Mexican-American writer Clara Lozano Alberú, known for her profound and poetic narratives, will be the featured guest at “an evening of storytelling, culture, and community” highlighting her new book tonight at Centro Hispano on Madison’s South Side.
Lozano Alberú recently published “Dea Siria: La dama del mar” [Dea Syria: Lady of the Sea], which she says most directly refers to the Roman title for the ancient Syrian mother-goddess Atargatis. Tonight’s event at Centro, which starts at 6 p.m.,will be an opportunity for the community to engage with her latest literary work. Lozano Alberú will explore themes of culture, identity, and resilience through her storytelling.
“My new book has just been published. It’s a prose poetry book. There are short stories and some of them are autobiographical … or what they call ‘self-fiction,'” Lozano Alberú tells Madison365. “Dea Siria is the first Syrian that the world knew of … the deity from the ocean. And that’s why I chose that name. I do this analogy about the depth of the ocean and the sea with the depths of the psyche, depth of the emotions.”
Lozano Alberú, whose work often reflects her experiences and heritage that brings forth powerful messages that resonate with both personal and communal significance, recently met Mireles and was invited to be featured at this event.
“My brother and my sister live here in Madison, and I went to this LOUD meeting a couple of weeks ago where I met [LOUD founder] Oscar [Mireles] in person, and when we just started talking, he found out that I had this book just published, and he invited me to make a book presentation,” Lozano Alberú explains.
Lozano Alberú was born in the United States and grew up in Mexico.
“I came back and lived in the United States for about 10-12 years. Now, I am sharing my time between here and western Mexico and Guadalajara, where my mother and two other siblings are,” she says. “And I also travel a lot. I love traveling, and that helps inspire me and my creativity for my writing.”
At tonight’s event, Lozano Alberú will discuss her creative process and will read some excerpts from “La dama del mar.” A question-and-answer session will follow, during which attendees can interact with the author, ask questions, and explore the inspiration behind her writing.
Lozano Alberú says that she believes that storytelling is “integral to our understanding of one another.”
“In my writing, I like to explore the fleeting thoughts that arise when you’re doing some mundane chores … there always seem to be a lot of thoughts going on in our minds,” she says. “And this experience is a little thing that often brings me joy, and sometimes it brings me wonder or nostalgia or sadness. I’m always curious about all those thoughts that come to mind and the little moments, and I think those are the ones that shape our shared human experience.”
Lozano Alberú has garnered acclaim for her ability to connect deeply with readers across various backgrounds.
“I am excited to share my work and connect with readers in Madison, a city vibrant with cultural diversity,” Lozano Alberú says. “I’m looking forward to answering questions and talking about my creative process and how this book came to be.”
Tonight’s poetry reading with Clara Lozano Alberú is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Centro Hispano is located at 2403 Cypress Way on Madison’s South Side.
For more information about the event, contact Oscar Mireles at [email protected] or call (608) 695-2474.
