Yael Aldana, Fabienne Josaphat, Valentina Mena, Jennifer Martiza McCauley

Schedule

Wed May 14 2025 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Books & Books | Coral Gables, FL

Advertisement
Join us to hear these four exceptional writers in a joint reading!
About this Event

Books & Books is proud to present an evening with authors and poets Yael Valencia Aldana, Fabienne Josaphat, Valentina Mena, and Jennifer Maritza McCauley doing a joint reading.



About the Authors:

Yael Valencia Aldana is a Black-Latine poet and writer. She is the author of the poetry collection Black Mestiza (University Press of Kentucky, 2025) and the chapbook Alien(s) from (Sweetie Press 2023). She is a Pushcart Prize winner, and her work has appeared in numerous national and international publications. She is the Editor in Chief at Purple Ink Press. She teaches creative writing in South Florida, where she lives near the ocean with her family and too many pets. You can find her online at YaelAldana.com and @yaelwrites.
Fabienne Josaphat is the author of Kingdom of No Tomorrow, winner of the 2023 PEN Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction and longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize. Her first novel, Dancing in the Baron’s Shadow, was published by Unnamed Press. Her publications include The Washington Post and Teen Vogue, and her essay, Summer is an Empty House, made the Notable Essays mentions in Best American Essays 2016. She is currently at work on a third novel.

Valentina Mena is a 17 year old student from Argentina who came to Miami three years ago with her family. She is an IB senior student at Miami Beach Senior High School, where she enjoys celebrating the arts and her culture in different clubs. Last year, her immigrant narrative was found by O, Miami in an English class where she wrote her first poem talking about what Miami signifies for her. From there, her words were selected to be portrayed onto two massive water tanks outside her school. “My Home, Mi hogar” now paints Miami’s landscape with vibrant colors and the unique phrase “finding my home in every voice that I hear” written in both English and Spanish. Thanks to her passion for the arts and a deep dedication to her studies, she has found her place in her community and she is now involved in projects advocating for education and creative expression.
Jennifer Maritza McCauley is the author of the hybrid collection SCAR ON/SCAR OFF (Stalking Horse Press), the short story collection When Trying to Return Home (Counterpoint), the poetry collection Kinds of Grace (Flowersong) and the forthcoming speculative fiction collection NEON STEEL (Cornerstone). She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts,, Kimbilio and CantoMundo and her work has been a New York Times Editors’ Choice, Best Fiction Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews and a Must-Read by Today, Elle, Latinx in Publishing and Ms. Magazine. She is fiction editor at Pleiades and an assistant professor of English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00

Coral Gables

Host or Publisher Coral Gables

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Coral Gables

The Girl on the Train
Wed, 14 May, 2025 at 08:00 pm The Girl on the Train

Actors' Playhouse

ART THEATRE
An Evening with Susan Dominus and David Lawrence, Jr.
Thu, 15 May, 2025 at 06:30 pm An Evening with Susan Dominus and David Lawrence, Jr.

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami Hurricanes Baseball at Mark Light Baseball Stadium
Thu, 15 May, 2025 at 07:00 pm Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami Hurricanes Baseball at Mark Light Baseball Stadium

Mark Light Baseball Stadium

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami Hurricanes Baseball
Thu, 15 May, 2025 at 11:00 pm Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Miami Hurricanes Baseball

Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Latinas Reales Summit 2025
Fri, 16 May, 2025 at 09:00 am Latinas Reales Summit 2025

Coral Gables Golf & Country Club

BUSINESS SPORTS
Banned Books Club
Thu, 31 Aug, 2023 at 06:00 pm Banned Books Club

Books & Books Coral Gables

ART
Giralda Live
Fri, 03 Jan, 2025 at 07:00 pm Giralda Live

Giralda Plaza

MUSIC FIRST-FRIDAY
Music at McBride Plaza 2025
Thu, 09 Jan, 2025 at 05:30 pm Music at McBride Plaza 2025

150 Miracle Mile

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Mosaic Art Classes Coral Gables: Turkish Lamp Workshop
Sat, 11 Jan, 2025 at 10:00 am Mosaic Art Classes Coral Gables: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Courtyard Miami Coral Gables

ART WORKSHOPS
50 Shades of Lit Book Club
Sat, 25 Jan, 2025 at 01:00 pm 50 Shades of Lit Book Club

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
JAZZ & MAGIC NIGHTS  at Kao Restaurant Coral Gables
Fri, 14 Mar, 2025 JAZZ & MAGIC NIGHTS at Kao Restaurant Coral Gables

Kao Sushi & Grill

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
GLOBAL RECYCLING DAY AT THE PLAZA
Sat, 15 Mar, 2025 at 10:00 am GLOBAL RECYCLING DAY AT THE PLAZA

The Plaza Coral Gables

ART TRIPS-ADVENTURES
32nd Annual JohnMartin's St. Patrick's Street Festival
Sat, 15 Mar, 2025 at 02:00 pm 32nd Annual JohnMartin's St. Patrick's Street Festival

John Martin's Irish Pub & Restaurant

SAINT-PATRICKS-DAY ST-PATRICKS-DAY
Cinema Venezuela presenta: Mi T\u00eda Gilma
Sat, 15 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm Cinema Venezuela presenta: Mi Tía Gilma

Cosford Cinema

FESTIVALS ENTERTAINMENT
KIDS: An Evening with Geoffrey Philp
Sat, 15 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm KIDS: An Evening with Geoffrey Philp

Books & Books in Coral Gables

ART LITERARY-ART
A Morning with Emilia Ramos Samper
Sun, 16 Mar, 2025 at 11:00 am A Morning with Emilia Ramos Samper

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
Calling All Aspiring Stars: The 15th Annual Young Talent Big Dreams Competition Is Back!
Sun, 16 Mar, 2025 at 02:00 pm Calling All Aspiring Stars: The 15th Annual Young Talent Big Dreams Competition Is Back!

Miracle Theatre

PERFORMANCES LIVE-MUSIC
An Afternoon with Elizabeth Jacobson and Jen Karetnick
Sun, 16 Mar, 2025 at 05:00 pm An Afternoon with Elizabeth Jacobson and Jen Karetnick

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Andrew Furman
Tue, 18 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm An Evening with Andrew Furman

Books & Books

ART LITERARY-ART

What's Happening Next in Coral Gables?

Discover Coral Gables Events