ONLINE LECTURE–Humanities in Los Angeles Speaker Series Event: Linda Margarita Greenberg, People of Papers and Maps

ONLINE LECTURE–Humanities in the City and Edendale Branch Library host Linda Margarita Greenberg for a lecture and conversation titled People of Papers and Maps: Stories and Poems about Living Undocumented in Los Angeles. A public lecture and conversation with Linda Margarita Greenberg titled People of Papers and Maps: Stories and Poems about Living Undocumented in Los Angeles. Sometimes the stories of undocumented people go unnoticed, invisible, and unspoken. Sometimes these stories are told through state documents, economic reports, and news cycles that describe how many undocumented immigrants are arriving, during what time periods, or with what economic impact. But an over-reliance on data-driven narratives as a primary mode of framing undocumented immigration has risks: the language of numbers and mass can also become the language of dehumanization. Sometimes these are stories of fear: stereotyped narratives of the undocumented as an “illegal threat” to the U.S. economy, values, and institutions. Working against invisibility, dehumanization, and stereotyping, fiction writers and poets have been offering different stories of undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles. This literature—these pages of prose and imaginary maps and poetic reinventions—become a different kind of papeles that emphasize the expansive humanity and intimate particularity of undocumented experiences. These writers are bringing to light stories too often left in shadows and telling stories beyond the stereotypes that blind. This talk is a journey into the world of stories and poems of undocumented immigration written for both children and adults. Linda Margarita Greenberg is Professor of English and English Department Chair at California State University, Los Angeles. Her teaching and research interests cover the spectrum of U.S. Ethnic Literatures, with particular focus on 20th and 21st century American literature, Latinx and Asian American literature, racial and gendered narratives about undocumented immigrants, feminist fantasy and speculative fiction, bridges between literary criticism and creative writing, and intersections between pedagogy and social justice. She is also deeply invested in rooting community engagement and pre-professional practices within English curriculum and the discipline. Tuesday, July 27 from 5:30-6:30 pm PST To join, please email humanitiesinthecity@gmail.com for the Zoom link. For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours prior to the event. Para ajustes razonables según la ley de ADA, llama al (213) 228-7430 al menos 72 horas antes del evento. For more information, go to humanitiesinthecity.org or contact Andrea Quaid and Elizabeth Crawford at humanitiesinthecity@gmail.com. This project is supported by a Humanities for All Project Grant.