Originally from Mexico, Reyna Grande grew up in the US as an undocumented immigrant. She became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a BA, and an MFA in creative writing. Her best-selling memoirs, The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home, chronicle her experiences before and after immigrating and her journey as a first-generation college student. Her works of fiction include the novels Across a Hundred Mountains, Dancing with Butterflies, and A Ballad of Love and Glory. She is also co-editor of the anthology Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings. These poignant narratives have resonated with readers across the country, earning her prestigious awards like the American Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award nomination.
Ángel Rodríguez will read an excerpt from Reyna Grande’s A Ballad of Love and Glory. Ángel is an actor, director, and a bunch of other things in the Sacramento area. He holds a bachelor’s in Theater from Sacramento State. Ángel has had the honor to fill the shoes of many fantastic roles and would love to keep doing that forever. He dreams of continuing to be a part of the arts for the rest of his life, whether it is on stage, backstage, as a director, or as an educator. Keep up with Ángel’s projects on IG: @a_rod719
Eva Rayala, a junior at Da Vinci Charter School, is an aspiring author, drawing inspiration from her love of fantasy books and fairytales. For the past four years, she has been crafting her own novel that she hopes to soon share with the world. For the past four years, she has been crafting her own novel that she hopes to soon share with the world. A selection from that work will be presented on September 8.
Kellie Raines will read Eva Rayala’s piece, “The Girl with Three Souls.” Kellie is a local actor, director, writer, and visual artist. She has performed with and directed for local theatre companies, including KOLT Run Creations, Green Valley Theatre, Big Idea Theatre, Theater Galatea, and Resurrection Theatre. She has shown her visual art at Archival Gallery and in the PBS KVIE Art Auction and The Crocker Art Museum’s Big Names, Small Art Auction. She has a bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Art and a minor in English from UC Davis. You can see Kellie on-air from time to time for PBS KVIE. Elle essaie aussi d’apprendre le français.Bonne soirée! kellierainesart.com