"This neighborhood tells us that this is not home. It wants us to move on or go back to our home country. But then, it wants us to stay here too, to do the backbreaking work no one else wants to do." (The grandfather from the new novel, "Rickie Trujillo.")

This special lecture by an accomplished educator with 30 years of experience teaching a primarily immigrant population in Los Angeles, will detail some of the enormous challenges faced by Mexican and Central American immigrants in the USA today. Nicholas Bradley has captured the story of one teenage boy from a struggling immigrant family in his new, award-winning novel. The narrative is drawn from actual events in the streets of Rickie's neighborhood and from Bradley's experience in all levels of secondary school. Bradley will read selected excerpts from the novel, which will be available for sale and signing.

Nicholas Bradley taught English and ESL (English as a second language) in two schools in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Before teaching he worked as a road musician, truck driver, messenger and pianist. He has published fiction in the RED Cedar Review, conducted interviews with renowned jazz and classical musicians and has received national recognition for two short stories . He is now retired and lives in North Carolina.

This event is free and open to the public.