Sergio Troncoso's Blog: Chico Lingo, by Sergio Troncoso, page 12

Texas Institute of Letters: Literary Contests

The Texas Institute of Letters literary contests are now open with prizes totaling more than $22,000. Deadline is January 15, 2019.
Twelve categories:Jesse H. Jones Award for Fiction Carr P. Collins Award for NonfictionSergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction Ramirez Scholarly Book Award Helen C. Smith Award for Poetry John A. Robertson Award For Best First Book Of Poetry Edwin "Bud" Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction Kay Cattarulla Short Story Award Fred Whitehead Award for Design of a Trade Book Jean Flynn Best Middle-Grade Book Award Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Award Texas Institute of Letters Best Children's Picture Book Award
Eligibility for the awards requires that the author be born in Texas or have lived in Texas for at least five consecutive years at some time. A work whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas is also eligible. Download the PDF below to fill out form for contest entry and to send work to judges.
http://www.texasinstituteofletters.org/awards/2018-contest-details.pdf 

“Fragments of a Dream,” by Sergio Troncoso Just received my contributor’s copy of New Guard Literary...

“Fragments of a Dream,” by Sergio Troncoso

Just received my contributor’s copy of New Guard Literary Review, Volume VII, with my story “Fragments of a Dream.” Thank you Shanna McNair, Chris Abani, Mark Doty and all the others who worked on this year’s review.

Texas Institute of Letters: Literary Contests

The Texas Institute of Letters literary contests are now open with prizes totaling more than $22,000. Deadline is January 15, 2019. Twelve categories: the Jesse H. Jones Award for Fiction, the Carr P. Collins Award for Nonfiction, the Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction, the Ramirez Scholarly Book Award, the Helen C. Smith Award for Poetry, the John A. Robertson Award For Best First Book Of Poetry, the Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction, the Kay Cattarulla Short Story Award, the Fred Whitehead Award for Design of a Trade Book, the Jean Flynn Best Middle-Grade Book Award, the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Award, and the Texas Institute of Letters Best Children’s Picture Book Award.

Eligibility for the awards requires that the author be born in Texas or have lived in Texas for at least five consecutive years at some time. A work whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas is also eligible.

http://www.texasinstituteofletters.org/awards/2018-contest-details.pdf

“Eternal Return,” by Sergio Troncoso, Yale Review, 2018.

So
proud to see my latest story, “Eternal Return,” in the Yale Review.
Over their long history, they have published so many of my favorites,
like Virginia Woolf, Katherine Anne Porter, John Hersey, Eudora Welty,
Joyce Carol Oates, Seamus Heaney, and even my old teacher, John
Hollander. Thank you.

https://yalereview.yale.edu/eternal-return

Review: Leaving El Paso

“Homelands performs a valuable service. Politics, after all, isn’t the only way that a disenfranchised and vilified community can counteract the stereotypes, misunderstandings, and even stupidities imposed by others. It can also do so if its expatriate sons and daughters, who have traveled far and succeeded, despite the odds, return to help. These voices, like Corchado’s, will make the voyage easier for those who will surely follow.”

https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/alfredo-corchado-dallas-morning-news-nafta-border/

San Antonio, April 7, 2018

I'll be in San Antonio this weekend (4/6-4/7) for the Texas Institute of Letters' annual meeting and the San Antonio Book Festival. See you there!

SATURDAY APRIL 7, 9-10:30 am
Breakfast / New Member Readings
@ The Menger Hotel Ballroom. TIL Secretary Sergio Troncoso will be our emcee and he’ll also recognize the winners of our children’s book awards.

