The only thing greater than reading a book is hearing from the person who wrote it. At Authors Uncovered, you’re offered a front-row seat to the minds of those who’ve put great stories and research onto the page. Currently, all author events will be broadcasted on Zoom.
On September 22 at 6 p.m. join us as Authors Uncovered kicks off our Latino Heritage celebration with a virtual bilingual poetry reading and panel. Representing a wide range of Latinx/Chicanx identities, histories, and regions (Sacramento Valley, Fresno, San Diego, and Los Angeles), poets Betty Sanchez, Aideed Medina, and Yago Cura will share their work and discuss the great joys and the complexities of Latino/a/x heritage.
Yago S. Cura is an Adult Services Librarian at Hyde Park for the Los Angeles Public Library and owner of
HINCHAS Press. Most recently, HINCHAS published
X LA Poets and
Inspiring Library Stories. In 2018, he and Abel Folgar wrote 23 odes to their World Cup call up squad of futbol greats for
Odas a Futbolistas. In 2020, Yago contributed a chapter, “Miguel,” to
Libraryland: It’s All About the Story. In 2019, Yago was interviewed by Stacy Russo for her book,
A Better World Starts Here: Activists and Their Work. In 2018, Yago published “Hoisting the Disenfranchised Over the Digital Divide in South Central Los Angeles” in the anthology
Poet-Librarians in the Library of Babel: Innovative Meditations on Librarianship.
Aideed Medina is a poet and spoken word artist. She is a member of Reforma del Valle Central, advocating for “libros y comunidad” and of Mothers Helping Mothers, an organization that works to alleviate crisis needs caused by political and environmental disasters. She is a UC CNP certified California naturalist, and practices “flor y canto" as part of her poetic process and exploration of California’s natural history. Her work has appeared in Fresno State's Club Austral Literary Magazine, Chicano Writers and Artists Association Journal, online on La Bloga, Poets Responding, Art of the Commune, and as part of a collection of original art songs composed for The Opera Remix, Fresno Grand Opera.
Norma Beatriz Sánchez Sánchez (Betty), poeta mexicana. Pronombre; ella. Residente del Sur de California. Miembro activo de los grupos literarios Escritores del Nuevo Sol y Círculo. Sus poemas se han publicado en las antologías
Voces y Cuentos del Nuevo Sol,
The Border Crossed Us,
Poesía en Vuelo, Soñadores; Mujeres de Maíz Zine, St. Sucia, y la revista en línea, La Palabra.
Advance registration for this virtual event on Zoom is required.
Authors Uncovered with Maceo Montoya in conversation with Xico Gonzalez | October 6 at 6 p.m.
Authors Uncovered is proud to welcome California-based author, artist, and educator Maceo Montoya. Moderated by Xico Gonzalez, a Sacramento-based artist, educator, and social justice advocate.
His first novel,
The Scoundrel and the Optimist was awarded the 2011 International Latino Book Award for "Best First Book" and Latino Stories named him one of its "Top Ten New Latino Writers to Watch." In 2014, University of New Mexico Press published his second novel,
The Deportation of Wopper Barraza, and Copilot Press published
Letters to the Poet from His Brother, a hybrid book combining images, prose poems, and essays. Montoya’s third work of fiction,
You Must Fight Them: A Novella and Stories was a finalist for Foreword Review's INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award. Montoya is also the author and illustrator of
Chicano Movement for Beginners, a work of graphic nonfiction. His most recent novel is
Preparatory Notes for Future Masterpieces.
In the visual arts, Montoya's paintings, drawings, and prints have been featured in exhibitions and publications throughout the country as well as internationally. He has collaborated with other writers on visual-textual projects, including David Montejano's
Sancho's Journal, an ethnography of the Brown Berets in San Antonio, Laurie Ann Guerrero's
A Crown for Gumecindo, and Arturo Mantecon's translation of Mexican poet Mario Santiago Papasquiaro's
Poetry Comes Out of My Mouth. In 2021, Red Hen Press published
American Quasar, a collaboration with Fresno poet David Campos featuring 19 of Montoya's monoprints.
Montoya grew up in Elmira, California. He comes from a family of artists, including his father Malaquias Montoya, a renowned artist, activist, and educator, and his late brother, the poet Andrés Montoya. Maceo graduated from Yale University in 2002 and received his Master of Fine Arts in visual art from Columbia University in 2006. He is currently an associate professor in the Chicana/o Studies Department at UC Davis where he teaches courses on Chicanx culture and literature.
Advance registration for this virtual event on Zoom is required.
Authors Uncovered Podcast
Listen to our
Authors Uncovered podcast and enjoy conversations with our local and touring authors including our latest with author
Ben Philippe discussing his book
Sure I’ll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump.
Watch Again
You can watch recordings of our Authors Uncovered conversations on YouTube.
Frank Abe and Ross Ishikawa | August 25
Watch the conversation with author Frank Abe and artist Ross Ishikawa, two of the creators behind the graphic novel We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration. The Honorable Kara Ueda facilitates this discussion.
Ben Philippe | July 14
Catch the recording of our virtual Authors Uncovered event featuring Ben Philippe, author of Sure I’ll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump.
More Episodes
Read their work