Author Gabby Rivera will present the first session of the academic year's I Am Oz Speaker Series at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Sheldon Hall ballroom.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for this show, which is free and open to the public.

Rivera is the author of "America," the debut solo series for America Chavez, Marvel's first queer Latina superhero. She also authored the acclaimed novel "Juliet Takes A Breath."

A question-and-answer session and a sale and signing for “Juliet Takes A Breath” will directly follow the talk.

"When not writing, Gabby speaks on her experiences as a queer Puerto Rican from the Bronx, an LGBTQ youth advocate and the importance of centering joy in narratives as Latinx people and people of color at events across the company," Rivera's website explained.