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Media Relations

"Indiana Review" showcases Latina/Latino writers

Throughout its long and illustrious history, Indiana Review, a student-edited journal published biannually with support from the Department of English at Indiana University Bloomington, has dedicated itself to showcasing the talents of emerging and established writers.

In recent years, entire issues have been devoted to writers and artists of color and writers and artists of various ethnicities who examine what it's like to live "between cultures."

Now in its 28th year of publication, Indiana Review has turned its attention to poetry, fiction and nonfiction written by emerging and established Latina/o writers. The Summer 2006 issue represents a snapshot of some of the literary world's most unique and compelling Latina/o voices.

"The issue is not trying to define what Latino literature is or to provide a comprehensive survey of Latino writers," said Grady Jaynes, editor of the Summer 2006 issue. "As we put the issue together one of our editors remarked, 'These writers are so good. Why haven't I been reading them before?' That question goes to the heart of what we intended with the issue. We hope that our readers will be introduced to the work of writers they might not otherwise discover."

The issue features writers who have established a foundation for contemporary Latino writing, such as celebrated Chicano author Rolando Hinojosa Smith, as well as the younger writers they influenced, such as poet Diana Marie Delgado. There are works by writers from outside the U.S., including poems by Raul Zurita (Chile) and Juan Carlos Galeano (Columbia), as well as reviews of current Latina/o fiction and poetry. Out of respect for the writers' intent, many works composed originally in Spanish were presented with their English translations.

"One of the central goals we had for the issue was to present the wide diversity of styles and subjects that Latino literature encompasses. This is particularly apparent in the series of interviews that appears in the issue," Jaynes said.

He added, "For many of the newer writers in the issue this is a chance to have their work read by a national audience and can be a stepping stone into publication of their first book."

Works by contributors to the Indiana Review have been awarded the Pushcart Prize and reprinted in the Pushcart Prize Anthology: Best of the Small Presses, as well as in the O. Henry Awards, Best American Short Stories, Best American Poetry and Best New American Voices. Additionally, the Indiana Review is recognized as one of the top 50 fiction markets by Writer's Digest, and in 1996 was selected as the first place winner of the American Literary Magazine Award.

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