ARLINGTON, VA, UNITED STATES, April 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — There are a few qualities that make for a great writer. One is a love of language. Another is a passion for storytelling. There is also the ability to pass on knowledge of subjects and places that are unfamiliar to people. And there is the way one weaves personal and cultural history into their work. Moreover, great writers have a tone and a voice that soothes and engages.
Robet Giron is a gifted writer who possesses all of those and has used the talents throughout his life—to write and edit anthologies of poems, to translate artistic poems from other languages into English (vice versa) and as a teacher honing the skills of others. His voice reflects the tapestry of his heritage and his name, which he pronounces as a Nebraskan would as Guy-run in English, but which is pronounced differently in Spanish or French.
Language is the Common Denominator
Giron began his college studies in Linguistics and is fluent in Spanish and French and has studied Chinese and Russian. He has used these talents to translate the works of other writers, and to take the Psalms of the Bible and rewrite them for a more contemporary and diverse audience. Building from different cultural and gender pinpoints, he retells the spiritual essence of the biblical stories in his book called Songs for the Spirit. After Pope John Paul II received a copy, he responded by sending him an apostolic blessing. He also sent a copy of his second edition of the book with English and Spanish side by side to Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV who thanked him for the gift. Giron’s early prose work has been influenced by Mexican folklore and history as told to him by family members.
Robert Giron published four more books of his own poetry. He also created several anthologies of others’ poems, fiction and nonfiction acquired through calls for work and contests. In 1998, he established his own publishing company, Gival Press. The name Gival comes from joining the first three letters of his last name Giron and a family maiden name, Valdez. Interestingly, there are a few persons in France with Gival as a family name.
Robert was born in Nebraska where there were few Hispanic families. Later the family moved to El Paso Texas, where they lived for most of his school years, where Spanish is common. His language abilities led to his desire to pursue editing and publishing endeavors.
His Own Publishing Company
Since founding Gival Press in 1998, the press has published 85 books, mainly poetry volumes and some fiction and nonfiction, as well as 47 e-books. Some of these titles are now out of print but about 50 are still actively sold. One of the earliest projects, for which Giron could not find a publisher, was a book of poems by a Mexican dentist he translated into English in 1978.
“The major publishing houses, particularly the ones stationed in NYC, don’t usually publish only poetry. But I’ve dedicated my years to giving poets and literary writers a platform.”
In addition to publishing, Giron taught at the college level for forty years in total and retired as a professor emeritus of English, ESL, creative writing, and composition in 2018 and is now enjoying his love for publishing. Now in his early 70s, Giron has made some changes at Gival Press but still runs two international contests: the Oscar Wilde Award, (now in its 25th year) for poetry, which hopes to give a broader voice to those who live an alternative lifestyle, and the short story contest (now in its 23rd year) for general fiction. In general, Giron’s mission is to feature works that provoke readers to contemplate issues like cultural identity, spirituality, and social influences that promote understanding and sensitivity across physical and cultural borders.
Since 2025, Robert Giron has also published the Arlington Literary Journal (aka ArLiJo) named for the town in Virgina where he lives now (with his husband, Ken, who has helped run the various enterprises and who has handled the book design part of publishing.)
Look out for his story
In his two podcasts, Giron addresses his personal and professional histories, and what it was like to grow up speaking English with his parents but Spanish with his maternal grandparents. His cultural and linguistic background is rich with different views of history, politics, and Hispanic figures like Pancho Villa. His discovery of his family DNA in 2017 shed light on his intuit realization that he has a very diverse ethnic background that goes back hundreds of years. “Complex thinking,” he says, “is often shaped by language and culture, which often are difficult to separate.”
“When I was growing up in Nebraska, I defined myself as simply Catholic, having been influenced by nuns.” I came to realize you are who you are and just accept it. Develop your skills and ideas and don’t worry about what others think.” This applies as a writer, and as a person with a layered history, as well as being a gay man. He came out in the 1970s, so the idea of self-acceptance has added yet another level of meaning.
Hear more of Giron’s thinking and the array of writing and publishing efforts he calls his labor of love.
Close Up Radio recently featured poet, editor, and publisher Robert L. Giron in a two-part interview with Jim Masters on Monday April 20th at 4pm Eastern, and on Monday April 27th at 4pm Eastern
Listen to the Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/part-1-close-up-radio-spotlights-author-translator/id1785721253?i=1000763019575
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-close-up-radio-242020413/episode/part-1-close-up-radio-spotlights-author-translator-editor-and-publisher-robert-l-giron-of-gival-press-331148711
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6J7OMNESyWDEir7yKCnCTx
For more information about Robert and his life’s work visit www.Givalpress.com
Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+1 631-850-3314
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