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By Viva Staff | Friday, April 11, 2008 | (No comments posted.)
Viva's renowned columnist Raul Ramos y Sanchez, a gifted writer and author of ''America Libre'' was honored by Alice Solis and Rueben Martinez of Martinez Bookstore out of California.
Martinez is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship award, known as the "genius grant" given by the MacArthur Foundation each year to a chosen few citizens or residents of the United States.
After Martinez was introduced to the novel 'America Libre' he felt it deserved to be nominated for the 2008 International Latino Book Award, sponsored by Latino Literacy Now.
Ramos considers Martinez an extraordinary man who followed his dream and made a significant difference in his community. Martinez had a barbershop and instead of offering magazines to his customers while they waited, he had a large selection of books. His clients would always borrow the books, so he decided to start selling books at the shop. This took a life of its own; it became so successful that he was making more money selling books then in his barbershop business. He realized there was an obvious craving for good books, so he decided to open two book stores in California to meet the literary needs of the community.
At a time when immigration has become a paramount governmental issue, 'America Libre' brings a different perspective to the social issue of immigration facing America. 'America Libre' was acquired by Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books) as part of a trilogy; El Nuevo Alamo, the sequel to 'America Libre' and Pancho Land the final evolution of 'America Libre'.
The novel takes place in the second decade of the twenty-first century as the immigration crisis reaches the boiling point, once-peaceful Latino protests explode into rioting. This thriller will take the reader on riveting journey and a quest for justice.
Ramos is currently working on a re-write of the novel, making a few changes to one of the main characters. "My agent thought it would humanize the story a lot more; and I agree," said Ramos.
The prestigious International Latino Book Awards were established in 1999 to honor the contributions made to literary excellence by Latino authors in the English and Spanish-speaking world. In recognition of the many positive contributions being made to literature by publishers and writers worldwide, Literacy Now, created the Latino Book Awards in 1999.
The 10th Annual International Latino Book Awards will be presented by Edward James Olmos May 29, 2008 in conjunction with the Book Expo America in Los Angeles.
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