When: Sunday, September 17, 4 p.m., CDT
Where: Bookwoman, 306 Pearl Parkway, Austin, TX
Chaitali Sen will interview Mehnaaz Momen about her new book, Listening to Laredo, A Border City in a Globalized Age. Why does the George Washington Birthday celebration last six weeks in Laredo? The author will answer this question, and talk about the seventy-five people whose stories fill her book. The event is free and open to the public. Signed copies of her book will be available for purchase. Mehnaaz Momen is an associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University. Her research interests include citizenship, immigration policy, urban theory, public space, political satire, and marginality.
About the book:
Bringing together issues of growth, globalization, and identity, Mehnaaz Momen traces Laredo’s trajectory through the voices of its people. In contrast to the many studies of border cities defined by the outside—and seldom by the people who live at the border—this volume collects oral histories from seventy-five in-depth interviews that collectively illuminate the evolution of the city’s cultural and economic infrastructure, its interdependence with its sister city across the national boundary, and, above all, the strength of its community as it adapts to and even challenges the national narrative regarding the border. The resonant and lively voices of Laredo’s people convey proud ownership of an archetypal border city that has time and again resurrected itself.
When: Tuesday, September 12, 7 – 9 p.m., CDT
Where: Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin Ave., Laredo, TX
Mehnaaz Momen will read from her new book, Listening to Laredo, A Border City in a Globalized Age. She will also answer questions about the the book and the people she interviewed. Signed copies of her book will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public. Mehnaaz Momen is an associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University. Her research interests include citizenship, immigration policy, urban theory, public space, political satire, and marginality.
About the book:
Bringing together issues of growth, globalization, and identity, Mehnaaz Momen traces Laredo’s trajectory through the voices of its people. In contrast to the many studies of border cities defined by the outside—and seldom by the people who live at the border—this volume collects oral histories from seventy-five in-depth interviews that collectively illuminate the evolution of the city’s cultural and economic infrastructure, its interdependence with its sister city across the national boundary, and, above all, the strength of its community as it adapts to and even challenges the national narrative regarding the border. The resonant and lively voices of Laredo’s people convey proud ownership of an archetypal border city that has time and again resurrected itself.
When: Saturday, September 23, 11 a.m., CDT
Where: The Twig Bookshop, 306 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio, TX
Mehnaaz Momen will talk about her new book, Listening to Laredo, A Border City in a Globalized Age. Listening to Laredo is an exploration of how the dizzying forces of change have defined this locale, how they continue to be inscribed and celebrated, and how their effects on the physical landscape have shaped the identity of the city and its people. The event is free and open to the public. Signed copies of her book will be available for purchase. Mehnaaz Momen is an associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University. Her research interests include citizenship, immigration policy, urban theory, public space, political satire, and marginality.
About the book:
Bringing together issues of growth, globalization, and identity, Mehnaaz Momen traces Laredo’s trajectory through the voices of its people. In contrast to the many studies of border cities defined by the outside—and seldom by the people who live at the border—this volume collects oral histories from seventy-five in-depth interviews that collectively illuminate the evolution of the city’s cultural and economic infrastructure, its interdependence with its sister city across the national boundary, and, above all, the strength of its community as it adapts to and even challenges the national narrative regarding the border. The resonant and lively voices of Laredo’s people convey proud ownership of an archetypal border city that has time and again resurrected itself.
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m., AZT
Where: Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S McClintock Dr., Tempe, Arizona
David Martínez reads from and discusses his book, My Heart is Bound Up with Them, How Carlos Montezuma Became the Voice of a Generation. Martínez is professor of American Indian studies at Arizona State University (ASU) and is enrolled in the Gila River Indian Community. ASU professor Irasema Coronado will introduce the author; Martínez will present his work followed by an opportunity for questions and answers from the audience. The event is free and open to the public event.
About the book:
Carlos Montezuma is well known as an influential Indigenous figure of the turn of the twentieth century. While some believe he was largely interested only in enabling Indians to assimilate into mainstream white society, Montezuma’s image as a staunch assimilationist changes dramatically when viewed through the lens of his Yavapai relatives at Fort McDowell in Arizona.
Through his diligent research and transcription of the letters archived in the Carlos Montezuma Collection at Arizona State University Libraries, David Martínez offers a critical new perspective on Montezuma’s biography and legacy. During an attempt to force the Fort McDowell Yavapai community off of their traditional homelands north of Phoenix, the Yavapai community members and leaders wrote to Montezuma pleading for help. It was these letters and personal correspondence from his Yavapai cousins George and Charles Dickens, as well as Mike Burns that sparked Montezuma’s desperate but principled desire to liberate his Yavapai family and community—and all Indigenous people—from the clutches of an oppressive Indian Bureau.
When: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 7 p.m., PDT
Where: Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd Pasadena, CA
Louis Friedman will read and sign his book Alone but Not Lonely: Exploring for Extraterrestrial Life at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena. October 4, 2023, is the 66th anniversary of the start of the space age. On On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union opened the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Friedman co-founded the Planetary Society with Carl Sagan and Bruce Murray and was its executive director for thirty years. He serves on the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts External Council and on the Breakthrough Initiatives Starshot Advisory Committee.
