Author Jonathan Marcantoni to read, sign books
Writing is in Jonathan Marcantoni’s blood.
The Colorado-based author will be traveling to the Duke City for a book reading and signing event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Saturday, Aug. 5.
He will be reading from his books “Kings of 7th Avenue” and “Tristiana.”
“Kings of 7th Avenue” takes an unflinching look at Tampa, Fla.’s multiethnic communities to show how the roots of misogyny and abuse have grown so deep that they have become tradition, tracing the meteoric rise of one couple and the violent fall of another against the backdrop of Tampa’s infamous Ybor City club district.
“Tristiana,” is Marcantoni’s first Spanish-language novel.
It explores a beautiful and troubled land where a group of men and women debate between the playful comfort of the world of ideas and the cruel reality of political violence.
The epic of these “tristianas,” embodied in paintings and murals — transcends the lines connecting the struggles of the past and the dreams of a free future.
It took Marcantoni 11 years to write from the inception to the final edit.
The idea for the book came from his desire to combine art forms and tell a story using multiple formats.
“I wanted to find a way of combine visual arts and writing, and what I came up with was portrait writing, where you take a specific painting or film style and replicate it through words,” he says. “Using it to tell a story that condenses the history of Latin America and the region’s political conflicts felt like a natural fit.”
Marcantoni constantly pushes himself with his writing.
“I want to explore every aspect of humanity, the imagination, our metaphysical relationship with each other and the universe, nature, time, death, life — there is so much to touch
on, to explore,” he says. “And equally, I want my style and voice to adapt to those subjects and be forever growing.”
He says the show at the NHCC will include theatrics, poetry and audience interaction.
“I’ll be joined by local poet Joeyshy Urrutia, who will be acting as emcee, with the first half in Spanish and the second in English,” he says. “It will be as much a performance of ‘Tristiana’ and ‘Kings of 7th Avenue’ as it will be a reading and discussion. The goal is to give the audience an experience they didn’t even know they wanted, but which they will thank us for in the end.”