So first reading for us this afternoon is Maria Melendez.
She's the editor and publisher of Pilgrimage Magazine.
She lives in Pueblo, Colorado.
She has taught creative writing and American literature
at the Utah State University and St. Mary's College
in Notre Dame.
And she has worked with California poets in the schools
and as a writer in residence at the UC Davis Arboretum.
Her collection of poetry, how long she'll
last in this world which was published by the University
of Arizona press in 2006 was named finalist for the 2007
Penn center USA literary award.
And you'll see in that interestingly enough.
I think a lot of environmental consciousness
which I'm wondering.
I assumed that must have come from her time at the arboretum.
Her most recent book of poetry is Flexible Bones.
It's the third collection and also
published by the University of Arizona Press.
She currently serves as contributing editor
for the Latino Poetry Review and is
acquiring editor for Momotombo Press a chapbook publisher
featuring prose and poetry by emerging Latino writers.
We're very happy to have Maria with us.