Gina Ferrara’s Journey as a Poet and Educator

February 26, 2025

On Saturday, February 15, poet and educator Gina Ferrara led a poetry reading featuring five local poets at the Jefferson Parish Library. Ferrara, a published poet and associate professor of English at Delgado Community College, has been deeply involved in the New Orleans poetry scene for decades, shaping both her literary career and her impact as an educator.

Ferrara began writing poetry in high school, but in 1995 she established herself in the literary community by joining the New Orleans Poetry Forum. The group met weekly to critique each other’s work and discuss poetry. This experience fueled her passion, leading her to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing at the University of New Orleans in 2004 while teaching middle school full time.

Ferrara’s teaching career at Delgado Community College began in 2009 as an adjunct, and in 2015, she secured a permanent position. Throughout her time at Delgado, Ferrara has remained committed to integrating poetry into the classroom, exposing students to literary arts in ways that make writing more personal and meaningful. “I see poetry as an important tool to emphasize specificity in writing, which makes students better writers and connects them to their topics,” she explained.

“For some students, this might be their only chance to read poetry,” Ferrara continued. “Poetry is a way to emphasize that writing should be about what truly matters. In an age where AI-generated text is becoming more common, originality in writing is more crucial than ever.”

Ferrara regularly invites local poets to her classroom to enrich her students’ learning experience, a practice that sparked the formation of the Delgado Reading Series, which brings prominent poets from across Louisiana to perform their work in Delgado’s Timothy K. Baker Theater on the City Park Campus.

Beyond the classroom, Ferrara has maintained a consistent presence in the local poetry scene. She recalls a time before Hurricane Katrina when poetry readings were abundant, with events happening almost every night of the week. One of the most popular, the Maple Leaf Reading Series at the Maple Leaf Bar, is still active and remains the longest-running poetry series in the country. Ferrara even met her husband at a poetry reading, as well as forged many lifelong friendships through readings. She has also curated The Poetry Buffet since 2007, a monthly event featuring various poets, which she considers an essential way to bring poetry to the community.

Her involvement in poetry has taken her beyond New Orleans, with opportunities to read and study in cities like Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. She was even awarded a grant to study and perform in Ireland. While grateful for these experiences, Ferrara remains deeply rooted in the local literary community.

At the Jefferson Parish Library reading, Ferrara presented several of her poems, including “History,” “Seeing Psycho for the First Time,” “When My Father Looked Like Omar Sharif,” and “After Two Decades.” Her book The Weight of the Ripened was released in March 2020, right at the onset of the pandemic, and her most recent collection, Amiss, was published in 2023. She is currently working on another book.

Ferrara is also a strong advocate for the arts, emphasizing the importance of literary expression in education. “Art—whether literary, visual, or performative—is where our humanity resides. It allows us to express ourselves, whether with vehemence or subtlety,” she said. “Now more than ever, it is crucial to teach, practice, and support the literary arts because writing is about communication, and communication leads to advancement.”

Through her work as a poet, educator, and literary advocate, Gina Ferrara continues to enrich both her students and the greater New Orleans community, ensuring that the power of poetry remains alive and thriving.