"Rainbow" Authors Jaspar, Rivera and Agosin Tell Tales
At Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus in October

The series brings authors of varying racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to the Campus in order to offer a multicultural range of artistic expressions to students and the community.

Jaspar, who is African American, and Rivera, who is African Caribbean, will read from their works on Thursday, October 2, in Humanities Building, Room 206; Agosin, a Chilean-Jewish writer and human rights activist, will read on Wednesday, October 15, in Health Sciences Building, Room 119. Both events will take place at noon and are free and open to the public.

Jaspar, in his novels, "Dark" and "Dakota Grand," displays the complexities of the urban experience of young black men. His prose in his first novel, "Dark," has been called "pure wide screen, fueled by adrenaline and hauntingly real." His "impressive" second novel is "loaded with strong characterizations and telling insights into hip-hop culture." A native of Washington, D.C., and a graduate of Morehouse College, Jaspar also is a music journalist whose work has appeared in Essence, Vibe and The Source.

The author of the award-winning poetry collection, "Scattered Scripture," Louis Reyes Rivera creates poetry and essays viewed by many as a bridge between the African and Latino communities. Known as "the janitor of history," he delves into the rubble to discover nuggets of truth about humanity. The recipient of more than 20 awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Special Congressional Recognition Award, he has assisted in the publication of more than 200 books. A professor of African-American and Caribbean history, he hosts his own weekly show, "Perspective," on radio station WBAI.

Poet-autobiographer Marjorie Agosin is a professor of Spanish at Wellesley College and the author of a bilingual volume of poetry, "Dear Anne Frank," and a memoir of a Jewish girl growing up in Chile, "A Cross and a Star." She has won numerous awards for her human rights work, including the Good Neighbor Award and the Jeanette Rankin Award. She also is the recipient of the prestigious Letras de Oro prize and the Latino Literature Prize.

The "Voices of the Rainbow" series is funded by the office of Provost Gale Stevens Haynes. For more information, call (718) 488-1109.

Long Island University opened its Brooklyn Campus in 1926, welcoming a diverse population at a time when other major universities enforced quota systems against racial and ethnic minorities. Some 30,000 students currently are enrolled at the university’s three residential and three regional campuses, including nearly 11,000 at the Brooklyn Campus. Located at the corner of Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, the Campus is accessible to all major bus and subway routes and the Long Island Rail Road.