Latinos in Lotusland on the radio!

In a few weeks, Bilingual Press will be releasing Latinos in Lotusland : An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature which brings together sixty years of Los Angeles fiction by Latino/a writers.

Well, you can get an early taste of this wonderful anthology today at noon on a new public radio show, Bibliocracy (90.7 FM). The host, Andrew Tonkovich (editor of the Santa Monica Review), will be interviewing me (the editor), and two of the thirty-four contributors, Reyna Grande and Michael Jaime-Becerra. If you’re not in the Los Angeles area, you can listen online at http://www.kpfk.org/ as it happens and then it will eventually be archived for listening at your leisure. For more information, visit Bibliocracy’s website. If you enjoy the show, please fill in the comment form and let KPFK know...your input helps keep important programs like Bibliocracy alive.

There will be more events planned including a reading at Cal State Los Angeles on March 5 which is also mentioned on the Bibliocracy website…but I will post a reminder as we get closer.

The anthology includes short stories and novel excerpts by: Kathleen Alcalá, Frederick Luis Aldama, Lisa Alvarez, Victorio Barragán, Daniel Chacón, Kathleen de Azevedo, Alex Espinoza, Rudy Ch. Garcia, Estella González, Melanie González, Rigoberto González, Reyna Grande, Stephen D. Gutiérrez, Álvaro Huerta, Michael Jaime-Becerra, Manuel Luis Martínez, Alejandro Morales, Manuel Muñoz, Daniel A. Olivas, Melinda Palacio, Salvador Plascencia, Manuel Ramos, Sandra Ramos O’Briant, Wayne Rapp, John Rechy, Luis J. Rodríguez, Danny Romero, Conrad Romo, Jorge Saralegui, Jennifer Silva Redmond, Mario Suárez, Luis Alberto Urrea, Richard Vásquez and Helena María Viramontes

(Pictured in photo: Melinda Palacio and Helena María Viramontes (both contributors to Latinos in Lotusland) with María Herrera-Sobek.)

◙ The Library Foundation of Los Angeles in association with the Los Angeles Public Library presents the book series, ALOUD at Central Library:

Dagoberto Gilb will be discussing his new novel, The Flowers (Grove Press), in conversation with poet and essayist Marisela Norte. From one of this country’s most original voices comes a masterful new novel about a young Mexican-American who falls in love while sweeping the decks of an apartment building named The Flowers. In the midst of exploding racial violence, he must decide what he values and what he can do about it.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 13, at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Central Library - Mark Taper Auditorium (Fifth & Flower Streets, Downtown Los Angeles)

COST: Free!

Reservations strongly recommended: http://www.aloudla.org/ (which also has information regarding parking and other information) or (213) 228-7025

◙ Ana Veciana-Suarez, writing for the Miami Herald, profiles author Gonzalo Barr who has given up a successful legal career to focus on finishing his second book, a novel:

“Barr does not have an agent or a publisher for his novel, and Leejay Kline, his mentor and creative-writing teacher, calls the move ‘pretty ballsy.’ But what Barr does have is an impressive debut to his credit. His first book, the critically acclaimed short-story collection The Last Flight of Jose Luis Balboa (Houghton Mifflin, $12 in paper), won the coveted Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize in 2005, garnering attention and admiration from several established writers.”

Barr observes: “I'm still trying to figure things out. But I realize the decision was really a no-brainer. On my death bed, I didn't want to regret not having written what I wanted to write.”

If you missed our interview of this “ballsy” writer, click here. I admit that I am too chicken to give up my legal career to dedicate myself 100% to writing. So I am particularly impressed by Barr's bravery. Onward!

◙ A good friend of La Bloga, Mark Sarvas of The Elegant Variation, will be at Skylight Books tomorrow to discuss good books along with other members of the National Book Critics Circle. Click here for more information.

◙ All done. So, until next Monday, enjoy the intervening posts from my compadres y comadres at La Bloga. ¡Lea un libro!