Poetic Stylings at The Ferguson Library

Meet Marianela Medrano, published poet and activist, on Saturday, July 29 at 2 p.m. at the Ernest A. DiMattia, Jr. Building of The Ferguson Library. Ms. Madrano will share her work, including a recent piece published in the Afro-Latino anthology, ¡Manteca! Other poets featured in the anthology, including Carmen Bardeguez-Brown and Melissa Castillo-Garsow, will also be present at the Library’s Poetic Stylings program.

Containing the work of more than forty poets—equally divided between men and women—who self-identify as Afro-Latino, ¡Manteca! is the first poetry anthology to highlight writings by Latinos of African descent.

Marianela Medrano was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and has lived in Connecticut since 1990. A poet and a writer of nonfiction and fiction, she holds a PhD in psychology, with special focus on transpersonal psychology, and is a blogger for the American Counseling Association (ACA). Her literary work has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines in Latin America, Europe and the United States.

Melissa Castillo-Garsow is a Mexican-American writer, former journalist, teacher and scholar. She is the editor of ¡Manteca!, and the co-editor (with Jason Nichols) of La Verdad: The Reader of Hip Hop Latinidades. Her short stories, articles and poetry have been published in numerous journals. Her first novel, Pure Bronx, was released in 2013, and her first volume of poetry, Coatlicue Eats the Apple, was published in 2015.

Carmen Bardeguez-Brown’s work was showcased in the documentary, Latino Poets in the United States. Her poetry has been included in numerous journals and anthologies and she has been a featured presenter at many venues throughout the tri-state area. Her third book of poetry, Meditation on Love, Dance and Loss will be published later this year.

This event is part of the Library’s 2017 Adult Summer Reading Program, Build A Better World and is co-sponsored by the Mayor’s Multicultural Council.

For more information, call 203 351-8231.

The Ernest A. DiMattia, Jr. Building of The Ferguson Library is located at the corner of Bedford and Broad Streets, Stamford.

(pictured: Marianela Medrano)