Silicon Valley Born and Raised
Hi! Thanks for coming to my website. I’m guessing you found yourself this way because you’ve heard, watched, or read some of my poetry. Maybe you’ve attended one of my poetry workshops or been a student in one during one of the many teaching artist residencies I’ve held. Regardless, I am grateful that you’re here and hope you find something worthwhile while your browsing.
A little bit about myself, I am a Queer Flower-Loving Latinx Millennial born and raised in the 7-Trees Neighborhood in San Jose, the Heart of the Silicon Valley. Which is a short way which is a short way of saying I was raised in a hood not far away from the tech boom. So much so that my own parents worked circuit board assembly for IBM in the ’90s. It is one of the many reasons I aim to honor all the histories I come from and rep the Bay with all my heart in any space I bring my poetry to.
When I am not a poet you'll likely find me in a garden planting something into the fresh earth. I’ve spent the past 5 years slowly building my family's garden, a venture that has grown to consume them outside of their home. As a child, I would literally and routinely play in the mud out behind our double-wide. The plot of land was only clay and weeds, and what my family could afford. For me, poetry much like gardening is a practice of learning what happens when assumed dirt is nurtured, cultivated, and cared for. Much like the way I draft a poem or facilitate a creative writing workshop.
The first poem I ever performed was at an Open Mic held at Iguanas Taqueria in Downtown San Jose. My main reference for poetry then was old Def Poetry Jam performances from HBO. When I got to college I would discover the campus's spoken word student organization. Soon after I would be introduced to the Bay Area’s vibrant and competitive poetry slam scene. In the Bay, I got to be in a community with some of the most influential poets of the 21st century. Despite all of this prestige some of the most formidable poets of my artistic upbringing were my emerging peers, scrappy writers, bringing fresh drafts full of raw vulnerability to the mic. When you go to these often enough, the experience is like watching writers bloom in front of you. My poetry slam career quickly snowballed from then and have been blessed enough to garner some humble accomplishments that would make that little seed I was, rolling in the mud, proud of his roots.
I eventually would become a first-generation college graduate and master’s recipient. In 2022 I received a Masters in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I've also had the honor of being named a 2019 Poetry Foundation’s Incubator Fellow for community-engaged poets, the 2019 Silicon Valley Creates / Content Magazines Emerging Artist Laureate, a 2019 Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) fellow, and San José Poetry Slam’s 2018 Grand Slam Champion. I have also been a 2-time competitor at the Individual World Poetry Slam, a member of 5 nationally competing poetry slam teams, coached 2 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational teams, and a slam team competing at the Brave New Voices youth poetry festival. In 2015 with the Palo Alto slam team, I placed second in the nation for multi-voice poetry. In 2018 I had the privilege of performing a poem to open up for a Keynote from Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza.
One of the greatest joys of my life is being able to teach my craft. I have been a spoken word teaching artist for 6 years, primarily working in low-income Title 1 public schools. More often than not, I teach poetry to students who come from similar socioeconomic conditions as myself. Most recently, I was accepted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education for the 2021-2022 academic year to further study the impact of spoken word poetry in K-12 schools. In the future, I hope to start an education nonprofit aimed at giving back to communities what spoken word poetry has given me. My main goal as an artist is to continue to write and perform poetry that is the most honest and vulnerable interpretation of myself I have to offer. As if to say, “Hey, come follow me into this blooming.”
Press Bio
Born and raised in the San José Californias 7 trees neighborhood and currently living in the Boston area, Jarvis Subia's work delves into his relationship with his communities, sexuality, masculinity, national/global politics, lineage, race, gardening, mental health, personal growth, love, love, and love.
Jarvis is a 2019 Poetry Foundation and Crescendo Literary’s Incubator Fellow for community-engaged poets, 2019 Silicon Valley Creates / Content Magazines Emerging Artist Laureate honoree, 2019 Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) fellow, and San José Poetry Slam’s 2018 Grand Slam Champion.
He has been a 2-time competitor at the Individual World Poetry Slam, a member of 5 National Poetry Slam teams, and has coached 2 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational teams and 1 Brave New Voices youth poetry festival and slam team. He placed 2nd in the nation for (group piece) multi-voice poetry in 2015 with the Palo Alto slam team. He has participated in the masters writing workshop at the Las Dos Brujas writers conference, the 2019 Winter Tangerine NYC writers workshops, and is accepted to the 2021 Voices of Our Nations Arts (VONA) Writing Workshop.
Jarvis is currently a freelance teaching artist in the Boston Area and has worked with organizations such as SFJAZZ’s Jazz In the Middle program, Youth Speaks’ Emerging Poet Mentors, the Digital Media & Culture (DMC) Studio at MACLA, Sparc Poetry, and Bay Area Creative. Most recently, he received an Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Performances, Workshops, and Collaborations
