Rodrigo BLANCO CALDERÓN (fiction writer; Venezuela) is the author of three collections of short stories: Una larga fila de hombres [Men in a Long Line] (2005), Los invencibles (2007) and most recently Las rayas [Scratches] (2011), anthologized in many Latin American publications. Blanco Calderón participated in the 2007 Hay Festival Bogota as one of ‘Latin America’s 39 Most Exciting Authors Under 39.’  He is the founder the publishing house and bookstore Lugar Común, and teaches literature at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. His participation is made possible by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.