Department of Creative Writing

Department of Ethnic Studies

CHASS hosts author and Latinx activist Sandra Cisneros for second time

kelvin — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:18:32 +0000

CHASS hosts author and Latinx activist Sandra Cisneros for second time kelvin Mon, 11/17/2025 - 15:18 More Press Releases By Jeremy Gutierrez, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications November 17, 2025

On Oct. 8, author Sandra Cisneros — best known for her young adult novella, “The House on Mango Street” — returned to UC Riverside for her first in-person appearance since 2012. Cisneros was also a featured author in the 2022 Writers Week festival. The event was open to the public, and copies of her books were available for purchase outside of the University Theatre, where the event took place.

Throughout the night, Cisneros read excerpts from several of her pieces: an unreleased novel called “Infinito,” a speech about what inspired “The House on Mango Street,” and what was intended to be a commencement speech.

Following the reading, Cisneros was joined by Alex Espinoza, Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair of Creative Writing, who interviewed the author — including questions submitted by the audience. The two discussed the impact Cisneros had on the Latin-American community, among several other topics. The discussion resonated with much of the audience.

“‘The House on Mango Street’ was the first time where I realized that the traumas and experiences that we carry, especially as Latinos, we can transfer that into art,” third-year Theatre, Film, and Digital Production major Jackie Ajucum said. “And we can find success in it, even if that's not our intentional purpose. What I really liked about what she said during her panel today was that everything that she creates within her art–it's all made of love. Not with the intention of making awards or having some sort of global recognition.”

Current students and alumni made up much of the audience, many of whom admire the work Cisneros does.

“ Oftentimes, either students are not represented or are silenced,” Daniel López Salas, ‘16 and ‘23 said. “And so having voices like Sandra Cisneros really represents the voices and the calls for diversity on our campus in a way that I think can often be misconstrued or hidden.”

Following the talkback, Cisneros offered autographs and photos at a table outside the theatre.

Dean Daryle Williams poses with Sandra Cisneros. Photo by Dennis Cha.

Audience members wrap around Olmstead Hall as they line up for autographs. Photo by Dennis Cha.

Sandra Cisneros signs a fan's copy of one of her books. Photo by Lyndsey Rankin.

FEATURED PHOTO. Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair of Creative Writing interviews author Sandra Cisneros live on stage. Photo by Dennis Cha.

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47th annual Writers Weeks festival arrives at UCR

kelvin — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 23:02:10 +0000

47th annual Writers Weeks festival arrives at UCR kelvin Tue, 02/13/2024 - 15:02 More Press Releases Alejandra Prado, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications February 13, 2024

UC Riverside has kicked off the 47th annual Writers Week festival, the longest-running free literary celebration in California, held Feb. 10 and Feb.12-16. Co-sponsored by UCR’s Department of Creative Writing and a number of on- and off-campus partners, Writers Week includes in-person and virtual events such as readings and panels and will be joined by established and emerging writers.

“Writing is a famously lonely profession, and writers’ festivals like this are important places for writers to mingle and hear and see each other, and important places for them to meet and hear from readers,” said Tom Lutz, Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing and founding editor-in-chief of the LA Review of Books (LARB). Lutz also serves as the co-director of Writers Week alongside Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing Allison Hedge Coke.

This year’s Writers Week will feature a post-festival ticketed celebration in Los Angeles sponsored by LARB honoring the Lifetime Achievement Award honorees on Feb. 16, The UCR celebration will be held in the Interdisciplinary (INTS) Building room 1128 with a virtual screening option.

The 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Rigoberto González, whose work contributes to the Latino community, Dave Eggers, writer and founder of the literary journal McSweeney’s and literacy project 826 Valencia, and Quincy Troupe, a writer who has been involved in the Black Arts Movement and Watts Writers Workshop.

“These three writers are exemplars of what we see as truly engaged literary citizenship,” Lutz said. “All three write in multiple genres, and they have together produced over a hundred books.”

Recipients of the award are selected by UCR professors in collaboration with LARB editorial staff. 2024 honoree González is also a UCR alumnus and graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s in humanities and social sciences interdisciplinary studies.

“There is something very special about having Rigoberto, a UCR undergraduate, come back to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award,” Lutz said.

According to González, Writers Week was where he first realized that writers were real human beings and not just names on a book cover and was able to shorten the distance between them with readers.“When I came across the list of previous recipients, most of them my heroes, I was overjoyed that my work as a literary advocate had been deemed worthy of measuring up to the contributions of such giants as Sandra Cisneros, Juan Felipe Herrera, and John Rechy,” González said.

