Bestselling author Victor Villaseñor to give talk in Downey

DOWNEY – Bestselling author and three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Victor Villaseñor will be at the Downey Theatre on Monday, June 13, speaking on the power of language and how personal family histories empower us. 

The talk begins at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

As a dyslexic high school dropout, Villaseñor went on to become an award winning author and inspirational speaker. He credits James Joyce’s "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man" with changing his life. 

The Los Angeles Times compared his first novel, "Macho!" to “the best of Steinbeck.” His national bestseller, "Rain of Gold," has been published in seven languages and is used by thousands of teachers and school districts across the nation as required reading. It tells the story of his family, taking the reader from war-torn Mexico during the Revolution to present day. 

He has also written a collection of award winning children’s books: "The Frog and His Friends Save Humanity"; "Goodnight, Papito Dios"; "Little Crow to the Rescue"; "Mother Fox and Mr. Coyote"; and "The Stranger and the Red Rooster." 

In addition, he has also written the screenplay for "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez," which starred Edward James Olmos.

The evening is sponsored by the Friends of the Downey Library. Admission is free.