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In two weeks, as students across the United States are enjoying their Thanksgiving break, StoryCorps wants to give us all a bit of homework. Calling it the Great Thanksgiving Listen, they are asking high school students to use their mobile app (available in iTunes or Google Play) to “preserve the voices and stories of an entire generation of Americans over a single holiday weekend.”

The post Getting to the core of StoryCorps, and other audio puns appeared first on OUPblog.

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Discover the work of Bill Wray, Cartoon Brew's Artist of the Day!

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When Theresa Burroughs came of voting age, she was ready to cast her ballot. But in the Jim Crow era, she had a long fight ahead of her.

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I love how good ol’ Serendipity works.

roaming my terrific City of Chicago on a gorgeous August Saturday,
wondering what I could write today to meaningfully follow my colleagues’ posts about Real Life sparking fiction,
when what do I come upon,
in the northeast corner of the Chicago Cultural Center,
but the StoryCorps Chicago StoryBooth!

StoryCorps is THE perfect vehicle to help us turn Real Life stories into well-told,
worth-listening-to-and-sharing NON-fiction,
and thus the PERFECT subject to punctuate our past weeks' discussion.
 
FYI: StoryCorps is the independent national nonprofit oral history organization whose mission is “to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve the stories of our lives.”
I love its tag line: “Every voice matters.”


Millions listen to weekly broadcasts of these conversations on NPR’s Morning Edition, on Listening pages, in podcasts and via books and animation.

The StoryBooth is here to stay in Chicago for the next three years, if not longer.  The box-like structure is actually a compact recording studio hooked up with a soundboard, a small table with two chairs, two microphones and the requisite box of tissues.


Thanks to StoryCorps’ partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Chicago Public Media and Chicago Public Radio station WBEZ, anyone has the opportunity to record a 40-minute conversation with a loved one. 


Do-It-Yourself Instruction Guidelines are free and easy to follow.
As for what questions to ask – on the day after Thanksgiving or on any day you’re wanting to learn another person’s story, check out this printer-friendly version of Great Questions to Ask.

It’s StoryCorps’ Story Questions – and Question Generator - that first grabbed my writing teacher’s eye.
The Story Questions gift Family Literacy Night participants - or -   First-Day-of-School Classmate Interviewers - or - even New Student/New Teacher/New Principle Biographers - with easy-to-understand opportunities to enrich their storytelling.

Even better, they also gift any fictive writer wanting and needing to know his characters more fully.
Back Story is everything when it comes to knowing our characters – fictive or real.
IMHO: the StoryCorps questions also make for rich additions to Jeanne Marie’s WWW – “Where I’m From…” exercise.

do visit WBEZ’s StoryCorps Chicago StoryBooth  if you get the chance - or - simply stop by the StoryCorps website and spend time listening, learning, reading and questioning.


Don’t forget to enter our Book Giveaway to win a copy of Sonya Sones’ newest novel in verse To Be Perfectly Honest.

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Today, in honor of the 27th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster, we are treated to another flawless pull-at-my-heartstrings Storycorps story courtesy of the Rauch Brothers:

On January 28, 1986, NASA Challenger mission STS-51-L ended in tragedy when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. On board was physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina.

CREDITS
Directed by the Rauch Brothers
Storyboard: Stephen DeStefano
Animation: Tim Rauch
Assistant Animation: Erica Perez
Backgrounds: Bill Wray
FX and Compositing: Gary Leib

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Though the stories about Hurricane Sandy have dropped off the front page, there are tens of thousands victims who have been made homeless or are still lacking basic services like electricity, heat and clean water. One person from the animation community who has been deeply involved with the recovery effort is Mike Rauch, who is one of the brothers behind the animation house Rauch Brothers.

Tomorrow, November 14, the Rauch Brothers will be hosting a screening and Q&A about their much-admired series of StoryCorps shorts. Though the event had been planned for some time, in light of the recent disaster, the brothers have turned it into a relief benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds will go directly toward hurricane relief efforts.

The event, which begins at 7pm, will take place at the Brooklyn Music School (126 St. Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217). Attendees are also encouraged (though not required) to bring items for those impacted:

No more clothing is needed so please bring items from this list instead: flashlights, aaa batteries, gallon ziplock bags, brooms, flat shovels, mops, masks and gloves, any sort of baby/toddler food and formula, duct and scotch tape, deodorant, tampons, soap, can openers.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through this link.

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Just in time for Father’s Day: A Family Man is the latest animated documentary short from the Rauch Brothers, and the nonprofit oral history project StoryCorps. The Rauch Brothers’ work combines intelligence, heart and humor in the space of a few minutes—a rare feat in animation. Character design is by Tim Rauch, storyboard by Stephen DeStefano and BG layout and painting by Bill Wray.

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Cartoon Brew | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Bill Wray, Mike Rauch, Rauch Bros., Rauch Brothers, Storycorps, Tim Rauch

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Make sure you have tissues handy before you watch these three 9/11 shorts directed by the Brooklyn-based Rauch Brothers Animation. Each story is narrated by someone who lost a relative in the destruction of the towers; the recordings are part of the Storycorps oral history project and the animated shorts were commissioned by the PBS documentary series POV. All three shorts feature painterly backgrounds by Bill Wray that find the sweet spot between cartoon and realism. (Earlier this year, I interviewed the Rauch Brothers at length about their production process. Read our interview here.)

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Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Bill Wray, Mike Rauch, Rauch Bros., Rauch Brothers, Storycorps, Tim Rauch

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Name: StoryCorps
Platform: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
Cost: Free!!

