Sin Filtro: Natalie Graham and Vanessa Angélica Villarreal

The Garcia Center for the Arts
May 19th, 2018
Workshop (with Vanessa Angélica Villarreal) 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Reading and Conversation 6:00 – 8:00 PM
RSVP on Facebook

Folks, we’re going to have Natalie Graham and Vanessa Angélica Villarreal reading at the next Sin Filtro. I hadn’t heard of the poets before Isabel told me about them, but I checked out their websites and I’m very excited that they’re going to be performing at The Garcia Center for the Arts (Natalie Graham and Vanessa Angélica Villarreal).

Natalie, described as a “Ph.D, poet and hip-hop scholar,” has a ton of links on her site like  a radio interview with the Los Angeles Review of Books and there are a couple of poems you can check out online, “Leaping Fire in Princeville Park” and “Underneath There is a Wound.” I’d really recommend you consider purchasing Natalie Graham’s collection Begin With a Failed Body too. I’ve always liked being at least somewhat familiar with a poet’s work on the page before I hear them read—that might just be me though. Otherwise, Natalie’s book will be available for purchase on the night of the reading too.

Vanessa Angélica Villarreal’s Beast Meridian, which I can also strongly recommend you purchase, is a huge deal. Not only has it been featured on an NBC best reads list, but it also picked up huge praise from The Los Angeles Review of Books. And Vanessa is not just a poet, but also does design and video work. Here’s an example of her work “Estrellada”:

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Sin Filtro 1: Thank you!

Purchase Luivette Resto‘s work here.

Désirée Zamorano‘s novel, The Amado Women, is available here.

 

So, poet Luivette Resto and novelist Désirée Zamorano came over to The Garcia Center for the Arts last Saturday. Luivette led an hour long poetry workshop in the gallery room at the center and, through presenting the work of Audre Lorde and James Baldwin, helped attendees come up with fresh and thoughtful work.

Désirée Zamborano reading at The Garcia Center for the Arts: photocred. Fabian Torres

After folks from the audience volunteered to share their work, Désirée and Luivette performed for us. Désirée read from The Amado Women and inspired everyone with her retelling of a classic fairytale, given a Chicana-twist. Then Luivette performed and it was both passionate and accessible, and demonstrated, as many readers have at The Garcia Center for the Arts, such as Chiwan Choi, that poetry doesn’t have to be filtered.

And that’s what the following discussion focused on, the theme of ‘filters.’ Whether this be race, motherhood, or merely the expectations readers bring, Isabel, our President, prompted a focused and invigorating discussion that brought filters down.

We hope you folks will be able to make it to “Sin Filtro 2,” which will take place on Saturday the 24th of February at The Garcia Center for the Arts.

 

Sin Filtro: Part One

We couldn’t have asked for better timing for the launch of our Sin Filtro series. This is about getting unheard voices heard, about doing something by listening to the writers  we should be listening to. So, we hope you’ll join us for this evening’s reading at The Garcia Center for the Arts.

If you’ve missed the registration for the creative writing workshop – which will focus on poetry – don’t sweat it, I think we could squeeze you in. Follow the link, fill in the form and make good on those writing resolutions.