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Culture War? If there is such a thing, I think we are winning. Here's notices about a few artistic skirmishes in the Mountain West. Cultural warriors unite.
Call for Entry: El Dia de Los Muertos
CHAC Gallery & Cultural Center
774 Santa Fe Drive Denver
Attention Artists, Students, Teachers and Community Members! 2014 “El Dia de Los Muertos” –A Celebration of Life!Best of Show $100, and two honorable mentions $25 each!Judges Stephanie Shearer and Chris Bacorn owners of Pandora on the Hill and Soul Haus!
Show Dates: Wed. Oct. 1- Sat. November 1, 2014Opening Reception October 17th 6-9 PM With a procession with Aztec dancers, and traditional refreshments- Artwork drop off is Sunday September 28th from noon to 4 PM at 774 Santa Fe Drive Denver CO 80205. 303-571-0440
- You may also drop off your work ahead of time during regular gallery hours the week prior.
- Requirements: Work must be Festive, Fun…new, never shown at CHAC, and based on the cultural theme of El Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Work must be ready to hang. (Student artwork is the only exception) Art work must be suitable for a family friendly, environment, and be all age appropriate. 25% commission on all sales.
- All Mediums are welcome including, but not limited to paintings, photography, sculpture, drawings, carvings, mixed media, fabric and jewelry.
- Artwork may be refused for any reason if deemed inappropriate for the exhibit.
- Altars-We are encouraging small altars due to limited space. Sunday set up only! Please call to reserve a spot beforehand. $20 donation required.
Entry fee: Free for CHAC Gallery members, $10 each or 3 for $25 for non members Teachers and schools $1.00 per art piece per child. We will work with you on pricing and sizes. Please call Crystal at
303-571-0440 with any questions!
__________________________________________________________________________________ CineLatino
DENVER FILM SOCIETY TO WELCOME EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, RICHARD MONTOYA AND NICHOLAS GONZALEZ FOR THE OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION OF WATER & POWER AT CINELATINO
September 15, 2014 (Denver, CO) – The Denver Film Society (DFS) is proud to announce special guests Edward James Olmos (Producer), Richard Montoya (Director) and Nicholas Gonzalez (The Purge: Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow, Grimm) will attend CineLatino on behalf of the Opening Night film Water & Power on September 25. The film, a Sundance Lab Project and official selection of the LA Latino Film Festival and San Diego Latino Film Festival, revolves around twin brothers nicknamed “Water” and “Power (Gonzalez)” from the hard scrabble Eastside streets of Los Angeles.
“We are thrilled to make this announcement on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month,” says DFS Programming Manager, Ernie Quiroz. “CineLatino is a celebration of the accomplishments of Latinos in film and I can’t think of a better person that exemplifies this than Mr. Olmos. He has opened the door for multiple generations of Latino actors, writers, producers and directors and continues his tireless work with the new film Water & Power by Richard Montoya.”
The Festival will open on Thursday, September 25 with a special pre-reception beginning at 6pm. The film will begin at 7:30pm immediately followed by a Q&A with Mr. Olmos, Mr. Montoya and Mr. Gonzalez. The DFS will continue to celebrate Edward James Olmos’ legacy on Saturday, September 27, by presenting a free screening of his film, Zoot Suit. In addition, Antonio Mercado along with students from the original North High School production of Zoot Suit Riots will host a panel discussion following the film. In 2004, Mercado and the students of North High School made history with their performance of Zoot Suit Riots and the play became the first high school production to be staged at the Buell Theater. Ten years later, the students have grown to become community leaders, actors, and activists.
A complete Festival pass to CineLatino is $50 for DFS members and $60 for non-members. The pass includes guaranteed seating to all films and panels, as well as access to all receptions and parties. Tickets to the Opening Night Film and Reception are $20 for DFS members and $25 for non-members, Closing Night Film and Reception are $15 for DFS members and $20 for non-members – both receptions include complimentary food and drink courtesy of Lifestyles Catering and locally based, Suerte Tequila. Regularly scheduled films are $10 for DFS members and $12 for non-members. Visit www.DenverFilm.org for more information and to purchase your tickets.
Direct Link to full program and to purchase passes and individual tickets: click here.
 |
| The Man Behind The Mask |
Other notable films in the festival (twelve total) include:
Frontera (USA, starring
Michael Peña and
Ed Harris)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Tirar Chancla
Great band, great venue, great people having a good time.
__________________________________________________________________________________Latin@ Book Festival - Pueblo
Hard to see in the image (the only one I could find), but this all-day event offers author presentations, panels on getting published and banned books, and more. La Bloga friend
Mario Acevedo is featured at 2:45 PM when he will talk about
Murder Your Writing Demons, while I will speak at 9:30 AM on
Chicano Noir: It's Black and It's Brown.
September 27
Rawlings Library
100 E Abriendo Ave.
Pueblo, CO 81004-4290
(719) 562-5600
__________________________________________________________________________________Enrique's Journey
__________________________________________________________________________________Michael Nava in Boulder
On a very warm but beautiful afternoon (September 18) I attended a reading and discussion with the popular and award-winning author
Michael Nava on the Boulder campus of the University of Colorado. The event was hosted by Professor and author
Emma Pérez of the C.U. Ethnic Studies Department. Michael read from his excellent novel
The City of Palaces, reviewed on La Bloga
here and
here. Retirement allows me the spontaneity to take in events such as these, and this was an interesting and enlightening time enjoyed by all who attended.
 |
| Emma Pérez, Michael Nava, Manuel Ramos |
Final note: I had a great time at the
Literatura Hispana event sponsored by
Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado on September 16. I read and answered questions about
Desperado, and shared the stage with fellow writers and friends
Denise Vega and
Sheryl Luna. This was the first time this college hosted such an event but the organizers hope to make it an annual event for September 16th celebrations. That would be swell.
Later.
Worthwhile Books for Your Library
(coincidentally, banned, [confiscated, outlawed?] in Arizona)
The information contained in these books is dangerous. Complacency, racism, and injustice fear these books. You've been warned.
Manuel Ramos
___________________________________
Critical Race Theory: An Introduction
Richard Delgado and Jean StefancicNYU Press, 2001
[from the publisher]
For well over a decade, critical race theory—the school of thought that holds that race lies at the very nexus of American life—has roiled the legal academy. In recent years, however, the fundamental principles of the movement have influenced other academic disciplines, from sociology and politics to ethnic studies and history.
And yet, while the critical race theory movement has spawned dozens of conferences and numerous books, no concise, accessible volume outlines its basic parameters and tenets. Here, then, from two of the founders of the movement, is the first primer on one of the most influential intellectual movements in American law and politics.
