San Francisco), Raffi Wartanian, and Tina Demirdjian (photo by Karine Armen)

Since 2023, through community workshop readings, the Poet Laureate Program has invited contributors of all ages, experiences and language backgrounds to discover that poetry belongs not only to professional writers or the pages of books; it belongs to anyone willing to pay attention, wonder, and speak.

The City of Glendale and the Library, Arts, & Culture Department announced Demirdjian as the city’s next poet laureate in July; she began her post in September. The event marked the official transition between the two poet laureates.

Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian gave Wartanian a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Glendale and a Mayor’s Commendation. Kassakhian said, “We were very fortunate to have our first Poet Laureate be someone who is a polyglot, a musician, a writer, and can sport a man bun better than I ever could.” He added, “We can use more arts and culture in our city.”

Demirdjian read her poem as a farewell and note of gratitude to Wartanian.

Demirdjian has an impressive portfolio. She has taught poetry in Glendale, Los Angeles and Hacienda Heights/La Puente School Districts since 1991, working especially with English Language Learners from all backgrounds. This cause is close to her heart, as her parents, immigrants from Istanbul, to New Jersey, did not teach her to speak English. It was in Kindergarten that she learned English, but she recalled that she was always labeled as “foreign,” even though she had been born in the US.

“Teaching poetry and using it to empower students is a gift for me,” she said. Her goal is to harness their stories so that they have agency and ease over language. “Everything shapes who we are and how we approach the world,” said Demirdjian when asked about her diverse background.

She founded the firm Poetry Consults, which serves as a facilitator, team builder, and event producer. She also founded the Armenian Dress & Textile Project (ADTP), a a 25-year-old collective that organized a recent exhibit and month-long public programming of her ancestors’ clothing and embroideries from the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with Litavie Art Gallery, with support in part from the City’s Arts & Culture Commission.

As Poet Laureate, Demirdjian said she will use this platform to expand her experience working with students in classrooms and teaching in museums and galleries by offering workshops for Glendale’s community at large.

from left: Glendale Mayor Ardy Kassakhian and Raffi Wartanian (photo by Karine Armen)

Wartanian said, “Serving as Glendale’s first poet laureate has been a tremendous honor and a path to connect with community members who share common passions and interests.” He added, “I have learned so much from all of you, and that has been immensely gratifying.”

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

Topics: poetry

People: Raffi Joe Wartanian, Tina Demirdjian

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A poet, educator, musician, and composer, Wartanian became Glendale’s first poet laureate in 2023. During his tenure, he invited several poets to read their poems and teach poetry at Glendale libraries. He brought together an audience and participants, creating a safe, welcoming environment where creativity flowed. Many participants overcame their fear of writing and submitted their poems to the annual Jewel City Review anthology.

The Poet Laureate Program has united writers and readers through 12 workshop-readings with 33 featured poets at six locations across the city. These quarterly workshop-readings culminated in a new annual poetry magazine, Jewel City Review. In its first year, JCR published 17 individual poems by 13 poets. In our second year, JCR published 112 individual poems by 54 poets. Now in its third year, JCR was proud to publish 91 poems by 42 poets.

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