Venessa Vida Kelley Author Talk- In-person

Meet Venessa Vida Kelley, locally-based author of the queer fantasy novel, When the Tides Held the Moon!

Benigno "Benny" Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can't call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny's work earns him an invitation to join the show's eclectic crew of performers-his first welcome in the city-and share in their astonishing secret- the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon.

The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know Rio as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he's ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny's heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Rio's captivity-and his own.

Venessa Vida Kelley is a Nuyorican author, illustrator, and aspiring mermaid who writes fairy tales about the real world so they can draw them too. They hold a BA and MA in English literature with concentrations in film from the University of Delaware and the George Washington University respectively, and their illustrations have decorated LGBTQ+ books worldwide. WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is their debut novel. Venessa lives in Washington, DC, with their spouse, two sons, and an overabundance of teacups and washi tape.

Venessa Vida Kelley's pronouns are she/they.

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cm 1.1 01/03/2023

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