Bio
Lau Guzmán (BA ’22) is a senior at NYU Gallatin concentrating on Political Fictions with a minor in Journalism. She loves writing and is passionate about media literacy and equitable access to art and culture. Lau has served on the editorial boards of the Literacy Review 19, the Gallatin Review vol 36, and Confluence. Through a grant from Gallatin’s Undergraduate Research Fund, Lau started Proyecto Venenco in the summer of 2019 whose aim was to compile, edit, translate, and post the stories of Venezuelan migrants living in Colombia online. Outside of Gallatin, Lau is a staff writer for NYU Local where she writes everything from hard news to unhinged blogs. As part of her fellowship, Lau worked remotely with The Loisaida Center to create the 2021 reissue of their bilingual zine, The Quality of Life Loisada/La Calidad de Vida en Loisaida.
Project Summary
Lau wrote, edited, translated, and designed the 2021 issue of Quality of Life in Loisaida/ Calidad de vida en Loisaida, a bilingual zine centering around themes of change and belonging in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Consisting of five articles, the zine featured a long-form reported article on the relationship between HIV/AIDS and the coronavirus; a short think piece on the relationship of business ownership and gentrification; a collage article featuring poetry, prose, visual art, and interviews that answer the question “What is Loisaida?;” a profile on Loisaida Artist-in-Residence Ebony Sojourner; and a short reported article on Ecolibrium, a new project launched by the Loisaida center.
Mission Statement
Seeking to create a sense of place and belonging through historical awareness, to compile a zine that will be a space for reflection and speculation on the past, present, and future. Intending to disrupt the gatekeeping of culture by traditional press, the zine will be written in the languages of the community and will be characterized by quality reporting, writing, and editing.
The Gallatin Global Fellowship in Urban Practice provides funding of up to $5,000 and support for 6-10 advanced BA and MA students to pursue extended, community-engaged, practice-based research projects in partnership with urban social justice organizations.
