The background, poetic style, and impact of Jovina Zion Pradeep
Staff Writer
Asked about her philosophy about poetry, current Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate and United States Western Regional Youth Poet Laureate Jovina Zion Pradeep (11) did not take long to supply an analogy. “When you take a photograph, you capture how beautiful and flawed something is at the same time, without any post-processing or editing. But when you edit it, you’re trying to filter reality into something you want other people to see as beautiful. What poetry does is, you take an image in your head or any thoughts in your head, and translate it so other people can see that image with as much detail and the same perspective that you do.”
Pradeep has written poetry from a young age. She said, “I got into poetry when I was in preschool, around the time when I moved countries. I found it really hard to fit in because I was in an area where Asian culture wasn’t. So, I would take nursery rhymes and basically rewrite them. As I got older and faced actual issues and learned about societal issues, it evolved into writing about that.”
But her interest in publishing poetry was more recent. “The time when I got confident enough to share my poetry was when I discovered Dead Poets Society at AHS. When I saw all these people sharing poetry that was really personal to them, I was like, ‘So it’s actually safe to do this. I can be vulnerable in front of an audience as well.’”
Dead Poets Society is a space for students to share poetry that meets on Wednesdays at Ms. Luong’s FLEX. Ms. Luong, as the advisor of Dead Poets Society and now Pradeep’s Modern Poetry teacher, is familiar with her writing style. “Jovina’s style is exceptionally imagist,” she said. “How you and I might see a flower, she sees the same flower, but she’s able to put into words and perhaps more detail what this thing looks like or reminds her of.”
For instance, one of Pradeep’s poems entitled “Rivulet Cathedral” describes “granite cliffs, their faces aged and fissured, / lean as weathered elders whispering epochs.” This poem was inspired by Coyote Hills Regional Park. Pradeep said, “When I went to Coyote Hills, I took a picture of a rock. When I first looked at the rock, I thought it was an ancient sculpture of a sage or something like that. Then I realized that it’s a rock that just resembled a face for a few seconds, and that inspired this entire poem.”
From top left, clockwise: one of Pradeep’s poetry notebooks, the Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate’s certificate of recognition, AHS’s Winter-Spring 2024 Vesna magazine, the Winter 2024 Dungeness Press, an envelope sent to Pradeep from Representative Eric Swallwell, and the Dead Poets Society’s 2023-2024 chapbook. Pradeep’s work has been published in the magazines pictured (Photo Credit: Aruna Harpalani (11)).
The qualities that make Pradeep inclined to poetry stick out in everyday situations, too. Stephanie MacPherson (11) shared history class with Pradeep in sophomore year and quickly noticed her affinity for writing. “She writes a lot. In history, she would write long paragraphs for a one sentence question.”
Pradeep’s ability to develop unique perspectives also stands out in the classroom. Vanessa Mui (11), who met Pradeep in sophomore year English, grew intrigued by her due to this. “I initially approached Jovina in class because in class, Jovina would bring up interesting points,” she said. “When people would agree upon one thing, she would have differing opinions, and it was just very interesting to hear that.”
The Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate program is hosted by the Social Justice Services department of the Alameda County Library, according to Jenny Rogers, a librarian in the department. Per the AC Library website, Youth Poet Laureates must serve as an “ambassador to inspire civic engagement, social justice, cultural awareness, and literary excellence.”
Pradeep is currently working on several projects in this role. “I’m working on co-editing an anthology that will be published by the Alameda County library. It’s exciting because it’s the first thing I’ve ever been the lead editor of in print,” she said. This anthology, entitled Breath is a Balm, would include poetry, art, and photography. “Another important project I’m working on is the Alameda County Inaugural Literary and Arts Festival, which is planning to have a lot of fun events at many library branches within the Alameda County Library system.”
In this way, one can say Pradeep is passing it on—providing space for more people to be introduced to poetry just as she has. But Ms. Luong recognizes why these spaces may be lacking in and around Silicon Valley. “Fremont Unified is a largely STEM-oriented district,” she said. “I think a lot of the Bay Area is STEM-oriented in general. And it feels like there’s no space for students who want to explore humanities, poetry, that kind of thing.” But from Dead Poets Society to Breath is a Balm and the Literary and Arts Festival, efforts are being made to promote these pursuits—efforts that Pradeep benefitted from and thus seeks to promote.
“Something I learned from Dead Poets Society when I started performing there is that you get your confidence more as a writer from actually sharing your work than convincing yourself that your work is amazing but never sharing it with the world,” Pradeep said. “I advise writers to basically write what you want and not what others want. Just keep applying and submitting and wait until you find places that are willing to accept your work for what you truly are as a writer.”
Pradeep performed for the first time in her capacity as the Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate on August 2nd, 2024 at REACH Ashland Youth Center (Photo Credit: Erik Berman).
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