Celebrate 10 Afro-Latino Authors This Latino & Hispanic Heritage Month

When the world looks backward, skimming the pages of history, and more specifically, the expansion of the American West, does it paint the right picture? This groundbreaking collection of poetry from Pushcart Prize-nominated author and poet Rio Cortez invites listeners to rethink Westward expansion from a new lens–Afropioneerism. Featuring tongue-in-cheek commentary and wry observation that unearths political, artistic, and personal frontiers, Rio Cortez offers a groundbreaking perspective on her family's history in Afropioneerism while offering vibrant flashes forward of empowering futures. Built on a foundation of poetic exploration, Golden Ax discusses Black womanhood, a reimagined and repainted version of westward expansion, and, importantly, the importance of the ongoing fight for the pursuit of freedom.

Your papers–where are they? How can you speak Spanish so well? You're an exotic beauty–you must not be from here, right? Every day that Desirée Bela-Lobedde experienced life for herself in Spain, she dug deeper into the inherent prejudices that existed in the country she knew and loved. A memoir and autobiography all at once, Ser mujer negra en Espana (Being a Black Woman in Spain) discusses the layered, systemic forms of racism Desirée Bela-Lobedde experienced as a black woman living in Spain. Told from her perspective as an Afro-Spanish activist, this book doesn't just explain her trials. It dives into the deep convictions she believes can change the prejudices and racism that still exist in Spain.

Think the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice–but with a modern twist. Listeners who love familiar tales and deeper looks at intergenerational trauma, flashes of history, and epic love stories will love Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera. Sparking new life into an old tale, two teens fall in love, learn to cope with a culture that stands in their way, and even grapple with spirits that haunt them. Never Look Back has a little bit of everything to keep listeners engaged, interested, and invested in this love letter to an old tale, youthful adoration, and Puerto Rico itself.

Poems, prose, and biographical fact–that's what Star Child by novelist Ibi Zoboi has to offer listeners. This acclaimed book details the life, arch, and historical prevalence of Octavia E. Butler, the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller that's continued to grip readers long past her death. Star Child dives into more than just Octavia E. Butler's childhood. It immerses listeners into the impactful moments that made her who she was–a visionary, an artist, and a person who changed the world forever. Star Child is a must-listen for those seeking a creatively told, but factual portrait of an author who shaped the world as we know it.

There is pride in inheritance, but there is pain, too. Poet Elizabeth Acevedo leads readers and listeners down the complex but crucial path of Afro-Latinidad people through the scope of Black Hair. A spoken-word poem, Inheritance dives into the history, the pride, the pain, and the power of that gift, that inheritance. When someone asks her to fix her hair, do they mean straightening it? Whiten it? There is pride and pain in this history–there is a powerful love there, too. This spoken-word poem is more than just a coming age of acceptance that Afro-Latinidad people might face; it's a powerful message for all–an inside look at the gift, treasure, and pain twisted into a beautiful, cultural inheritance.

Discover ghost stories and superheroes, myths and memories, worldwide travels and grief-laden addictions. Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed might be comprised of 15 different tales, but it's truly a comprehensive telling and deconstruction of the myths and magic surrounding the Latinx diaspora. Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed walks listeners through astounding celebrations of rich, diverse communities through the voices of bestselling authors and up-and-coming authors alike. Together, they join forces to share their sorrow, joy, and relationships with identity–all while discussing how to find love, seek truth, and uplift a community speckled with unique and celebrated diversity.

What lengths would you go for a sibling on the brink of grief? As Rufina watches her brother Rafa spiral downward after the death of their mother, Rufina makes one final bet with her brother that changes both of their lives forever. Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer is more than just a tale of two siblings in the throes of immense grief and transformation. It's a heart wrenching look at generational and ancestral trauma, a microscope over present-day prejudice, and a haunting look at how the things we cant save sometimes haunt us back.

Can polar opposites really fall in love? Wait, better question–can polar opposites who dive into a sham-romance to fool colleagues and family members fall in love? The Wedding Crasher takes this question and runs with it. As Solange Pereira and Dean Chapman unwind a complicated mess of crashed weddings, dashed hopes, and fake-dating, the two start to unveil an attraction and connection they simply can't deny. Can a simple performance and faux love give life to something earth-shatteringly real? The UA Today best-selling book The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa is sure to keep these characters–and listeners–on their toes.

What happens when worlds collide, families put everything into a fight for what they think is right, and lives are changed forever? The residents of a North Carolina community find out in this poignant and impactful story about love built, lost, and the life-altering decisions that haunt them forever. A story of multigenerational trauma and how it can shape the lives of children–for better or worse–unravels in *What's Mine and Yours*. When the county moves students from a predominantly Black area to the white high schools on the other side of town, lives are changed forever–especially the lives of Gee and Noelle, two students whose families continue to add fuel to the fire. The most challenging part of it all? Gee, a sensitive black boy, and Noella, a half-Latina student whose mother only views her as a white woman, are thrust even further into the throes of the issue as their families form messy ties that follow them into adulthood. An author with roots in the Dominican Republic, Naima Coster brings the same raw honesty to Gee and Noelle's story as she did to her debut novel, *Halsey Street*.

The throes of destruction have already rocked Puerto Rico. It's 2017, and Hurricane Irma's wrath had just swept through the territory. With the power only recently restored, something bigger is on its way, and Puerto Rico must brace for the last thing it's prepared to handle–another hurricane, even fiercer than the last. Antes que llegue la luz is more than just the historical retelling of the back-to-back hurricanes that wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico–it's a tale that opens the door of vulnerability, loss, and devastation through the eyes of uniquely relatable Puerto Rican characters. This book teaches readers that the winds of change–metaphorical or literal–come when we least expect them. Sometimes, they're more than just life-altering events; they're opportunities to change ourselves and appreciate life as we know it.