SPOTLIGHT ON FRANCISCO A. LOMELÍ

Monday’s post from Daniel Olivas…

Since 1978, Francisco A. Lomelí has been a full professor in the Departments of Chicana/o Studies and Spanish & Portuguese at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico (1978), M.A. from San Diego State University (1974), and B.A. from San Diego State University (1971).

Professor Lomelí has been chair of Chicana/o Studies and Black Studies, in addition to being director of the University of California Education Abroad Program in Costa Rica. He has published extensively in the form of books, articles, reviews, interview videotapes, translations and creative work, aside from serving on various editorial boards, as a member of organizing committees of international conference, and other specialized professional activities. He focuses on Chicano literature (all genres), literary history, Latin American literature (Mexican, Costa Rican, Chilean, Argentine), and the Spanish language. His most recent publication is Defying The Inquisition in Colonial New Mexico: Life And Writings By Miguel De Quintana (University of New Mexico Press, 2006), with Clark A. Colahan.

Professor Lomelí has received many honors including being listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers (2004), recipient of Outstanding Scholar of the Year, National Association for Chicano/Chicana Studies (2004), and Crítica Nueva Award for Chicano/a Literature, University of New Mexico (2006). He has participated on numerous panels including “Chicano/a and Latino/a Identity in the U.S.,” Rethinking Identity: Perspectives on Identity in Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures, UCSB (2006), “Theoretical Approaches to Minority Literatures,” Zachaikovsky University (Chita, Siberia, Russia) (2006), and “Transnational Mobility: Refiguring Latina/o Literature, Culture, and Identity,” Oakland (2006).

◙ Yesterday, I had a wonderful time at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I went to panels that included such writers as Helena María Viramontes, Michael Jaime-Becerra, Sam Quiñones and Gustavo Arellano. By the way, if you missed my interview with Arellano yesterday, go here. Start planning for the West Hollywood Book Fair which will take place on September 30. I will be moderating a panel…more on that later. Oh, one more note: my profile of novelist Margo Candela, author of Underneath It All (Kensington Books), appeared yesterday in the El Paso Times.