500 Años Del Pu
eblo Chicano / 500 Years of Chicano History: In Pictures
edited by
Elizabeth MartinezSouthwest Community Resources, 1990 (expanded edition)
"One of the most motivating books on the Chicano experience as far as working class people and students are concerned...The visual quality adds a fantastic dimension to the understanding of our past." ~ Dr.
Rodolfo F. Acuna, California State University, Northridge.
Message to Aztlán: Selected WritingsRodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, edited by Antonio Esquibel
Arte Público Press, 2001
[from the publisher]
In Message to Aztlán, Dr. Antonio Esquibel, Professor Emeritus of Metropolitan State College of Denver, has compiled the first collection of Gonzales' diverse writings: the original I Am Joaqu
New Book
Highly recommended (this is a beautiful, insightful, and important book):
Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives / Fronteras: Dibujando las vidas fronterizas Steven and Reefka Schneider, Introduction by
Norma E. Cantú
Spanish translation by José Antonio RodriguezWings Press, 2010
From the publisher:
Borderlines/Fronteras brings together images and stories, sights and sensations, in an aesthetically beautiful series of bilingual poems and drawings that portrays the people of the borderlands as they are seldom seen, peeling back the layers of fear and mistrust to reveal an rich and vibrant culture.From the Introduction by Norma E. Cantú:
The Schneiders have crossed the bridge with charcoal, pastel, and conte, and with words. And we are better for it. We peek into the lives of characters and learn how to look beyond to the stories. ... Through images and words, this book invites us to reflect, to consider the stories, the lives and the realities of life on the U.S - Mexico border. But it also impels us to dwell on our own work, asking us to tend to the wound that will not heal, to do work that matters.Kathleen Alcalá:
These compassionate portraits, from the accordion player to the bead seller, show their everyday public lives, la gente decente on whose backs we have constructed the vast, complicated economy and culture that is the border today. In the discussions of walls, guns, drugs and abstract policies, we need to remember that ordinary individuals live here too, and always will. Ed Conroy (review in the
San Antonio Express-News):
At a time when Arizona's new immigration law has created an intensified national controversy over the value and worth of the people of our border regions, one new book has the power to make us pause to reflect on the stories and conditions of their lives. ... These faces come to life in the charcoal and pastel drawings of Reefka Schneider, who fascinatingly captures both the graphic details and emotional truths etched into faces young and old by the harsh social and natural realities of border life. And those faces breathe with life in the poems of her husband, Steven P. Schneider, crafted clearly with the intention of creating a narrative that captures a moment in life and its emotions for each person. ... The result of their work is a series of 25 poignantly moving vignettes of border people and their lives, expressed as a page of poetry in English and Spanish, and, opposite, the portrait that is integrally joined to the poem. Voces Unidas Por Ame
Ry Cooder Donates Proceeds to MALDEF from Sale of “Quicksand” Created in Response to SB 1070
LOS ANGELES, CA –
Ry Cooder created his new single
Quicksand in response to anti-immigrant law
SB 1070 and the ongoing Arizona immigration battle. SB 1070 requires police to demand "papers' from people they stop who they suspect are "unlawfully present" in the U.S. As described by Cooder,
Quicksand is a slow-burning rocker that tells the story of six would-be immigrants making their way from Mexico to the Arizona border. Ry Cooder's
Quicksand went on sale exclusively on
iTunes, and Cooder has pledged to donate all proceeds from the song to
MALDEF.
Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, stated that
Defeating Arizona's SB 1070 - and the potential copycat laws that have since been announced by unscrupulous legislators around the nation - will require a broad national community effort to reinforce the constitutional principles and values that characterize our nation. Our heartfelt thanks to Ry Cooder for being a leader in that necessary community effort.Cooder produced the 1996 album
Buena Vista Social Club, followed by solo projects with
Ibrahim Ferrer and
Manuel Galban, of
Los Zafiros.
Quicksand features Cooder's son Joachim on drums, with backup vocals by
Lucina Rodgriguez and
Fabiola Trujillo of the Mexican roots band
Los Cenzontles. The artwork for the single features the piece
Nuthin' To See Here, Keep On Movin'! by frequent collaborator
Vincent Valdez.
The Devil’s Highway has been used by migrants traveling on foot for over 100 years, says Cooder of the journey depicted in the song.
You should try it sometime. Out there, temperatures can get above 130 degrees. If you fall down, you have religious hallucinations, then you die, cooking from the inside out. If you get lucky, you might make it to Yuma, but then what?You can find a link to Ry Cooder’s page featuring “Quicksand”
here.To show your support for Ry Cooder and MALDEF, visit the iTunes store to purchase Ry Cooder’s
Quicksand here.
Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the
June 4th 6pm EXCLUSIVE RECEPTION with special guest Benjamin BrattReception includes: Low riders, old school music, delicious food and of course, Benjamin Bratt!7pm LA MISSION screening $25/TICKET (includes reception and movie)AMC 24 HIGHLANDS RANCH 103 Centennial Blvd, Littleton, CO 80129TEATRO PREGONES IN ALOHA BORICUA
The journey to Hawaii in the early 1900's set to contemporary music -- reggaeton, plena, pop, rock.
June 10th, 11th and 12th at 7:30pm
$18 General, $15 Stu/Sen, $12 for groups over 12 people
Presented at the Denver Civic Theatre 721 Santa Fe, Denver, CO
12th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARDS
Congratulations to all those who received recognition from the International Latino Book Awards, presented May 25 at BookExpo America. You can see the complete list of honorees at this link.
A special tip of the ole sombrero to fellow bloguero René Colato Lainez for Rene Has Two Last Names/René tiene dos appellidos (Arte Público Press), which received Honorable Mention in the Best Children's Picture Book (Bilingual) category; and to good friends Rudolfo Anaya for 2d Place for The Essays (University of Oklahoma Press) in the Best Biography (English) category, and Lucha Corpi, who won the award for Best Mystery Novel (English) for Death at Solstice (Arte Público Press.)
I'm "under the weather," so apologies for only providing some newsbits for you today. That weather is the kind that will land me either in the unemployment line or a different elementary school, come Aug. I'll miss Barnum Elem. where I taught for three years, the kids, staff, but I'll just have to find another spot, parece. Below's some more enervating bits:
Ernest Hogan still alive: Last Saturday's post highlighting some of La Bloga's cultural appropriation posts elicited one surprising comment. It seems SciFi writer Ernest Hogan, whom I'd presumed deceased, was in fact still breathing and composing.
In response to mentioning his Cortez on Jupiter novel, Hogan commented:
"I consider myself a Chicano. I don't know if having an Irish name on my Arizona driver's license will cause me any trouble. The 21st century is like one of novels."
