WEBVTT

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Now I'd like to introduce
our next reader who

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is someone that--

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a poet that I have long
admired, who I respect,

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who I just am in awe over the
work that they create and just

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admire a whole bunch
as I've said before,

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but I'd like to introduce
Vanessa Angélica Villarreal.

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Vanessa Angélica Villarreal was
born in the Rio Grande Valley

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to Mexican immigrants.

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She's the author of the
2019 Whiting Award winning

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collection, Beast Meridian,
published by Noemi Press,

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Akrilica series, 2017.

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She's also 2019 Kate Tufts
Discovery Award finalist

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and winner of the
John A. Robertson

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award for Best
First Book of Poetry

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from the Texas
Institute of Letters.

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Her work has appeared in the
New York Times, Paris Review,

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Boston Review, and Poetry
magazine where her poem "f =

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[(root) (future)]" was
honored with the 2019 Friends

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of Literature Prize.

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She's a CantoMundo and Jack
Jones literary arts fellow

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and is a doctoral candidate
in English literature

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and creative writing
at the University

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of Southern California
in Los Angeles

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where she raising her son
with the help of a loyal dog.

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You can find her on
Twitter @VanessaID.

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Thank you, Vanessa, for
being here with us today

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and just for your presence
every step of the way.

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Thank you.