(Guadalupe McCall | Photo courtesy of COCC)
Award-winning young adult author and poet Guadalupe McCall, known for her coming-of-age tales that blend fantasy and history, will discuss her work at Central Oregon Community College (COCC) from 5:30-7pm on Thursday, May 30, at the Bend campus’s Children’s Literature & Equity Resource Center in the Barber Library. This event is free and open to the public. McCall is also speaking at the High Desert Education Service District in Redmond, 10-11:30am, on Friday, May 31.
Born in Mexico, McCall was raised in Texas, a state that serves as the setting for much of her work. Her titles include Shame the Stars and Under the Mesquite. Among numerous awards and recognitions, she has received the Pura Belpre Author Award (co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children) and was a finalist for the American Library Association’s William C. Morris Award. An assistant professor of English at George Fox University, McCall was recently an artist-in-residence at the Arne Nixon Center at California State University in Fresno.
Amy Howell, Ph.D., professor of Early Childhood Education at COCC, together with Barber Library staff, helped establish the Children’s Literature & Equity Resource Center — a collection of equity-focused and culturally responsive children’s literature — and has sought to make it a place where children’s authors can inspire others with their words. “Having Guadalupe visit us is incredible,” said Howell. “Not just because she’s a fantastic storyteller, but for the cultural voice and connection she brings to her readers.”
For information, contact Amy Howell at 541-383-7784 or ahowell@cocc.edu. In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability, contact Joe Viola: 541-383-7775. For accommodation due to other disability, such as hearing impairment, contact the Office of Disability Services: 541-383-7743.