On Saturday, July 25, 2026, poets from San Miguel and other areas around the state of Guanajuato came together for a tertulia literaria, a literary gathering. With a theme of Regresando a Casa, “Returning Home,” eighteen poets read their poems in an atmosphere of celebration, music and dance. 

Two poets from San Miguel, Fernando Omar Chávez (aka Fernando Soledad) and Hernán Rocha were among the readers. Others came from León, Celaya, Dolores Hidalgo, Irapuato, Tierra Blanca, Yuriria, Moroleón, Abasolo, and even Querétaro in the neighboring state. A surprise of the afternoon was when poet Gilberto Navarro presented his poem and painting in honor of Lucina Kathmann, a longtime active tertulia participant and San Miguel PEN member.

Lucina performed two dances, “The Condor” and “Te Recuerdo Amanda,” a poem by famous Chilean poet, musician, and songwriter Víctor Jara, who was assassinated in 1973 by the forces of the dictator Augusto Pinochet. Lucina was accompanied by Miguel Mondragón, who movingly sang the poem and played the vihuela (a small Mexican guitar) and the quena (an Andean flute).

Tertulias take place on a rotating basis in different parts of the state. This one, held at La Casa de la Cultura, was organized by San Miguel PEN and RETLEG, the statewide network of tertulias literarias coordinated by Josué Morales. Tertulias are free and open to the public.