Festival Leadership
The Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival is made possible through the work of poets, organizers, educators, artists, volunteers, and community collaborators committed to building accessible spaces for storytelling, performance, artistic experimentation, and public dialogue.
Our festival leadership team works year-round to support programming, partnerships, youth engagement, artist development, and community-centered cultural events throughout Albuquerque and the Southwest.
Zachary Kluckman
Founder / Festival Director
Zachary Kluckman is a poet, community organizer, and the Founder & Festival Director of the Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work explores memory, grief, identity, ecology, and the body through lyrical and surreal approaches to language and storytelling.
A longtime performer, organizer, and advocate for spoken word and literary arts, Zachary was previously ranked as the fifth-ranked slam poet in the nation and has helped develop Chicharra into one of the nation’s largest spoken word and poetry slam festivals, with a strong emphasis on accessibility, youth engagement, interdisciplinary programming, and poetry as a form of public infrastructure and cultural connection.
His poetry has appeared in journals and anthologies including Hayden’s Ferry Review, Muzzle Magazine, Crab Orchard Review, Asheville Poetry Review, Arts & Letters, and the Wesleyan University Press anthology Dear Yusef. He is the recipient of the Button Poetry Short Form Poetry Award and was selected by Oliver de la Paz for the Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize.
Katrina Kaye
Assistant Festival Director
Katrina Kaye is an educator, writer, publisher, artist, and community organizer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work explores themes of identity, memory, and human connection through both traditional and experimental forms of poetry.
A longtime performer and touring spoken word artist, Katrina has published multiple poetry collections and chapbooks through a variety of independent presses, including her most recent collection, No Longer Water (Echobird Press). A former public school and community college English teacher, she remains deeply committed to helping others find self-expression through writing and storytelling.
In addition to serving as Assistant Festival Director for the Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival, Katrina facilitates writing and therapeutic poetry workshops throughout the community and currently leads the free Albuquerque-based writing group, Spill the Ink.
Festival Programming Team
The Festival Programming Team helps shape and support the creative, educational, and community-centered experiences that make Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival possible. Through workshops, youth programming, curated events, performances, and interdisciplinary collaborations, these organizers and artists help create spaces for storytelling, connection, and public engagement throughout the festival.
Kristin Patton
Erotica Showcase Producer
Kristin Patton is an Albuquerque-based poet, performer, and community organizer who has been active in the local spoken word scene since 2015. A longtime participant in poetry slams and open mic communities, Kristin has competed nationally as part of Albuquerque’s Mindwell Poetry Slam Team at events including Southern Fried Poetry Slam, the New York City Poetry Festival, Bigfoot Poetry Festival, and the Women of the World Poetry Slam Championship.
Her first collection, The Beginning of This, was published in 2020, and she currently holds the title of 2019 Poetry Goddess of Albuquerque. In 2024, she competed as part of the Voices of the Barrio Slam Team, helping the team place fourth overall.
As part of the Chicharra Poetry Slam Festival team, Kristin helps develop and produce featured programming and community-centered events that celebrate performance, storytelling, and creative expression.
Scarlett Cortez
Youth Chair
Bio: Coming soon
TBA
Coming Soon