As in González’s case, Writers Week serves as an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to interact with writers, both in-person and online. For writers, the literary festival is a place to reach and connect with readers.

“There’s value in creating a space in which a dialogue can take place between those who write the words and those who encounter them,” González said. “These spaces are also important to writers like me who see allies in my fellow writers in the struggle against censorship, prejudice, misinformation, and the many other ills that currently afflict our society.”

“Public readings and other literary events have long been a prime method for writers to reach readers, and now more than ever it is a necessary part of a writer's career,” Lutz said.

The remaining events of the festival will be offered in various sessions at differing times from Feb. 12-16. All virtual events will be captioned & ASL translated and in-person events will be held in INTS 1128 with virtual screening options.

“There is not a dull moment in the program,” Lutz said. “People should read through the schedule and attend as many events as possible.”

To view the 2024 Writers Week schedule, please visit writersweek.ucr.edu/schedule2024

To register for an online session, please visit crowdcast.io/@ucr-writers-week

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Five Generations of Heroes

kelvin — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:49:35 +0000

Five Generations of Heroes kelvin Thu, 04/09/2020 - 11:49 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications April 09, 2020

Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing Susan Straight has spent 32 years at UCR inspiring her students to tell their own stories. Now she has published her own story, "In the Country of Women: a Memoir”.

Straight’s memoir examines the lives of five generations of women in her family who have migrated from around the world to settle in the Inland community. As the mother of three mixed-race women, Straight’s memoir is structured as letters to her daughters, telling the stories of their female ancestors who migrated from the mountains of Switzerland and the plantations of Mississippi to reside in the Riverside County area.

“In writing this book... I was trying to...honor all of the female ancestors, most of whom migrated by themselves to get to Southern California,” Straight said. “I just finished a class where we talked about...how many of us are from large families whose parents had to take on a different identity or change their names. My mom changed her name, she Americanized her name when she got here, and I can talk about that in a way that maybe not every professor could.”

“Susan's book In the Country of Women: A Memoir' is a remarkable balance between a story that is deeply personal and autobiographical, but also universal in its appeal for many readers, as it recounts stories of resilience and struggle, both psychological and practical,” said Erith Jaffe-Berg, professor of theatre, film and digital production. “She dedicates the book to her daughters, and as we experience it, the book interweaves the biracial histories of her family members.”

Straight met her future husband, Dwayne, in the eighth grade, and learned from his family stories of his grandmother Fine, born just after the Civil War in Tennessee to a mother previously enslaved, and Fine's daughters, Jennie and Callie, born in Tennessee and Texas. Fine made her way to Southern California with her five children, where they settled in Riverside. Straight also included stories of her grandmother, Rosa Leu, who emigrated to Fontana and became head nurse at the original Kaiser Permanente hospital.

“So often in history, politics, popular culture, art and literature, the roles and contributions of women are diminished or relegated to the background,” said Alex Espinoza, Straight’s former student and the current UCR Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair and Associate Professor of Creative Writing. “Susan's memoir shows why it is important to elevate the stories and experiences of women and recognize and honor these struggles and sacrifices.”

“Her attention is focused on the price of race and class in America, recurrent themes in her books,” Jaffe-Berg said. “As she puts it, it is an ‘odyssey of women.’ She describes the histories of the women as ‘moving about in the darkness’...ways histories are remembered and passed down conditions whose stories we tell and how we remember those people.”

Straight has also used her experiences with dual cultures to offer unique insight in her classroom curriculum.

“In class, we talked about what [it means] to have dual identities...to migrate from one ladscape to another and...to have two cultures,” Straight said. “What does it mean to use languages like Spanish or Swiss-German? It’s important for me to say, ‘Look at all these books out there for people who have dual languages or dual cultures’...We also are writing about what it means to be women, what it means to share histories and to be migrant but to also love language. [We ask] how does the narrative shape the story?”

Straight has lived in Riverside her entire life. Her love for the local community has led Straight to volunteer as the Chair for the National Scholarship for the Riverside Elk Lodge, where she manages scholarship outreach and visits local schools. Susan’s daughters were also born and raised in Riverside, and they share her deep love for the city and its community.

“My middle daughter is a PhD student in Berkeley...and she has begun thinking about what it means to be from a place like Riverside,” Straight said. “She says with an immense amount of pride, ‘[Riverside is] one of the most beautiful places in the world and I miss it all the time.’ People are always taken aback, but you can see poppies and blue canterbury bells…[and] I love that she misses the palm trees we have here.”

