Charles Rice-Gonzalez: Chulito

Last year, Puerto Rican-born author, playwright, and LGBT activist Charles Rice-Gonzalez published Chulito to widespread acclaim. Hailed as “hilarious, unique, heartfelt and sharp” by award-winning local poet and writer Sandra Cisneros, the realistic slice of life follows a 16-year-old Latino on a brave “coming out and coming of age” journey set against the tough and vibrant backdrop of the Bronx, where Rice-Gonzalez lives and works as executive director of the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!). Although he’s authored several plays (including Pink Jesus and Los Nutcrackers: A Christmas Carajo) and his work has appeared in a number of publications and collections, Chulito is a debut novel — one that helped land Rice-Gonzalez on The Huffington Post’s 2012 roundup of Top Gay Latino Activists Who Have Broken Boundaries. On Thursday, Mission Branch Library hosts a reading, signing, and sale with the author, who’s currently working on Hunts Point, “a look at a South Bronx neighborhood through a queer Latino lens.” Free; 6:30pm; Mission Branch Library, 3134 Roosevelt, (210) 207-2704, mysapl.org, charlesricegonzalez.com.