While hip-hop artists Mac Miller and Travis Porter rocked San Diego State’s Open Air Theatre on Oct. 3, American historian and award-winning author Jeff Biggers spent the evening discussing his book “State Out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream.”

“Biggers shows how Arizona’s long history of labor and civil rights battles … played a pivotal role in determining the nation’s conservative and liberal agendas,” BN.com stated.

This literary event, located on the top floor of the Malcolm A. Love Library, was made possible by the Hugh C. Hyde Living Writers Series, which began at SDSU more than 25 years ago and is now one of the longest, continuously running reading series in the nation.

On its webpage, the Living Writers Series states, “there is no substitute for the experience of direct contact with writers and poets, of hearing the words lift off the page as poets and writers perform their works in their own voices.”

Biggers was a testament to this claim, as he charismatically read his book. He engaged the audience in a verbal exploration of the causes and consequences of what he deems, “the Arizonification of America,” a term countered by critics questioning the lack of any mention of “the Mexinization of America.”

Before moving to a question and answer session, Biggers concluded his presentation by providing advice for dealing with anti-immigration supporters. He suggested grass-roots movements such as community forums, to spur progressive discussion and keep the controversial topic from simply being swept under the rug.

About 50 people attended the event which was free and open to the public. Most were SDSU students and faculty members. Frequent bouts of laughter, an encore encouraging applause and questions after the event served as proof of both Biggers’ skill as a speaker and the success of the evening in general.

Aged Quinn, a junior at SDSU, responded to the reading.

“I definitely agree with (Biggers’) belief that ‘history matters,’” he said.

Biggers concluded the event by proving there are two sides to every story, even when it comes to history.