A Chicano Voice

In 1952, Rudolfo Anaya was a teen-ager who had moved to Albuquerque from a small New Mexico village. He brought with him tales of rural Chicano life, from ceremonial fiestas celebrating life and death to the healing methods of curanderos .

After graduating from the University of New Mexico in 1968 and two years later completing his first novel, “Bless Me, Ultima,” Anaya began to establish himself as a premier Chicano novelist. His five subsequent fiction and nonfiction works have represented an important Chicano voice in American literature.

“He has broken the ground that has just now begun to open up for other Chicano writers to get their work published,” said Carl Friedlander, an English professor at Los Angeles City College.

On Thursday, Anaya will read from his latest novel, “Albuquerque,” during an appearance at Los Angeles City College.

“Albuquerque” has been described as a contemporary story of family, politics and finding one’s identity in a city that has the feeling of a small town.

“I have been working on this novel since my family moved to Albuquerque in 1952,” Anaya said in a statement about his 288-page book published last August. “Coming from a small town in New Mexico, I was utterly fascinated by the big city. Its vitality, growth, architecture, and its human landscape have constantly seeped into my blood.”

Rudolfo Anaya will read at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Student Center at Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave.. Admission is free. 213-953-4149.