Manuel A. Lopez  reads from his recent book of short stories, Room at the Top (Eriginal Books, 2013).

Manuel A. Lopez (Manny) was born in Moron, Cuba in 1969. He came to the USA in 1980 via the Mariel boatlift with his parents and siblings, and raised between Florida and California. He is a bilingual poet, writer and cultural promoter. His poetry in Spanish has been published in various magazines, such as: Arique, Baquiana, Contratiempo, La Peregrina Magazine, LaFanzine, Linden Lane and Ventana Abierta. His first book of poems, Yo, el arquero aquel was published in 2011 by Editorial Velámenes. His short stories in Spanish have also been published by Baquiana and Linden Lane Magazine. His poem, A Calling was chosen along with the work of other 40 poets by Broward County Poet in Residence Anastasia Clark for the Our Poetic Tribute to Amelia Earhart, and published in a leather-bound volume permanently displayed at the Amelia Earhart Museum in Kansas. He has also participated in Cristina Garcia’s, Las Dos Brujas Writer’s Workshop with California’s Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera. This June a book of short stories in English, titled Room at the Top was published by Eriginal Books. A second book of poetry in Spanish will be published this August by Editorial Betania in Spain.