SATURDAY APRIL 7, 11:15 AM-12:15 PM
San Antonio Book Festival, Latino Collection Resource Center (in Central Library, 600 Soledad), Sergio Troncoso, Moderator, for Texas Institute of Letters: New Member Readings, with Daniel Chacón, Sasha Pimentel, José Antonio Rodríguez.

www.TexasInstituteofLetters.org

Photo

Words on a Wire: Sergio Troncoso Interview

Today my interview on Words on a Wire aired. Daniel Chacon
interviews me, and we talk about my abuelita, the naming of the public
library in Ysleta and creating the Troncoso Reading Prizes. Finally we
discuss “Passing Ambition,” my new essay about ‘trying to become a
Harvard student’ in Washington, D.C. (We Wear the Mask: Fifteen True
Stories of Passing in America, Beacon Press) Thank you, Daniel.

http://ktep.org/post/words-wire-sergio-troncoso-1

Winners of the 2017 Troncoso Reading Prizes

Thank you Maria Manigbas, branch manager, and the staff of the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library for administering the annual Troncoso Reading Prizes. Yesterday we presented the winners with certificates of achievement and gift cards from Barnes and Noble. The winners also received two signed copies of my books.

Below are photos with the winners, library staff, parents, and teachers who attended the event. I am so excited to do it again next year and to keep encouraging students in our community to read. We also discussed college preparation, strategies for applying, different colleges to consider, and how to prepare students to be thinking and getting ready for higher education. I loved all the questions the audience had, and I hope we can continue these conversations in the future with more community events.

Winners of 2017 Troncoso Reading Prizes:

5-8th grade category:
1st Place: Aaron Avila, LeBarron Elementary School
2nd Place: Savannah Vega, LeBarron Elementary School
3rd Place: Edgar Aragon, LeBarron Elementary

9-12th grade category:
1st Place: Amber Esperanza Madrid, Valle Verde Early College High School
2nd Place: Katya Neida Compian, Del Valle High School
3rd Place: Amy Ruby Diaz, Ysleta Middle School

Every year, we award prizes for students who read the most books between September 15-November 15. The prizes are awarded only to students within the geographical area covered by the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library.

First Place receives a $125.00 gift card.
Second Place receives a $100.00 gift card.
Third Place receives a $75.00 gift card.

All prizes are gift cards from Barnes and Noble Booksellers. A total of six prizes are awarded in the two categories every year.

Runners-up and students who read at least ten books also receive certificates of participation. Individual schools also receive certificates of appreciation. This year: LeBarron Elementary School, Lancaster Elementary School, Ysleta Middle School, Del Valle High School, Valle Verde Early College High School, and El Paso Academy East.

Librarians at the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library register readers during the eligible period of the prizes. The library staff administers the prizes and makes final decisions on all the prizewinners.

If you have any questions or to register next year, please contact the library staff at the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library, 9321 Alameda Avenue, El Paso, Texas, 79907. Telephone: 915-858-0905.

Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction

Please help me spread the word. At the Texas Institute of Letters, I
have permanently endowed the Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work
of First Fiction ($1,000).

The
Troncoso Award will be given to a first novel or short-story collection
by an author from Texas or writing about Texas. The publication date of
the work must be in 2017. The deadline for submission is January 2, 2018.

Here are the
basic rules for all TIL awards: Each year the Texas Institute of Letters
awards more than $20,000 to recognize outstanding literary works in
several categories. Eligibility for the awards requires that the author
be born in Texas or have lived in Texas for at least two consecutive
years at some time. A work whose subject matter substantially concerns
Texas is also eligible.

2017 TIL Contests:

http://www.texasinstituteofletters.org/awards/2017-contest-details.pdf

Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction

Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction

Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Non-Fiction

Ramirez Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book

Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry

John A. Robertson Award for First Book Of Poetry

Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction

Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story

H-E-B/Jean Flynn Best Children’s Book

H-E-B Best Young Adults Book

Denton Record-Chronicle Best Children’s Picture Book

Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation of a Book

Fred Whitehead Award for Best Design of a Trade Book

Texas Institute of Letters:

http://www.TexasInstituteofLetters.org

Thank you.

Sergio Troncoso