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Carmen Lodise will be autographing his two recent books – Isla Vista: A Citizen’s History, 2nd edition (2019) and Carmelo: The Adventures of a Smalltime Instigator (2020).

Born and raised in the Midwest, Carmen Lodise reached California in 1972 as the research assistant to the cultural anthropologist, Leslie A. White, at UC Santa Barbara.

While working with White, he lived in Isla Vista, a half-square mile town within the campus left for private development. He wound up spending 20 years in I.V. as a community organizer. Elected to public office three times, he was awarded for valor three times, helped establish two-dozen parks where there was only one when he arrived and was a leader in the town’s three unsuccessful attempts to become a city but also the nearly 40-year-successful effort to establish a community center.

From 1964 to ‘71, Lodise studied and taught economics at universities in Michigan, North Dakota, and Texas. In 1968 he discovered Mexico and has since traveled and lived there for over 50 years. From 1992-95, he was the finance editor of Mexico’s English-language daily newspaper and, with his six reporters, covered the NAFTA transition. In 2005, Lodise retired to a fishing village in Mexico — Barra de Navidad.

Your Isla Vista “book is gorgeous and vividly authentic, a grassroots people’s history in the tradition of Howard Zinn. Congratulations!” – Bob Potter.

Everyone’s enjoying Carmelo!  So much I don’t know about you after knowing you for so many years!  You are such an engaging storyteller. I love all the detail and how your spirit and voice shine through.  Lovely job with the photos, too.  — Carrie Topliffe

hey, you were always a bigtime instigator!  I also liked your 2nd ed. of the IV history. — Dan McCaslin

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED