Chicano author Ana Castillo will share her thoughts on censorship, education and Hispanic literature on Thursday, March 7 at 6 p.m. in the WTAMU JBK Legacy Hall.
“Her works speak to questions of identity, Hispanic culture and spirituality, and the tensions that many of our minority students go through every day,” Dr. Andrew Reynolds, assistant professor of Spanish, said. “We thought that she would be a wonderful person to represent our Hispanic students, around a third of our student body.”
Castillo has written multiple books of fiction and poetry on Chicano culture and identity, two of which have been banned from Arizona public schools, Loverboys and So Far From God, due to a bill that excludes ethnic studies from the public education system.
“Her work is politically engaging,” Dr. Alex Hunt, associate professor of English, said. “I like that her work is a refusal to believe that art is above politics.”
Prior to the lecture, on March 7 at 3 p.m., Castillo will also hold a writing workshop where she will address the craft of writing and dealing with publishers.
“We admire [Castillo’s] work and like the way it appeals to popular audiences and academics alike,” Dr. Jeff Doty, assistant professor of English, said. “I hope that our students will see how literature is important because it challenges people to confront issues like sexism and racial discrimination.”
