Jesus Cortez Finds Poetry in the Working Class Realities of West Anaheim

Coffee shops are familiar dens for poetry, but Jesus Cortez prefers Rainbow Donuts in West Anaheim to discuss his verses after a long day of work. The doughnut dive is a staple of the working-class with Lotto scratchers promising quick payouts hidden behind opaque inks, shelves with instant noodle lunches and pink boxes waiting to be filled with pastries. Cortez stirs a cup of coffee and picks at a blueberry muffin while describing the gritty intersection of Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue that helped birth and continues to shape his poetry.

Read more on my OC Weekly Arts & Culture Blog post:

https://www.ocweekly.com/jesus-cortez-finds-poetry-in-the-working-class-realities