Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

March 9, 2012

Tucson Festival of Books features Native American and banned authors

Oh yes, people still read ...

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

TUCSON -- The Tucson Festival of Books is this weekend, March 10-11, and brings together prolific and profound Native American writers, along with Chicano wordsmiths and authors banned by Tucson public schools.

Simon Ortiz, Acoma Pueblo, Ofelia Zepeda, Tohono O'odham, Sherwin Bitsui, Dine' and Irving Toddy, Dine' are among the authors featured this year. Latino author Luis Alberto Urrea is the highlighted writer of the festival and among those who was banned by Tucson Unified School District. In January, when Tucson schools district voted to forbid Mexican American Studies, the books of Urrea and others on the reading list of 50 authors were carted away and placed in a "depository" by Tucson school officials.

Urrea will keynote the annual Author's Table Dinner, tonight, Friday, March 9. Urrea's best-seller "Devil's Highway," a nonfiction account of Mexican immigrants lost in the Arizona desert, won the 2004 Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

The Tucson Festival of Books on the University of Arizona campus includes special sessions with Native American authors, shown below, including panels focused on their inspiring poetry and children's book illustrations. Canyon Records presents musicians Aaron White and Anthony Wakeman on Saturday. See the full list of authors and events at: http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/author/list#N

There will be 400 to 450 authors in the Fourth Annual Tucson Festival of Books, including Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo, "That Old Cape Magic" and "Empire Falls." The prolific novelists  include T.C. Boyle, "When the Killing's Done," Alice Hoffman "The Dovekeepers" and Lisa See, "Dreams of Joy." There will also be 255 exhibitors' tents and booths. Most events are free and open to the public.

Simon Ortiz


Ortiz has been a writer and poet for more than 35 years. As one of the major voices in Indigenous American literature, he was among the first to be published as a contemporary writer of poetry and fiction. He has written more than 20 books, including "Beyond the Reach of Time and Change."

Sing: Poetry from Indigenous America

Solo Presentation / Sun 2:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Student Union - Kiva Room

Ofelia Zepeda


Zepeda, Regents’ Professor at the University of Arizona, is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Her three books of poetry are "Ocean Power: Poems from the Desert," "Jewed I-hoi/Earth Movements" and "Where Clouds are Formed." She is the series editor of Sun Tracks, publisher of American Indian writers.

Layers of Knowing
Panel / Sun 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Student Union - Kiva Room

Sing: Poetry from Indigenous America

Solo Presentation / Sun 2:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Student Union - Kiva Room


Sherwin Bitsui

Bitsui is the recipient of a 2006 Whiting Writers’ Award, a 2008 Tucson MOCA Local Genius Award and a 2010 American Book Award for "Flood Song" from the Before Columbus Foundation.

Sing: Poetry from Indigenous America

Solo Presentation / Sun 2:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Student Union - Kiva Room

Irving Toddy

Toddy comes from a family of weavers, silversmiths and painters. He has illustrated several children's books, including "Cheyenne Again," "Bird Talk," "D is for Drum" and "Desert Digits." He is also recognized for his work on illustrating the history of the Navajo Tribe.

Illustrating with Authenticity: Views of Native American Art
Children/Youth Workshop
Workshop / Sun 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Education Building - Room 351

Native Artists and Their Art * cent *
Panel / Sun 2:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Student Union - Santa Rita Room

Illustrating with Authenticity: Views of Native American Art


Children/Youth Workshop

When: Sunday 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Where: Education Building - Room 351
Genre: Workshops

Authors

Irving Toddy
S.D. Nelson


Native American Traditional Tales: Lessons for Life


When: Sunday 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Where: Education Building - Room 349
Genre: Children/Youth

Authors

Delphina Nova
Loren R. Russell
S.D. Nelson


Native Artists and Their Art * cent *


When: Sunday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Where: Student Union - Santa Rita Room
Genre: History/Biography/Memoir

Authors

Vera Marie Badertscher
Irving Toddy
Barbara Chana


Canyon Records Presents: Aaron White and Anthony Wakeman

Etched in the Native traditions of Mother Earth, the music of Aaron White (Navajo/Ute) and Anthony Wakeman (Pottawatomi/Lakota) call to the heart and soul of all life. Like a cascade of water trickling through canyons mixed with winds swirling up from the prairies, the sounds of acoustic guitar and cedar flute summon inner calm and quiet strength.

When: Saturday 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Where: Western National Parks Association: National Parks Pavilion
Genre: Current Events/Pop Culture

BANNED BY TUCSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

FEATURED: Luis Alberto Urrea
Urrea's best-seller "Devil's Highway," a nonfiction account of Mexican immigrants lost in the Arizona desert, won the 2004 Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Urrea is also the author of "The Hummingbird's Daughter." His most recent novel is "Queen of America."
Queen of America: A Conversation with Luis Alberto Urrea
Solo Presentation / Sat 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Nuestras RaĆ­ces Performance Stage
Early Arizona Story and History * cent *
Panel / Sun 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Integrated Learning Center - Room 120
History, Faith and Fiction
Panel / Sat 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Integrated Learning Center - Room 120
Borderlands * cent *
Multi Genre - Lit/Fiction/Mystery
Panel / Sun 2:30 PM - 03:30 PM
UA Mall Tent

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