My novel The House Girl tells the story of two women: Lina Sparrow, a lawyer in modern-day New York, and Josephine Bell, a slave in 1850s Virginia. People often ask me why I chose to write about Josephine and who inspired her character. (They assume, I suspect, that Lina is a stand-in for myself: I [...]
by Rudy Ch. Garcia
The San Patricios Brigade is one of my favorite topics in bars and classrooms. On St. Patrick's Days I've asked bar patrons who were celebrating St. Pat's with beers if they knew about La Brigada; in all of my years of polling, only one red-haired American ever did. The majority of the others didn't look pleased nor thank me for filling out their historical ignorance about a period of their homeland's shameful past.
And each Sept. in my primary classrooms I've introduced the history of the Irish immigrants who fought on the side of Mexico in the War to Steal the SW from Underdeveloped Mexico. It quickly made my students more historically aware than most Anglo American adults. About their own country's history. The children were always greatly affected, by the brutality perpetrated against those white immigrants and by their solidarity with their Mexican ancestors.
It doesn't seem ironic to me that Hispanic Hispanic Heritage Month in this country, officially celebrated from Sept 15-Oct.15. doesn'tcoincide with Mexico's annual recognition of The San Patricio Brigade earlier in Sept. It seems in keeping with typical American denial of dismal historical crimes.
After my reading/singing of my fantasy novel at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque* will follow a special event. La Bloga has written before about this event that is greatly celebrated in Mexico and Ireland. In this past post two significant books were reviewed, Irish Soldiers of Mexico and Molly Malone and the San Patricios, that describe the events leading to the torture, beatings, brandings and hangings of those Irish-American heroes. You can read additional background info from The Society for Irish Latin American.Studies, among others.
As important to read about and contemplate as Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, it's something every American should know, not just those of us of Spanish-speaking heritage or seven-year-old Mexican immirgrant children, or those in Ireland or Mexico. Below is the information from NHCC on the Albuquerque commemoration:
El Día de los San Patricios
Saturday, September 29th at 4:00 pm
Wells Fargo Auditorium
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Free Admission
For the third year, the NHCC commemorates the courage of the St. Patrick’s Battalion whose soldiers fought for Mexico, forging strong ties between Ireland and Mexico that continue to this day. During the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48, more than five hundred immigrant soldiers, mostly Irish, deserted the U.S. Army and joined forces with Mexico. These men became known as the San Patricios. Every year this event is commemorated in Mexico and in Ireland at the highest levels of government.
A lecture by UNM Professor Caleb Richardson, live music by Gerry Muissener and Chuy Martinez and a screening of The San Patricios: the Tragic Story of the St. Patrick’s Battalion, a video documentary by Mark Day will be offered to the public free of charge by the National Hispanic Cultural Center in the Wells Fargo Auditorium on Saturday Sept. 29th at 4 PM.
Dr. Caleb Richardson is an expert on Irish, British, and European history and will give his perspective on the reasons for the formation of the St. Patrick’s Battalion during the U.S.-Mexican War. Gerry Muissener of the Irish American Society will perform live music as will Chuy Martinez of Los Trinos.
Commenting on the Mark Day film, historian Howard Zinn said, “Absolutely enthralling. Dynamite material. It is a perfect example of historical amnesia in America that this story is virtually unknown to every American. A superb job.” Howard Zinn author of A People’s History of the United States. For more information, call Greta Pullen at 505-724-4752 or Laura Bonar at 505-352-1236.
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* LaBloga-ero Rudy Ch. Garcia will do a reading & signing of his Chicano fantasy novel tomorrow Sat. Sept. 29th at 2:00pm in the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St. SW, in Albuquerque. Please inform anyone in that area that you think might be interested. The Closet of Discarded Dreams on sale for $16. (NHCC contact Greta Pullen 505-724-4752)
Rachel Maddow's first book, Drift, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. This isn't terribly surprising. Not only is Maddow the host of the top-rated liberal television show in the country, MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, but also in our current, highly polarized political climate, books by partisan pundits are invariably reliable [...]
I know I've been celebrating poetry all this month, but I couldn't let another day go by without celebrating the beauty that is Brian Floca's new book,
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11.
If I had to describe this book in one word it would be exquisite. The text is lyrical, immediate, and makes me feel all the anticipation I felt as a child, huddled around our black-and-white television in the living room. I got chills (and a bit teary-eyed) reading this excerpt near the end of the book. It is accompanied by an illustration of a family in a very 60s living room, gathered around a television and cheering. Dad has removed his glasses and is wiping his eyes.
