Poet Xavier Cavazos to kick off Lion Rock Writers Series

Central Washington University English lecturer Xavier Cavazos will be the first artist featured during this year's Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series.

The event, scheduled for Tuesday, October 17, will be highlighted by a Craft Talk titled "Radical Revision" at noon in the Brooks Library Student Commons, followed by a public reading at 6 p.m. in the same location.

Recent CWU graduate Karla Maravilla will deliver an introduction before the Craft Talk, and current CWU student Alexus Mendoza will present a reading during the evening event. A book signing will follow the public reading.

Both of Tuesday's events will be available on Zoom. Those interested can register at the following links: Craft Talk; Public reading.

Cavazos is a performance artist and a grand slam champion of the NuYoRican Poets Cafe in New York City and is a member of three national poetry slam teams.

He has authored three award-winning poetry collections: Barbarian at the Gate (Poetry Society of America), Diamond Grove Slave Tree (Ice Cube Press), and The Devil’s Workshop (Editor’s Choice Award from Cleveland State University Poetry Center).

Cavazos currently serves as a senior poetry editor for Poetry Northwest, directs Liberal Studies, and teaches in the Professional and Creative Writing Program at CWU.

Sponsors for Tuesday's event are the CWU English Department, CWU Libraries, and Jerrol's.