Letras Latinas

University of Notre Dame
1608 Rhode Island Avenue, Suite 348
Washington, D.C.
202-974-6281

Letras Latinas
Letras Latinas, the literary program of the Institute for Latino Studies, seeks to enhance the visibility, appreciation, and study of Latino literature both on and off the campus of the University of Notre Dame with a focus on projects that identify and support emerging Latino/a writers. Letras Latinas actively seeks collaboration with individuals and organizations to more effectively carry out its mission.

Current Projects
Letras Latinas Presents
Since relocating its headquarters to the ILS offices in Washington, D.C., Letras Latinas has raised the Institute's outreach profile by providing literary programming both in our nation's capital and other U.S. cities through strategic partnerships. One recent one was with the Fall for the Book Festival in Fairfax, VA. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has also partnered with Letras Latinas: "Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program", a current exhibit that runs until early 2010, will include literary programming provided by Letras Latinas. Future partners include The Writer's Center, and Cave Canem.

The Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize
Launched in 2004 and the only initiative of its kind in the United States, the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize supports the publication of a first book by a Latino or Latina poet in the Institute for Latino Studies' series with University of Notre Dame Press. Our winners thus far have been: Pity the Drowned Horses by Sheryl Luna (chosen by Robert Vasquez); The Outer Bands by Gabriel Gomez (chosen by Valerie Martínez); My Kill Adore Him by Paul Martinez Pompa (chosen by Martín Espada). Silvia Curbelo will be choosing our next winner in April of 2010.
http://latinostudies.nd.edu/poetry_prize/

Momotombo Press
Housed at the Institute since 2003 and named after a volcano in Nicaragua, Momotombo Press is a literary press that publishes new works in Latino literature in the chapbook format, with particular emphasis on writers who have yet to publish a full-length book. The press aims to provide emerging artists with a significant publication at a crucial phase in their careers. Momotombo Press recently named Maria Melendez as its new acquiring and managing editor.
http://www.momotombopress.com/

Palabra Pura
A partnership with the Guild Complex, a community-based literary organization in Chicago, Palabra Pura is Letras Latinas' flagship outreach program whose aim is to present the work, in live performance, of Latino and Latina poets from around the United States. Palabra Pura has received support from the Illinois Council on the Humanities, the Joyce Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
http://www.guildcomplex.org/

Latino Poetry Review (LPR)
The only journal of its kind in the United States, Latino Poetry Review publishes book reviews, essays, and interviews with an eye towards spurring inquiry and dialogue. LPR recognizes that Latino/a poets in the 21st century embrace, and work out of, a multitude of aesthetics. With this in mind, the critical focus is the poem and its poetics. LPR was launched in 2008 and appears annually.
http://www.latinopoetryreview.com/

Letras Latinas Residency Fellowship
In an effort to provide valuable time and space to an emerging artist, Letras Latinas has partnered with the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, a member of the Alliance of Artist Communities. Every year Letras Latinas identifies one emerging writer who will especially benefit from this fellowship. In addition to room and board for one month, the Letras Latinas Fellow receives a stipend for travel and other expenses. He or she also takes part in a community activity in Red Wing, Minnesota. To learn more about the Anderson Center, visit: http://andersoncenter.org.

Letras Latinas Oral History Project
Letras Latinas, under the direction of the archivist at the Institute, conducts video interviews with Latino/a writers. The goal is to provide a resource on the web for students, scholars, and the general reader alike. More established Latino and Latina authors who have visited Notre Dame have been interviewed, but Letras Latinas' niche is new voices in Latino literature.
http://latinostudies.nd.edu/history/search.php

Letras Latinas Young Writers Initiative
The Young Writers Initiative offers support to Latino and Latina youth who are aspiring writers. The project is a collaboration between Letras Latinas and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago and the Young Writers Workshop at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. The initiative offers a four-day program designed to give high school students the chance to explore and develop their talents in poetry and prose writing.
http://latinostudies.nd.edu/letras/initiative.php

The Letras Latinas Endowment
Thanks to the generosity of a private donor, Letras Latinas created a modest endowment in 2008. The initial beneficiary, at the request of the donor, is the Letras Latinas Young Writers Initiative. As the endowment grows, however, funds will be earmarked for ongoing projects that are consistent with our mission.'03).
http://latinostudies.nd.edu/letras/endowment.php

Concluded Projects
Poetas y Pintores: Artists Conversing with Verse
A multidisciplinary initiative that paired twelve Latino and Latina artists with twelve Latino and Latina poets, Poetas y Pintores was a traveling exhibition that landed in New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, Michigan City, IN, Albuquerque, NM, and Logan, UT in addition to Saint Mary's College in Indiana where the project was launched in January of 2006. A joint effort with the Center for Women's InterCultural Leadership (CWIL) at Saint Mary's, the project was funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
http://poetasypintores.com/

The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry on Tour
With funding from the National Association of Latino Art and Culture (NALAC), the Missouri Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the logistical partnership of Guild Complex, Letras Latinas carried out a seven-city two-year tour featuring the authors in The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry (University of Arizona Press, 2007). The destinations were: Palm Beach, FL, Minneapolis, MN, Seattle, WA, Berkeley, CA, Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO, and New York, NY. The award-winning volume was edited by Francisco Aragón, who directs Letras Latinas.
http://www.guildcomplex.org

“Chloe’s Cabaret: Poetry, Music, Coffee, Conversation”
A partnership with the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) at Notre Dame and the Creative Writing Program, this initiative transformed the Philbin Studio Theatre into a café for the purpose of presenting poetry and music to the campus community and the community at large. Poets who appeared included: Victor Hernández Cruz, Tracie Morris, Barbara Jane Reyes, Tyehimba Jess, and Naomi Ayala.

Letras Latinas is directed by Francisco Aragón.
For more information, visit: http://franciscoaragon.net/