And far away,
where friends and strangers lean to listen,
where friends and strangers lean to hear,
there comes a distant voice:
Armstrong, calling from the Moon,
calm as a man who just parked a car.
"Houston," he says. "Tranquility Base here." The Eagle has landed."
But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to the beginning. The book opens with a illustration of an open field at dusk with a crescent moon in the sky. The page opposite reads:
High above
there is the Moon,
cold and quiet,
no air, no life,
but glowing in the sky.
On the next page there is a series of illustrations of the Apollo astronauts suiting up.
Here below
there are three men
who close themselves
in special clothes,
who--click--lock hands
in heavy gloves,
who--click--lock heads
in large, round helmets.
Do you see what I mean about lyrical text? It sits on the fence between prose and poetry, conveying factual information in a remarkably easy manner. Readers follow the astronauts to the launchpad, watch them squeeze into Columbia, follow the GO/NO GO check at mission control, countdown and LIFTOFF!
It climbs
the summer sky.
It rides a flapping,
cracking flame
and shakes the air,
and shakes the earth,
and makes a mighty
ROAR.
The illustrations are nothing short of amazing. The countdown sequence spread contains a series of panels that moves from the crowds gathered on the beach to watch, to the engines firing, the rocket at the launchpad, the faces in the crowd, one final image of the rocket held in place, and finally a closeup of the astronauts strapped in at the zero count. (You can see a
picture of the astronauts on Brian's blog.) The liftoff page (next) shows a closeup of the fiery engines pushing away from the ground as debris falls all around. The detail in the illustrations of Mission Control, the inside of both
Columbia and
Eagle, and the moon in the sky can be studied at length. There is so much to see!
My favorite pages are those of the astronauts on the moon. One of the final spreads shows the surface of the moon with the Earth in the sky. The text reads:
. . . high above
there is the Earth,
rushing oceans, racing clouds,
swaying fields and forests.
Family, friends, and strangers,
everyone you've ever known,
everyone you might--
the good and lonely Earth,
glowing in the sky.
The text ends where the moonshot did, with the splash landing and of the capsule and the return of everyday joys. There is an extensive end note in the back matter that describes the space program, preparations for the moonshot, the actual Apollo 11 flight, and missions that followed. Brian also provides and extensive list of sources used in the creation of the book on the copyright page. The front endpapers include a number of detailed and labeled illustrations of the launch vehicle and command modules, as well as other aspects relating to the launch and flight.
Moonshot is a thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated book. I encourage anyone who believes that nonfiction is boring to pick up this book and see what absorbing, entertaining nonfiction looks like. I'll say it again. This is an EXQUISITE book and a must have for anyone interested in science, US history, or the space program. Heck, it's a must have for everyone. Highly recommended!
P.S. - Check out the
coloring pages at Brian's web site! Also, SLJ has a wonderful
interview with Brian where he talks about his process and shares some of the artwork.
Book: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11Author and Illustrator: Brian FlocaPublisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Publication Date: April, 2009
Pages: 48 pages
Grades: K-6
ISBN: 978-1416950462
Source of Book: Copy checked out from public library (But I'll be purchasing my own copy very soon!)
By: Tara Conklin,
on 2/9/2013
By: Contributing Bloguistas:,
on 9/28/2012
by Rudy Ch. Garcia
For the third year, the NHCC commemorates the courage of the St. Patrick’s Battalion whose soldiers fought for Mexico, forging strong ties between Ireland and Mexico that continue to this day. During the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48, more than five hundred immigrant soldiers, mostly Irish, deserted the U.S. Army and joined forces with Mexico. These men became known as the San Patricios. Every year this event is commemorated in Mexico and in Ireland at the highest levels of government.
By: Tricia,
on 4/28/2009
If I had to describe this book in one word it would be exquisite. The text is lyrical, immediate, and makes me feel all the anticipation I felt as a child, huddled around our black-and-white television in the living room. I got chills (and a bit teary-eyed) reading this excerpt near the end of the book. It is accompanied by an illustration of a family in a very 60s living room, gathered around a television and cheering. Dad has removed his glasses and is wiping his eyes.
I will be looking for this one. And it sure looks and reads like poetry to me, from the excerpts you've posted. But I've not seen the whole book yet. <br /><br />I remember being called inside to watch the moon walk. The whole world I knew went quiet then as we all watched and listened and held our breath.