MIT alumna Nelly Rosario (S.B. 1994), named a "Writer on the Verge" by The Village Voice Literary Supplement, will read from her debut novel "Song of the Water Saints" today (April 24) at 5:30 p.m. in Room 4-163.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Rosario grew up in Williamsburg, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y. Though she always enjoyed writing, Rosario decided to study environmental engineering at MIT. She began to take her writing seriously while taking classes in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. "I had the opportunity to study under Elzbietta Chadokowska in 1994, and through her and Alan Lightman's recommendation, I was able to meet Ben Okri when he visited MIT," said Rosario.
"Song of the Water Saints" follows the lives of four generations of Domincan women. Rosario wrote it while doing graduate work at Columbia University, where she earned the M.F.A. She now resides in Brooklyn with her two-year-old daughter, Olivia.
Professor Brenda Cotto-Escalera will introduce Rosario at the reading. A reception and book signing will follow. On April 25 Rosario will participate in a panel at MIT titled "Caribbean Women Artists: Expressing/Resisting Globalization." For more information about either event, contact the Program in Women's Studies at x3-8844 or click here .
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on April 24, 2002.
