Arts & Culture

Matt de la Pena's Books Reach Young Readers

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Pat Finn / Producer

Published April 26, 2010 at 5:56 AM PDT

This story was published more than 14 years ago.

Book cover for "Ball Don't Lie" written by guest, Matt de la Pena.

Matt de la Pena's Books Reach Young Readers

Matt de la Pena is the author of Ball Don't Lie and Mexican White Boy, books for young adults. He got his Master's Degree from SDSU and is the featured guest for Grossmont College's Literary Arts Festival this month.

Maureen Cavanaugh: They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but, for author Matt de la Pena, it also turned out to be mightier than the hoop. For awhile, it could have gone either way, with Matt, who played point guard, getting a full basketball scholarship to college.

But he was also a phenom on the page and earned a Masters in Creative Writing at SDSU.

Now, Matt de la Pena's books for young adults blend questions of class and identity with sports and are breakout successes. The movie version of his first book "Ball Don't Lie" will be released this summer.

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Matt de la Pena will be back in San Diego later this week as the keynote author of the 14th annual Grossmont Literary Arts Festival.

Guests: Matt de la Pena, author of "Mexican White Boy" and "Ball Don't Lie."

Ryan Griffith, professor of English at Grossmont College, in charge of this year's Literary Arts Festival at Grossmont

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Pat Finn

Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition. Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide. Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

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