Juan Delgado is a writer and poet who serves as professor and interim provost at California State University San Bernardino. In advance of an event on how the arts can revive cities, he discussed the Latin Mass, working in education, and the winds that define the Inland Empire.
What was the first poem that really touched you?
I grew up in Mexico, in Guadalajara, and I would go to Latin Mass. When I would hear the singing and the Mass, and there was a sense of mystery, awe, and wonder. I could see how the words moved people, the musicality, the intonation and singing.
You’re now the provost at Cal State San Bernardino. What’s the hardest thing about working in university administration?
Trying to provide access for as many people as possible with limited resources.
It’s late in the evening in San Bernardino and you’re hungry. Where would you go?
I love Baker’s, which is local fast food. I love their beans and quesadilla. It’s a slice of heaven. And there will be every kind of person in that restaurant.
What’s your strongest memory of being in San Bernardino as a young person?
It’s the defining quality of this area, the Santa Ana winds. How the Santa Ana winds come through the Cajon Canyon and change the landscape.
What salad dressing best describes you?
Oil and vinegar.
What was the last thing that really inspired you?
We put up artwork—what we called “This is San Bernardino,” with [the artist and photographer] Tom McGovern, and we bring poetry and words and images together in abandoned storefront windows.