at the National Hispanic Cultural Center

HLA PODCAST: LA HILACHA

The History and Literary Arts program at theNHCC has launched the first and secondepisodes of our new podcast. We're calling it"La Hilacha: Words and Memories."Notice the "HLA" embedded in the title. The second episode, now live, features poetsreading and sharing their perspectives on"Poetry in a Time of Crisis: Covid-19." The free podcast features interviews,

informational tidbits, readings (including children's books), previews of upcomingevents, and more. Una "hilacha" is an unraveling thread. We see history and literature as somethingsimilar; the richness of our individual and collective stories extends and unravels intothe writing that tells these stories to the world. Listen!

DR. DIANA MCDONALD: MUNDOS DE MESTIZAJE

For the first NHCC History Festival on February 21-22,2020, Dr. Diana McDonald gave a wonderful talkabout the "Mundos de Mestizaje" buon fresco on theNHCC campus. Dr. McDonald--art historian, lecturer, and independentcurator--discusses the visual history of indigenous, Pre-Hispanic cultures of the Americas in the fresco. You can now watch Dr. McDonald's talk, free of charge,here. This remarkable work of art, by master artist FredericoVigil, is the largest concave fresco in the United Statesand depicts hundreds of years of Hispanic history fromIberia to Mesoamerica to the American Southwest.

Diana McDonald is an expert in Ancient American Art,Ancient Middle Eastern Art, and related archaeologicalsites. She was on the Fine Arts Faculty of BostonCollege for 18 years, and continues to lecture on Pre-Columbian art. Learn more about McDonald, includingher "Great Courses," here.

BOOKS WE RECOMMEND

HLA has launched a book review blog, and we are fillingit up with recommended books including I Am Not YourPerfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika Sanchez, and Pathto the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to RocketScientist, by Sylvia Acevedo. Take a look:NHCC Latinx Book Reviews

Our reviews include children's books, middle grade, YA and those for adults. If you, too, would like to submit a review, you are welcome to. Reviews must beoriginal (i.e. written by you) and books must be authored and/or illustrated by Latinxwriters/artist. Books published in the last two years are preferable. Submit a review If you like a review, click on the heart icon and/or write a comment. Let us knowyou're reading.

VISIT ONLINE: EL VOTO FEMENINO

Now online! We feature a "Woman of the Week" from "El voto femenino: Sufragistas Latinas luchandopor el derecho al voto/The Women's Vote: LatinaSuffragists Fighting for the Vote"

"El voto femenino" features Latinas from theinternational Hispanic diaspora (24 countries) who wereinstrumental in women's suffrage worldwide. Also stay tuned for an online "tour" of the exhibit whichis in the works.

When we return to normal operations, this exhibit is free and open to the public duringhours of operation: Tuesday-Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm; the f irst Saturday of the month1-5 pm, January 25 - June 30, 2020

WI-FI ON WHEELS

We want to share this important and innovativenew program for Albuquerque students andfamilies. Mayor Tim Keller has rolled "WiFi onWheels" to provide free wireless internet accessoptions to students and families. Due to coronavirus, many students are relying on learning from home, but not everyfamily has equitable access to the internet. The City of Albuquerque is placing mobileWiFi units at APS schools as well as extending WiFi capabilities outside of City facilities.Users can drive up to within 100 feet of the mobile units and stay in their cars topromote social distancing. Learn more about the program here.

NATIONAL LATINX WRITERS GATHERINGOctober 2020

October 16-18, 2020 www.uslatinxlit.org After completing a national survey of Latinx writers, theNHCC will launch an annual Latinx Writers Conferencein October of 2020. The first "gathering," as we're

calling it, will emphasize community-building and networking as well as determine whatthe shape and content of future conferences will be. In results from the survey, writers across the country expressed a strong desire forLatinx writers to coordinate efforts, promote opportunities for writers inside and outsideacademia, and advocate for more books to be published by major and smaller presses.At the same time, Latinx writers in all genres want an annual place to gather, get toknow each other, and create. If you are a Latinx author writing in any genre, join us!

CANCELLED/POSTPONED EVENTS

We are very sad to have to announce the cancellations of the following events becauseof the COVID-19 pandemic. We do so with the love and safety of our communities onour minds. All La Canoa Talks through May, 2020 Children's Bilingual Book Festival Saturday, April 25, 9 AM - 5 PM While our buildings are closed you won't be able to visit the following exhibits in person: "El voto femenino," "Pan

American Unity," Temporary Murals by Helen Atkins, Ruben Olguin and Reyes Padilla,but we are working hard to bring some form of these to you virtually. Visit our sectionof the NHCC website often, to see what we're presenting online.

For more information about any of these events, contact History and Literary ArtsDirector Valerie Martínez at valerie.martinez@state.nm.us, 505-263-1977.