April marks the 40th year anniversary of solitary confinement of the Angola 3 (two elderly Black Panthers doing time in Louisiana). The Wilson Quarterly just published an …
A Sort of Homecoming
I’m happy to announce that The Florida Review has just published the first chapter of my thesis/next book. It’s called “A Sort of Homecoming” and here’s a little taste:
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Introducing Pico Iyer
As some of you know, I’m on the verge of completing my MFA at the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program. Last night was the highlight of my entire …
Interview with Carolyn Nash
One of the sweetest joys of teaching is reveling in your students’ successes. So I was thrilled when I arrived home yesterday to find RAISING ABEL in my mailbox. …
Libro-Traficantes!
As y’all may have heard, Latino Studies has essentially been banned in the state of Arizona. My amazing friends at Nuestra Palabra, a literary arts organization in Houston, Texas, are currently organizing a Librotraficante caravan to Tucson to smuggle “wet-books” across the border.
Free Online Class!
Something exciting is brewing over here:
The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa has recently started hosting international distance-learning courses that pair classrooms from such far-flung areas …
The Michelangelo of New Mexico
I am so happy to share that The Believer has just published my profile of master frescoist Frederico Vigil in their November/December annual arts issue. Writing and publishing this essay …
Interview with Wendy Call
The loveliest aspect of living in Iowa City is that practically every writer waltzes through at some point. This Tuesday (10/18) at 7 p.m., Prairie Lights will be hosting Wendy Call, …
Interview with Mary Jo McConahay
Exciting news for all you Latinistas out there: journalist and documentary filmmaker Mary Jo McConahay has just released a new book about 30 years of travels across …
Labor Day Update
Hope y’all are having a peaceful and relaxing Labor Day weekend. The sun is shining out my window, but as of 5:15 p.m. Sunday, I have yet to greet it: …
New Travel Writing Class
I had so much fun teaching an online travel writing class with Media Bistro this summer, I just signed up for another one this fall, September 15 – November 17. …
Midsummer Bliss
Is it me, or is this summer blazing by at hyper-speed? Since I last wrote, I’ve been to San Francisco; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Syracuse, New York; Dallas; and Houston, plus …