Tack Room
1807 S Allport St., Chicago
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Join us at the Tack Room as we get ready for a week of exemplary programming featuring writers and artists from Mexico and Chicago. At this event, we’ll have “welcome copitas,” the print program, and of course, a super fun raffle.
18th Street Casa de Cultura
2057 W. 18th St. Chicago, IL 60608
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Join us at 18th Street Casa de Cultura for a keynote address from critically-acclaimed author Alejandra Oliva on this year’s festival theme, Saturation/ Saturación. Oliva will read from her recent memoir, Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith and Migration (Astra House, 2023) and join author and Lit & Luz alum Juan Martinez in conversation.
Meet the author after the event for a book signing and a complimentary cafecito reception courtesy of Dark Matter Coffee and Bittersweet Pilsen to celebrate the beginning of the festival week.
Alejandra Oliva is an essayist, embroiderer and translator. She is a recipient of the 2022 Creative Nonfiction Whiting Grant. Her writing has been included in Best American Travel Writing 2020, nominated for a Pushcart prize, and was honored with an Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writers Fellowship.
Presented in partnership with UIC’s Center for Latinx Literature of the Americas and 18th Street Casa de Cultura.
Acompáñanos a 18th Street Casa de Cultura para el Discurso inaugural de la autora, aclamada por la crítica, Alejandra Oliva, sobre el tema del festival de este año: Saturation/Saturación. Oliva leerá fragmentos de su reciente memoria Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith and Migration (Astra House, 2023), y acompaña al ex participante de Lit & Luz, Juan Martínez, para la conversación.
Conoce a la autora después del evento en una firma de libros y un recepción con cafecito de cortesía de Dark Matter Coffee and Bittersweet Pilsen para celebrar el inicio de la semana del festival.
Alejandra Oliva es ensayista, bordadora y traductora. Fue beneficiaria de la Creative Nonfiction Whiting Grant en 2022. Su obra ha sido incluida en Best American Travel Writing 2020, nominada al Pushcart Prize, y beneficiaria de la Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writers Fellowship.
Presentado en asociación con el Center for Latinx Literature of the Americas de la UIC y la 18th Street Casa de Cultura
Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture at The University of Chicago
5733 S University Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Join us for a lunchtime talk at The University of Chicago’s Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture. Critically-acclaimed Oaxaca-based poet Irma Pineda will share readings from her trilingual Isthmus Zapotec/Spanish/English collection, Nostalgia Doesn’t Flow Away Like River Water (Deep Vellum, 2024), translated to English by Wendy Call. Following the reading, Pineda and Call will discuss the process of translation and bilingual writing, advocacy of the preservation of indigenous languages and cultures in Mexico, and the place of poetry in activist work. Hosted and moderated by Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Rachel Galvin. A light lunch will be provided.
Presented in Partnership with The University of Chicago’s Translation Studies, the Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture, and the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity, UIC’s Center for Latinx Literature of the Americas, and the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago
Acompáñanos a una charla de mediodía en el Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture de la University of Chicago. Irma Pineda, poeta aclamada por la crítica y radicada en Oaxaca, compartirá lecturas de su colección trilingüe, en zapoteco de istmo, español e inglés, Nostalgia Doesn’t Flow Away Like River Water (Deep Vellum, 2024), traducida al inglés por Wendy Call. Después de la lectura, Pineda y Call discutirán el proceso de la traducción y la escritura bilingüe, la defensa de la preservación de las lenguas y culturas indígenas en México, y el lugar de la poesía en el trabajo activista. Presentada y moderada por Rachel Galvin, Profesora Asociada de Inglés y Literatura Comparada. Se proporcionará un almuerzo ligero.
Presentado en asociación con el Translation Studies, el Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity, y el Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture de la University of Chicago, el Center for Latinx Literature of the Americas de la UIC, y el Consulado General de México en Chicago
The Whistler
2421 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join us for an evening of original poetry, storytelling, and music featuring artists from Mexico and Chicago—during Lit & Luz's golden hour at The Whistler, one of Chicago’s most magical cocktail bars. Hosted by Angelica Davila and Joel Craig.
Presented in partnership with The Whistler
Acompáñanos a una tarde de poesía, narración oral y música originales con artistas de México y Chicago, durante La hora de oro de Lit & Luz en The Whistler, uno de los bares de cócteles más mágicos de Chicago. Presentado por Angelica Davila y Joel Craig.
Presentado en asociación con The Whistler
Free (donations welcome) / Entrada libre (agradecemos sus donaciones)
This event will be in Spanish with translation available.
Northwestern University, Kresge Centennial Hall
1880 Campus Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Join Northwestern’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese for a reading and conversation with Oaxaca-based award winning author, Clyo Mendoza. This Spanish-language event will focus on Mendoza’s recent novel, Fury (Seven Stories Press, 2024) translated by Christina MacSweeney, with a discussion to further understand this novel, as well as learning more about the author’s writing process. The conversation will be moderated by Assistant Professor of Mexican and Latin American Literature Alfonso Fierro.