About the book:
Humans have always been fascinated by the possibility of extraterrestrial life, often wondering if we are alone in the universe. Drawing on nearly fifty years as a leader in planetary exploration, Louis Friedman brings into focus the subject of extraterrestrial life, separating knowledge from conjecture, fact from fiction, to draw scientific and technical conclusions that answer this enduring question.
Friedman argues that intelligent life is probably rare in the universe (maybe even uniquely on Earth) but that simple life is likely abundant on millions or billions of planets waiting now to be discovered. He asserts that studying and searching for extraterrestrial life cannot be done by interstellar probes—due to the vastness of space and the comparative brevity of human lifespans—but it can be done remotely by a new technique involving the solar gravity lens that can magnify exoplanets by tens of billions
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., AZT
Where: Consulate of Mexico, 3915 E Broadway Blvd., Tucson
The Consulate of Mexico, The Southwest Center, and the University of Arizona Press invite you to a presentation and book signing for Mexico’s Valleys of Cuicatlán and Tehuacán, From Deserts to Clouds. Authors David Yetman and Alberto Búrquez will show photographs and tell stories about the culture, history, and environment of an extraordinary region of southern Mexico. The event is free and open to the public.
The Valleys of Cuicatlán and Tehuacán are lauded by botanists for their spectacular plant life—they contain the densest columnar cacti forests in the world. Recent archaeological excavations reveal them also to be a formative Mesoamerican site as well. So singular is this region that it is home to the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Through firsthand experience and engaging prose, the authors provide a synthesis of the geology, ecology, history, and cultures of the valleys, showing their importance and influence as Mesoamerican arteries for environmental and cultural interchange through Mexico. It also reveals the extraordinary plant life that draws from habitats ranging from deserts to tropical forests.
With Yetman and Búrquez as your guides, take a trip through southern Mexico’s beautiful landscapes.
Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m., PST
Where: Secret Garden Books, 2214 NW Market St, Seattle, WA
Secret Garden Books will host a book launch for Alma García and her debut novel, All That Rises. The event is free and open to the public.
About the book:
All That Rises is a story of families and conflict in El Paso, Texas. In this novel, mysteries are unraveled, odd alliances are forged, and the boundaries between lives blur in destiny-changing ways—all in a place where the physical border between two countries is as palpable as it is porous, and the legacies of history are never far away. There are no easy solutions to the issues the characters face in this story, and their various realities—as undocumented workers, Border Patrol agents, the American supervisor of a Mexican factory employing an impoverished workforce—never play out against a black-and-white moral canvas. Instead, they are complex human beings with sometimes messy lives who struggle to create a place for themselves in a part of the world like no other, even as they are forced to confront the lives they have made.
Date: Monday, September 18, 2023
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., CDT
Where: Space Center Houston, 1601 E NASA Parkway, Houston, TX
Louis Friedman will talk about the possibility of life beyond Earth and his book Alone but Not Lonely: Exploring for Extraterrestrial Life at the Space Center Houston. September 18, 2023, marks the beginning of National Astronomy Week, and Friedman will answer the popular question: “Are we alone in the universe?” Friedman co-founded the Planetary Society with Carl Sagan and Bruce Murray and was its executive director for thirty years. He serves on the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts External Council and on the Breakthrough Initiatives Starshot Advisory Committee.
About the book:
Humans have always been fascinated by the possibility of extraterrestrial life, often wondering if we are alone in the universe. Drawing on nearly fifty years as a leader in planetary exploration, Louis Friedman brings into focus the subject of extraterrestrial life, separating knowledge from conjecture, fact from fiction, to draw scientific and technical conclusions that answer this enduring question.
Friedman argues that intelligent life is probably rare in the universe (maybe even uniquely on Earth) but that simple life is likely abundant on millions or billions of planets waiting now to be discovered. He asserts that studying and searching for extraterrestrial life cannot be done by interstellar probes—due to the vastness of space and the comparative brevity of human lifespans—but it can be done remotely by a new technique involving the solar gravity lens that can magnify exoplanets by tens of billions. This technique will allow humankind to explore exoplanets and open up an exciting new field of comparative astrobiology.
When: March 9-10, 2024
Where: The University of Arizona Campus, Tucson, AZ
Mark your calendars for the Tucson Festival of Books, a community-wide celebration of literature. As always, the festival is free to attend. Keep an eye on this page for more information about University of Arizona Press authors who will be participating in the festival, or sign up for our newsletter to get updates.
Date: Friday, October 13, 2023
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., CDT
Where: Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Latino Bookstore, 1300 Guadalupe St, San Antonio, TX
Norma Elia Cantú will present her most recent book: Chicana Portraits: Critical Biographies of Twelve Chicana Writers, as part of the Texas Author Series at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio. John Olivares Espinoza, author of The Date Fruit Elegies, will also speak. The event is free and open to the public, and books will be available for purchase.
About Chicana Portraits:
This innovative collection pairs portraits with critical biographies of twelve key Chicana writers, offering an engaging look at their work, contributions to the field, and major achievements. Artist Raquel Valle-Sentíes’s portraits bring visual dimension, while essays delve deeply into the authors’ lives for details that inform their literary, artistic, feminist, and political trajectories and sensibilities. The collection brilliantly intersects artistic visual and literary cultural productions, allowing complex themes to emerge, such as the fragility of life, sexism and misogyny, Chicana agency and forging one’s own path, the struggles of becoming a writer and battling self-doubt, economic instability, and political engagement and activism.
The University of Arizona Press