“[Susan] was born and raised in Riverside,” Espinoza said. “She's as much a part of the landscape as the orange groves and palm trees, the hills and arroyos. She gives these elements and the people who live here a voice and a national and international presence. She's put Riverside on the literary map in a way no other writer has. She has done this tirelessly and consistently for decades. She has left an enduring legacy and has influenced many writers. I can say that I am the writer and the teacher that I am because of Susan. Because she was there. Because she cared enough to listen to what I had to say.”

“I have learned as much from my students as they have from me,” Straight said.

As a first-generation high school and college student, Straight uses her unique perspective to connect with her students.

“I’m the first person in my family to graduate high school, not just college,” Straight said. “What I usually start out by saying to my students is ‘How many of us are not just first-generation to go to college, but first-generation to graduate from high school and then go on to college?’ As a distinguished professor, when I say that...so many of my students would have never thought that would have been possible.”

Straight uses her experiences as a first-generation student to connect with her own students, many of whom are also first-generation students, including Straight’s former students multi-award winning author Rigoberto González and Creative Writing lecturer Sara Borjas, as well as Espinoza.

“I'm a first-generation student as well, and it was refreshing to learn that Susan was one also when I first landed at UCR because I knew she would be able to recognize many of the struggles I would face,” Espinoza said. “In her, students see themselves. She comes from the streets and neighborhoods that they do, and she knows their challenges. She always had us read works by writers who came from working class and immigrant backgrounds because she wanted us to recognize and see ourselves in literature. That's a very powerful awareness, something that left a huge impression on me and shaped how I approached my teaching and my writing.”

“I think Susan [embodies] the mission of UCR, which is to teach with a great sense of social mission and compassion,” said Jaffe-Berg. “I think she also embodies the motto of fiat lux, [or] ‘let there be light’...the motto of the UC. She brings light to the stories that would otherwise go untold and she encourages her students to tell their own stories, seeing value and worth in each one.”

Susan Straight's former mother-in-law, Callie, with two of her six sons.

Callie's sister, Aunt Jennie.

Callie's mother, Grandma Fine.

FEATURED PHOTO. Douglas McCulloh, Senior Curator at the California Museum of Photography Author/Professor Susan Straight and her former husband, Dwayne, who she met in eighth grade and with whom she has three daughters.

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PEN America comes to Writer’s Week

kelvin — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:20:45 +0000

PEN America comes to Writer’s Week kelvin Fri, 02/07/2020 - 10:20 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing & Communications February 06, 2020

Jonathan Friedman, PEN America’s Project Director for Campus Free Speech, will lecture as part of Writers Week on Thursday, Feb. 13, at noon in the InterDisciplinary South Building screening room, 1128. He will discuss why free speech and self-expression are important to college campuses.

“I will be running a forum on free speech as part of Writers Week at UCR,” Friedman said. “For this session, I’ll talk about my work promoting free speech and inclusion on campuses, as well as the challenges of writing with nuance about higher education today.”

Friedman is in charge of overseeing advocacy programs for PEN America. According to its website, PEN America’s mission is “to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.”

Friedman recently received a fellowship from the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement (UCNCFSCE). The UCNCFSCE works with all 10 campuses of the University of California. The center educates students about the roots of advocacy through discussion, and works to inspire the next generation of activists to become leaders in their communities.

“It is especially important in the university context where young adults are learning how to form, articulate and persuade others with their points of view,” said Michelle Deutchman, UCNCFSCE Executive Director. “However, when thinking about and discussing free speech, it is essential to do so while also considering other institutional values like inclusivity and equity; free speech does not exist in a vacuum.”

Friedman’s fellowship includes a residency at UCR and will be used to create free speech resources for on-campus staff and faculty, including student affairs, housing officers, and diversity and inclusion offices.

“I aim to develop resources to help them be strong advocates for free expression and inclusion that are consistent with law and policy...that also encompass academic and community considerations,” Friedman said.

FEATURED PHOTO. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Friedman and Steven Bridges, University of Tennessee.
Jonathan Friedman is PEN America’s Project Director for Campus Free Speech. He will speak on Thursday, Feb. 13, as part of Writers Week.

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CHASS professor/alumnus carries on legacy as Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair

kelvin — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 00:20:41 +0000

CHASS professor/alumnus carries on legacy as Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair kelvin Fri, 12/06/2019 - 16:20 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications December 07, 2019

Teaching creative writing has been a dream come true for Alex Espinoza. Espinoza, a 2000 UC Riverside graduate who majored in creative writing is now an associate professor in UCR’s Department of Creative Writing.