- His blog profile reads: "Ernest Hogan is a recombocultural Chicano mutant, known for committing outrageous acts of science fiction, cartooning, and other questionable pursuits. He can’t help but be controversial. Everything he does offends or causes psychic harm. Rumor has it he’s doing it on purpose. Some people think he’s funny. Read on at your own risk . . . His novels are CORTEZ ON JUPITER, HIGH AZTECH, and SMOKING MIRROR BLUES."
- I threatened to interview him for La Bloga when he gets back from wandering the wastes and montañas of Utah & NM, but in the meantime you can check out his blog here.
- Chicano vampire comic coming out: Mario Acevedo launches his new comic book, Killing the Cobra (#1 of 5 issues) featuring his book hero, Felix Gomez, vampire P.I. The event will take place at Goosetown Tavern, 3242 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver and the comic will sell for $4, cheap. 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 18.
Su Teatro's Despedida: Join Su Teatro today, Saturday May 15th, for a free showing of La Carpa de los Rasquachis and community potluck celebration, to be performed on the front lawn of the Elyria School Building. This will be Su Teatro's final performance at Elyria after twenty ye
EVENTS
Mural Unveiling
Stevon Lucero has a new mural that will be unveiled on May 1 up in Laramie, Wyo. Stevon's mural is a "depiction of Latinos in Wyoming." He calls it
Paredes Hablando: Walls that Speak. Stevon's work is full of energy, color and spirit, so this mural should be something. Plus, there's also a film,
2501 Migrants by
Yolanda Cruz. An excellent trailer for the film
can be found here. All of this is in support of Laramie's
Radio Montañesa: Voz de la Gente, 93.5 FM.
VERSES OF PROTEST
A poetry reading by
Juan Manuel Patraca at 2:00 p.m., May 8, at the
Boulder Public Library at Broadway Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder. At the free public event, Mr. Patraca will read in English and Spanish from his new book of poems titled
32 Biographies of Humble People. The Mexican-born Patraca mops and vacuums Denver area offices by night and jots down ideas for his poems while riding the bus to and from work. His poetry tells the stories of those who have contributed to the struggle for social and immigrant justice as well as his own reflections on his experiences with injustice.
NEW BOOK FROM TIM Z. HERNANDEZ
Tim Z. HernandezTexas Tech University Press
[publisher's text]Deep within California’s golden agricultural heartland lies a rotten core: the fictional farming community of Catela, where the desperate realities of poverty, drug abuse, violence, and bigotry play out in the lives of cucarachas and coyotes, tweekers and strippers, wetbacks and white trash. Seventeen-year-old Tlaloc, namesake of the Aztec god of fertility and destruction, has grown up among the migrant-worker communities that follo
La Carpa de los Rasquachis, written by
Luis Valdez, directed by
Anthony J. Garcia
Su Teatro stars in the regional premiere of Luis Valdez's classic farm worker tale of an everyman immigrant told in rollicking corridos and performed in the classic Mexican tent-show style.
Written 45 years ago,
La Carpa de los Rasquachis toured the world and gave birth to the Teatro Chicano movement.
If you ever liked anything Su Teatro has performed, come see the play that started it all.
March 19 - April 17 - Thursday, Friday and Saturday - 7:30 p.m.
The Denver Civic Theater -721 Santa Fe Dr.
Tickets - $18 general - $15 students and seniors
Groups of 12 or more people $12 each
Special promotional rates available upon request.
John Moore in the Denver Post gave the play three stars:
" Best of all, Su Teatro has come home to the westside neighborhood from where it was long ago displaced,
along with much of its community, for the Auraria campus. A historic move calls for a historic production,
and Luis Valdez's
La Carpa de los Rasquachis, considered by many the masterpiece of the Chicano theater, qualifies."
La Voz Femenina 7 - an east end live art production
March 28th, 5 pm Café Flores 6606 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX 77023 $ Free
Voices Breaking Boundaries (VBB) is pleased to announce the second installment of its spring 2010 East End Live Art series, La Voz Femenina 7. Each year VBB collaborates with Arte Público Press to celebrate International Women’s Month. This year’s show includes films, art exhibits, open mic, and discussion, featuring
Erica Fletcher, Liana Lopez, Delilah Montoya and Brian Parras. VBB’s Founding Director,
Sehba Sarwar, will host the evening. “La Voz Femenina, now in its seventh year, is a powerful tradition of collaboration with Arte Público. VBB was founded by women, and to celebrate and recognize women’s struggle is an integral part of what we do,” says Sarwar.
La Voz Femenina 7 is cosponsored by Arte Público Press, Houston Institute for Culture, KPFT Pacifica Radio 90.1 FM, and Café Flores. The program is curated by
Samina Mahmood, Gunjen Mittal, Selina Pishori, and
Jacsun Shah.
0 Comments on Rasquache as of 1/1/1900
Spaced-out ChicanosThe following press release recently showed up in my inbox. Two Chicanos in space, on the same spaceship - juan giant step for raza. What a movie this could be. Is the solar system ready for a pair of fast-talking pachucos lowriding through outer space? Houston, no hay problema.
George Lopez and
Paul Rodriguez in the starring roles.
And who knew that our blogging comrade also has an exciting double life as an astronaut?
The space shuttle is scheduled for lift-off on August 28 at 11:59 PM.
HOUSTON - NASA astronaut
José Hernández, set to fly aboard space shuttle Discovery on
STS-128, is providing insights about his mission on Twitter in both English and Spanish. He is the agency's first bilingual Twitterer.
Hernández, whose Twitter account is
astro_jose, can be followed at:
http://www.twitter.com/astro_joseHernández, who considers Stockton, Calif., his hometown, grew up in a migrant farming family, traveling each year between Mexico and California. He did not learn English until the age of 12.
It will be the first shuttle mission to feature two Latino astronauts.
Danny Olivas, who also is of Mexican descent, is among Hernández's six crew mates.
For Hernández's complete biography, visit:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/hernandez-jm.htmlOlivas's biography is here:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/olivas.htmlFor more information about the STS-128 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts128More spacey news -- the official location of
Aztlán has finally been mapped. Turns out that Aztlán is on one of Saturn's moons, Titan. At least according to NASA, that's where you can find it. More about this
at this link, or
here.
From NASA - original caption released with image:
The Cassini spacecraft charts a quartet of dark albedo features on the moon Titan. From upper left to lower right of the image are Fenzal, Aztlan, Aaru and Senkyo. 
