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Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, latino authors, Ernest Hogan, jesus treviño, beatrice pita, latino sci-fi, rosaura sanchez, Day of Latino Science Fiction, Latino speculative literature directory, UC-Riverside, Add a tag
Prof. Sherryl Vint |
5 of the 6 Latin@ authors |
Ernesto Hogan & Mario Acevedo |
Only a part of the Riverside audience |
Jesús Treviño on media panel |
UC-Riverside grad students on panel |
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, speculative fiction, Rolando Hinojosa, writers conference, Ernest Hogan, jesus treviño, chicano authors, beatrice pita, guillermo luna, latino sci-fi, odd fellows, rosaura sanchez, Add a tag
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JacketFlap tags: Rene Has Two Last Names, Rene Colato Lainez, Killing the Cobra, Mario Acevedo, Francisco X. Alarcón, Add a tag
Música, tirando chancla, Denver style
As Ramos mentioned yesterday: "I'll see some of you at Part 2 of the Colorado All-Star New Mexico and Tejano Music Festival at Denver's Edelweiss Club, featuring Next In Line of Commerce City, Richard Baca & Sierra Gold from Pueblo, and The Rick Garcia Band."
My wife Carmen and I did see him, and his wife Flo there and the vato wasn't kidding--it was a kick-ass baile. We left at 11:00 before the third band, but my legs were already worn out from trying to keep up with the hot sounds, anyway. Next up will be The King of New Mexico Music, TOBIAS RENE. Tickets available at EDELWEISS CLUB, 6495 Monaco, Commerce City Colo. and RICK'S TAVERN, 6762 Lowell Boulevard, Denver, 303-427-3427
Ramos also mentioned, "I may bump into some of you at the driveway party Saturday night." I'm probably going, but need some help. Anybody know where I can get some permanent marker chalk to christen that new driveway?
Alarcón (& La Bloga) strike deep in the Ariz. heartland
Mari Herreras of the Tucson Weekly ran an interview this week of Francisco X. Alarcón:
"Moved by student protests in Phoenix against SB 1070, Alarcón created a Facebook page called Poets Responding to SB 1070. Many of the poems from the page have been republished on La Bloga at labloga.blogspot.com.
In the interview, Alarcón explains: "Michael Sedano from Los Angeles is an editor of La Bloga, a blog for Latino/Chicano artists, poets and writers. The past eight weeks, we started to select poems, and every Tuesday, five to seven poems are selected and posted on La Bloga. Now we're hitting a critical mass of poets, so we want to do a hard copy. The University of California Press has expressed an interest, but I haven't presented them with a proposal ... but we've come to a decision that this is the next step."
Any billionaire out there want to underwrite free copies for anybody with an Ariz. driver's license--regardless of what kind of shoes they're wearing?
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, writing grant, King of the Chicanos, Killing the Cobra, Manuel Ramos, Donaldo Urioste, Add a tag
The hot Chicano comic
From Chicano vampiristico (sic?) Mario Acevedo, comes this note:
"To read about the new Felix Gomez Comic Killing the Cobra, in a special edition newsletter, click this link."
Happy fanging,
Mario"
There's two covers to this issue and I have to disagree with Mario's pocho tastes and say this one ain't the winner. Reminds me of Charlie's Angels, the vata edition.
Here's the Cover B version. I'll take votes from all readers, whether you're registered, a resident or even don't look like your legal.
Anyway, I missed Mario's debut signing in Denver--pinche! I also missed Manuel Ramos's Denver debut Tattered Cover Bookstore signing of King of the Chicanos. Still down about being job-less and had hundreds of computer entries to make on grades, tests, etcetera. (At least my wife went and got me four copies I can Ebay to subsidize my unemployment checks.)
Anyway, I'm sure you'll find something about Mario's event on his website soon and Ramos posted a piece yesterday about what my wife told me what a huge and great event. Tattered sold out of all the copies they had, which probably means King will make Denver's bestseller list for awhile. I'm just finishing the novel and suggest you get one before all that's available is the 2nd, 3rd or 4th editions.
Borrowing from the master, Lalo
Inspired by and patterned after the classic poem "Stupid America" (1969) by the late Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado (QDEP), an old friend and academico Donaldo Urioste sent us this piece about Arizona and its recent anti-immigrant/anti-Mexican mania.
Stupid Arizona
See that Mexican
Walking the streets of your cities
and the barren lands of your countryside.
He doesn't want to harm you,
he just wants to work
and earn a decent wage
but you won't let him.
Stupid Arizona,
hear that Latina
Speaking Spanish and broken English
throughout your callous c
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JacketFlap tags: El Centro Su Teatro, Ernest Hogan, La Carpa de los Rasquachis, Felix Gomez, comic, Mario Acevedo, Add a tag
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
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Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Francisco Lomelí, Laura Lomas, Mario Acevedo, victor villasenor, Lorraine López, luis leal, Add a tag
A few literary bits and pieces available with a quick click of your mouse:
A recent announcement noted that Professor Laura Lomas won the 2009 Modern Language Association Prize in U.S. Latina and Latino Literary and Cultural Studies. Lomas is an associate professor of English at Rutgers University, Newark. The award was made for her book, Translating Empire (Duke University Press, 2008), in which she analyzes how late 19th century Latino migrant writers developed a critique of U.S. imperialism through their translations of American literature. Translating Empire is about the Cuban journalist, poet, and revolutionary José Martí and other Latino migrants living in New York City in the Gilded Age, who translated contemporary North American literary and cultural texts into Spanish. Read more about Lomas and her book here ...
__________________________________
Francisco Lomelí's tribute to Luis Leal can be found at this link to the Santa Barbara Independent. A few lines from the article:
He is generally regarded as one of the founding members of contemporary Chicano literary movement. His fame is such that many in his multiple fields refer to him as “el maestro de maestros” (the teacher of teachers) for directly mentoring generations of students, teachers, and scholars. His students regarded him as a walking encyclopedia with a prodigious memory, even at times providing exact pages of works where specific topics could be located. His life reached a crescendo with his l00th birthday in 2007 with a dual conference at UCSB and Mexico City dedicated to him along with a book (100 años de lealtad/100 Years of Loyalty; In Honor of Luis Leal) that consisted of over one hundred contributors and 1,456 pages: a monumental work for a scholar who has touched so many lives with his erudition, generosity, encouragement, example, and humor.
More tributes to Professor Leal can be read at this link.
_____________________________
La Bloga pal Mario Acevedo is ready to launch his latest Felix Gomez romp. This one's entitled
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, john updike, Arte Público, Hit List, Graciela Limón, Miguel Algarin, Add a tag
Thank you, Annette Leal Mattern, for filling in the past four weeks. Her health-oriented articles were informative and timely; I appreciate that she shared her observations and advice with La Bloga's readers. Hey, RudyG - did you see what she had to say about smoking?
