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OK.

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So my name is Cybele Knowles.

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I'm the coordinator of the
Poetry Center's Reading

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and Lecture Series.

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And I'm very pleased
and very honored

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to welcome you to
tonight's event.

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A reading by poets, J. Michael
Martinez, Carmen Giménez Smith,

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and Roberto Tejada.

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This event is one installment
in a national multiyear,

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multi-state reading
series called,

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"Latino Latina Poetry Now"
sponsored by Letras Latinas

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and the Poetry
Society of America.

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We were very excited
when Francisco Aragón,

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the director of Letras Latinas,
contacted us about a year ago

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to see if we would like
to host this reading.

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So our answer was, yes, totally.

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And for many reasons.

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Because J. Michael,
Carmen, and Roberto

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are exciting contemporary
poets whom we admire.

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Because almost everyone
who will be at this podium

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tonight is published by our own
University of Arizona Press.

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And because this is Arizona,
where Latino/a writing, art,

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and culture is particularly
important, relevant, present.

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The University of Arizona is
proud to have this opportunity

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to help shine the light on
Latino and Latina poetry now.

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We have a full program
tonight, so I'll

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keep my announcements
really brief.

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We have over here for
sale books by the poets

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at 20% off the cover price.

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After the reading, they'll
be signing over there

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at those tables.

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So please do buy some books
if you haven't already.

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Get them signed and say hi
to the poets afterwards.

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For making the Poetry Center's
participation in this event

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possible, I thank the
Poetry Center's donors,

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especially the members of
our Walt Whitman circle.

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So how tonight's
event will go is--

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we'll have a welcome
by Francisco Aragón,

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then an introduction of
the poets by Joshua Marie

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Wilkinson, and
then the readings.

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After the readings there
will be a Q&A session

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moderated by Francisco,
and then the book signing.

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So I'm now very
happy to introduce

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the curator of this event, the
director of Letras Latinas,

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and editor and translator
and teacher, a poet himself

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who is the author of
two books of poetry--

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Glow of Our Sweat
and Puerto Del Sol.

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Please help me welcome
Francisco Aragón.

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