Dominican Studies Asso. Conf. 2010: Bessy Reyna (Poet)

Bessy Reyna reads from her poetry collection at the Dominican Studies Association 2010 Conference held at Naugatuck Valley Community College. (May 13, 2010) Bessy Reyna is an award-winning Latina poet. Her latest book is a bilingual poetry collection The Battlefield of Your Body (2005). Her first poetry collection in English is She Remembers (1979). Her Spanish language writing, published in Latin America, includes a chapbook Terrarium, and a collection of short stories Ab Ovo. Her works were published in Connecticut Review and online in the Global Media Journal, as well as numerous anthologies including El Coro: A Chorus of Latino and Latina Poetry, In Other Words: Literature by Latinas of the United States, The Arch of Love: Lesbian Poems, and The Wild Good. Her awards include First Prize in the Joseph E. Brodine Poetry Competition, and artist award grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and the Greater Hartford Arts Council. She was named Latina Citizen of the Year in 2001 by the State of Connecticut's Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission. In 2006, she received the Pioneer Award at the Inaugural Diversity Awards presented by the vice provost for multicultural and international affairs at the University of Connecticut. She also received the Living Legend Award from the social work department at Saint Joseph College. In 2007, she received the One Woman Makes a Difference Award from the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund.

View Count: 1 Date: July 15, 2010