Luis J. Rodriguez, the new poet laureate of Los Angeles, documented his tough upbringing in his book, “Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.” ; Credit: Dorian Merina / KPCC

Today is World Poetry Day, a commemoration that the United Nations says is intended to recognize “the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.” To mark the occasion, we thought there would be no other better guest than our very own poet laureate of Los Angeles, Luis Rodriguez. He talked to us about how L.A. connects to the rest of the world through poetry and previewed a new book about LA poets, which he  wrote the introduction for, Coiled Serpent: Poets Arising from the Cultural Quakes and Shifts of Los Angeles.

To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.