Su Teatro 2009-2010 Season Kicks Off with José Torres-Tama
The Cone of Uncertainty:
New Orleans After Katrina
Four years after Katrina, José Torres-Tama utilizes various performance mediums, including satirical reenactments, socio-political commentary, movement, and sound in his acclaimed solo piece The Cone of Uncertainty: New Orleans After Katrina--a deep, first-hand exploration of the rich cultural history of the Big Easy and a wry analysis of the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by a native son.
Please join us as we kick off a season full of American Masterpieces.
The Cone of Uncertainty plays
Friday, September 4 at 7pm
Saturday, September 5 at 7pm
at the Denver School of the Arts (7111 Montview Blvd--just off Quebec, a couple blocks north of Colfax).
Tickets are $18, $15 students/seniors, $12 each for groups of 12 or more. Call to purchase: 303.296.0219, and ask about our special student group discount rate.
Or, purchase an all-inclusive Su Teatro Season VIP, and see The Cone of Uncertainty plus four other theater performances, and receive a full festival pass to the XicanIndie FilmFest, Neruda Poetry Festival, and 14th Annual Chicano Music Festival and Auction, all for just $145! Call now: 303.296.0219.
Poetry y MásThe Colorado Humanities and Arts Council (
CHAC) presents the monthly
Poetry y Más on September 12, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. This month features celebrated guest poets
Giovanni Lopez and
Ara Cruz with his new book
A Journey in Red & Black Ink.
Peruse the full lineup of CHAC events at the
website.772 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 [
view map ]
phone: 303-571-0440
HOURS: Wednesday & Thursday 10 AM - 4 PM
Friday 12 - 10 PM & Saturday 12 - 4 PM
A Dozen on Denver in Book Form
A Dozen on Denver: StoriesFulcrum Publishing
November 15, 2009
From the publisher:
In this original tribute, twelve talented authors celebrate Denver’s 150th anniversary, each creating a unique story based on a different decade in the city’s colorful history. Ranging from the pioneer days to WWII aftermath to a haunting vision of the future, this lively volume offers an eclectic mix of exceptional storytelling, each complemented by contemporary illustrations. Edited by the the Rocky Mountain News and featuring twelve Colorado authors: Margaret Coel, Pam Houston, Sandra Dallas, Nick Arvin, Joanne Greenberg, Connie Willis, Manuel Ramos, Arnold Grossman, Robert Greer, Diane Mott Davidson, Laura Pritchett, and Robert Pogue Ziegler. Illustrated by Charles Chamberlin.You can learn how this project came about
here, and
here. It was probably the last great idea from the late
Rocky Mountain News.
Remember the 3 L's --
Lopez, Late Night, 'Leven.Later.
This post is motivated by similar articles I've read lately about why it's great to be a Latino in the U.S. or particular cities, etc. Lacking any brilliant inspiration for today's edition of La Bloga, I decided to steal the idea and give you my own list. No particular order, just how the pieces came to me. I have more than five reasons, but I ran out of time. Maybe I'll continue with my list in future posts. If you have your own suggestions, send them in. Click on the comments link below.
1. Canción Mexicana - this radio program has been on the air for 24 years, an amazing run, and it's still as strong as ever. The show is broadcast on Denver's public radio jazz station, KUVO, 89.3 FM and on the Internet at www.kuvo.org. The show is hosted by Florencia Hernández-Ramos and Debra Gallegos every Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (Mountain).
Here's what the KUVO website says about this very popular show that has become a cultural icon in the Rocky Mountain West: New Mexico, Colorado and Tejano music with information excerpts from Latino USA and News From Our Community. Canción Mexicana has dominated jazz89 KUVO's Sunday line-up in both audience and business support. The best of the best in Tex-Mex music, Canción Mexicana has been frequently recognized in Denver's major newspapers. The program consistently ranks in the top five slots on Sunday mornings in the Denver metro area and has enjoyed the number one spot. It's cumbia, it's rancheras, and a little bit of mariachi - it's all that and more; it's Canción Mexicana with the best New Mexico, Tejano and Colorado music. There's music on Canción Mexicana as well as reports from Latino USA with a glimpse into what's happening in the community. Get ready to dance!
2. La Raza Rocks - this show follows Canción Mexicana at 1:00 pm, Sundays, on KUVO. Pocho Joe and Gabe are the incredibly knowledgeable hosts of an hour of the best of Latino rock - new and old - Sunny & the Sunliners, Santana, Los Lobos, the Iguanas, Los Lonely Boys, and Dr. Loco and his Rockin' Jalapeno Band. Interviews and information are part of the show's presentation. Pocho Joe and Gabe like to dig deep into Chicano rock, coming up with groups like Thee Midniters, Tierra, Little Julian Herrera, El Chicano,War, the Blendells, Cannibal & the Headhunters, and the Premiers, but they also present the latest groups and singers. Over the years, this show has introduced Denver to Ozomatli, Quetzal, Alejandro Escovedo, the Blazers, and many more. As Pocho Joe likes to say, the show covers the "roots and branches" of Chicano soul music. It'll tear you up.
3. Su Teatro - this theater group sprung from the Movement more than thirty-five years ago (1971) as traveling agit-prop, consisting mostly of long-haired students. Today it is a well-established production company that every year amazes Denver audiences with the diversity and brilliance of Latino and Chicano theater. Under the direction of the long-haired Anthony Garcia, El Centro Su Teatro is about to enter a new phase with a multi-million dollar facility that promises to continue to enrich the Denver cultural scene with outstanding plays and events. In recent years, Su Teatro has presented remarkable theater such as Rudy Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima; Ollin; El Sol Que Tú Eres (Daniel Valdez and Tony Garcia collaborated on this Chicano version of the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus); Las Chicas de 3.5” Floppy; Death and the Maiden; and Catastrophe by Samuel Beckett. Annual events include the Neruda Poetry Festival (10 years), The XicanIndie Film Festival (11 years), and the Chicano Music Festival (12 years).
4. A bevy of writers and a strong literary tradition. Denver became the home for beloved poet Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado, author of one of the most famous Chicano poems ever published, Stupid America. Lalo probably is the best known Denver Chicano writer, but the city and the state have a long history of writers who have proudly preserved the history of Colorado's Chicanos, and made a little of their own while they were at it. Names that immediately come to mind include Margie Domingo, Flor Lovato, Ramon Del Castillo, Anthony Vigil, Joe Navarro, and Corky Gonzales for I Am Joaquin, a classic bit of Chicano lit. (The Denver Public Library has arranged for a Rudolfo "Corky" Gonzales Exhibit at the Central Library, June 2 through September 20, 2009. A special reception to honor the exhibit is set for June 18 from 7 - 9 pm at the Central Library, 10 West 14th Avenue Parkway.)
