Autumn Mailbox News & Notes

Michael Sedano

Looking forward…
Los Angeles Sep 24 • Call for Readers / Writers • Quixote's 400th Anniversary

Planning reaches a critical stage for the University of Southern California Doheny Memorial Library’s “Day of Readings” commemorating the 400th anniversary of the completion of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote de la Mancha in 1615.

Tempus Fugit, an old Latina Latino would advise, noting the tight deadline to express interest to be a reader or writer at the 2015 event.

This is a nationwide call from USC’s Boeckmann Center for Iberian & Latin American Studies. The Center’s Librarian, Barbara Robinson, who sponsored the 2010 Festival de Flor y Canto Yesterday • Today • Tomorrow, tells La Bloga that the Quixote event will have two parts.

The morning begins with the novel reading on a stage at the heart of the USC campus. Here’s Tom Miller’s memories of participating in a reading in Madrid. Visiting readers, USC students, faculty, staff, alumni will select and read passages in their language of choice from the novel.

That evening poets, novelists, short story writers, journalists, artists, actors, and scholars may elect to read passages from the novel, or present original work illuminating divergent views on the novel and its legacies for people in the Americas.

Organizers will call upon USC’s formidable multimedia resources to project illustrations of Don Quixote's characters and adventures onto the facade of Doheny Memorial Library.

• Open to reading a few pages from Don Quixote in the all-day reading?
• Open to writing something related to Quixote, Cervantes for the spotlight session, or perform a reading?

Writers and readers open to participating will express interest via email by Sept. 24 to Bill Dotson or to Barbara Robinson.

Looking forward…
Nationwide Dec 1 • Speculative Fiction

Latino/a Rising: An Anthology of U.S. Latino/a Speculative Fiction will be the first anthology
to bring together U.S. Latinos/as who are working in science fiction, fantasy, and other speculative genres.

Submission guidelines at this link.

Houston Sep 27 • Librofest

Arte Público Press authors will play a prominent role in the 3rd annual Houston LibroFEST, a festival celebrating Latino literature and culture on Saturday, September 27, 2014, from noon – 8pm at two Houston Public Library (HPL) locations.

This entertaining all-day event, part of Houston Public Library’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, is a book and arts festival for the entire family that highlights Hispanic writers and the vibrant culture, music and art of the city’s Latino community. Visit the fest site here.


Santa Barbara Sep 27 • Mission Poetry Series