A Bookfair to Remember
Melinda Palacio -- October 8, 2010
The largest gathering of Latino authors in U.S. History happens this weekend, October 9 and 10, at Cal State University, Los Angeles, Greenlee Plaza, thanks to Reyna Grande's diligent efforts with the Latino Book and Family Festival, 11 am to 6pm.
Award-winning author, Reyna Grande, has taken time these past two years to promote literacy and Latino literature. The selfless act means putting aside her own writing for months at a time to field phone calls, coordinate panels, author schedules, and be the overall goto person. As a much sought-out speaker at readings all over the country and book festivals in West Los Angeles, it was important to Grande to bring authors to East L.A. Grande has attracted in popular authors, such as Alisa Valdes, Alex Espinoza, Victor Villaseñor, and Michele Serros, to Guggenheim recipients, such as Juan-Felipe Herrera, to to newcomers, such as Erika Ayon and Estella Gonzalez.
LBFF Program Coordinator
Reyna Grande with
Ricardito Paz
Grande also put much thought to the entertainment value of the book festival, working closely to schedule storytellers, dancers, and musical performers to the main and children's stages. The two-day event offers something for everyone. She stresses that her fellow committee members have been an enormous help, including Delia Vasquez, Corina Chaudhry, and CSULA Professor Roberto Cantu, whose help Grande dearly values, she said. Grande has been promoting the festival all year with children's story hour series and a fundraiser last August at Pan American Bank. While waiting for her interview on Telemudo, she met a young, 10-year-old rising star, Ricardito Paz, and invited him to join the list of entertainers. She's even gone as far as asking her young son to distribute flyers to his teachers and classmates. Reyna Grande's passion and activism has been tremendous. The fact that she has had trouble raising the funds for the festival is a daunting reflection on the state's economy. However, the community continues to rally around the festival. Grande has received help from students, teachers, fellow authors, friends and committee members. Also, Mayor Villaraigosa will visit the festival Saturday at noon.
This past week, Grande has put in long hours much to the chagrin of her son and two-year old daughter. However, Grande feels compelled to take on the time-consuming challenge. With less than 24 hours to go, Grande has made decorations for the festival, lost her voice twice, provided pre-festival events since the summer and appeared on numerous radio and television shows to encourage everyone to attend this year's unprecedented festivities. She expects perfect weather and a large turnout and she isn't shy about asking for a donation. The 35-year-old author grabbed some time before a reading at the East Los Angeles Library to knock on the door of Gloria Molina's office to ask for a donation to the festival.
Lalo Alcaraz signing
posters at a LBFF
fundraiser last August
The festival must pay the CSULA's use of their facilities, for the helpful signs telling people where to go, for the authors' dinners, for volunteer lunches, for the cost of printing programs, posters, advertisement, and more. CSULA is sponsoring a large part of the cost to use its facilities, however the price of such an undertaking quickly adds up when you tally miscellaneous charges, such as twelve dollars per sign and four hundred dollars for security at the author dinner. The festival is one expensive operation, but the two-day event remains free of charge to the public. There is only one paid event and that is Saturday's dinner with the authors. The dinner tickets are 30 dollars. They event is expected to sell out. Tickets can be purchased at the LBFF website. Grande hopes there will be some last-minute donations to this historic, cultural event. One thing is certain, she has helped create a book festival she is proud of, along with a gathering of over a hundred Latino authors at Cal State University of Los Angeles.