Interview with Rigoberto González. Sunday, January 15th, 2012.

16: Daniel & Ben talk with writer Rigoberto Gonzalez. He talks about his latest book “Black Blossoms,” his role as a book critic, and about his young adult novel, “Mariposa Club.”

The Poem of the Week is CK Williams “Racist” from his collection “Flesh & Blood.” Read by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

In this week’s Poetic License, local writer Richard Yanez shares 44 Blessings upon celebrating a recent birthday.

Rigoberto González is the author of two poetry books, So Often the Pitcher Goes to Water until It Breaks, a National Poetry Series selection, and Other Fugitives and Other Strangers; two bilingual children’s books: Soledad Sigh-Sighs and Antonio’s Card; the novel Crossing Vines, winner of ForeWord Magazine’s Fiction Book of the Year Award; and a memoir, Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa. His book of stories Men without Bliss, is forthcoming in 2008. The recipient of Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, and of various international artist residencies, he writes twice a month a Latino book column, now entering its sixth year, for the El Paso Times of Texas. He is contributing editor for Poets & Writers, on the Board of Directors of the National Book Critics Circle, and on the Advisory Circle of Con Tinta, a collective of Chicano/ Latino activist writers. He lives in New York City and teaches at the MFA writing programs of both Queens College and Rutgers University—Newark.

(Taken from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/rigoberto-gonzalez )