American Masters and VOCES Present New Documentary About Acclaimed Writer Julia Alvarez

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (July 16, 2024) – American Masters and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) today announced a new documentary about the life and work of Julia Alvarez, one of America’s most celebrated Latina writers. Presented by American Masters and LPB’s series VOCES, Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined premieres Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 9pm ET (check local listings) on PBS, pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Dominican-American poet and novelist Julia Alvarez burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors. Her semi-autobiographical novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, was published in 1991, followed in 1994 by In the Time of the Butterflies, which sold over a million copies and raised global awareness about life under Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. Spanning multiple genres and audiences, Alvarez’s work includes three nonfiction books, three poetry collections, 11 books for children and young adults and seven literary novels. This new documentary opens a window into her extraordinary journey from an idyllic, privileged childhood in the Dominican Republic to a life of exile in New York City to a brilliant literary career that shows no sign of slowing down. At 74, she recently published the critically acclaimed novel The Cemetery of Untold Stories.

Filmed in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined features extensive interviews with Alvarez, her family, and her literary contemporaries. The documentary is produced and directed by Adriana Bosch, an award-winning documentary filmmaker who served as series producer on the PBS series Latino Americans (2013) and Latin Music USA (2009). Born in Cuba, Bosch has produced and written a number of films for the PBS series American Experience, including a film on Fidel Castro and several acclaimed presidential biographies.

“We’re delighted to partner with American Masters to tell the story of one of the most influential Latina writers of our time,” said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, LPB Executive Director and Executive Producer of VOCES. “Alvarez’s poetry and novels offer a unique perspective on the melding of her two cultures — American and Dominican — and are among the finest works about the American immigrant experience.”

Says filmmaker Adriana Bosch: “In our film, Dominican poet Elizabeth Acevedo introduces Julia by say that ‘Julia belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Women Latino writers, along with Isabel Allende and Sandra Cisneros. She was among the pioneers in creating a new literature that expanded the meaning of the ‘American Mainstream’ and reminds us of the famous line by Langston Hughes – I too sing America.”

Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined will be available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined is a co-production of Latino Public Broadcasting, Bosch & Company, Inc. and ITVS in association with American Masters, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Original American Masters series funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Burton P. and Judith B. Resnick Foundation, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Seton J. Melvin, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Anita and Jay Kaufman, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, The Marc Haas Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, and the Charina Endowment Fund.

About The WNET Group
The WNET Group creates inspiring media content and meaningful experiences for diverse audiences nationwide. It is the community-supported home of New York’s THIRTEEN – America’s flagship PBS station – WLIW21, THIRTEEN PBS KIDS, WLIW World and Create; NJ PBS, New Jersey’s statewide public television network; Long Island’s only NPR station WLIW-FM; ALL ARTS, the arts and culture media provider; newsroom NJ Spotlight News; and FAST channel PBS Nature. Through these channels and streaming platforms, The WNET Group brings arts, culture, education, news, documentary, entertainment, and DIY programming to more than five million viewers each month. The WNET Group’s award-winning productions include signature PBS series Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, and Amanpour and Company and trusted local news programs like NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi. Inspiring curiosity and nurturing dreams, The WNET Group’s award-winning Kids’ Media and Education team produces the PBS KIDS series Cyberchase, interactive Mission US history games, and resources for families, teachers and caregivers. A leading nonprofit public media producer for more than 60 years, The WNET Group presents and distributes content that fosters lifelong learning, including initiatives addressing poverty, jobs, economic opportunity, social justice, understanding, and the environment. Through Passport, station members can stream new and archival programming anytime, anywhere. The WNET Group represents the best in public media. Join us.  

About VOCES
Produced by Latino Public Broadcasting, the acclaimed PBS documentary series VOCES features the best of Latino arts, culture and history and shines a light on current issues that impact Latino Americans. Devoted to exploring the rich diversity of the Latino experience, VOCES presents new and established filmmakers and brings their powerful and illuminating stories to a national audience — on TV, online and on the PBS app. Luis Ortiz is series producer; Sandie Viquez Pedlow is executive producer. Follow us on Facebook and X.  

Press Contacts:
Lindsey Horvitz, The WNET Group, 212.560.6609, horvitzl@wnet.org
Mary Lugo, CaraMar Inc., 770.851.8190, lugo@negia.net
Cara White, CaraMar Inc., 842-881-1480, cara.white@mac.com