Alex Espinoza
We are so excited to start working with author and professor Alex Espinoza.
Professor Alex Espinoza was born in Tijuana, Mexico to parents from the state of Michoacán and raised in suburban Los Angeles. In high school and afterwards, he worked a series of retail jobs, selling everything from eggs and milk to used appliances, custom furniture, rock T-shirts, and body jewelry. After graduating from the University of California-Riverside, he went on to earn an MFA from UC-Irvine’s Program in Writing. His first novel, Still Water Saints, was published by Random House in 2007 and was named a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection. The book was released simultaneously in Spanish, under the title Los santos de Agua Mansa, California, translated by Lilliana Valenzuela. His second novel, The Five Acts of Diego León, was also published by Random House in March 2013 and is now available in paperback by LARB Books.
The Five Acts of Diego León
Growing up in a Mexican village at the height of the Revolution, Diego León finds his passion for singing and dancing, and forges a deep connection to his ancestors, the P’urhépecha. But soon young Diego is sent to the city to live with his white, aristocratic grandparents, who insist he forget his roots and groom him to take over the family business. Feeling trapped by familial obligations and haunted by the violence that continues to rage all around him, Diego flees Mexico for Hollywood. He arrives in 1927, when Prohibition-era speakeasies are in full swing, silent films are giving way to talkies, and “Latin lover” types thrive in the cinemas but face persecution on the streets. The closer Diego comes to stardom, the more he is reminded of his painful past and his war-torn homeland. Available now for the first time in paperback, The Five Acts of Diego León is a classic Hollywood tale of romance, glamour, and betrayal, with an underdog hero that you won’t soon forget.
Stay tuned for updates!