I've been doing a lot of reading and a bit of writing - not as much writing as I should but that's always the case. I hope to soon have some good news about future publications; stay tuned, as they say. One reading project I took up is to read John Updike's Rabbit novels, in order. Years ago I read Rabbit Redux - Updike's recent passing got me to thinking that this might be a good time to catch up on all four Rabbit books. I have to say that Rabbit, Run was a tough book for me to get into but now that I am finally finding a handle on Rabbit's puzzling personality, at least as much as I can in 90 pages, the book is reading quicker. I'm a very slow reader so this particular project could take me months. Where does Updike stand these days in the pantheon of twentieth century North American writers? Is he regarded as having more substance than John O'Hara or more staying power and diversity than John Cheever, but not on the same level as F. Scott Fitzgerald? Or is the jury still out?
Meanwhile ...
NEW BOOKS FROM ARTE PUBLICO
(Taken from the Spring 2009 Catalog)
The River Flows North
Graciela Limón
March 31, 2009
In Sonora, a group of immigrants circles around a coyote, Leonardo Cerda, who will—for a price—lead them across the treacherous desert to the United States. Fearful that Cerda may be one of those who will collect their money up front and then leave them stranded to die, the travelers ultimately are forced to put their trust in him and begin the dangerous crossing to a new life. Afraid even of each other, they initially avoid eye contact or conversation. But as the three-day passage across the blistering landscape progresses, the fight to survive the grueling trip ensures that their lives—and deaths—are linked forever.
While trudging along, placing one exhausted foot in front of the other, the travelers each remember their lives and the reasons they have been forced to abandon their land, homes and loved ones. Among the immigrants is Menda Fuentes, a salvadoreña, the only member of her family to survive a massacre during her country’s civil war. Then there is Julio Escalante and his young grandson Manuelito, who pay the full fee even though they plan to go only halfway. By their side is Encarnación Padilla, an ancient indigenous woman who has survived ostracism and her involvement in the Zapatista uprising. Next to her walk Nicanor and Borrego Osuna, two brothers who suffer the ultimate indignity just to make it to the United States. Finally, there is Armando Guerrero, shifty, suspicious-looking, and clearly different from the rest because of his fancy clothes as well as the mysterious bag to which he clings.
In addition to confronting their own internal demons, they must also face the dangers that they encounter on the trail: poisonous snakes, debilitating dehydration and exhaustion, and a ferocious sandstorm that tears the group apart. This riveting novel explores the lives behind the news stories and confirms Limón’s status as one of the country’s premiere Latinas writing about issues that affect us all.
Miguel Algarin
March 31, 2009
This anthology of searing poetry and prose collects the famed Nuyorican's writings from the past 35 years
"Don’t believe the deadly game," Miguel Algarin warns the elderly black Puerto Rican sitting in a park in Old San Juan, "of Northern cities paved with gold and plenty / don’t believe the fetching dream / of life improvement in New York / the only thing you’ll find in Boston / is a soft leather shoe up your ass."
In this affecting collection of poetry and prose, Nuyorican poet Miguel Algarin crafts beautifully angry, sad pieces about injustice and loss. While warning his compatriots about the unreality of the American Dream, he acknowledges that "we are the pistons that / move the roughage through Uncle / Sam’s intestines, we keep the flow / of New York happening / we are its muscles."
Algarin’s poems covering his long career give voice to the disenfranchised—the junkie, the HIV inflicted, the poverty stricken—and survival is a recurring theme. In the essay "Nuyorican Language," which was originally published in 1975, he argues that for the New York Puerto Rican, there are three survival possibilities: to work hard for little money all your life and remain in eternal debt; to live life by taking risks of all types, including killing, cheating and stealing; and to create alternative behavioral habits. The Nuyorican poet, he says, must create a new language, "A new day needs a new language or else the day becomes a repetition of yesterday."
While many of the poems focus on the Puerto Rican experience in New York, others touch on universal experiences such as the death of friends and the ephemeral nature of life. "So what if you’re dead, / I’m here, you’re gone, / and I’m left alone / to watch how time betrays, / and we die slow / so very slow." And he turns his sharp gaze on events around the world, including the fights between England and Argentina for the Falkland Islands, Israel and Palestine for the Holy Land.
With an introduction by Ernesto Quiñonez, author of the acclaimed novel Bodega Dreams, this collection takes the reader through an intimate, autobiographical journey of one of the country’s leading Nuyorican writers and intellectuals.
Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery
Edited by Sarah Cortez and Liz Martínez
Introduction by Ralph E. Rodriguez, Ph.D
March 31, 2009
Of course I have to mention this anthology - again. And expect more from me dealing with this book and the contributors - I'm lining up at least one intriguing interview and hope to have more to share. For now, here's a complete list of the authors: Mario Acevedo, Lucha Corpi, Sarah Cortez, Carolina García-Aguilera, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Carlos Hernandez, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Bertha Jackson, John Lantigua, Art Muñoz, R. Narvaez, L.M. Quinn, A.E. Roman, Manuel Ramos, S. Ramos O'Briant, Steven Torres, Sergio Troncoso.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL NALAC FUND FOR THE ARTS AWARDS
NALAC awarded over $143,000 to 22 Latino artists and 17 Latino arts and culture organizations for the 2008-2009 cycle of the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA). The NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA), is the only national arts fund specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations in the United States. READ MORE
The 2008-2009 NFA Grantees Are:
Artists: Brent Beltrán, Anna De Orbegoso, Nicolas Dumit Estevez, Nicole Elmer, Michael John Garces, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Sandra Guardado, Eren McGinnis, Esau Melendez, Abinadi Meza, Elisha Miranda, Michelle Ortiz, Sandra Pena Sarmiento, Laura Perez, Marlene Ramirez Cancio, Omar G. Ramirez, Ruben Salazar, Minerva Tapia, Juana Valdes, Vito Jesus Valdez, and Elio Villafranca
JAILBAIT ZOMBIES INVADE THE TATTERED COVER
Mario Acevedo reads from and signs his latest Felix Gomez novel, Jailbait Zombie, on March 9, 2009, at 7:30 PM at the Colfax Avenue Tattered Cover, Denver. Acevedo is a former infantry and aviation officer, engineer, art teacher to incarcerated felons, and the bestselling author of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, and The Undead Kama Sutra. In Jailbait Zombie (HarperCollins) vampire detective Gomez coming face-to-face with the worst sort of undead. To stop a ravenous army of zombies, the detective must team up with a precocious teen with clairvoyant powers whose cooperation comes at a price: she won't help unless Felix makes her a vampire - if the zombies don't get her first.
Mario's continuing signing schedule so far is:
The Paranormal Bender Tour with fantasy authors Mario Acevedo, Caitlin Kittredge, Mark Henry,
and Cherie Priest:
Clark County Library, Jewel Box Theater
Las Vegas, NV
March 11, 2009. 7 PM
.......................
Mysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
March 13, 2009. 7 PM
.......................
Dark Delicacies
Burbank, CA
March 14, 2009. 2 PM
.......................
Borderlands Books
San Francisco, CA
March 15, 2009. 7 PM
.......................
Powell's Books
Beaverton, OR
March 16, 2009. 7 PM
To get you in the right mood for an evening with Mario here's his animated trailer for his new book featuring motorcycle-riding Legos, directed and animated by Emiliano Acevedo.
Later.
