When one thinks of poetry readings, what might come to mind is a coffee house somewhere in New York's Greenwich Village, not out under the palm trees along Biscayne Bay.
But a new documentary film invites the viewer to look beyond Miami's reputation as a capital of glitz, glamour, sand and surf — and delve straight into the city's literary soul.
The film is titled Poetry City, and it's screening at the Miami Film Festival this week, smack-dab in the middle of National Poetry Month.
A number of Miami's most influential poets, spoken-word artists and poetry lovers are interviewed for the film.
But the major through line is Oscar Fuentes, also known as the "Biscayne Poet."
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Fuentes can usually be seen at literary events at a folding table with a small manual typewriter, writing personalized poems for people — usually based on just three words.
The film's director, Aaron Glickman, first met Fuentes about 17 years ago at the now-shuttered Wood Tavern in Wynwood.
"He would be there with his typewriter and I was able to observe at that time the effect that he had on people," says Glickman.
The film was shot last year and culminates with an event during the 2025 Miami Book Fair.
Along the way, Glickman examines Miami's robust poetry culture through appearances by and interviews with some familiar faces: Richard Blanco, the county's first Poet Laureate and Presidential Inaugural Poet; Mitchell Kaplan, the owner of Books & Books and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair; and Nicole Tallman, Miami-Dade County's official Poetry Ambassador.
The film also features last year's finale of WLRN's annual ZipOdes contest. ZipOdes, the joint creation of literary non-profit O, Miami and WLRN, invites poets across South Florida to write and submit a 5-line poem based on their zip code.
Glickman says the scene in Poetry City that best illustrates the uniqueness of Miami's poetry culture is when Fuentes holds one of his impromptu sessions on a Biscayne Bay sandbar with kids from the Shake-A-Leg Miami program.
The non-profit provides specialized watersports and outdoor adventures for kids and adults with physical, developmental and economic challenges.
"The kids were throwing words out at Oscar and he would take those words and he would create unique poems, in the moment," says Glickman.
"It was a riveting scene. There's kids with autism just sitting there mesmerized as Oscar would do his thing.
"It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
IF YOU GO
What: Poetry City, a film by Aaron Glickman
When: Sat., April 18, 5:30p
Where: Miami Film Festival, Koubek Center, 2705 SW 3rd Street, Miami, FL 33135
Information: https://miamifilmfestival.com
Copyright 2026 WLRN
