
In a modest building on Lincoln Avenue, six Latino poets and authors will gather this evening to share their work at a literary salon hosted by Red Hen Press, the independent publisher that has become a cornerstone of Southern California’s literary landscape since its founding in 1994.
The event, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments and tamales before readings start at 6:15 p.m., features authors from Red Hen Press, Tia Chucha Press, and the Letras Latinas initiative from the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies.
Francisco Aragón, who will serve as the evening’s emcee, is himself a distinguished poet and translator with three collections to his name, including “After Rubén” (Red Hen Press, 2020), as well as “Glow of Our Sweat” (Scapegoat Press, 2010) and “Puerta del Sol” (Bilingual Press, 2005). As the founder and director of Letras Latinas, Aragón has dedicated his career to elevating Latino voices in American literature.
Among the featured authors is Adela Najarro, a poet of Nicaraguan heritage whose fifth collection, “Variations in Blue,” was published by Red Hen Press in 2025. Najarro, who holds a doctorate in literature and creative writing from Western Michigan University and an MFA from Vermont College, received recognition in the 2024 International Latino Book Awards.
Odilia Galván Rodríguez, coeditor of the award-winning anthology Poetry of Resistance Voices for Social Justice, commented on Najarro’s latest collection: “One right after another, the poems of Adela Najarro’s latest poetry collection, Variations in Blue, are like the startling rat-tat-tat of not-so-distant gunfire or a sudden backfire of a car racing down the street.”
Also reading will be Malia Márquez, who was born in New Mexico and grew up in New England. She will present from her new work “City of Smoke and Sea” (Red Hen Press, 2025), which follows her acclaimed 2021 debut, “This Fierce Blood.”
The salon will also feature Luivette Resto, who serves as the associate editor of Tia Chucha Press and sits on the boards of Women Who Submit and Beyond Baroque. As a resident of the San Gabriel Valley, Resto represents the local literary community in this gathering of voices.
Rounding out the roster are three more compelling voices: Brent Ameneyro, a poet and music artist whose recent works include “A Face Out of Clay” (The Center for Literary Publishing, 2024) and the chapbook “Puebla” (Ghost City Press, 2023); William Archila; and Jose Hernandez Diaz.
This event marks Red Hen Press’s first literary salon of May and will be held at Red Hen Press’s home offices at 1540 Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena, where limited on-site parking is available, though street parking is described as “plentiful” in the surrounding area.
Since its establishment in 1994, Red Hen Press has published more than 500 titles, with many of its authors receiving prestigious accolades including Guggenheim Fellowships and appointments as state poets laureate. The press has established itself as a vital alternative to major publishing houses.
“We’re all about promoting literacy and sharing unheard stories. The Big Five (publishers) publish books that they hope millions of people will like. We want to publish 100,000 books that readers will LOVE,” said Monica Fernandez, the press’s media director.
The salon serves as a prelude to the larger LitFest in the Dena 2025, which begins tomorrow on May 2 and continues through May 3 at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. That festival will feature approximately 150 authors and thousands of attendees gathering around this year’s theme, “Books That Teach Us About Character.” Special programming will address the recent Eaton and Palisades wildfires, including poetry events focused on the fires’ impact.
Natalie Lydick, Project Development at Light Bringer Project, commented on the LitFest programming: “The character of our community has been tested in the last few months. People who love this event have proved to us over and over that one of the principal character traits of Dena, and Los Angeles more broadly, is strength.”
For the intimate gathering tonight, however, the focus remains on celebrating the diversity of Latino literary voices in a salon that honors both tradition and innovation. As the sun sets over the San Gabriel Mountains, these six writers will share work that reflects the complexity of the Latino experience in America — stories that, as Red Hen Press believes, readers will not just like, but love.