The tradition continues and there are young poets reading and writing all over the city, with readings and slams happening at places like the Taza de Café where Café Cultura did a regular thing, Cafe Nuba, the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, the Neruda Poetry Festival, Art From Ashes, etc. We got fiction writers, too - Mario Acevedo, Aaron A. Abeyta, Rudy Garcia, Emma Perez, Angel Vigil, Reneé Fajardo, and yours truly, to name a few. Denver is a city that loves to read; it has great independent bookstores and many author events. Now if we could just get a permanent book fair.
5. The Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) and the Museo de las Américas. These two institutions sit on Santa Fe Drive in Denver's West Side. They provide art, artifacts, history, and venues for performance artists, poets, film-makers, and sculptors. CHAC has been around for thirty-one years, created by a group of artists who saw the need for their own space, devoted to their understanding of art and the creative process. That spirit still lives on at CHAC. The Museo has consistently presented world-class exhibits of Latino, Chicano and Latin American art, and has developed a national reputation for its adherence to its mission. As the website says, the Museo educates our community about the diversity of Latino Americano art and culture from ancient to contemporary through innovative exhibitions and programs. With the Latino population growing exponentially in the Denver and wider communities, the Museo plays an important role in building pride in the Latino community's heritage and promoting understanding among cultures. Other history and art museums in Denver cannot focus on one segment of the community in a sustained or comprehensive manner. The Museo was organized to fill this important niche in the cultural milieu. Under the leadership of newly-appointed director Maruca Salazar, a celebrated artist in her own right, the Museo should make an even bigger impression on the art-loving Denver residents.
The cool thing about this list is that you don't have to be a Chicana or a Chicano to enjoy the music, art, writing or history. We like to share.
Like I said, send in your own suggestions for this list - is it really great to be a Chicano or Chicana, wherever you live? If so, why?
Later.
HOW ABOUT SOME GOOD NEWS?
More American Adults Read Literature According to New NEA Study
Literary reading on the rise for first time in history of Arts Endowment survey
Washington, D.C. -- For the first time in more than 25 years, American adults are reading more literature, according to a new study by the National Endowment for the Arts. Reading on the Rise documents a definitive increase in rates and numbers of American adults who read literature, with the biggest increases among young adults, ages 18-24. This new growth reverses two decades of downward trends cited previously in NEA reports such as Reading at Risk and To Read or Not To Read.
"At a time of immense cultural pessimism, the NEA is pleased to announce some important good news. Literary reading has risen in the U.S. for the first time in a quarter century," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "This dramatic turnaround shows that the many programs now focused on reading, including our own Big Read, are working. Cultural decline is not inevitable."
Among the key findings:
Literary reading increases
- For the first time in the history of the survey - conducted five times since 1982 - the overall rate at which adults read literature (novels and short stories, plays, or poems) rose by seven percent.
- The absolute number of literary readers has grown significantly. There were 16.6 million more adult readers of literature in 2008. The growth in new readers reflects higher adult reading rates combined with overall population growth.
- The 2008 increases followed significant declines in reading rates for the two most recent ten-year survey periods (1982-1992 and 1992-2002).
Demographics of literature readers
- Young adults show the most rapid increases in literary reading. Since 2002, 18-24 year olds have seen the biggest increase (nine percent) in literary reading, and the most rapid rate of increase (21 percent). This jump reversed a 20 percent rate of decline in the 2002 survey, the steepest rate of decline since the NEA survey began.
- Since 2002, reading has increased at the sharpest rate (+20 percent) among Hispanic Americans, Reading rates have increased among African Americans by 15 percent, and among Whites at an eight percent rate of increase.
- For the first time in the survey's history, literary reading has increased among both men and women. Literary reading rates have grown or held steady for adults of all education levels.
Trends in media and literary preferences
- Fiction (novels and short stories) accounts for the new growth in adult literary readers.
- Reading poetry and drama continues to decline, especially poetry-reading among women.
- Online readers also report reading books. Eighty-four percent of adults who read literature (fiction, poetry, or drama) on or downloaded from the Internet also read books, whether print or online.
- Nearly 15 percent of all U.S. adults read literature online in 2008.
A tale of two Americas
- The U.S. population now breaks into two almost equally sized groups – readers and non-readers.
- A slight majority of American adults now read literature (113 million) or books (119 million) in any format.
- Reading is an important indicator of positive individual and social behavior patterns. Previous NEA research has shown that literary readers volunteer, attend arts and sports events, do outdoor activities, and exercise at higher rates than non-readers.
The NEA research brochure Reading on the Rise is based on early results from the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA). SPPA is a periodic survey that has been conducted five times since 1982 using data obtained in partnership with the United States Census Bureau. Detailed results from the 2008 survey will be available in 2009. The 2008 SPPA survey has a sample size of more than 18,000 adults. The 2008 survey's literary reading questions - which form the focus of Reading on the Rise - were the same as in previous years: "During the last 12 months, did you read any a) novels or short stories; b) poetry; or c) plays?" Since 1992, the survey also has asked about book-reading. In 2008, the survey introduced new questions about reading preferences and reading on the Internet.
Reading on the Rise, along with other NEA research, is available for download at www.nea.gov/research.
MORE GOOD NEWS
SU TEATRO WILL BE AMONG THE 2008 RECIPIENTS OF MAYOR’S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS
Free community reception February 18
(DENVER) Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs are pleased to announce the 2008 recipients of the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. The 2008 honorees are Charles Burrell, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Su Teatro and The Bloomsbury Review. In addition, the Mayor’s Cultural Legacy Award will be presented to Noël Congdon.
The 2008 Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts reception will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th St. & Curtis St. Mayor Hickenlooper will present the awards to the honorees at the event. The public is invited to attend this free community celebration. Seating will be first-come, first-served; no RSVP necessary. Performances for the evening will include: Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir, Sweet Edge Dance Company and Purnell Steen & Le Jazz Machine.
Since 1986, the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts annually recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions to the arts in the City and County of Denver.
Here's what the announcement says about Su Teatro -
Su Teatro was formed in 1972 in a University of Colorado classroom and quickly became an important artistic arm of the Chicano self-identity and civil rights movement of the time. Su Teatro is the third oldest Chicano theater company still in existence—after Teatro Campesino and Teatro Esperanza—and has been recognized as a significant force in both the Chicano arts aesthetic and American Theater. Su Teatro’s mission is to create, produce and promote theater and other art that celebrates the experiences, history, language and heritage of Latinos in the U.S.and the Americas.
In 1989, Su Teatro emerged as the larger cultural arts center, El Centro Su Teatro. They expanded their offerings to include annual projects such as the XicanIndie FilmFest: Latino World Cinema, Neruda Poetry Festival, which includes the Barrio Slam competition, St. Cajetan’s Reunification Project, Chicano Music Festival and Auction and a multi-tiered arts education program called the Cultural Arts Institute.
