On March 8, PEN Center USA hosted a birthday celebration
at EsCaLA in Koreatown in honor
of the late Grabriel García Márquez who left this physical world last year. The
featured writers (who were asked to choose a piece by Gabo) were Carolyn
Castaño, Olga García Echeverría, Antonieta Villamil, and 2014 Emerging Voices
Fellow Andrés Reconco. I was honored to be one of the readers, as well. The
festivities were hosted by David L. Ulin,
book critic of the Los Angeles Times,
and sponsored in part by the California
Community Foundation.
I want to offer a special
shout out to Lilliam Rivera, the Program Coordinator for Emerging Voices and
Workshops. Though many others helped make this a special evening, Lilliam—without
a doubt—worked many long hours planning the festivities that included
identifying and coordinating the authors who would participate in this event.
Lilliam is, herself, a 2013 PEN Center Emerging Voices Fellow and 2013 Enchanted
Land Fellow at A Room of Her Own Foundation. Her work has appeared in Bellevue Literary Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus.net, and Latina. Her young adult novel My
Shelf Life is currently with agents for representation.
I note that 10% of all
EsCaLA’s dinner checks was donated to PEN Center USA, a literary arts and human
rights organization.
And now for some images
from the evening’s readings.
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| Moments
before the festivities, Lilliam Rivera (second from right) huddles with host,
David Ulin |
 |
| Lilliam
Rivera welcomes the happy crowd |
 |
| David
Ulin |
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| Carolyn
Castaño |
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| Andrés
Reconco |
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| Olga
García Echeverría |
 |
| Daniel
Olivas |
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| Antonieta
Villamil |
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| Friends
and family enjoy food and literature |
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