Join us for a conversation about the importance of poetry, storytelling and the spoken word with writers Emanuel Xavier and Regie Cabico. This Contemporary Conversations program is sponsored by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County and the Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC).

Xavier has been named a LGBTQ Icon by The Equality Forum and has been presented a New York City Council Citation Award. He has received an International Latino Book Award, Lambda Literary Award nominations and American Library Association Over the Rainbow Books selections for his collections which include: Pier Queen, Americano, If Jesus Were Gay, Nefarious, Radiance and Selected Poems of Emanuel Xavier. Editor of Me No Habla With Acento: Contemporary Latino Poetry, Bullets & Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry and Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry, Xavier is the recipient of a Gay City Impact Award and The Marsha A. Gomez Cultural Heritage Award.

Cabico is a spoken word pioneer having won The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam and later taking top prizes in three National Poetry Slams. Cabico’s works appears in over 30 anthologies including The Spoken Word Revolution (Sourcebooks, 2003), Chorus & The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1999), and Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Café (Henry Holt and Company, 1994). He is the co-editor of Flicker & Spark: A Contemporary Anthology of Queer Poetry and Spoken Word (Lowbrow Press, 2013), nominated for a 2014 Lambda Literary Award.

The program will take place at the Wheaton Library (Social Hall, second floor) and it will also be offered via live streaming.

Registration required.

For registration to attend the program IN-PERSON at the Wheaton Library, please click the REGISTER button and register there. Seating is limited.

For registration to attend the program via LIVE STREAMING from anywhere, please click HERE.

Registrants for both in-person and via live streaming venues will receive further information as the date for the program approaches.

Reception with food and refreshments to follow after the program.  Visit https://bookshop.org/shop/folmc

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Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.