Lit Fridays is a literary-focused, virtual salon presented by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, featuring conversations and guest performances.
*Special Presentation* Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month Oct 15 12p EST - Marisel Vera
A proud Boricua, Marisel Vera is the author of If I Bring You Roses and The Taste of Sugar, and the two-time winner of Willow Review 's fiction prize.
Marisel Vera grew up in the barrio in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, where she was raised by Puerto Rican immigrant parents. One of six children, she was the first in her family to earn a college degree: a BA in Journalism from Northern Illinois University. She worked in public relations, writing and editing employee newspapers, newsletters, news releases, and handling media relations. She studied writing with Paulette Roeske, Margaret Gibson, Jonis Agee, Rosellen Brown, and Cristina Garcia.
In February 2011, Vera's current project, a coming-of-age novel, THE LIBERATION OF CARMELA LOPEZ, was adapted into play form and directed by her daughter, Alyssa Vera Ramos. It premiered at Northwestern University's Musseter-Struble Theatre and enjoyed overwhelmingly positive response.
Vera won the Willow Review literary magazine's fiction prize for two of her short stories in 2000 (The Liberation of Carmela Lopez) and 2003 (Shoes for Cuba) .She wrote her novel, IF I BRING YOU ROSES, to discover her Puerto Rican heritage.
Her novel, The Taste of Sugar - a tale of love and endurance set in Puerto Rico on the eve of the Spanish-American War - was published by Liveright Publishing in June 2020.
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