MARYTZA K. RUBIO

I'm a writer from Santa Ana, CA. My debut Maria, Maria & Other Stories  was published in 2022 by Liveright/W.W. Norton and was longlisted for a National Book Award. My writing has been supported by generous fellowships from PEN America, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference-Rona Jaffe Foundation, and VONA, and I earned my MFA in creative writing traveling around Latin America. 

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I'm working on a novel about magicians, musical theater, and mass deception. I'm an arts in public health student and keep thinking about the active ingredients in stories. If we accept stories are healing, can't they be poisonous, too? And what are the antidotes for the story we're in now? ​

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From 2016 - 2021, I founded and managed Makara, a library and community art center in my hometown. We hosted writing workshops, film screenings, artist talks and exhibitions, live music, community meetings, and everything in between.

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After a 20+ year career in arts administration where I created unique community-engaged public programs and performance, I've reignited my commitment to storytelling as an author and teaching artist. I support writers as an advisory board member for the Granum Foundation and teach creative writing at Orange County School of the Arts. 

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