Acclaimed Author Carmen Tafolla to Speak at Austin College

Austin College will host renowned author Dr. Carmen Tafolla,

Dr. Carmen Tafolla

presenting the lecture “The Border Crossed Us: Latino Voices in The U.S.” on Friday, December 5, at 4:30 p.m. in Hoxie Thompson Auditorium of Sherman Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Acclaimed author of more than 20 books for adults and children, Tafolla, a 1972 graduate of Austin College, is an advocate for Latino voices and cultures, as well as a recipient of many awards. In 2012, she was named the first Poet Laureate of the City of San Antonio by Mayor Julian Castro. She now teaches at the University of Texas-San Antonio as associate professor for transformative children’s literature, and lives in San Antonio, where she is at work on the biography of noted 1930s civil rights organizer Emma Tenayuca.

Tafolla has held numerous faculty and administrative positions at universities throughout the Southwest, including associate professor of women’s studies at California State University Fresno and special assistant to the president for Cultural Diversity Programming at Northern Arizona University. She was the first Chicana to head a Mexican-American Studies Center and the first Latina to be awarded a Charlotte Zolotow Award for Best Children’s Picture Book.

Her awards include the prestigious Americas Award presented to her in 2010 at the Library of Congress, two Tomas Rivera Book Awards, and the Zolotow Award in 2010. She was selected by the President’s Peace Commission of St. Mary’s University to receive the Art of Peace Award for writing that promotes peace, justice, and human understanding.

She has authored five books of poetry, eight children’s picture books, seven television screenplays, several non-fiction volumes, and a collection of short stories, The Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans. In addition, she co-authored with filmmaker Sylvia Morales a feature-length comedy, REAL MEN ... and other miracles. Her works are archived at the University of Texas Benson Latin American Collection.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.