Authors on the Airwaves: Xavier Garza
Garza chosen as June's "Author of the Month" on KUHF Houston Public Radio
KUHF radio host Eric Ladau recently interviewed Xavier Garza for its Web site's "Arte Público Press Author of the Month" feature, and along with the transcript, their conversation is available to listeners on the station's interactive site through on-demand audio screening here.
Click here to see all Arte Público authors featured on KUHF.
XAVIER GARZA is a prolific author, artist, and storyteller whose work focuses primarily on his experiences growing up in the small border town of Rio Grande City. His work includes Kid Cyclone Fights the Devil and Other Stories (Piñata Books, 2010), Zulema and the Witch Owl / Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza (2009), Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid (Cinco Puntos Press, 2008), Juan and the Chupacabras / Juan y el Chupacabras (Piñata Books, 2006), Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask: A Bilingual Cuento (Cinco Puntos Press, 2005), and Creepy Creatures and Other Cucuys (Piñata Books, 2004). He lives with his family in San Antonio.
About Kid Cyclone Fights the Devil and Other Stories:
Cousins Maya and Vincent are thrilled to be ring side at a lucha libre match. Kid Cyclone, the wrestling world’s favorite hero who also happens to be the kids’ beloved uncle, is facing off against a devil-masked opponent, El Diablo. “No masked devil can beat my uncle. Not even the real devil himself,” declares Maya. But the real devil doesn’t take kindly to such disrespect, and soon Kid Cyclone finds himself fighting the most hellish challenger of all! Popular kids’ book author Xavier Garza returns with another collection of stories featuring spooky characters from Mexican-American folklore. There’s a witch that takes the shape of a snake in order to poison and punish those who disregard her warnings; green-skinned, red-eyed creatures called chupacabras that suck the blood from wild pigs, but would just as soon suck the blood from a human who has lost his way in the night; a young girl disfigured in a fire set by a scorned lover who gets her revenge as the Donkey Lady; and the Elmendorf Beast, said to have the head of a wolf with skin so thick it’s impervious to shotgun blasts. Accompanied by the author’s striking illustrations of the creepy creatures, the hair-raising stories in this bilingual collection for kids ages 8 - 12 are sure to lure even the most reluctant readers into its pages.
