Monica VELÁSQUEZ (poet, essayist, literary critic, Bolivia; born in La Paz, 1972) is a rising young writer whose latest book of poetry Tres nombres para un lugar ('Three Names for a Place') has garnered excellent reviews. Her book reviews, which run in major local newspapers, have a wide following. She has taken part in international literary conferences, including a fellowship to the University of Alicante (Spain), where she led a three-month seminar on Bolivian poetry, and the "Jalla" conference in Argentina (one of the most important annual events in Latin American literature). Ms. Velásquez now teaches at San Andres National University in La Paz, where she is also doing graduate work. She is at the IWP through the US Information Agency.