The Border. Quinceañeras.
Each topic will be discussed at separate events this week at Columbia College Chicago, where I am an assistant professor of journalism.
I will introduce, Luis Alberto Urrea, who will read from his book "The Devil's Highway" and discuss creative nonfiction at 630 p.m. Monday at 1104 S. Wabash, 8th floor.
"The book's rare power is that it is both epic in scope- a trek through the wilderness in search of the 'promised land' - and intensely personal....Urrea writes about U.S.-Mexican border culture with a tragic and beautiful intimacy that has no equal," wrote Tom Montgomery-Fate of the Boston Globe.
Urrea, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction, is one of the headline speakers at Columbia's annual Creative Nonfiction Week and you can see a full calendar of events here.
Later in the week, I am moderating a panel on quinceañeras at 3 p.m. Thursday at 623 S. Wabash Ave., 1st floor.
Speakers include playwright Yolanda Nieves, author Priscilla Mills and Carmina Becerra of Telemundo.
There also is an ongoing exhibit on quinceañeras in the C33 Gallery at 33 E. Congress Parkway, which is part of the annual FOCO festival put on by the office of Latino Cultural Affairs at Columbia.
Filed under: culture, Hispanic
Tags: , Carmina Becerra, Columbia College Chicago, Luis Alberto Urrea, Priscilla Mills, The Devil's Highway, Yolanda Nieves
