WEBVTT

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OK, so my name is
Cybele Knowles.

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I'm the coordinator of the
Poetry Center's reading lecture

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series, 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 Latino/Latina Poetry,

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Now sponsored by Letras
Latinas and the Poetry

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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, 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 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'm

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going to 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 Aragon, then an

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introduction of the poets
by Joshua Marie Wilkinson,

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and then the readings.

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After the readings,
there will be

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a Q&A session, moderated
by Francisco, and then

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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--

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a poet himself 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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[APPLAUSE]

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