As part of Puerto Rican Heritage Month Hostos Community College and the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture present an event honoring the life and work of award-winning author Esmeralda Santiago and the 25th Anniversary of her ground-breaking book When I Was Puerto Rican.
The celebration takes place on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 with a 6:00 p.m. reception at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos followed by a 7:00 p.m. multi-media presentation at the Hostos Repertory Theater. All the activities are free to the public, but tickets are required for admission. For information call the Hostos Center at 718-518-4455. The Lit Bar bookstore will handle book sales of her work and participating authors.
The multi-media presentation will include readings of her work by other writers and luminaries including Sofia Quintero (Show and Prove, Efrain’s Secret); legendary godmother of Nuyorican poetry Sandra María Esteves; poet Caridad de la Luz/La Bruja; former Bronx Borough President and CUNY trustee, Fernando Ferrer with his wife and former pubic school principal Aramina Ferrer; and testimonials from long-time friend Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, journalist Mireya Navarro, and agent Molly Friedrich. The evening will include video clips, a short performance by Indian dancer Srinidhi Raghavan and Bomba dancer Miltieri Tucker, and a musical performance by Ms. Santiago’s son, Lucas Cantor.
Esmeralda Santiago is the renowned author of the memoirs When I Was Puerto Rican, Almost a Woman (which she adapted into a Peabody Award–winning film for PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre), and The Turkish Lover; the novels América’s Dream and Conquistadora; and a children’s book, A Doll for Navidades. Her writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in national newspapers including The New York Times, and The Boston Globe, and on mass market magazines like House & Garden,Metropolitan Home, and Good Housekeeping, among other publications, and on NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
Upon publication of her first book, When I was Puerto Rican, Ms. Santiago was hailed as "a welcome new voice, full of passion and authority," by the Washington Post. Her first novel, America's Dream, has been published in six languages, and was an Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild. "Thrilling and page turning, the fabulous story of América Gonzalez is laid out masterfully," according to the Chicago Tribune. Her second memoir, Almost a Woman, received numerous "Best of Year" mentions, in addition to an Alex Award from the American Library Association. With Joie Davidow, Ms. Santiago is co-editor of the anthologies, Las Christmas: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories and Las Mamis: Favorite Latino Authors Remember their Mothers both published by Knopf. In addition to her literary endeavors, Ms. Santiago is a spokesperson on behalf of public libraries. She has designed and developed community-based programs for adolescents, and was a founder of a shelter for battered women and their children. She serves on the boards of organizations devoted to the arts and to literature, and speaks vehemently about the need to encourage and support the artistic development of young people.
This event, presented by Hostos Community College during its 50th Anniversary year, is in partnership with the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture.
The Repertory Theater at the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture is located at 450 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Tickets are free, and can be picked up by visiting the Hostos Center box office, by calling (718) 518-4455 or online atwww.hostos.cuny.edu/
About the Hostos the Center for the Arts & Culture
The mission of the Hostos Center is to address the cultural needs of its surrounding inner-city communities while affirming the cultural heritages of its audiences, especially Latino and African-Americans. Since its inception in 1982, the Center has been an important agent for this affirmation, serving as venue for performances, festivals, residencies and commissions featuring a who’s-who of Latino artists.
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