Herrera received his B.A. in Social Anthropology from the University of California at Los Angeles, his Masters in Social Anthropology from Stanford and his Masters in Fine Arts, in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa. Mr. Herrera often travels and performs with his partner, Margarita Luna Robles, a poet and performance artist.
Theatre: Juan Felipe has founded a number of performance ensemble during the last three decades: Teatro Tolteca (UCLA, 1971  a choreopoem theatre utilizing jazz, spoken-word and movement), TROKA ( Bay Area, 1983, a percussion/spoken word ensemble, Teatro Zapata, (Fresno, Ca., 1990  a student community theatre), Manikrudo: Raw Essence ( Fresno, Ca., 1993, a culturally diverse, performance art ensemble and workshop) and Teatro Ambulante de Salud/The Traveling Health Theatre (2003, Fresno, Ca. for migrant communities in the San Joaquin Valley). ÂPrison Journal, an experimental play was featured at the Univ. of Iowa PlaywrightÂs Festival, 1990. Latin@ Theatre/Movement & Improv training: Luis Valdez/Teatro Campesino, Enrique Buenaventura, Rodrigo Duarte-Clark, Olivia Chumacero, Jorge Huerta, James Donlon.
Poetry, Spoken-Word, Verbal Art: For the last thirty-five years, Juan Felipe has been writing, publishing, reading, performing, leading workshops, organizing literary broadsides, journals and publications in home communities and universities in California and the Pacific Northwest. Nineteen books published. Has over one-hundred articles, poems, reviews, essays in print.
Mural and Visual Art: Juan Felipe was instrumental in installing early Chicano California murals in San Diego (1973, 74) and organizing Chicano Latino Arts and literary Expos at UCLA (1973) and San Diego (1974) and Stanford, 1979 and University of Iowa (1990).
Film and Video: Co-wrote script for award winning film Chicano Park (Red Bird Films, 1990) and participated in Gary SotoÂs, The Bike and the Pool Party (1992). Various video-art pieces such as ÂTo Arrive, and ÂBritish Nights, were featured at the University of IowaÂs Multi-media Workshop, 1990.
Television: Recently wrote poetry for the PBS hit show, American Family, -- Crashboomlove (2 episodes, 03) and Land of Dreams (1 episode, 04). Producers: Gregory Nava and Barbara Martinez-Jitner. Los Angeles.
Community Arts: Juan Felipe has received grants to teach poetry/art and performance in settings such a community art galleries such as the Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco, Ca., in 1983-84, develop community art and literature broadsides (1977-78) in San Diego, Ca., teach poetry in prisons (Soledad Correctional Facility, 1987-88).
New Books: 04
Notebooks of a Chile Verde Smuggler (Univ. Arizona Press)
Supercilantro Girl (ChildrenÂs Book Press)
CoralitoÂs Bay, Bahia de Coralito (Monterey National Marine Sanctuary)
Featherless/Desplumado (ChildrenÂs Book Press) /
Forthcoming Books: 05
Cinnamon Girl (Harper Collins/Joanna Cotler Books, NY) Fall 05
Downtown Boy (Scholastic-Signature, NY), Fall Â05
For more information, call the Cal State L.A. English Department at (323) 343-4140.
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