The organization is poised to expand once again with the purchase of a new space on Santa Fe Drive in Denver’s historic Westside neighborhood. Though the organization continuously experiments with form and content, Su Teatro remains committed to education, social justice and community enrichment.
You can read more about the award and the recipients at this link to a Denver Post story.
LITTLE BIT MORE GOOD NEWS
The recent series of short stories about Denver collectively known as A Dozen on Denver and printed in the Rocky Mountain News has been picked up by Fulcrum Publishing. The twelve stories will be published in book form in Fall, 2009, "positioned and priced for the Holiday season" as the announcement says. A Dozen on Denver has been a great project that brought together a varied and terrific group of writers who produced some outstanding stories about Denver through the decades. The project helped celebrate the 150th birthday of Denver and the News in a unique and literary way. I have a story in the collection so I am not completely objective, but I heartily recommend the stories (and the book, of course). Until the book is available, you can read my contribution, Fence Busters, here; and you can get to all twelve stories at this link.
NEW BOOKS
Living The Vida Lola
Misa Ramirez 
St. Martin's Minotaur, February 7, 2009
Dolores “Lola” Cruz loves shoes, kung fu, and her job as an underling at Camacho and Associates, a private investigation firm in Sacramento. After a year and a half on the job, her sexy and mysterious boss, Manny Camacho, finally assigns Lola her first big case—a woman’s disappearance. If Lola gets it right, it could mean a big bump up the career ladder. But this is no grocery store stakeout. The woman turns up dead and the same thing could happen to Lola if she doesn’t watch her back.
The Sweet Smell of Home
Leonard F. Chana, Susan Lobo, Barbara Chana
University of Arizona Press, July, 2009
A self-taught artist in several mediums who became known for stippling,
Leonard Chana captured the essence of the Tohono O'odham people. He incorporated subtle details of O'odham life into his art, and his images evoke the smells, sounds, textures, and tastes of the Sonoran desert -- all the while depicting the values of his people.
He began his career by creating cards and soon was lending his art to posters and logos for many community-based Native organizations. Winning recognition from these groups, his work was soon actively sought by them. Chana's work also appears on the covers and as interior art in a number of books on southwestern and American Indian topics.
The Sweet Smell of Home is an autobiographical work, written in Chana's own voice that unfolds through oral history interviews with anthropologist Susan Lobo. Chana imparts the story of his upbringing and starting down the path toward a career as an artist. Balancing humor with a keen eye for cultural detail, he tells us about life both on and off the reservation.
Eighty pieces of art -- 26 in color -- grace the text, and Chana explains both the impetus for and the evolution of each piece. Leonard Chana was a people's artist who celebrated the extraordinary heroism of common people's lives
. The Sweet Smell of Home now celebrates this unique artist whose words and art illuminate not only his own remarkable life, but also the land and lives of the Tohono O'odham people.
what i'm on
Luis Humberto Valadez
University of Arizona Press, March, 2009
Luis Valadez is a performance poet and his poems shout to be read aloud. It's then that their language dazzles most brightly. It's then that the emotions bottled up on the page explode beyond words. And there is plenty of emotion in these poems. Frankly autobiographical, they recount the experiences of a Mexican American boy growing up in a tough town near Chicago. Just as in life, the feelings in these poems are often jumbled, sometimes spilling out in a tumble, sometimes coolly recollected. Sometimes the words jump and twitch as if they'd been threatened or attacked. Sometimes they just sit there knowingly on the page, weighted down by the stark reality of it all.
José García
put a thirty-five to me
my mother was in the other room
He would have done us both
if not for the lust of my fear
This new Mexican American/Chicano voice is all at once arresting, bracing, shocking, and refreshing. This is not the poetry you learned in school. It owes as much to hip hop as it does to the canon. But Valadez has paid his academic dues, and he certainly knows how to craft a poem. It's just that he does it his way.
i anagram and look and subject to deformation and reconfiguring . . .
it ain't events or blocks that ahm jettisoning through this process
it be layers of meaning, identity, narrative, and ego that gets peeled off
i can only increase my own understanding
Dark Thirty
Santee Frazier
University of Arizona Press, February, 2009
Writing sometimes in dialect, sometimes in gunshot bursts, sometimes in sinuous lines that snake across the page,
Santee Frazier crafts poems that are edgy and restless. The poems in
Dark Thirty, Frazier's debut collection, address subjects that are not often thought of as "poetic," like poverty, alcoholism, cruelty, and homelessness. Frazier's poems emerge from the darkest corners of experience: "I search the cabinet and icebox -- drink the pickle juice / from the jar. Bologna, / hard at the edges, / browning on the kitchen / table since yesterday. / I search the cabinet and icebox -- the curdling / milk almost smells drinkable."
Dark Thirty takes us on a loosely autobiographical trip through Cherokee country, the backwoods towns and the big cities, giving us clear-eyed portraits of Native people surviving contemporary America. In Frazier's world, there is no romanticizing of Native American life. Here cops knock on the door of a low-rent apartment after a neighbor has been stabbed. Here a poem's narrator recalls firing a .38 pistol -- barrel glowing like oil in a gutter-puddle" --for the first time. Here a young man catches a Greyhound bus to Flagstaff after his ex-girlfriend tells him he has fathered a child. Yet even in the midst of violence and despair there is time for the beauty of the world to shine through: "The Cutlass rattling out / the last fumes of gas, engine stops, / the night dimly lit by the moon / hung over the treetops; / owls calling each other from / hilltop to valley bend."
Like viewing photographs that repel us even as they draw us in, we are pulled into these poems. We're compelled to turn the page and read the next poem. And the next. And each poem rewards us with a world freshly seen and remade for us of sound and image and voice.
Later.
MORE NEW BOOKS FROM BILINGUAL PRESS
Death and the American Dream
Daniel Cano
October
Daniel Cano is the author of Pepe Ríos (1990) and Shifting Loyalties (1995), and is a professor of English at Santa Monica College. Death and the American Dream takes place in 1915. Pepe Ríos lands a job as a Spanish-language reporter in Los Angeles, thanks to the wealthy husband of a former lover. The time is alive with political intrigue, as the news is filled with stories about Hearst, Darrow, Flores Magón and Zapata. Ríos wants to find the truth about his best friend's death, but can he deal with the threat to his new life and a possible revelation about his past life? The publisher says this is a "tantalizing and suspenseful" novel filled with journal entries about the character's former existence in Mexico and his dreams for the future.
