Paradoxes of Mexico City - Sat. readings in L.A.

Authors David Lida and Sam Quiñones at the Mexican Cultural Institute LOS ANGELES, CA – American-born, Mexico City-based author David Lida will present his newest book First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century at the Mexican Cultural Institute’s Art Gallery on Saturday, June 21 at 5 pm. [125 Paseo de la Plaza, Olvera Street, Los Angeles] He will be in conversation with Sam Quiñones, noted author of nonfiction books about Mexico and a writer for the Los Angeles Times. David Lida’s book is an entertaining guide, displaying both intimate familiarity with the city and an outsider's eye for its quirks and weirdness. In the book, Lida profiles its various neighborhoods, from Santa Fe to Condesa, its street markets and food stalls, festive cantinas and desperate pulquerías. He examines the inhabitants’ mania for wrestling matches and saint worship, their distinctive vernacular and the culture’s deeply ingrained machismo.

Sam Quiñones has published two books about Mexico: True Tales from Another Mexico: The Lynch Mob, the Popsicle Kings, Chalino and the Bronx, a collection of non-fiction stories about contemporary Mexico that grew from his reporting on the country. It has been used in more than 150 university classes at 75 universities in 26 states. In 2007, he published Antonio’s Gun and Delfino’s Dream: True Tales of Mexican Migration.

Both authors will read from sections of their respective books, engage in conversation about their experiences and take questions from the attendees. Books will be available for sale and signing.

The author presentation is co-sponsored by the Cervantes Center of Arts & Letters, a non-profit corporation established in 2002, with the purpose of organizing quality events of a cultural and educational nature, free of cost for the Los Angeles community and environs, fostering appreciation of culture and creativity in all its diversity. This is done through lectures, festivals, concerts, film-screenings, book presentations and exhibits.

The Mexican Cultural Institute, located at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, is the premier venue for the expression of traditional and contemporary art and culture from the Mexican, Mexican American and Chicano perspective. The Institute is committed to providing education, disseminating information, and serving as a valuable resource for the world community, with an active emphasis on serving the residents of Los Angeles and its environs.

Contact and RSVP: (310) 754-6250