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, Libreria Martinez, bless me ultima, Rudolfo Anaya, Su teatro, Jailbait Zombies, Nymphos of Rocky Flats, Add a tag
Libreria Martinez Grand Re-Opening!
We are pleased to inform you, your family and friends about our new address: 1200 N. Main Street Ste. 100D, Santa Ana, CA, formally the children’s bookstore.
In celebration of our new home we are having a Grand Re-Opening event this upcoming week. It will be Saturday, February 21st with Noche Bohemia featuring newly published author José E. Grijalva author of Vivencias Reflejadas: Una Colección de Poemas en Español, Poet Maricela Loeaza with her works "Poemas por Amor" and Claudia Carbonell with her book "Casa Magica." Also featured will be guitar-maker Monica Esparza, exhibiting her classical and Spanish guitars. 5:00-8:00 pm.
Tenemos el placer de anunciarles a todos nuestros amigos y colaboradores que nos hemos mudado a 1200 N. Main Street Ste. 100D, Santa Ana , CA, antes conocido como la Libreria de los niños.
Con motivo de nuestra Gran Re-Apertura le invitamos a un importante evento a realizarce el Sabado, 21 de Febrero: Noche Bohemia Con protagonista José E. Grijalva autor de Vivencias Reflejadas. Una Colección de Poemas en Español, Poeta Maricela Loeaza y su libro "Poemas por Amor" y Claudia Carbonell con su libro "Casa Magica". Tambien habra exposicion de guitarras clasicas de Monica Esparza. 5:00 - 8:00 pm Libreria Martinez 1200 N. Main St. Suite 100-D Santa Ana , CA, 714.973.7900.
Acevedo fangs again!
Authors' signing event: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 3:00 Denver Book Mall, 32 Broadway (between 1st and Ellsworth Aves), 303-733-3808.
Mario Acevedo will sign Jailbait Zombie, his latest novel about Felix, the vampire PI based in Colorado. Carrie Vaughn signs Kitty Raises Hell, her sixth book in her internationally loved series about a talk show host who was forced to “come out” as a werewolf. Pre-orders and mail orders always welcome.
Nina Else, Denver Book Mall, 303-733-3808 for any questions.
Free Nymphos!
Also from Mario comes word that "Through 2/24, my publisher is offering a free online read (not a download) of my first book Nymphos of Rocky Flats." Here's the link.
Su Teatro extends Bless Me, Ultima
Because of the excitement and outstanding response (phones are ringing off the hook!) about our new show based on Rudolfo Anaya's Ultima, it will bless us for a few more days.
Su Teatro announces Bless Me, Ultima, the extension! Added dates (all others sold out): Sunday, March 1 at 3pm Friday, March 13 at 8:05pm Saturday, March 14 at 8:05pm Friday, March 20 at 8:05pm Saturday, March 21 at 8:05pm
Don’t wait. Order your tickets today: 303.296.0219 $18, students/seniors $15, or 12 for $12
El Centro Su Teatro 4725 High Street, Denver
www.suteatro.org
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Day of the Dead, Dagoberto Gilb, Latino Books y Más, Jerry Vigil, Fred Cruz, Mario Acevedo, Add a tag
LATINO BOOKS Y MÁS
There's a nice (but short) interview at MyDesert.com with Luciano Ramirez and Tonia Bustamante-Ramirez, owners of Latino Books y Más in Palm Springs, CA. Mr. Ramirez explains his motivation for the store, now in its fifth year, as : "I always wanted to work with books, and I've always read books in English by Latin American authors. We wanted to open a bookstore that looks like our house (and) carry books and things that Borders, Barnes & Noble and Wal-Mart didn't carry." You can also watch a promotional video for the store at this link.
The store has scheduled Victor Villaseñor for a reading of Crazy, Loco Love (Arte Público, September, 2008) on October 25 at 2:00 PM. More info here.
DAY OF THE DEAD ALREADY
While visiting Latino Books y Mas, or your favorite indie bookstore, you might look for Day of the Dead Crafts : More Than 24 Projects That Celebrate Día de los Muertos by Kerry Arquette, Andrea Zocchi, and Jerry Vigil (Wiley, 2008). No, it's not too early to start preparing for Día de Los Muertos, and this book offers many clever ideas including step-by-step instructions, ideas, and inspiration for a wide range of projects: calaveras; masks and skulls made from paper maché, gourds, and sugar; artistic ofrendas, or altars, to honor those who have passed; necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more. Jerry Vigil is a well-known Denver artist who has created some iconic pieces including his Zoot Suit series of muertos, so you can expect exceptional quality in these projects for the classroom, your home, or event.
The September Harper's Magazine carries a new story from Dagoberto Gilb, Willows Village. Gilb appeared in Harper's back in 2001 with Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes: A Pocho Tours Mexico, an article that emerged from Gilb's well-known hassles with Texas Monthly. The new story contains a familiar Gilb character - the down-and-out Chicano trying to make the best of a bad situation, at risk of being his own worst enemy. But the story veers into unexpected territory, and the reader is treated to a fascinating study of human interaction at very basic levels. Desire (sensual and material) clashes with crude, almost mundane kindness, generosity, and jealousy. The story is satisfying without being over-indulgent and, as usual, Gilb's writing is crisp, clean.
I'd recommend getting a copy of Harper's just for Gilb's story. Of course, you will read more in the magazine, which also features a review of A Universal History of the Destruction of Books,by Fernando Báez (Atlas, August, 2008). By the way, Noam Chomsky said Baez's account of the massive and centuries old war against writing is “Impressive. . . The best book written on this subject.”
WRIT WRITER
I hope you saw or get a chance to see the recent documentary, Writ Writer , directed by Susanne Mason, which aired on June 3 on PBS and is now making the art film/independent circuit. Dagoberto Gilb was involved in this project, too. The film tells the story of Fred Cruz, a different kind of hero of the Chicano Movement. Here's a quote from the film's website:
"WRIT WRITER tells the story of a self-taught jailhouse lawyer named Fred Arispe Cruz who challenged the constitutionality of prison conditions in Texas in the 1960s, and launched the state’s prisoners’ rights movement.
The film uses narration adapted from prison diaries, letters, legal pleadings, and courtroom testimony by writer Dagoberto Gilb (The Flowers, The Last Known Residence of Mickey Acuña, The Magic of Blood, and Gritos) and performed in voice-over by actor Jesse Borrego (24, The New World, Blood In, Blood Out)."
Cruz's story is enlightening and presents a part of American history that was about to be lost. The interviews with the former wardens are amazing - unrepentant racists and brutes. I came away from the movie with an image of Cruz as a tough, intelligent man who managed to rise above his personal demons to actually change the world.
There's a good summary of Cruz's life here. And a trailer for the movie here. Watch it.
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) will present their annual Writer of the Year Panel with authors Jeanne Stein, Mario Acevedo, Carol Berg, and Robin D. Owens at the Tattered Cover LoDo (Downtown) - 1628 16th Street, Denver, CO on September 4, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. The panelists will share their insights on how-to-get published, reveal tips on honing your craft, and illuminate questions that surround the world of publishing. This event is free and open to the public.
