Isabel Allende and Gioconda Belli Presente!

Olga Garcia Echeverria

I recently found out that two of my all-time favorite writers, Isabel Allende and Gioconda Belli, will be featured here in Los Angeles on May 10th. Sadly, I won't be in town, but that's no reason to hoard the good news.

So, let me say it again...Isabel Allende and Gioconda Belli in the house you all! At The Aratani/Japan American Theatre to be exact. At 8:00 P.M.

244 South San Pedro Street

Los Angeles CA 90012

Box Office: 213-680-3700

The event is part of the ALOUD series. To read more about ALOUD visit http://www.lfla.org/aloud/about.php.

Yeah, tickets are a meaty $25.00, but these women writers aren't your regular little poets (i.e. me), they're two of Latin America's living literary icons--stellar, bien chingonas, and well worth the price. If by any chance, you're a Library Associate you can get in for $17.50. Unfortunately, there's no mention of student discounts.

About the Featured Writers:
(fotos borrowed from authors' websites)

Born in Peru and raised in Chile, Isabel Allende is the author of nine novels, including Inès of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, and Portrait in Sepia, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. She has also written a collection of stories, four memoirs, and a trilogy of children’s novels. Her books have been translated into more than twenty-seven languages and have become bestsellers across four continents. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Isabel Allende lives in California. Visit Isabel Allende's website

Gioconda Belli's poetry and fiction have been published all over the world. Her first novel, The Inhabited Woman, was an international bestseller; her collection of poems, Linea de fuego, won the esteemed Casa de las Americas Prize in 1978. She is the author of the award-winning The Country Under My Skin and The Scroll of Seduction. Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand won the prestigious 2008 Biblioteca Breve Prize. She lives in Santa Monica, California, and Managua, Nicaragua. Visit Gioconda Belli's website

Also check out Gioconda Belli's Video Poema 8 de Marzo, a tribute to women around the world. http://www.giocondabelli.org/category/poetry/