The Captain of All These Men of Death
Alejandro Morales
July
Alejandro Morales, a novelist and professor of Chicano/Latino studies at the University of California, Irvine, and recipient of the 2007 Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature is the author of several biographical novels in which he tells the fictional story of a character's life using historical events. He has published a total of seven books. His newest is The Captain of All These Men of Death. The book is the story of Roberto Contreras, a victim of tuberculosis in the 1940s who is committed to a sanatorium. The publisher says: "Amid his relapses and recoveries he meets a series of women who have a profound effect on his life: a mysterious French doctor, a captivating patient, and a sinister acquaintance from a Los Angeles barrio. Meanwhile, a hospital newsletter delivers articles describing the various ways in which tuberculosis patients have been treated throughout history -- cared for humanely or ostracized, alienated, and administered barbaric medical treatments. The author equates these practices to heinous modern-day medical experimentation and the superstitious pagan practices of witchcraft and Satanism in California barrios."
The Cisco Kid: American Hero, Hispanic Roots
Francis M. Nevins and Gary D. Keller
August
The publisher says: "This book expands on Francis Nevins's 1998 book, The Films of The Cisco Kid. Retaining the original's thorough, chronological study of the filmic Cisco Kid cycle and its in-depth analysis of the Cisco phenomenon, The Cisco Kid adds a Hispanic sensibility to the history of the character in United States film. Despite the Cisco Kid's initial creation outside the Hispanic world by such mainstream writers and filmmakers as O. Henry and Webster Cullison, by 1929, with the first Cisco sound film In Old Arizona, this fictional character was endowed with a Latino persona that it has retained in mainstream American culture and in Hispanic culture within the United States and elsewhere. Including film stills, lobby cards, and posters, this lavishly illustrated coffee-table book is sure to delight anyone interested in the Cisco Kid."
CHILDREN'S BOOK CONFERENCE AND MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE
The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators is sponsoring its annual Manuscript Critique for authors of Young Adult & Children's literature.
Full details and instructions for formatting and submitting a manuscript for critique can be found on the Conference website at this link. Submissions must be received by July 30, 2008 for consideration. To participate, you must be a registered attendee of the Fall Conference.
Manuscripts will receive a written critique and a one-on-one appointment with a published author, an agent or an editor.
This event will be held September 20-21, 2008 at the Qwest Learning and Conference Center in Lakewood, CO. Please visit the website for the Conference details and schedule, and to register for the event.
SU TEATRO'S 12TH ANNUAL CHICANO MUSIC FESTIVAL AND AUCTION
August 7 - 10
This year’s lineup…
Aug 7—Noche Tradicional featuring Tony Silva and Trio Xochitl Aug 8—Noche Alternativa featuring ¡FUGA! and Izcalli Aug 9—Summer Pachanga featuring Nueva Sangre, Zydematics, and ¡FUGA! Aug 10—Mariachi Tardeada featuring Mariachi Vasquez, Mariachi San Juan de Colorado, and Mariachi Real del Oro con Lazaro
Plus, exciting live and silent auctions every night, featuring hotel getaways, spa treatments, sports tickets, and the finest Chicano artwork from throughout the Southwest. Don’t miss the best party of the summer. Tickets are $10 – $18. Complete Festival Pass is only $35! Comadre group discounts available each night. Purchase in advance and save up to 15% on Saturday and Sunday tickets! Call us now: (303) 296-0219
El Centro Su Teatro: 4725 High Street, Denver
Later.
LAS CHICAS DEL 3.5" FLOPPIES
Written by Luis Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio
Directed by John Tiffany
Featuring: Aída López and Gabriela Murray
El Centro Su Teatro, Denver, February 14, 15, 16
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, February 21, 22, 23
7 Stages, Atlanta, February 28, 29, March 1, 2
Luis Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio - LEGOM - has made a name for himself as the enfant terrible of contemporary Mexican theater. His previous works include Diatriba Rustica para Faraones Muertos, De Bestias Criaturas y Perras, Los Restos de la Netarina, and Portal. Las Chicas del 3.5" Floppies is the only LEGOM play I've seen, but I have to say, give me more.
This play is raw, unsentimental, and brutal in its impact. It's not for the squeamish, and definitely is adults only. The characters are two women trying to survive in the underbelly of a Mexican city. They live day-to-day, night-to-night is more exact, earning money through prostitution so that they can buy drugs and waste the night away at the 3.5" Floppies club. Their meager existence is depressing to those outside it, yet the women exhibit an honest self-awareness and allow for no self-pity or regret. They aren't heroines, no "whores with hearts of gold" here. But they are rich in the textures and coarseness of humanity stripped of pretense and ambiguity. LEGOM has created two people who jump off the stage and into the bellies of the audience, if not the hearts.
The story is told through the conversation of the two, and López and Murray are excellent as they bicker back-and-forth, arguing, cajoling one another with crude humor and obscene slang, or plotting how to get to the next high. López is the older woman, the teacher, the wise one, the one who has seen it all and knows too well where the younger one is headed. The younger one is oblivious to her own degradation, even though she understands her plight. Her almost wide-eyed innocent outlook can be funny, in a gallows humor fashion. The women look sleazy and wrung out; they barter with their children's futures; they relate to the men in their lives only in terms of money or drugs; and they repeat their mistakes as though they have no choice but even if they did, this would be their road.
The play is performed in Spanish with English translations projected on a screen behind and above the actors. The set is minimal: a table, two beat-up stools, a statute of the Virgin surrounded by a neon frame, and a bucket and a mop that the older woman furiously uses to clean the floor of her apartment. Is she scrubbing away the past, her sins, the younger woman's intrusion, or does she want a really clean floor?
LEGOM's play is traveling through the United States as part of the Performing Americas Project of the National Performance Network (NPN). According to the NPN website, the NPN "provides support for established and emerging artists in dance, music, theater, performance art, puppetry, and spoken word. It serves as the developmental rung on the ladder for emerging contemporary performing artists because it provides rare or first-time touring opportunities. NPN also plays a critical role for mid-career and established artists who continue to create new work and to tour on the network because it offers a wealth of opportunities at a time when support is diminishing. Equally important, NPN connects artists with progressive presenters, arts organizations, and communities across the country."
I saw the play on Valentine's Day -- not exactly the type of romantic comedy one would expect on the holiday of love, but then, why not? Is there a "right time" for this type of theater? I think the answer is - whenever you get the chance.
Later.
By: Mark Peter Hughes,
on 7/16/2007
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I’m sitting in a hotel room in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We arrived a couple hours ago and just came back from eating tacos and hot green and red chili. But I’ll blog about that once we’ve finished our time here. Over the past few days we were in Oklahoma and Amarillo, TX, so I’ll catch you up on that. Karen helped out with today’s blog. She wrote the section on Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo, TX (below, in a different font).