In July, Espinoza took on the prestigious position of Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair, which provides financial assistance to senior CHASS faculty funded by the Rivera family and other outside donors. The position was created to commemorate UC Riverside’s fourth chancellor, Tomás Rivera, the first UC Chicano chancellor and a decorated writer.

Espinoza hopes to continue the legacy of the late Chancellor Rivera.

“This university’s community gave me so much when I was an undergrad,” Espinoza said, “so to be able to give back to that community is a dream come true. It’s a really profound and wonderful opportunity to continue to pay homage to him, and I’m excited to be joining such a stellar department with amazing writers.”

Part of Espinoza’s responsibilities as Rivera chair will be running the annual Tomás Rivera Conference. This year’s conference’s theme will be “art and activism,” and Espinoza plans to reach out to writers, scholars and performers who see their art as a tool for social change.

“The 2021conference will take a comprehensive and expansive look at the evolution of Chicanx/Latinx literature,” Espinoza said. “The following year I’m looking to do something on Latinos and public health, and the year after that I want to do something on queer Chicanx/Latinx bodies and desire.”

Rivera was the author of the famous short story collection “...y no se lo tragó la tierra,” translated as “...and the Earth Did Not Devour Him.” Espinoza plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication during the 2021 conference.

“When I was an undergrad here at UCR, my TA gifted to me a manila envelope,” Espinoza said. “Inside was a copy of ...and the Earth Did Not Devour Him and a handwritten letter. She had written, ‘someday I hope you get to write something that shows people the fine person that you are,’ so I kept that letter and book all these years. Now, over 20 years later, I’m beyond humbled to be given the opportunity to assume this position.”

“Alex was one of the most evocative writers I've ever taught, and I was so happy when his first book, ‘Still Water Saints,’ came out,” said Professor of Creative Writing Susan Straight. “I'm so pleased he is the Tomás Rivera Chair, as Concha Rivera [Tomás Rivera’s wife] whom I've known since I was young, loves his work and his enthusiasm for our students and community as much as I do. He has big plans for our campus, and we're excited to have him here."

Espinoza, who is bilingual, was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and grew up in Los Angeles, publishing his first novel, “Still Water Saints,” in both English and Spanish in 2007. Espinoza has gone on to publish two more books, “The Five Acts of Diego León,” published in 2013, and “Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime,” published in June 2019.

Espinoza created the Tomás Rivera Book Prize to support the next generation of Chicanx and Latinx writers. The contest will seek manuscript submissions from aspiring authors, and the winner will be published by the LA Review Books Press, receive a monetary award and have the opportunity to host a Q&A and book signing on campus. To enter, submit your manuscript to Submittable by January 17, 2020.

Espinoza is also heavily involved with the Puente Project, a national nonprofit organization that assists first-generation college students and their transition from community college to a university.

“I was a Puente student years ago,” Espinoza said. “Puente really laid the foundation for my writing, so every summer we put on a writing conference where we get 40 community college students...and they come to UCR for a week of writing workshops.”

Espinoza hopes to continue his work with the Puente Project during his time as Endowed Chair and plans to continue collaborating on future events.

FEATURED PHOTO. Photo courtesy of Sara Bernal/CHASS Marketing & Communications.
Associate Professor of Creative Writing Alex Espinoza was recently named the Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair. Espinoza is a 2000 graduate in creative writing from UC Riverside. His newest book, "Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime," was published in June 2019 and has recently been reviewed by the LA Times.

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More than a hobby

kelvin — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 18:46:55 +0000

More than a hobby kelvin Tue, 09/10/2019 - 11:46 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications September 10, 2019

Monique Veloz has been creating art her entire life. Painting is more than a hobby for Veloz, it's a way of expressing emotion and giving back.

"There's not one form of art, there are multiple forms," Veloz said. "Everybody needs an outlet. Whether it’s poetry, art or music, whatever makes you feel better about yourself or gets you through your situation."

Veloz is an Academic Personnel Analyst within UC Riverside’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, who uses oil paint as a creative outlet. Veloz has created more than 70 original works. Some of her favorites include the "Beautifully Broken" paintings, a series of ten paintings that became her way of expressing emotions after a personal loss, and her "San Gabriel Enslavement" and "Dance For My Ancestors" paintings, created to pay homage to her Serrano and Mexican heritage.

