Frontera Returns to Bishop Arts District for Year Two

After a successful first year, Frontera is back in Bishop Arts District, bringing together Latin American and U.S. voices through literature, music, comics and film.

Frontera will take place April 11 and 12 PHOTO: COURTESY OF FRONTERA

The Dallas-based magazine Southwest Review, over 100 years old and the third-longest-running literary quarterly in the U.S., is housed on the campus of Southern Methodist University. As Greg Brownderville, editor, and Bobby Rea, managing editor, explored its past, they recognized how the literary world had often overlooked its playful side.“Keeping a sense of fun and a sense of play is not antithetical to doing important work—in fact, the two go hand in hand,” says Brownderville. “All you have to do is take a look at the covers of our magazine to see what I mean. And if you dig in and read what’s between those covers, you’ll see it more clearly. That festive attitude is the animating spirit behind Frontera.”

Editor Greg Brownderville

Frontera will take place April 11 and 12 at The Wild Detectives, Kessler Theater and Texas Theatre in the Bishop Arts District. “Frontera allows us to take the magazine outside of the literary world alone, outside of SMU’s campus, outside of our own history,” says Hannah Smith, production manager. “Dallas is a city where you can run wild with your ideas. That maverick energy permeates the art world, and the festival is a reflection of thinking collaboratively and on a large scale–especially when Frontera is interested in cultural and artistic exchange across borders, boundaries and limits,” she says. This year’s lineup includes a conversation between cartoonist Lynda Barry and novelist Mary Miller, followed by musical performances from Argentinian band Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, Karly Hartzman and The Paranoid Style. “There is nothing stiff, stodgy or pretentious about this festival. It’s not like taking your intellectual vitamins. Last year, one thing we got right, I think, is that we kept it loose, laid-back and fun and we’re going to continue in that mode,” says Brownderville. Since they are headquartered right in Texas, the vibrant literary conversation between English-speaking parts of North America and Spanish-speaking Latin America is natural. “That’s what the festival is all about. This year, we’re bringing artists together from Mexico, Argentina, various U.S. states and beyond,” says Brownderville.

Production manager Hannah Smith

Associate editor Sylvia Georgina Estrada says, “For me, the identity of Southwest Review is defined by curiosity, enthusiasm, fun, editorial care and a deep interest in knowing the literature created beyond borders.” It’s truly a meeting point for creatives, and “thanks to this organic mix of cultural influences, the current artistic flowering in the Southwest—on both sides of the border—is one of the most vibrant you’ll see anywhere on the planet, and we’re happy to be a part of it,” says Brownderville. With such a dynamic foundation, Southwest Review is now turning its focus to the future. The magazine is redesigning its print edition and website, timed to coincide with Frontera, adding fresh layers of enthusiasm and talent to its already rich history. “A literary festival, really, creates space for you to fall in love with someone new,” says Smith.

Associate editor Sylvia Georgina Estrada