In a world full of noise and chaos, Jesse James Ziegler learned early that the most powerful thing you can do is in his words tell the story no one ever gave you. Now, as Reno’s current Poet Laureate, he’s not just writing poems but building a community, one word at a time.
At 48, Ziegler carries poetry in his bones. Born Jesse James Fortado Jr., he grew up in Grass Valley, California, without knowing his biological father, a man that his mother, Debby, rarely spoke about. When Jesse was just three years old, another man stepped into his life and by the time Jesse had turned six his name was legally changed to Jesse James Ziegler.
“I never really knew my story,” Ziegler said. “So I started to write my own.”
It was in his childhood that the first seeds of poetry were planted. Mother Goose nursery rhymes filled his early years. Then came Shel Silverstein, and later in high school appeared Shakespeare. All in which, opened doors of language and creation for Ziegler.
Above it all, one memory stands out: a crumpled piece of newspaper clipping on his father’s desk, featuring a poem called “The Man in the Glass.” At the time the author was unknown as it was marked “anonymous” but the poem's message about living with authenticity left a permanent mark. It became clear that at the end of your life, the only person you have to answer to is the one you see in the mirror.
“Poetry became more than something I liked,” Ziegler said. “It became how I figured out who I was. Poetry is therapy. It's a process. It’s prayer. It’s passion. It’s how I heal.”
Writing remained constant through the phases of his life and years spent living on the East Coast in Virginia. Eventually, as his parents grew older, Ziegler returned west, landing in Reno. Close enough to still visit but far enough to build his own life.
Here, Ziegler’s relationship with poetry deepened. He connected with Spoken Views Collective, a local organization focused on spoken word and literary arts, as well as, open mics, poetry jams, and a lifetime of writing in journals.
“For the last decade, I’ve been doing it more seriously than ever before, and I have written more than at any other point in my life,” he said.
In 2021, Ziegler first applied to become Reno’s Poet Laureate, reaching the finalist stage. Though he didn’t win that year, he spent the next two thinking about what he would do if given the opportunity. When he found out he had been selected on November 26, 2023, he was ready.
“It felt great,” he said. “Writing isn’t just a side hustle…it’s survival.”
His two year term, which began in January 2024, is anchored around two things, “community building and community service”.
“I wanted to do as many events as I could that are free and accessible,” he explained.
Continuing his work hosting Monday Night Poetry at Shim’s Tavern was a priority. But he also launched “True Colors Poetry,” a free, all ages poetry group that meets twice a month. Jesse hopes the program will live on after his time as Poet Laureate ends, creating a lasting space for local voices to grow and connect.
For him, it's not about a round of applause, or a title, but the ability to be able to hand the mic to someone who’s never believed their story mattered and showing them that it does.
“If ‘poet’ ends up on my headstone, that would feel exactly right,” he said with a smile.
While serving his term another one of his missions not just as a poet but as a man, is he says to normalize emotional honesty.
“I think more men would benefit from the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth that comes from consistently reading and writing,” he said. “I want to be the kind of man who says ‘I love you’ without shame.”
In his mid-thirties, Ziegler uncovered another hidden piece of his story. For most of his life, he believed he was mostly Portuguese. Only later did he discover that he was predominantly Irish. A revelation that reshaped how he thought about his own identity. He knows what it means to carry the weight of unspoken things. He knows what it means to feel unseen.
“I think everyone wants to know where they come from. I grew up wondering what 50 percent of me even was,” he said.
Today, Ziegler stands not only as Reno’s Poet Laureate, but as living proof of what poetry can build: a self, a community, and future. As National Poetry Month comes to a close this month, his message remains clear:
“I’m just trying to become the adult who would have saved me as a kid and maybe help save a few others along the way.”