Veloz's favorite piece is currently "Nichole," an oil painting created for a family friend experiencing personal struggles. The piece is intended to showcase the power and strength of womanhood, and alongside her other works, uniquely reflects powerful emotions, messages and history.

"Art is a way to express yourself, and is a way to steer your emotions," Veloz said. "All of my emotions come out through my art. You may have an image in your mind, and then when you start painting it turns out completely different. I like to say that the canvas talks to you, because sometimes things may not flow properly, and you think you'll go back and fix it but you take a step back to look at it and that’s what it was supposed to be."

Veloz has displayed her works in many art shows and galas. Last year, she was featured in an online magazine and four art shows. She sold an original piece at a recent "Pancakes and Booze," a premier world-traveling, pop-up art show.

Veloz strives to bring art to the community through her shows and donations, and has donated art pieces to the local Riverside Community Arts Association. She was also offered a position to teach a children's art class for the Inland Empire Latino Art Association, an organization that offers free dance classes, art classes and other children’s programs to the local community. She also donated two original paintings to the association.

"I just feel like, giving back is something I want to do," said Veloz. "My way to contribute is me donating so they can continue the work that they’re doing. It’s really big to give back where I can. I’m not able to give money, but I can donate a piece that can help them raise money and to me you need to give back to the kids."

Veloz has continued painting with her family, and has influenced her nieces to start painting by encouraging them to express themselves through art. She is continuously influencing and being influenced by them, and continues to find new inspiration for works to display at shows and on social media through her time in CHASS.

"UCR has definitely kept me inspired," Veloz said. "My departments are Art, Art History, Music and Creative Writing, and when I see what the professors are doing it keeps me motivated to keep going."

Veloz plans to continue her art, and hopes to one day exhibit her art in New York. Her ultimate goal is to hold an art show in Europe, and to be on display in France or Spain.

Follow Monique Veloz @monique.veloz on Instagram or at moniqueveloz.com.

Veloz has been featured in an online magazine and four art shows.
Photos courtesy of Monique Veloz

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Department of Art

Department of the History of Art

Department of Music

CHASS Dean's Office

Distinguished Professor Hedge Coke receives prestigious Chinese poetry award

kelvin — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 23:55:06 +0000

Distinguished Professor Hedge Coke receives prestigious Chinese poetry award kelvin Thu, 08/15/2019 - 16:55 More Press Releases Hannah Croft, Student Writer/CHASS Marketing and Communications March 14, 2019

Imagine bustling streets full of people, colorful shops and the sights and sounds of an international city. Now imagine a quiet village and a peaceful garden, surrounded by beautiful greenery and welcoming locals. Imagine delicious food, glistening awards, and an abundance of talented poets from all over the world.

This is just a taste of what UCR’s distinguished creative writing professor Allison Hedge Coke experienced during her trip to China. She is the author of six poetry books and one memoir, as well as the editor of ten volumes of work.

In December, Hedge Coke was awarded the First Jade Nurtured SiHui Female International Poetry Award and the title of Excellent Foreign Poet. She was one of 8 international poets invited to the first Women’s Poetry Week in Sihui, China, alongside more than 100 women Chinese poets, with critics and scholars presenting lectures and jurying the works. The famous Chinese poets awarded include poet Shu Ting, poet and professor Sun Xiao Ya, and cultural phenomenon poet Zheng Xiaoqiong.

The event, coordinated by the Poetry Center of China in Beijing, centered around trends and social and cultural expectations of international female poets, and included numerous themed lectures, research presentations and poetry readings. Hedge Coke was one of many guest lecturers, and read numerous original works at the readings. A portion of the event paid tribute to classical Chinese poetry, and the Jade award paid tribute to spiritual Chinese tradition attributed to women’s strength and way of being.

“It was a huge honor,” Hedge Coke said. “I was stunned and shocked. To have an international award is really great for us at UCR. I’m thrilled, humbled and honored to have received such a prestigious award, and to have an opportunity to return to China.”

After touring the local attractions, Hedge Coke attended a formal ceremony alongside poets from numerous other countries, including Russia, Turkey, Japan, Columbia, France, Korea and Vietnam. This final evening held an award ceremony, where she received credentials from the country, monetary compensation, a trophy and an engraved Jade medallion. Every major Chinese media entity covered the event. One asked Hedge Coke to create a poem for the occasion.

“I created a poem on the spot when they asked for one,” Hedge Coke said. “I may have been the only poet that did. They asked ‘can you give us a poem now for today’ so I said ‘give me a minute’, and I came up with one and they loved it and printed it all over. It was fun, and the ceremony was very moving.”

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