writers rule los angeles

The Flor y Canto at the University of Southern California continues through Friday, September 17. From my perspective as a reader, the festival has been an overwhelming success. The organizers will give us the lowdown soon after the event closes; I expect Michael Sedano, one of the key players in putting together this celebration of the written (and performed) word will grace us with his sum-up right here on La Bloga. I'll have more in the near future but for now I will say that this gathering of writers from around the country has exceeded all expectations in terms of moving, passionate art with themes as varied as the people who presented: love, anger, sex, struggle, identity, hope, despair. We heard the hard lessons, learned the hard way, passed on through the rhythms of poetry and prose. We listened to the artists expose themselves, and we were all transformed. In Spanish, English, Nahuatl, Calo - la raza strutted, cried, hollered, cheered, and delivered. It was a thing of beauty.


Later.