Presented in partnership with Northwestern’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Únete al Department of Spanish and Portuguese de Northwestern en la lectura y conversación con Clyo Mendoza, escritora galardona radicada en Oaxaca. Este evento en español se enfocará en la más reciente novela de Mendoza, Fury (Seven Stories Press, 2024) traducida por Christina MacSweeney, con una discusión para comprender mejor esta novela, así como para aprender más sobre el proceso de escritura de la autora. La conversación será moderada por Alfonso Fierro, Profesor Asistente de Literatura Mexicana y Latinoamericana.
Presentado en asociación con el Department of Spanish and Portuguese de Northwestern
Instituto Cervantes
31 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
We are excited to announce bilingual writing workshops presented by Mexico-based published authors Clyo Mendoza and Javier Peñalosa, and Alejandra Oliva, Chicago-based. Each writer-instructor offers a distinct opportunity for writers of all levels. Attendance is limited to ten students per class and the cost for the two-hour session is $25.
Presented in partnership with Instituto Cervantes
Nos emociona anunciar tres talleres de escritura bilingües, presentados por Clyo Mendoza, Javier Peñalosa, autores radicados en México, y Alejandra Oliva. Cada escritor ofrecerá una oportunidad distinta para escritores de todos los niveles. La asistencia está limitada a diez estudiantes por clase y el costo, por dos horas de sesión, es de $25.
Presentado en asociación con el Instituto Cervantes
Free (donations welcome) / Entrada libre (agradecemos sus donaciones)
Live audio interpretation from Spanish to English via your smartphone and headphones courtesy of Interprenet. / Interpretación de audio en vivo del español al inglés a través de tu smartphone y audífonos, cortesía de Interprenet.
Pilsen Community Books
1102 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Join us at Pilsen Community Books for a conversation with two of Mexico’s most talked-about young authors, Javier Peñalosa M. and Clyo Mendoza. The two authors will discuss their respective titles, What Comes Back translated by Robin Myers (Copper Canyon Press, 2024) and Fury translated by Christina MacSweeney (Seven Stories Press, 2024). Each author will read from their book followed by a discussion on writing about the desert, the power of myths, and poetic journeys. This conversation will be moderated by Lit & Luz Literary Arts Director and Lit & Luz Book Club Founder Miguel Jiménez. Stay after for a book signing with the presenters.
Presented in partnership with Pilsen Community Books
Acompáñanos a la Pilsen Community Books para una conversación con Javier Peñalosa y Clyo Mendoza, dos de lxs autores jóvenes más mencionados de México. Ambxs autores discutirán sus respectivos títulos, What Comes Back traducido por Robin Myers (Copper Canyon Press, 2024) y Fury traducido por Christina MacSweeney (Seven Stories Press, 2024). Cada autorx leerá sus libros, seguidos de una discusión sobre la escritura del desierto, el poder de los mitos, y los viajes poéticos. Esta conversación será moderada por Miguel Jiménez, Director de Artes Literarias de Lit & Luz y fundador de Lit & Luz Book Club. Quédate al final para la firma de libros con lxs presentadores.
Presentado en asociación con Pilsen Community Books
Live audio translation in English to Spanish and Spanish to English, along with visual description will be available for this program via your smartphone and headphones. For any other considerations, please reach out to litluz@makemag.org.
La traducción en vivo del inglés al español y del español al inglés, acompañada de una descripción visual, estará disponible para este programa a través de tu teléfono móvil y audífonos. Para más consideraciones, escríbenos a litluz@makemag.org.
Saturday, November 2, doors at 6:30 p.m. / Show at 7:00 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago IL 60611
Experience the Live Magazine Show, the Lit & Luz Festival of Language, Literature, and Art’s signature celebration. Each year, Lit & Luz supports the creation of new collaborative artworks between writers, visual artists, and musicians from Chicago and Mexico. In the months leading up to the festival, teams of participating artists from the two countries work remotely to co-create a performance incorporating their respective mediums. The pieces are presented during the show in both Spanish and English, and they often explore the relationship between the languages, art forms, and cultures of the United States and Mexico. The theme of the 2024-25 festival and the Live Magazine Show is “Saturation/Saturación.”
Check out the 2024-25 cycle’s Collaboration Cohort!
Vive el Live Magazine Show, la celebración principal del Festival de Arte, Literatura y Lenguaje Lit & Luz. Cada año, el programa Lit & Luz apoya la creación de nuevas obras de arte de colaboración entre escritores, artistas visuales, y músicos de Chicago y México. En los meses previos al festival, equipos de artistas participantes de las dos países trabajan a distancia para co-crear un performance incorporando sus respectivos medios. Las piezas se presentan durante el Live Show tanto en español como en inglés y a menudo exploran la relación entre los idiomas, las formas de arte, y las culturas de Estados Unidos y México. El tema del festival 2024-25 y del Live Magazine Show es “Saturation/Saturación”.
Presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, National Endowment for the Arts, Driehaus Foundation, Poetry Foundation, Mexican Consulate in Chicago, Museo Universitario del Chopo, Illinois Arts Council, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and UIC's Center for Latinx Literature of the Americas.
Presentado en asociación con el Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, National Endowment for the Arts, Driehaus Foundation, Poetry Foundation, Mexican Consulate in Chicago, Museo Universitario del Chopo, Illinois Arts Council, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation y UIC's Center for Latinx Literature of the Americas
Lit & Luz is produced by MAKE Literary Productions, NFP, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donate.
MAKE acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