The announcement I received about this event said this about one of La Bloga's faves:
"Mario Acevedo is an RMFW 2008 Writer of the Year nominee and the author of the Felix Gomez vampire-detective series published by HarperCollins including: The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, and The Undead Kama Sutra. Mario attributes his writing success to the support and advice provided by RMFW. Mario is currently working on translating his books into jive and
Esperanto."
Keep on reading.
Later.
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Aaron Abeyta, Julián Olivares, Rosario Sanmiguel, José Mercado, Chicano/Latino Literary Prize, Carlos Cisneros, Mario Acevedo, El Laboratorio, Aaron Abeyta, Julián Olivares, Rosario Sanmiguel, José Mercado, El Laboratorio, Chicano/Latino Literary Prize, Carlos Cisneros, Add a tag
CHICANO/LATINO LITERARY PRIZE ANTHOLOGY Stephanie Fetta is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Irvine. She has taught in the Chicano Studies, Women’s Studies, and Spanish and Portuguese departments at UC-Irvine and studied at Bryn Mawr College, Stanford, and Cornell. She is the translator of a book-length study by Spanish Anthropologist Francisco Checa entitled Spain and Its Immigrants: Images and Stereotypes of Social Exclusion and has published several articles in the United States and abroad. She lives in Southern California.
The Chicano / Latino Literary Prize:
An Anthology of Prize-Winning Fiction, Poetry and Drama
Stephanie Fetta, editor
Arte Público Press, May, 2008
Arte Público has announced the upcoming publication of an anthology based on the first twenty-five years of the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize from the University of California, Irvine.
From the first winner, Ron Arias' short story The Wetback in 1974, through almost all the winners, several second- and third-place winners as well as honorable mentions, the collection has 320 pages of fiction, poetry, and drama covering a key period in the development and expansion of what has become known as Latino Literature.
Now entering its thirty-fourth year, the award has recognized a wide variety of writers. Many of the names are familiar to La Bloga's readers: Juan Felipe Herrera, Michael Nava, Helena María Viramontes, Lucha Corpi, Demetria Martínez, Gary Soto, Cherrie Moraga, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Graciela Limón and, as the press publicity says, several "pieces in this anthology are considered to be foundational texts of Chicana/o and Latina/o literature, and those that are not as widely recognized deserve more serious study and attention."
(Text from Arte Público)
The Case Runner
Carlos Cisneros
March, 2008
Alejandro “Alex” del Fuerte, fresh out of law school, is returning home to South Texas, ready to open his solo practice, humble as it may be. He’s got dreams of making his mark in the world and in the courtroom. But when he meets Porfirio “Pilo” Medina, who just crossed the border in search of his wife and son, Alex is suddenly dragged into a world of wrongdoings and political pay-offs rarely covered in law school.
Rampant corruption and big-money politics are set against the rich backdrop of border culture, with its distinctive way of life and unique perspective. And Alex, something between saint and sinner, is an apt guide to both the light and dark sides of the region. This is Cisneros' first novel.
Tomás Rivera: The Complete Works
Edited by Julián Olivares
March, 2008
trade paperback
Julián Olivares brings together the late author’s entire literary production: Rivera’s classic novel, ... y no se lo tragó la tierra, translated by poet Evangelina Vigil-Piñón; his short fiction collection, The Harvest / La cosecha; and his poetry collection, The Searchers: Collected Poetry. In addition to his creative work, this volume collects Rivera’s influential critical essays, including Into the Labyrinth: The Chicano in Literature, Chicano Literature: Fiesta of the Living, The Great Plains as Refuge in Chicano Literature, and the previously unpublished Critical Approaches to Chicano Literature and its Dynamic Intimacy.
Under the Bridge: Stories from the Border
Rosario Sanmiguel, translation by John Pluecker
March, 2008
Mexican writer Rosario Sanmiguel crafts intriguing narratives about solitary women in search of their place, caught between the past and the present. Set in the border region, this collection follows these women—some from privileged backgrounds and others from more desperate circumstances—through seedy bars, hotel rooms, and city streets. A woman who has escaped the night life, dancing on platforms in front of thousands of eyes; Francis, who finally finds the strength to leave her married lover; young Fátima, whose mother abandons her, leaving her to take her place as a maid in a wealthy El Paso family’s mansion; Nicole, who has risen from dismal poverty to become an accomplished immigration attorney.
Originally published in Mexico as Callejón Sucre y otros relatos (Ediciones del Azar, 1994), this edition contains a profound English translation by John Pluecker. The seven stories included in this collection interweave the opposing themes of solitude and connectedness, longing and privilege, fear and audacity, all of which are juxtaposed on the boundary of self-awareness.
EL LABORATORIO PRESENTS MARIO ACEVEDO AND AARON ABEYTA
El Lab is a center for the Latino literary arts presented by The Lab at Belmar. El Laboratorio is proud to host some of Colorado's most acclaimed Latino writers, artist and scholars for literary workshops, public readings and conversations. El Laboratorio aims to be a true laboratory, where all audiences can experiment and gain insight into the ways Latino culture is changing the landscape of the United States.
$10 - $5 members. The Lab is in Belmar, 404 S. Upham, Lakewood, CO; 303-934-1777.
COMEDY OF ERRORS
The Comedy of Errors
by William Shakespeare
February 28–March 1
March 6–8
7:30pm
King Center Rawls Courtyard Theatre, Auraria Campus, Denver
Tickets: $12 General Admission
$5 UC Denver students
Sponsored by: Theatre, Film and Video Production Department
José Mercado, new Assistant Professor of the Theatre, Film & Video Production Department, directs this comedy "as if it were set in the world of Tim Burton, with bustling, haunting, and mystical action" according to a publicity release. The Comedy of Errors is a story of mistaken identity and family reunion. Confusion, mischief and familial squabbling abound…all in a single day.
Prior to joining the UC Denver faculty, Mercado led the theater program at North High School, directing Zoot Suit Riots, the first high school production to play DCPA’s Buell Theater. He worked as an actor in LA after earning his MFA in Theater from UCLA where he won the Jack Nicholson Prize in Acting. He is the founder of Labyrinth Arts Academy and member of the Denver Commission of Cultural Affairs (an advisory board to the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs).
Later.Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: R.J. Pineiro, Havana Noir, Martin Limón, Mario Acevedo, Add a tag
MARIO ACEVEDO UP FOR COLORADO BOOK AWARD
Acevedo's Nymphos of Rocky Flats (Rayo 2006) has been nominated for a Colorado Book Award in the category of Popular Fiction.
The 16th Annual Colorado Book Awards ceremony happens on October 17 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1050 13th Street, Denver, CO; Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom; 6:00 PM Reception/Silent Auction; 7:00 PM Dinner & Awards Program. Proceeds from the event benefit Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book literacy programs for adults and K-12 students including Motheread/Fatheread, Authors in the Classroom, Letters About Literature and River of Words.
Click here for more information.
Mario's third book in his Felix Gomez vampire/detective series, The Undead Kama Sutra, is scheduled for a 2008 release, and he's spreading the news that the series has been extended by Rayo for at least two more books.
