HIGHLIGHTING DENVER AUTHORS

Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Anthony Garcia

Denverite Julie Federico has been a school counselor for more than 20 years. is experience has provided her with a gift of being able to break down di cult societal topics into a preschooler’s language.

“I don’t have all the answers,” Federico said, “but I’m willing to start the dialogue.” e books can serve as a tool for parents to start a conversation between them and their children, Federico said. ey o er emotional intelligence, Federico said.

Federico got started writing her children’s books in 2007. Since then, she has written a number of books for infants to pre-teens on a variety of topics that include anger control, domestic violence, school safety and friendship.

Many of “the problems discussed in the books can be resolved when you talk about them,” Federico said. “If you can start with the younger generation, we can start to make a di erence.”

Her latest book came out in May 2021 and has two titles: “Blackness is Creative” and “God Made Me Black Because He’s Creative.” It is intended for preschoolers and elementary children.

An author’s note in the book states: “As a child’s rst book on race relations, I wanted to begin the conversation in an age-appropriate manner. is book will get the conversation started, but requires further study as kids get older … Ideally, you will have many conversations with your child about race over the years … When we can teach a community of 2-year-olds to identify and de ne discrimination, we are onto signi cant societal change.”

Q&A WITH JULIE FEDERICO

In your opinion, why is it important to have conversations about important social topics when children are young?

Colorado native and Denverite Anthony Garcia specializes in telling the stories of the voices who are often not heard.

“All my books have that theme,” he said. “I write the stories of the little voices.”

Garcia’s latest book, “Alien Expatriates,” was published in December last year. It is ction based in reality, following the story of iTalli, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration recipient from Denver, and Nephy, a giant from another planet.

It’s “a love story from a man’s point of view,” Garcia said. “It’s funny, but also deals with serious topics such as deportation.” e two are aliens and form a special friendship as Nephy tries to comprehend an earthling’s profound feelings of love. e story tells of an enticing relationship in a coming-of-age scenario. It includes some sci- knowledge, which Garcia shared to provide an insight of, perhaps, what aliens from another planet possess in their capabilities.

“ e interplay of both aliens brings in the love passages of famous writers as Pablo Neruda, Isabel Allende, GarciaMarquez, Luis Borges and Garcia Lorca to share the deep felt passages of a denition of love from both aliens on the run from authorities,” Garcia said.

It’s “a fun prose,” Garcia said.

Q&A WITH ANTHONY GARCIA

In what ways do you think Denver readers will connect with “Alien Expatriates?” e tale of iTalli, who laments the loss of his girlfriend and his journey being sent back to Puebla, Mexico, is common for many Mexican alien expatriates who are sent back involuntarily.

Nephy. the epitome of an educated American expatriate, is also on the run from the ‘men-in-shades’ authorities and question his true reason to be on this

Back in 1970, local author, historian and Denver native Phil Goodstein had his rst written work published. It was a letter to the editor in “Newsweek.”

“ at inspired me to keep going,” said Goodstein, whose works often delve into local questions.

Today, roughly 30 books later, Goodstein has completed the third part of a trilogy, “ e History of Denver Public Schools.”

“You can’t avoid schools,” Goodstein said. “ ey take in a crucial part of the society.” e rst book, “ e Denver School Book,” which came out in 2019, looks at the origins of the school district and spans the following century – 1859 to 1967. e third book was published in September last year and is called “Schools for a New Century. From 1995 to 2020, it explores the rise of charter schools, school choice and the preschool program.

Yet, what exactly is a school, Goodstein asked. Are they job training centers? Do they serve as babysitters? Are they penal institutions?

“Nobody has the certain answer,” Goodstein said.

Goodstein’s trilogy looks at about 160 years of DPS. Each is a separate volume and includes many illustrations. It is not necessary to read them in order.

Published in 2020, the second book, “ e Denver School Bussing Wars,” examines 1967 to 1995 and the district’s e ort to desegregate schools through bussing.

DPS re ects the values of Denver, Goodstein said.

And, he added, “they’re a focal point for education across the state.”

Q&A WITH PHIL GOODSTEIN

What inspired you to write about Denver