Chicano & Latino Writers Festival

Despite all the technological retrofitting, not to mention the recent gutting of hours and slashing of budgets, libraries remain one of our most inspiring institutions. Sometimes they even take the show on the road, as with this festival. For nearly a decade, the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library has brought together an esteemed group of national and local writers for a festival that stretches across genres and generations. This year’s lineup includes La Cucharacha cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz (see Desert Island Duffel), poet Richard Blanco, and Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican. 651-222-3242; www.stpaul.lib.mn.us/programs/chicanolatino.html