CHE'S WIDOW TO PUBLISH MEMOIRS
Aleida March de la Torre, widow of Ernesto Che Guevara, has announced that her book of memories, Evocaciones, will be published in March 2008. Guevara's fellow guerrilla fighter and collaborator during the liberation campaign in Las Villas (1958), said that she hopes that the book will provide "answers to all questions one may ask her on such an intimate topic. " Che Guevara married March de la Torre in 1959, after his "electrifying campaign in the central provinces that gave Fulgencio Batista´s tyranny the coup de gráce."
GREAT SOUTHWEST BOOK FAIR
The Second Annual Great Southwest Book Fair is happening on Saturday, September 29 from 9 AM to 6 PM at the El Paso (Texas) Public Library and the El Paso History Museum at Cleveland Square. Writers, publishers, historians and other literature enthusiasts from across the Southwest will convene to provide an international marketplace for books and Southwestern literature. There will also be presentations by some of the areas most respected authors including Denise Chávez, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Georgina Baeza, Christine Granados, Javier O. Huerta, Elizabeth Margo, and Donna Snyder. Attendance is free and open to the public. For more information call 915-543-5466.
NEW MARTIN LIMÓN
The Wandering Ghost
Soho Crime, November
One of La Bloga's favorite authors, Martin Limón, returns with another crime fiction novel featuring military policemen George Sueño and Ernie Bascom. Here's what Publishers Weekly said about this upcoming book:
"The turbulent Korean peninsula provides the backdrop to this fine military mystery, the fifth (after 2005's The Door to Bitterness) to feature U.S. Army criminal investigation agents George Sueño and Ernie Bascom. A crack combat unit stationed near the strife-torn demilitarized zone proves strangely uncooperative when a military policewoman disappears. The missing soldier had made herself unpopular with her chain of command when she attempted to testify against two GIs who accidentally killed a Korean schoolgirl while speeding. As Sueño and Bascom dig past the obfuscation, they uncover an unsavory mix of black marketeering, sexual harassment, corruption, rape and murder, risking disgrace in their quest to find their fellow cop before it's too late. Limón, a veteran who spent 10 years stationed in the Republic of Korea, captures precisely the experience and atmosphere of the tension that exists between the American military and South Korean society, two vastly different worlds bound together only by realpolitik. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."
The Poisoned Pen bookstore gave this book a great review that finished with: "This crazy case introduces a female MP, ... Jill, and asks a question central then and now: what will result when you drop a group of young, raw recruits into a traditional, foreign culture?" Good question.
HAVANA NOIR
Edited by Achy Obejas
Akashic Books, October
Brand new stories by: Leonardo Padura, Pablo Medina, Alex Abella, Arturo Arango, Lea Aschkenas, Moises Asis, Arnaldo Correa, Mabel Cuesta, Paquito D'Rivera, Yohamna Depestre, Michel Encinosa Fu, Mylene Fernandez Pintado, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Miguel Mejides, Achy Obejas, Oscar Ortiz, Ena Lucia Portela, Mariela Varona Roque, and Yoss.
Here's what Akashic says about its latest collection in its acclaimed and award-winning "noir" series:
"To most outsiders, Havana is a tropical sin city: a Roman ruin of sex and noise, a parallel universe familiar but exotic, and embargoed enough to serve as a release valve for whatever desire or pulse has been repressed or denied. Habaneros know that this is neither new -- long before Havana collapsed during the Revolution's Special Period, all the way back to colonial times, it had already been the destination of choice for foreigners who wanted to indulge in what was otherwise forbidden to them -- nor particularly true.
"In the real Havana -- the lawless Havana that never appears in the postcards or tourist guides -- the concept of sin has been banished by the urgency of need. And need -- aching and hungry -- inevitably turns the human heart darker, feral, and criminal. In this Havana, crime, though officially vanquished by revolutionary decree, is both wistfully quotidian and personally vicious.
"In the stories of Havana Noir current and former residents of the city -- some international sensations such as Leonardo Padura, others exciting new voices like Yohamna Despestre -- uncover crimes of violence and loveless sex, of mental cruelty and greed, of self-preservation and collective hysteria.
"Achy Obejas is the award-winning author of Days of Awe, Memory Mambo, and We Came all the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? Her poems, stories, and essays have appeared in dozens of anthologies. A long-time contributor to the Chicago Tribune, she was part of the 2001 investigative team that earned a Pulitzer Prize for the series, "Gateway to Gridlock." Currently, she is the Sor Juana Writer-in-Residence at DePaul University in Chicago. She was born in Havana."
NEW THRILLER FROM R.J. PINEIRO
Spyware
Forge, November
R.J. Pineiro, author of more than a dozen novels, has a new one hitting the shelves in November.
The publisher says: "Mac Savage, a former CIA officer; Marie Kovacs, a former nanotechnology scientist turned missionary; and Kate Chavez, a Texas Ranger investigating a murder, join forces to unravel a global conspiracy that starts with the diamond industry and ends with a plan to eliminate the human race." How can you not want to read this book after that intro?
Pineiro, who resides in Austin, was born in Havana in 1961. He has quite a bio, that you can read here.
Later.
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, Gene Guerin, The Big Read, Aaron A. Abeyta, Lalo Delgado, Lynda Sandoval, Add a tag
Manuel Ramos
COLORADO
There are at least six Latina/o novelists who are Colorado based. Here are very brief summaries about five of them, in no particular order.
Abelardo Lalo Delgado
Lalo Delgado is best known, of course, as a premier Chicano poet (he passed away in 2004). Stupid America, a brilliant and succinct exposure of racism and its painful legacy, is a masterpiece of literary accomplishment, Chicano or otherwise. His one novel, Letters to Louise, is not as well-known but it does have a solid reputation and I think it deserves a broader audience. The book was published by Tonatiuh-Quinto Sol International in 1982, and copies can still be found in unique book stores and online. One of the gems of my sprawling library is a copy of this book in excellent condition with a very personal and friendly author's autograph. I noted in an earlier review that the novel "tells the story of a man struggling with the contradiction of a good person involved in a moral dilemma, an ordinary person making complex choices in order to live the life he thinks he should."
Alan Cheuse, in the New York Times, said: "The narrator of Delgado's novel is a middle-aged Chicano poet/social worker/administrator named Santiago Flores. His job as an expert on the problems of migrant workers takes him across the Southwest, and his search for himself carries him back into the world of his childhood. In the warm, slightly wacky letters that he writes to an unknown correspondent --possibly you? possibly me? -- there's a touch of Whitman and also a swatch of Cantinflas, and finally a great and appealing personality, a new and attractive voice. By peering over Abelardo's shoulder you may catch a glimpse of yourself in his highly polished Chicano mirror."
Gene Guerin
Gene Guerin's debut novel, Cottonwood Saints (University of New Mexico Press, 2005), won the Premio Aztlán and the Mountains and Plains Regional Book Award for Adult Fiction. I reviewed this book for La Bloga, where I noted that the "author says in the book's Acknowledgments that Cottonwood Saints is a work of fiction but it is based on forty handwritten pages of reminiscences by his mother, Margaret Ortega Guerin. Without her memories there would be no book."
