As part of its Writing Culture Series, Texas A&M University-San Antonio hosted a special on-campus celebration on Oct. 22, marking the release of REDWORK, the latest book by Laurie Ann Guerrero, associate professor of English and the University’s writer-in-residence.
Guerrero’s fifth published book, REDWORK combines lyric essays, poetry and images of embroidered textile art she created using red thread on cotton muslin — the inspiration for the title. The collection received the 2025 Autumn House Poetry Prize from Autumn House Press, a nonprofit publisher that specializes in poetry and literary works.
The Oct. 22 event featured a book reading and Q&A, moderated by fellow writer Anel Flores, author of Curtains of Rain. There was also a book signing, art exhibit, and reception, during which Poets Laureate Jenny Browne, Andrea Sanderson, and Eddie Vega each shared a poem.
Guerrero, who was born and raised on the South Side, said her new book and its artwork emerged from a challenging period in her life. Before beginning the project, she experienced the death of her grandfather, a divorce and her oldest child’s departure for college.
Feeling powerless and isolated, Guerrero turned to embroidery as a form of therapy. The practice also inspired her to write new poems and essays.
As she worked, Guerrero researched how women around the world have used embroidery to express themselves and find empowerment in societies that often limited their voices.
“It wasn’t just the embroidery itself; it was what was happening while women were creating it,” Guerrero said. “They found healing and strength in community. The art became an act of survival. It was revolutionary and transformational.”
Beyond REDWORK, Guerrero is working on a novel, The Ten Suicides of Celeste Navarro. The book tells the fictional story of an 189-year-old family matriarch who is the daughter of two survivors of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. The novel draws on research Guerrero conducted as a college student about Juana Navarro Alsbury, an actual survivor of the battle.
Guerrero’s other books include I Have Eaten the Rattlesnake: New & Selected Poems, A Crown for Gumecindo, A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying and Babies Under the Skin. Before joining A&M-San Antonio in 2017, she served as poet laureate for San Antonio from 2014 to 2016 and the State of Texas from 2016 to 2017.
As writer-in-residence, Guerrero brings acclaimed authors to campus through the University’s Visiting Writer Series, which features public readings and workshops for students.
Guerrero, who teaches courses in poetry, creative writing and American literature, said that as an educator, her goal is to help students discover their voices and share their experiences.
“Everyone has a story to tell,” she said, “and it’s important that we give students the space to express themselves and to be true to who they are.”