Writer Leticia Hernández collaborated with WritersCorps, a program of the San Francisco Arts Commission, WritersCorps instructor Minna Dubin, visual artist Ana Teresa Fernandez, and young women of color attending Hilltop School to create Iron Mom, Not Just a Baby Mama—poetry for performance that addresses pregnancy and motherhood, based on themes agreed upon by the young women and lead artist.
Born to Salvadoran immigrant parents, Leticia Hernández grew up hearing two very different messages about pregnancy and motherhood—that becoming a mother was expected and revered and that the worst thing she could do for her future was to get pregnant before obtaining an education. Through the project, Hernández explored her own “late” entry into motherhood in her 30s and the early initiation experienced by the teenage mothers at Hilltop School. The project culminated with an evening of poetry performance, a photography exhibition, and an online publication.
Leticia Hernández has lived and worked as an artist in the Mission Community for over 15 years and has been performing her poetry throughout the country since 1998. WritersCorps is a nationally recognized and award-winning program that improves the literacy and writing skills of educationally and economically disadvantaged youth through long-term intensive creative writing workshops with professional writers.
