FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 27, 2024
Contact: Janine Pourroy Gamblin
Inlandia Institute Programs and Marketing Coordinator
programs@inlandiainstitute.org
(951) 790-2548
“Celebrating Cultura: Weaving Stories with a Cultural Perspective” at Artswalk
Riverside, CA – Are you interested in language, literature, and Latino/a/e/x culture? Have you ever wondered how the creative progress intersects with family and tradition? Then meet Inlandia at Riverside Main Library for Artswalk on Thursday, September 5, for a lively conversation between two Hispanic authors who write about their own cultural heritage. Juanita E. Mantz and Julia Amante will chat about the inspiration and drive behind their work – and what it’s like to weave stories with a cultural perspective. Performance readings are planned. Don’t miss it!
This FREE event runs from 7:00-8:00 PM; doors open at 6:30. Riverside Main Library is located at 3900 Mission Inn Avenue Riverside, CA 92501. Free parking is available from the University Avenue entrance.
Juanita E. Mantz (“JEM”) is a USC Law educated deputy public defender, writer, performer, and podcaster. JEM has two books, a memoir titled Tales of an Inland Empire Girl (Los Nietos Press, 2022), which won a bronze medal at the 2023 Latino Books to Movie Awards and a hybrid chapbook titled Portrait of a Deputy Public Defender, or how I became a punk rock lawyer (Bamboo Dart Press, 2021), which won a gold medal at the 2022 International Latino Book Awards for best first book.
JEM’s stories have been published in literary journals, newspapers, and anthologies. She is an alumna of VONA and Macondo and received a California Arts Council Grant at the Established Artist level. She has performed/presented at the Colony Theater, CSUSB, UCR Writers’ Week, the UCR Punk Conference, Pasadena LitFest, AWP, and Beyond Baroque. She taught the ASA 2020 Freedom Course on Combating Mass Incarceration. JEM is currently in the low-res MFA writing program at the University of New Orleans and is working on a one woman show. For more information, please visit https://juanitaemantz.com.
Julia Amante began her writing career in 2000, writing Latina romance under the pseudonym Lara Rios when Kensington Publishing released a new line of Latino romance books. These books reflected the flavor and rhythm of Latino communities in the U.S. and delivered richly textured commercial fiction about a population that had been mostly ignored by publishers at the time. Julia sold four romances to this publisher before moving on to write longer Chick Lit novels for Berkley Publishing by 2006. Her book Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps was optioned by Disney’s ABC Family to become a future TV series.
Julia’s journey has taught her to cherish her roots, embrace her Latina heritage, and appreciate the life her parents built in the U.S. She weaves the two cultures together in her novels, illustrating the unique beauty of America. Currently, she shares her knowledge and love for writing as a business writing instructor at California State University San Bernardino. Her commitment to education extends beyond the classroom. She has presented workshops at various prestigious events and organizations, such as the Latino Book and Family Festival, the Mexican-American Organization Foundation, and the Latina Business Women Organization, spreading her love for literature and Latino fiction. Learn more about Julia at www.juliaamante.com.
The Riverside Public Library system serves the City of Riverside. Originally established in 1888, the library began in two upstairs rooms in the Hardy Building, located on what is now University Avenue. It has now grown to a total of eight branches throughout the city. Its new Main Library opened in 2021 at 3900 Mission Inn Avenue in downtown Riverside.
The Friends of the Riverside Library came to life in the 1970s thanks to several devoted library fans. Over the years the organization has continued to provide support for library programs and equipment by collecting and selling used books in all the branches, including its own bookstore next to the Main library on Mission Inn Avenue.
Inlandia Institute is a regionally focused literary and cultural arts nonprofit and publishing house whose mission is to promote literary activity in all its forms throughout Inland Southern California and to celebrate the region in word, image, and sound. During the pandemic, Inlandia launched Inlandia at Home, a virtual events series, and continues to offer many workshops and events online. For more about Inlandia, please visit http://inlandiainstitute.org.
####Janine Pourroy Gamblin
Programs and Marketing Coordinator
Inlandia Institute
4178 Chestnut Street
Riverside, CA 92501
951 790 2458
