Tony Diaz #npradio

Tony Diaz speaks with Richard Santos and Monica Villarreal regarding the importance of representation, whether in the work Richard does providing literary access to youth in Austin, or through the arts and performances Monica does through her dancing. Richard Z. Santos is a novelist and the Executive Director of Austin Bat Cave, a nonprofit that provides creative writing workshops to students in underrepresented areas. He's a former high school English and Social Studies teacher, and in a previous career worked for some of the nation's top political campaigns, consulting firms, and labor unions. Trust Me, published by Arte Público Press, was named one of the best debuts of 2020 by Crime Reads and was a finalist for The Writers League of Texas Novel Prize. Monica Villarreal is an interdisciplinary artist native to Houston. Her art explores ethnic identity, gender roles, migrant and environmental issues. She is a recipient of multiple awards in photography and filmmaking, and has participated in installatio