Jose Montoya Honored At Amherst - 12/10/05 - W/ Vargas, Reyes Rivera, Laviera & Robert Karimi, Mahogany Brown, et al

AMHERST, Mass.—La Causa and the  Chicano Caucus of Amherst College proudly present the 8th Annual “Voices for the Voiceless” National Diaspora Poetry & Spoken Word Concert and Festival. The Concert will take place on Saturday December 10, 2005 from 6:45 pm until 10:45 p.m. in the Frontroom of the Keefe Campus Center at Amherst College. Voices for the Voiceless will bring together 12 established national poets on one stage, for an evening of literary and cultural entertainment. In addition to the poetry reading, the event will feature a Mexican buffet courtesy of La Veracruzana restaurant, an appearance by VDJ Batibiri of Springfield MA, book signings and an album release party. The idea behind this project is to expose the five-college and New England area to the diversity, complexity, and power of the African-American, Asian, and Latino National poetry scene.
This year “Voices for the Voiceless” will honor Jose Montoya, (one of the founders of the Chicano Literary Movement), Jesus Tato La Viera (a pioneer in Nuyorican literature), and Roberto Vargas (A celebrated Nicaraguan poet, community organizer, activist, and diplomat) as the recipients of the Louis Reyes Rivera Lifetime Achievement Award. The twelve poets who will read from their work include Giles Lung-Hwa Li, Louis Reyes Rivera, Tato Laviera, Jose Montoya, Roberto Vargas, Crystal Senter-Brown, Jahipster, Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor, Shaggy Flores, Robert Karimi, Mahogany Brown, and Truth Thomas.

In addition to the poetry concert the festival will also include a panel discussion with poets Jose Montoya, Jesus Tato Laviera, Louis Reyes Rivera, Roberto Vargas, Shaggy Flores, and Tonia Mathews discussing Latino and African Diaspora studies and their relationship to the Spoken Word tradition. The lecture will take place at Pruyne Lecture Hall (Fayerweather 115) Amherst College at 6pm on Friday December 9, 2005. Reception to follow.  

For more information contact Ron Espiritu at rdespiritu@amherst.edu or 210 885-9088