I also said: "At its heart this book is about the essential strength and dignity of hard-working, unpretentious people. In that way this book compares favorably, in tone, depth and sweep, to Luis J. Rodriguez's family saga of steelworkers in Twentieth Century Los Angeles, Music of the Mill (Rayo, 2005). The New Mexican rural poor of Cottonwood Saints overcome hardship and tragedy; raise families and provide for their children against all obstacles, natural and man made; they love, hate and disappoint; they overcome or succumb, yet they manage to leave something to pass on, something to cherish, in the same ways as Rodriguez's urban working class characters also survived and endured. They lived stories that cried out to be told."
Mario Acevedo
Mario Acevedo has staked out the Chicano-private eye-war vet-vampire turf and made it his special place. His first two books of a projected three book series have entertained and amused readers across the country. La Bloga has featured Acevedo several times -- interviews, reviews, and he did a guest post for us, too -- and at this point we eagerly wait for his next piece in the series. The first, Nymphos of Rocky Flats (Rayo, 2006), garnered this praise from La Bloga's Daniel Olivas:
"Acevedo gleefully debunks vampire lore and creates new rules of the game with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. In the end, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats delivers fast paced fun topped off with wry humor and dead-on social commentary. One wonders who will play Felix Gomez in the screen adaptation."
His second, X-Rated Bloodsuckers (Rayo, 2007), also received rave reviews, including this from La Bloga's Michael Sedano:
"X-Rated Bloodsuckers will make an excellent, if perhaps ironic, gift for Easter. Harper Collins’ Rayo imprint has the novel scheduled for a March 2007 release. Outright hilarity in places, downright revulsion in others, e.g. rat chorizo and coffee mixed with Type B, and an involving yarn make it a standout. Hopefully, a recipient won’t be superstitious, but at any rate, the engaging character of Felix Gomez will win you as many friends as you give copies to."
The third Felix Gomez book, The Undead Kama Sutra, is set for a March, 2008 release.
Lynda Sandoval
Lynda Sandoval is a former police officer-turned fiction writer with fourteen book sales to her credit.
Sandoval writes women's fiction for HarperCollins Rayo; romance for Silhouette Special Edition; romantic suspense for Silhouette Intimate Moments; and young adult novels for Simon & Schuster.
Her books have won awards such as the 2000 Rising Star, the 2002 Golden Quill, and the 2002 Beacon—all sponsored by regional chapters of Romance Writers of America. She was also a finalist in the 2002 Booksellers Best, and a two-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist prior to selling.Her novels include Chicks Ahoy (Simon & Schuster, 2006); Unsettling (Rayo, 2004); and And Then There Were Three (Harlequin, 2003). She also wrote True Blue: An Insider's Guide to Street Cops for Writers (Gryphon, 1999).
Aaron A. Abeyta
A few weeks ago I interviewed Aaron A. Abeyta and offered some comments about his debut novel, Rise, Do Not Be Afraid (Ghost Road Press, 2007). Abeyta's interview is worth looking at if you haven't read it yet. For example, here is his take on being a storyteller:
"I learned early on, mostly from my abuelo, that a story is a living thing. I don’t ever remember hearing a story that began at A and ended at Z. I didn’t grow up with typical plot structures as a model. My mom didn’t read Mother Goose to me, or anything of the sort. I tell people that and they look at me like I was abused, as if to say that my parents not reading to me was some sort of 20th century crime. I never felt deprived, however. Everyone around me told great stories, and those were my bedtime stories. For example, my abuelito would tell a story and then a few weeks later I would hear the same story from the sheepherder and they were remarkably different, yet essentially the same. The teller of the story was always the heart, the information the blood and the listener the soul. I try and remain true to this model, not only in the novel but in all my writing. I guess my people were born of circles because that’s the way we still communicate."
Abeyta teaches English at Adams State College in Alamosa. He also has published two poetry collections, As Orion Falls (Ghost Road Press, 2005), and Colcha (University Press of Colorado, 2000). Colcha won an American Book Award and the Colorado Book Award.
"The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.
"The Big Read answers a big need. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, a 2004 report by the National Endowment for the Arts, found that not only is literary reading in America declining rapidly among all groups, but that the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young. The concerned citizen in search of good news about American literary culture would study the pages of this report in vain.
"The Big Read aims to address this crisis squarely and effectively. It provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. The initiative includes innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature, an ambitious national publicity campaign, and an extensive Web site providing comprehensive information on authors and their works.
"Each community event lasts approximately one month and includes a kick-off event to launch the program locally, ideally attended by the mayor and other local luminaries; major events devoted specifically to the book (panel discussions, author reading, and the like); events using the book as a point of departure (film screenings, theatrical readings, and so forth); and book discussions in diverse locations and aimed at a wide range of audiences."
I've seen the discussion and study materials for Bless Me, Ultima, and I was impressed. These include a Teacher's Guide and a Reader's Guide, which look to me as though they are very good tools for a deeper understanding of the novel.
Here's what the NEA says about Anaya's classic:
Other current featured novels in The Big Read are:
Fahrenheit 451Ray Bradbury
My Ántonia
Willa Cather
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett
A Farewell to Arms
Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
The Heart is A Lonely Hunter
Carson McCullers
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan
The Age of Innocence
EdithWharton
Later.
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, Redoubt, Pineda, Like Son, Bloodsuckers, Quinones, Antonio's Gun, Lemus, Add a tag
pensamientos on 4 books - by RudyG (Denver)
It would be a stretch for me to link this post to Father's Day, so I won't try. . . I've been gone so long from this site. . . I thought of sharing memories of my past year with 22 bilingual second graders, but alas, there were no tearful moments to end such a piece with. . . I considered ranting about the strain of reaching and teaching U.S. children when the educational bureaucracy binds one arm about your body, but thankfully, I'm bored with my rants.
Anyway, since my compa's on La Bloga have done a better-than-scholarly job since my going on sabbatical, I accept that anything I post is destined to pale. . .
Though I've written little in past months, I have read, some great and some so-so. Since I suck as a reviewer, better I just share mis pensamientos about four books, which I highly recommend, for differing reasons:
First: Dan Olivas recently gave us a great interview with Mario Acevedo, author of X-Rated Bloodsuckers (from Rayo press). I enjoyed his first, Nymphos of Rocky Flats, even though the vampire genre is not high on my list of must-reads. Maybe I read both because like some of you I'm aburrido con movies, TV programs and books where even the bad guys are usually Anglo. Mario's storytelling talents made his novel well worth the digression.
Now, to my minor, peculiar thoughts about this book: the format Mario--more likely his publishers--used to handle Mexican vocabulary. Here's two examples:
1. "He snipped the pouch open and squeezed blood over his chile relleno combination plate. "Smothered. The only way to eat Mexican food. Come tomorrow this chile and beans are going to turn my ass into a weapon of mass destruction." [Nymphos, p. 214]
2. " 'Tripas for menudo. Sesos. Lengua. You name it.' . . . It wasn't tripe, brains or tongue that I wanted." [Nymphos, p. 35]
As an accommodation to the non-Spanish readers, this style feels non-intrusive. An English reader should get that the relleno plate was chile and beans, and easily understand the second passage. In the back of my bilingual brain I notice this accommodation, but glide over it. Now look at the format adopted in Mario's latest book:
"Que bonito chante," Coyote said. What nice digs. . . "Pa'que?" What for?" [X-Rated, p.78]
Not every Spanish word is handled this way. Nada is not translated, assumedly because of wide usage. And other formats are sometimes used, like dashes around the translation instead of a literal repetition in English. But the vast majority of Spanish terms are tediously, almost inexorably follow the above format.
