As part of the CLA's mission to bring writers of contemporary literature to the South Bay community, and in doing so, encourage meaningful and transformative discussion, The Center for Literary Arts is thrilled to announce its line-up of authors for our 2021 - 2022 Reading Series! We are welcoming award-winning authors of national and international acclaim and could not be more excited.
Each month, you have a chance to engage with the CLA literary community and our visiting authors in a few different ways. The first is through our Book Club, free and open to the public. The CLA Book Club's reading titles offer you the chance to discuss books by the authors of the Reading Series. Click here for our current book club reading and information about how to join the conversation!
Next, a companion to the Reading Series are the Craft Talks, which are also open to the public. Invited authors of diverse and brilliant backgrounds discuss strategies to overcome the challenges of making literary art. Whether the subject is about conflict, cultivating a clear sense of place, or revision strategies, these talks are filled with gems no writer or literary enthusiast should miss!
Finally, the Reading Series itself, where acclaimed authors grace our stage with a reading from their most recent work and answer the questions you may have. These readings are nothing short of magical, so do be sure to complete your registration! While these events are made free and open to the public, please consider donating to the CLA to keep the goodness flowing!
And now, without further delay, CLA presents the Fall 2021 line-up.
Fall 2021
Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric
Craft Talk: September 27th
Zoom at 3:30-4:30 PM PST
Meeting ID: 841 0369 1348
Passcode: 216241
CLA Presents Claudia Rankine: Monday, September 27th
Crowdcast at 5:00-6:30 PM PST
Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/cla-presents-claudia
Patricia Engel, Infinite Country
CLA Presents: Reed 154 feat. Patricia Engel:
Thursday, October 28th
Hammer Theatre at 5:00-7:00 PM PST
§ Platinum Ticket, $75
admission plus a limited edition CLA tote bag, a personalized poem on cardstock, a signed copy of Infinite Country by Patricia Engel, and a copy of Reed Magazine 154
§ Golden Ticket, $60 admission plus a signed copy of
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel and
a copy of Reed Magazine 154
§ Silver Ticket, $45
admission plus a plus a signed copy of Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
§ General Admission, Free
Jhumpa Lahiri, Whereabouts
Craft Talk:
Thursday, November 11th
Zoom at 4:00-5:00 PM PST
Meeting ID: 880 8678 4254
Passcode: 032521
CLA Presents Jhumpa Lahiri
Thursday, November 11
Crowdcast at 6:00-7:00 PM PST
Register here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/cla-presents-jhumpa
Spring 2022
While we are excited about our fall line-up (and we hope you are too), there are more exciting events to come in 2022! Daniel Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections, Torrey Peters, author of Detransition Baby, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Committed, and others will join the CLA Reading Series in the spring.
Expect to hear more about the 2022 events in the near future, but for now, check out our featured authors, register, and mark your calendars!
Meet the CLA Staff
Last but certainly not least, please take a moment to meet the Center for Literary Arts staff who help make the CLA what it is!
Alexis Rocha
Alexis Rocha is a Teaching Associate and Graduate student at San Jose University; she also moonlights as a SAT/ACT tutor for Compass Education and is a content strategist for The Center for Literary Arts. Alexis is currently in her second year of teaching English 1A and is finishing up her Master’s degree in English. Her graduate studies include Black postmodern rhetorical theory, critical race theory, and Black literary studies. Her dream is to teach Black literature that is grounded in postmodern rhetorical studies. When Alexis isn’t grading or studying, she is at home spending time with her husband and their three year old son, Emerson.
Jessica Salazar
Jessica Salazar is a writer, graphic designer, and MFA Creative Writing student at San José State University (SJSU). In between editing her thesis manuscript, Jessica also works as a graphic designer for The Center of Literary Arts. With over five years of work experience, she has helped build brand identities and promotional material for local non-profits, small businesses, and educational programs. In her free time, Jessica can be found squinting at the latest Adobe tutorials on YouTube; hiking with her wife and border collie puppy, Eevee; and reading speculative fiction. Some of her favorite fiction writers include Octavia Butler, Carmen Maria Machado, and Nnedi Okorafor.
Leah Tyus
Leah Tyus is a writer and currently the Graduate Assistant for the Center of Literary Arts at San Jose State University. After earning her B.A. in English Literature from UC Berkeley with a minor in Creative Writing, Leah is now pursuing an MFA at SJSU with a concentration in Fiction. Her work has appeared in The Berkeley Fiction Review and Orion Magazine.
Nicole Calande
Nicole Calande is a local writer and poet whose work has been featured by Catapult and F(r)iction. She is completing her MFA at San José State University where she is an assistant at the Center for Literary Arts and the Lead Nonfiction Editor of Reed Magazine, Issue 155.
Ian Munoz
Ian Munoz is a senior at San Jose State University, studying English literature with a concentration in creative writing. Ian is an aspiring fiction writer with an affinity for all things un-explainable and macabre, greatly inspired by the revolutionary works of King, Lovecraft, and Poe. At the Center for Literary Arts of San Jose, Ian assists with social media management and client relations. In his free time, Ian is a musician, songwriter, and budding music producer.
We look forward to an exciting year with you all. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out at info@clasanjose.org.
Until next time,
The CLA