The First Annual Writers Ball in Washington DC

My amiga poet Brandel France de Bravo writes:

The date is fast approaching...don't drop the ball. Buy your ticket now at http://event.pingg.com/WritersBall You (and your ipod) are invited on October 17th from 8:00 to 11:00 pm to the first annual WRITERS BALL. Poets, journalists, novelists, playwrights, speechwriters, essayists, short-story writers, and friends of writers--you are all welcome! Join us in raising the roof and raising money for Washington Writers' Publishing House, a nonprofit, collective press celebrating its 35th year. WWPH is the only literary press in Washington, D.C. dedicated to publishing and promoting local writers. It has published over 80 books of poetry and fiction from some of Washington, D.C.'s best writers--many of them nationally recognized.

American Independent Writers: The Summer Membership Drive

For anyone (especially but not necessarily) in the Washington DC area who is serious about their writing, whether it be fiction, speechwriting, journalism, or freelancing of all stripes, here's a great offer: If you join American Independent Writers (previously Washington Independent Writers) in July or August, they'll waive the $45 initiation fee. I've been a member for several years now and highly recommend it. Read more about AIW and its many benefits here.

P.S. I'll be speaking at AIW's July 16 "PubSpeak" about The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. And ASAP, I'll be posting something here on this blog about the AIW conference in June, and the amazing panel I moderated, which featured novelists Frederick Reuss, Wayne Karlin, and Olga Grushin.

Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington DC: Ruben Gallo, Barbara Tenenbaum, David Huerta, Mark Schafer

Three excellent Mexican literary events in DC this week:

Thursday April 16th @ 6:30 pm "Mexican Modernity: A lecture about artists and writers living in Mexico City in the early 20th century" A conversation between Ruben Gallo and Barbara Tenenbaum. Gallo is an award-winning writer and scholar and professor of Latin American literature at Princeton University. Tenenbaum is the Specialist in Mexican Culture at the Library of Congress. She is currently writing a history of Mexico City.

P.S. Re: Mexican artists: check out this 2008 guest-blog post for Madam Mayo here.

Friday April 17 @ 12 pm, Library of Congress, and @ 4 pm, Georgetown University, Room ICC-450, "Two Bilingual Readings with acclaimed Mexican poet David Huerta and translator Mark Schafer. Huerta is one of Mexico's most important living poets. Shafer has translated the poetry, novels, stories and essays of numerous Latin American writers. He is also a visual artist.


And then, on May 12 also at the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington DC, I'll be presenting my historical novel based on the true story, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, with an introduction by John Tutino, professor of History, Georgetown Univertsity. More about that anon.

Children's Book Guild of Washington DC Honors Susan Campbell Bartoletti

My amiga DC writer Margaret Blair sends news:

The Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C. is honoring Susan Campbell Bartoletti as the 2009 winner of The Children's Book Guild/The Washington Post 2009 Nonfiction Award in an April 4th program to be held at the National Geographic Society at 1145 17th Street, N.W. The 2-4:30 pm program will include a talk by Bartoletti as well as a performance by the Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance with a reception and refreshments to follow. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.childrensbookguild.org, or by sending a check to The Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C., 216 Walnut Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20012.