Valerie’s favorite foods are Oreo cookies, tacos de carne asada, mangos, and pasta (in all its forms). She is from Dominican Republic, so she does not mind the July heat. She’d like to thank every NYC police officer for helping her find the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the nearest public restroom. She’s also deeply grateful for her poetry teacher (Tiffany Melanson) for forcing her to be vulnerable and honest, even if it was a very painful experience! Lastly, Valerie’s #1 motto is “If you can’t summon the flames directly from hell, store-brought is fine!”

It sounds as if Busto is on fire about reading at the JaxbyJax Student Showcase at 1:30-2:30 PM on Saturday, October 13th at Women Writing for a Change, 1610 Osceola Street, in the historic Riverside section of Jacksonville. We’re certainly fired up about it!