OKLAHOMA CITY LOOKED OH SO PRETTY
We arrived in OKC from Dallas on Thursday evening. There, we stayed with our friends Rich Schwab and Margaret Mantooth Schwab. They were incredibly nice to us, and took the day off on Friday just to drive us around. Thanks, Rich and Margaret!
COX TV
First stop in Oklahoma City, I was interviewed on “Read All About It,” a state-wide show about books and authors that's produced by the Metropolitan Library System for Cox TV. Now, I can’t say I’m used to being interviewed on talk shows, but boy-oh, this was fun. First, they put make-up on me (not sure why—isn’t the pasty-white look in?), then I hung out in the green room with other guests, including some way-cool local librarians, one of whom was doing a review on the novel Rules by my friend Cynthia Lord. Then they called me to the set. I was on for about eight minutes, interviewed by BJ Williams, the show’s producer and host. We talked about Lemonade Mouth and the tour, etc., etc. I think it went well, but who am I to say? It was my first time. I’ll get a copy of it whenever I can. :-)
Thanks to BJ Williams and Cox TV! Hats off to "Read All About It" -- what a wonderful way to promote books and reading!
Best Of Books
Later that afternoon we stopped at Best of Books, a terrific store in Edmond, OK, where Julie Hovis and Kathy Kinasewitz, the co-owners, were great to my family and me. The store has been in business for years, and it’s carved out a niche as one of the few independent booksellers in the area.
While there I ran into an old friend from Massachusetts, Meredith Pearlman, who had made the drive from Tulsa to see us--she moved to Oklahoma only three months ago. It was so great to see you, Meredith!
We made a stop at the memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. It was very moving. They have a place for kids to leave messages in chalk. Evan, Lucy, and Zoe each left one.
Uh-Oh. Oil Trouble!
We were driving around the city when suddenly a light started flashing on our car’s dashboard – it was an oil can. Uh oh, oil trouble. So we made a quick detour to the local Honda dealer, where Stephen Sponsler did a quick diagnosis – we were almost completely out of oil! Yikes! We must have a leak, but it must be a slow one because after he changed the oil he didn’t see the car lose any more. So, new strategy: We’ll check the oil every 500 miles or so!
While we were waiting for the oil situation to get resolved, we stopped into a local Barnes and Noble, where we met Chuck Ackerly and Dean Kraushaar. A cool way to spend the pit stop!
IN AMARILLO, WE GRABBED A PILLOW
On Saturday (yesterday), it was goodbye Oklahoma, and back into Texas. We arrived in Amarillo where, in accordance with the old classic song, we grabbed a pillow.
Karen wrote the next part:
Camping in Palo Duro Canyon
KAREN: On Saturday night we went camping in Palo Duro Canyon, near Amarillo, TX.
It was a wild experience. First, we set up camp at the bottom of the canyon (the 2nd biggest in the US)! We spread out our tent on the hard red dirt covering all of the ants and other variations on bugs. The minute we got there, we were all being eaten alive by bugs. I could tell right away that I could never have been a cow girl. Even though I’ve camped in the past and loved it, I was already dreaming of a comfy bed in the air conditioning. Lucy, Zoe, and Evan were complaining about being bitten, Mark was complaining about how hot it was (it was 7pm), so I knew it would be a long night especially when Mark announced to the kids that if they see a Rattlesnake, don’t try to poke it with a stick! Rattlesnakes, no one prepared me for this!! The kids started to freak...who could blame them? Next we had dinner, no fire of course because we were too hot and would have roasted even more. Who told me that it cools down in the desert at night??
That evening we went to an amazing musical show called “Texas” in an amphitheater actually in the Canyon. It was all about Texas history, songs and there were even fireworks!
I liked the show so much, I even started thinking it would be fun to be a real Texan. I was amazed at how the Texan settlers could live here! Ok, so I could make it one night, why not?!
Wrong!
I was up all night listening to various interesting sounds of wildlife. While the family snored happily, I kept thinking of all those Rattlesnakes. I swear I heard some close by slithering. Mark thinks I was imagining things, but I DON’T THINK SO!! The next morning Mark admitted that the park ranger warned him that there was a “bumper crop” of Rattlesnakes in the canyon this year. Enough said!!
The next morning, getting up at 7 am with 3 hours of sleep and all wet because there was a lot of dew all night (so much for comfortable sleeping in the dry desert), we rushed to pack up camp, eat and dress to be presentable because in one hour we were going to be interviewed by the Amarillo NBC TV station at Barnes & Noble! Can you believe this? The only time in my life that I was a actually going to be on TV is after spending a night camping full of dirt and bug bites…so much for any beauty rest! I’ll let Mark tell you the rest, I’m fading from exhaustion!
(I just re-read this and although it sounds like I had a miserable time, it was a great adventure I wouldn’t have missed. We really are having a great time. Our next camping trip might include bears. I’ll let you know if we go do it and I don’t chicken out!)
ANOTHER TV INTERVIEW!
MARK: Jeez, I can’t believe I’m still typing. This was an action-packed few days! So, in Amarillo, TX this morning the local NBC-TV affiliate (KAMR) was there to interview us! They have a weekly series on families doing stuff together, so our trip kinda fit in. (Note, this gig was due entirely to the amazing promotional efforts of my friend Tyler Jensen who, out of sheer kindness, sent out a funny email to media outlets all over the known world, telling them about our road-trip. Thanks, Tyler! You da best!) for the interview, Evan stole the show when he described the camping experience and gave an enthusiastic, detailed tour of the van. They loved him so much they ran out of videotape filming him. No kidding!
The series runs every Friday, part of the local evening news. Our story is scheduled for four Fridays AFTER this Friday. Faith, the local news anchor (she was the one doing the interviews!) promises to let me know when it runs, and how I can get a copy of it. I’ll get the word out when I have access to the video. :-)
KIMBERLY WILLIS HOLT
We were very lucky to meet up with Kimberly Willis Holt and her husband Jerry for coffee. Kimberly is the New York Times bestselling author of such books as When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, My Louisiana Sky and Waiting For Gregory. Such nice people! We ended up chatting for quite a while. :-)
Finally, here’s a picture of Samantha Adkins and Cassie Mason, two soon-to-be high-school seniors who we met in Amarillo. Among other things we talked about Harry Potter and his unknown fate—which will be known later this week. Nice to meet you, Samantha and Cassie!
Next stop: Santa Fe!
two wonderful honors. juan felipe's guggenheim and luis' edgar. some parts of our world are as they should be. then there's arizona.