Thursday, March 12, 2009

Chicago reads The House on Mango Street


















The House on Mango Street was announced as the next pick for One Book, One Chicago earlier this week.

I have a well thumbed and authographed copy of this book already but I was delighted to get a copy of the new edition. It not only has a beautiful new cover but it also includes a moving introduction by Cisneros where she shares the story of writing this book and also on how she became a writer and the series of life events that led her to writing Mango Street. Plenty of food for thought in those first few pages.

I want you to also re-discover this book and I hope you have a chance to read the new introduction too. The Chicago Public Library has hooked up Proyecto Latina with FREE copies of The House on Mango Street so make sure to join us on March 16th, our feature will be the Vida Bella Ensemble with the Brown Girl Chronicles.

There's a calendar full of citywide events and you can get an electronic version of the resource guide here.

Also, you can catch up with me at a couple of events this Spring: I will be co-hosting Proyecto Latina in April and contributing on a panel on Latina Creativity in Chicago.

Panel Discussion: Celebrating Latina Creativity in Chicago
Thursday, April 2, 6:00 p.m.
DePaul University—John R. Cortelyou Commons Building
2324 N. Fremont St.
Join a distinguished panel of artists who will discuss the path of their own creative journeys, examine the ways in which their work has been influenced by Cisneros, and trace the dynamic relationship between artists and their communities. Panelists will include Professor Bibiana Suarez from the Department of Art, Media, and Design at DePaul University; Irasema Gonzalez, poet and founder of Tianguis Books; Coya Paz, co-founder of Teatro Luna and Visiting Multicultural Faculty in DePaul University’s Theatre School; and Tanya Saracho, co-founder of Teatro Luna who is adapting The House on Mango Street for the stage.
Co-sponsored by the Women’s Center at DePaul University. Free and open to the public; no reservations required.

PROYECTO LATINA READING SERIES
Monday, April 20, 7:00 p.m.
Radio Arte, 1401 W. 18th St.
Mangos, Chismes y Mucho Más! This monthly reading series promotes and features emerging and established Latinas of all written and performance disciplines from Chicago. This month’s event honors Sandra Cisneros and includes a sneak peak at Tanya Saracho's adaptation of The House on Mango Street. Proyecto Latina is a collaborative between Teatro Luna, Tianguis Books, and Mariposa Atomica Ink. For more information, go to www.proyectolatina.org.