The style used in Nymphos required more skill by the author, and at times more effort by the reader, both desirable in a literate society. But flexibility in Mario's first work, gave way to regimentation in his second. It reminds me somewhat of a condescending approach toward Anglos. "Let's repeat it to the poor English reader, right afterwards, very obviously, so he doesn't have to use his brain to grapple with a foreign tongue," I can hear the editors thinking.
Clearly, I'm putting words in people's mouths. This may in fact be Mario's new approach to dealing with monolingual readers. Since I'm not one of them, I can't complain as such. I'm simply ranting as a bilingual that this format draws more attention to itself in its didactics than his previous style, making me very aware of its usage and taking me out of the story, not a desirable literary feature.
Notwithstanding its peccadillo, do check out X-Rated Bloodsuckers. Then you will also learn what tapetum lucidum means.
Second: Fellow Bloguista Dan Olivas also previously highlighted Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream, from UNM Press, the second collection of border/migration chronicles by Sam Quinones.
If you enjoy investigative reporting--hard facts and wonderful trivia--this book is a must. It's historical in that it details anomalies like the rise and demise of Elvis-velvet paintings, and it is insightful in the wealth of personal narrative Quinones collected over many years of communicating with Mexican immigrants.
In our ignorant era of anti-immigrant hate-propaganda, billions-for-border-patrols and the attempted elimination of U.S. bilingualism, I have an added reason you should check this very readable book: because you work with mexicanos. I recommend this book (plus his True Tales From Another Mexico) to those of you--Chicano or otherwise--who need to know more about the mexicanitos you teach, the immigrant families you service or the expatriated machos you sell to.
Face it: Americans, including Chicanos, don't really have much prior knowledge about the mexicano. We have stereotyped ideas about why they came, what their aspirations are, what they hope their children's futures will be.
For instance, my previous assumption was that many mexicanos who send money back to Mexico will return or retire there. I even had a student this year who repeatedly retorted to my criticizing her poor attendance with, "My dad says we're going back to Mexico one day, anyway."
It's only from Quinones' book that I learned how and why this aspiration has instead resulted in Mexican ghost towns filled with custom-built homes financed by immigrant dollars, homes that are occupied maybe twice a year by expatriates whose ties to the motherland weaken with each year they spend in the U.S. Many become permanent residents of their adopted country.
This knowledge led to my adjusting discussions with immigrant parents about their kids' schoolwork. One parent was surprised I knew so much about Zacateca migration, about his upgrading his home there, about my prediction that he might never return with his family--all things garnered from an informative read of Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream.
Visit Quinones's website for more information.
Third: I've been accused of being a homophobe, but I like to think it's just cultural vestiges of my muy macho-ness. I do admit queer lit is even lower on my list than vampire novels. This means that added to my weaknesses as a book reviewer, I've little knowledge of novels written by or featuring lesbians. So, when I picked up Like Son (Akashic Books), by Felicia Luna Lemus, I wouldn't have been surprised to not like it, or not finish it, something I rarely do.
But this is one of the most captivating, literary novels I've read in years.
Set against a thematic backdrop of historical figure Nahui Olin (the mesmerizing cover photo), Like Son feels like a novel only a Chicano, una mujer escandalosa as Lemus calls herself, could write. That it is considered a jewel in the transgender circuit unfortunately may mean many in the Chicano-reader world will never enjoy the experience of Lemus's great writing.
Yes, even a homophobe will find considerable merit in the well-developed, complicated plotting in this coming-of-age story that engaged this hetero from beginning to end. And you won't even have to set aside your abhorrence of lesbo scenes. This is one fine work.
The novel and author have been greatly praised by the literary world and there's no point in my attempting to outdo them. Check her website or the publisher's for yourself.
Fourth: Wings Press, publishers of Cecile Pineda's Redoubt, describe her book like this: "Imagine Woody Allen, Lewis Carroll and John Barth with a feminist surrealist twist." From my read, I'd suggest something more like: "Imagine Paul Auster, Samuel Beckett and a flashback of your best mescaline trip, through a totally female introspection."
This book is heavy on the experimental, as it's called. Plus, if you can't spell existentialism, if you easily tire of free-flowing prose, however well presented, and if you'd rather be story-led in the manner of Acevedo's publishers, stay away from this one.
But if you're a writer or a serious reader, looking for prose that takes you to the type of places where few have successfully kept your attention before, pick this one up. As the publishers further describe it, Redoubt is "Told in the voice of a lone holdout standing guard on an unnamed frontier. Redoubt addresses questions of conception and birth, gender, war and the slouch toward Apocalypse. Structured like a jazz riff, it takes as its thematic underpinnings the dictionary definitions introducing each section."
If I'd read that, I doubt I'd ever have opened its pages. Again, to differ with the publishers, here's my version: "Told through the mind of one unfathomable woman permanently relegated to warn of imminent invasion by the Enemy, Redoubt will carry you into an emotional maelstrom where Apocalypse would seem like liberation, in contrast to the heroine's timeless solitude. Enmeshed in an existence more Huit Clos than Sisyphus's most dreaded nightmare, it will carry your unwilling Self into niches of life never described in any dictionary."
Redoubt is a road many readers--forget about just Chicanos--wouldn't want to take. Of course, many of us have no idea what the labors of childbirth or the daily grind of repressed-but-one-day-liberated females might be like, either. We males would not be lesser males for learning about that. Redoubt takes you there; it is as close as I've ever come to "being one" with a woman, through the pages of a book.
You can find out more about Cecile Pineda and her other works at http://home.earthlink.net/~cecilep/index.htm.
That's enough for a return post. If you're one of our readers who has no life and nothing better to do on Father's Day, I'd be interested in comments about my approach to these works. Of course if you have a life, please go enjoy that, instead.
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Mario Acevedo, Pistolera, Gene Guerin, Add a tag
Manuel Ramos
A review of the award-winning New Mexico novel, Cottonwood Saints, then a few bits and pieces of news, and a contest!
COTTONWOOD SAINTS
Gene Guerin
University of New Mexico Press, 2005
Gene Guerin's family saga has been awarded the 2006 Premio Aztlán and the 2007 Mountain & Plains Regional Book Award for Adult Fiction. The Denver-based author says in the book's Acknowledgments that Cottonwood Saints is a work of fiction but it is based on forty handwritten pages of reminiscences by his mother, Margaret Ortega Guerin. "Without her memories there would be no book." To add to the feeling of authenticity, the book's cover photo is labeled Margarita's first communion, courtesy of the author. Yet, Guerin confesses, also in his Acknowledgments, that he "assumed the novelist's prerogative of exaggeration, fabrication and manipulation for the sole purpose of a good story." And a good story it turned out to be.
