Free gospel rap concert this Sunday.

Award-winning author to speak

EL DORADO — Award-winning author Genaro Ky Ly Smith will speak at the South Arkansas Community College Library at 2 p.m. on Sunday, during a free event for the public. Smith, who has both Vietnamese and American heritage, was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam, in 1968 in the midst of the Vietnam War.

Since 1999 he has been a teacher of literature, composition and creative writing at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. His recently published works include “The Land South of the Clouds,” the second novel in a trilogy and a finalist for the 2017 Indie Book Awards; and “The Land Baron’s Sun: The Story of Ly Loc and His Seven Wives,” a collection of poems and a winner of the 2015 Indie Book Awards.

His other work has been published in a number of regional and national anthologies and literary magazines. Smith is a 1999 graduate of McNeese State University with master’s degrees in arts and fine arts and a 1993 graduate of California State University-Northridge, with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Free Gospel concert

Free gospel concert: J2w and Young Deac will be performing two new songs, ‘Love Lifted Me’ and ‘Soon,’ during a free concert titled, ‘Arkansas Gospel Musical,’ at 6:30 p.m. on May 6 at Victory Church, 1432 N. West Ave., El Dorado. J2w and Young Deac said they are trying to raise money to put their free movie, ‘J2w Presents Arkansas Christian Rappers’ on DVD. It is on YouTube and features Christian rappers from different parts of Arkansas.