Guerin takes his time with his tale. There is no hurried narrative, no clipped or abstract language to indirectly evoke a feeling or set a scene. The emotions and descriptions are spelled out, the details are abundant and the pace is leisurely, although there is plenty going on in these pages. The book covers the years from 1913, when Margarita Juana Galván is born, until the Epilogue in 1990. In other words, Margarita's life parallels the major ebbs and flows of the turbulent Twentieth Century.
In her early years she enjoys a bucolic, almost fairy-tale existence with her loving aunt, Adela, and devoted servant, Nasha, in a magical life close to nature and the spirituality of Nasha. But that existence is temporary and eventually she is thrust into the harsh reality of her hard-working but poor parents who struggle through difficult times in Las Vegas, New Mexico and Denver. Margarita's life becomes a series of encounters with hunger, racism, and illness, as well as a constant state of conflict because of her strained and distant relationship with her cold, bitter mother. Only when the family returns to Las Vegas where the father somewhat successfully operates a lumber business does Margarita start to come in to her own. Her intelligence, independence and ambition collide with her mother's dark view of life and her neighbors' resentment and jealousy. These are central themes in Margarita's life -- unfulfilled dreams and failures by those she trusts.
Married life brings with it more pain and disappointment. Her husband, Miguel Galván, is a dozen years older, an industrious, solemn man intimidated by his more flamboyant and reckless brothers. He is described as the victim of "bad timing" that began on his birth date, January 2, 1901, "a day late to bask in whatever celebrity was attendant to being a New Year's baby, and more significantly in this case, a New Century baby. ... Christmas and New Year are over. No one wants any more parties. No one wants to give any more presents. Who wants to celebrate anything on January 2." He works diligently and faithfully as a butcher in the business he owns with one of his brothers, but only Margarita sees that the brother takes advantage of Miguel. The brother and his wife live the good life with new cars and treasured refrigerators, while Miguel and Margarita can barely make ends meet. But the most tragic event in Margarita's life is the loss of her favored son, Miguelito. That death haunts her and clouds the rest of her life and the life of the son who was born after Miguelito, Michael.
The book finishes with the story of Michael's tortured years as an alcoholic priest and the final sad acts in the life of Margarita and her husband Miguel.
The tapestry of the Twentieth Century flaps in the background of Margarita's story, and Guerin appropriately touches on the integral role of the New Mexican Hispanos in such events: World War I and II, especially the heroism and sacrifices of the New Mexico National Guard when the Japanese overran the Philippines; the worldwide Spanish Flu pandemic that killed forty million people worldwide including thousands in New Mexico; Ku Klux Klan marches in the streets of Denver, shouting hatred and hostility against all non-whites; a boxing match held in Las Vegas between Jack Johnson and a great white hope from Pueblo, Colorado; the economic and social devastation of the Great Depression. The history accurately frames the day-to-day plots and subplots in Margarita's life.
There are many sad and tragic events in this book -- betrayal, murder, fatal accidents and deadly diseases. A few lines from the book exemplify the sadness: "From the age of nine to the age of twelve, Margarita Juana had occasion to cry every day. The general cause of her misery was her exile to the lumber camp of her father, Leopoldo. The immediate instrument of her pain and sorrow was her mother, Tamar." But this is not a sad book. It is a very human book with all the drama and melodrama that humans require in their lives, and then some.
At its heart this book is about the essential strength and dignity of hard-working, unpretentious people. In that way this book compares favorably, in tone, depth and sweep, to Luis J. Rodriguez's family saga of steelworkers in Twentieth Century Los Angeles, Music of the Mill (Rayo, 2005). The New Mexican rural poor of Cottonwood Saints overcome hardship and tragedy; raise families and provide for their children against all obstacles, natural and man made; they love, hate and disappoint; they overcome or succumb, yet they manage to leave something to pass on, something to cherish, in the same ways as Rodriguez's urban working class characters also survived and endured. They lived stories that cried out to be told. Guerin has done that with this book that he dedicated to his mother. These are the stories that have to be preserved.
MARIO ACEVEDO AT THE TATTERED COVER
Wednesday, March 21, 7:30 pm, Historic LoDo
Mario Acevedo will read from and sign X-Rated Blood Suckers (Rayo), the sequel to his debut Felix the Vampire detective novel The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. Those of us in the Denver area are already planning to attend. See you there.
PISTOLERA
I pass on the following news about the Pistolera video from Daniela Capistrano, Director and Producer:
"The Pistolera video Cazador that I directed/produced will debut [February 28] on METV in Austin, TX on the show Sonido Boombox. They have it posted on their show calendar: http://www.myspace.com/sonidoboombox.
"The video will also be included in a DVD compilation about immigration marches around the country. The company is based in Vancouver, CA and is being spearheaded by Frank Lopez, formerly of Democracy Now! in NYC. It will be distributed to pro-immigrant groups in April around the country to get them amped about the marches that are to take place this May. I am very proud of this and hope it inspires many.
"The video has also been sent to: LA TV, Mun2, MTV Espanol, World Beats, and Democracy Now!, and New York Noise.
"Will keep you posted as we get more adds.
"Here is a preview link to the actual video (lots of bar/tone in the beginning, you have to wait a bit):
"Thanks,
Daniela Capistrano
WHO ROTE DAT?
I am offering a free lifetime subscription to La Bloga to the first person who can tell me the author of the following lines of Western Haiku:
Missing a kick
at the icebox door
it closed anyway.
Later.
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Just got word that Mario Acevedo, the author of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats and X-Rated Bloodsuckers will be in California for a few book signings at some of our fun independant bookstores. The schedule is listed below. Please support our local independent bookstores and say hi to Mario! His books are great and will be reviewed and highly recommended on AmoxCalli soon.
Mario's website: http://www.marioacevedo.com/
Friday, March 9, 2007:
7PM Mysterious Galaxy, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111
Saturday, March 10, 2007:
1PM Dark Delicacies, 4213 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
5PM Mystery Bookstore, 1036-C Broxton Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Sunday, March 11, 2007
2PM, M is for Mystery, 74 East Third Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401
Rudy - yeah, viejo, you missed a couple of good events; you need to get out more often. Mario's comic (eventually a graphic novel) is phat, action-driven, and entertaining; and the art matches up well, in fact, extremely well. And Donaldo's piece is right on - it should be included in the Facebook poetry project "Poets Responding to SB1070"; you might let him know about that. I think your kids are gonna miss you.
awesome posts-all the way through! great energy :) and I LOOOVE that second cover-que si quema?!
and like Manuel said, that poem totally belongs in PRSB1070!
that second cover definitely. but then, i'm a 1950s kid so maybe my taste is dated. ni modo. the first one is cheesy. and ditto manuel's comment that donaldo needs to send that to facebook
Ramos, when you doing the COMPLEAT review of Cobra?
Missing 2 great events is part of the price teachers pay.
Hopefully, Donaldo will check out yous guys recommendation about Facebook.
Some of my kids already started crying. Some moms, too.
Me, I'm too macho; I'll wait til the end.
RudyG