Since 2003, the nonprofit organization StoryCorps has been traveling around the United States collecting digital recordings of the stories of regular people. According to their website, their “mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. …StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind.” You may have seen their silver airstream parked at a public building near you as they continue to collect new stories.

The organization has partnered with National Public Radio so that portions of recordings can be heard on Morning Edition weekly. They also maintain a podcast. Thus far, they have published two anthologies of interviews: Listening is an act of love and Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps. Perhaps your library has these titles. Perhaps you have already incorporated their oral history initiative into your teen programming.

If not, showcasing their App may be just the entry point you’ve been looking for.

Along with including audio clips of some of the thousands of stories the organization has collected, the app includes a How-To Guide, including a helpful video, for setting up interviews.

There is also an interactive Questions list so that you can choose commonly asked questions about growing up, love & relationships, working, and military experience, to name a few. All a user has to do is check off the questions that look good and then click finish. The list of chosen questions will appear and are able to be emailed.

Finally, the app suggests two iPhone recording apps an

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*dusts off blog*

It's been a while. It's been a crazy summer, and alas, this poor blog has been terribly neglected. But I hope to post more regularly, even if the posts are short and sweet.

Just wanted to let you know about a few exciting things going on. First of all, a bunch of us who write contemporary realistic YA have banded together to form THE CONTEMPS.

Here's our press release:

AUTHORS TEAM UP TO SPOTLIGHT CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION FOR TEENS
“The Contemps” are Keeping it Real with Outreach, Resources and New Releases

Twenty-one authors have banded together to put real life in the spotlight and to keep readers up-to-date on the latest in contemporary young adult fiction.

“There are so many wonderful authors writing contemporary realistic fiction,” said Contemps co-founder Lisa Schroeder. “As much as we love other genres, the marketplace can feel dominated by paranormal, fantasy and dystopian novels. We want to celebrate the unique way that contemporary stories help teens feel they’re not alone in this real world.”

“The Contemps” officially launched on August 17 with a mission to help teens, booksellers, librarians and publishers connect with books that feature real-life settings, characters and situations. Group members range from debuts to veterans with several titles on the shelves, and all have new releases coming out between September 2010 and August 2011. They hope to not just build buzz for members’ books, but to create excitement and appreciation for the contemporary realistic genre in general.

In an August 6, 2010 article in The NY Times about the rise of Young Adult fiction, historian Amanda Foreman said, "Good Y.A. is like good television. There's a freshness there; it's engaging." The Contemps write about real teen issues in real-life situations with the energy and grittiness and passion of that age.

That means that The Contemps' corner of the web (www.thecontemps.com) will be a little more self-disclosey than others. A number of activities are planned, including sharing from the authors' own teenage years, giveaways, spotlighting other contemporary realistic authors, and multi-author events. You might find a few naughty words thrown in (right next to the shiny clean ones). There may be stories about hanging out, making out, parents, best friends, sexuality, homework, high school bloopers, teachers, bullies, racism, parties, and pop culture. Look for some odd and lively mash-ups!

“We’re reaching out to a variety of audiences,” said co-founder Lindsey Leavitt. “We want readers, teachers and librarians to know about the wealth of awesome books out there. And we want the industry to know about the authors who create these books. There’s a strong market for contemporary realistic fiction, and we plan to demonstrate that.”

The members are: Brent Crawford, Hannah Harrington, April Henry, Kirsten Hubbard, Denise Jaden, Kody Keplinger, Jo Knowles, Lindsey Leavitt, Sarah Darer Littman, Michael Northrop, Sarah Ockler, Micol Ostow, Lisa Schroeder, Elizabeth Scott, Mindi Scott, Emily Wing Smith, Courtney Summers, Kristen Tracy, Melissa Walker, Sara Bennett Wealer, and Daisy Whitney.

I hope you'll head over to join in the conversation. We've also got a Facebook group and you can follow us on Twitter.


The animation of my son's StoryCorps interview of me, Q & A, is going to be on TV! Check out the listings of your local PBS station for this coming Tuesday. It will be shown at the beginning of the program POV. If you haven't seen the newest animation by Rauch Brothers Animation and StoryCorps, Danny and Annie, than you are about to see one of t

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It's been really incredible to see how far and wide "Q & A" has traveled online, and the wide variety on people it seems to have touched. Son and my blue haired alter-egos have showed up on such diverse blogs as Mental Floss, NPR's Speaking of Faith to anti-abortion activist Jill Stanek's blog, which seemed somewhat ironic to both Son and me since we're both pro-choice and with my daughter and his sister living with Type 1 diabetes are we're supporters of embryonic stem-cell research. We were even tweeted by Jake Tepper,ABC's Senior White House correspondent, which set my evil twin saramerica's heart all aflutter. It's wild. The You Tube version of Q & A has over 537,000 views, and the Vimeo version has 115,000. Turns out our blue haired selves are viral internet sensations. It's made me wonder if I should dye my hair blue in real life and then my YA novels might make the NYT bestseller list. What do you think?

I guess even if I didn't make the NYT bestseller list I'd get to embarrass the heck out of my kids. Can you imagine my daughter's face if I showed up at her 8th graduation with BLUE HAIR? *cackles evilly, imagining the revenge for recent eye rolling and attitude*

So of course I've spent a time reading the comments on on various blogs and on YouTube etc, many of which say terribly complementary things about my mothering skills. It would be so easy to get, yanno, self-confidence right about now. Or even, dare I say it, a trifle big headed. But fortunately, I have the perfect remedy for that:



Yes, this was awarded to me by Son many years ago. We fondly refer to it as the FAT UGLY MUMMY Award. I particularly love the devil horns and the "I am EVIL" speech bubble, like just in case I missed the fact that I was not his favorite person. I'm seriously proud of award and have kept it pinned up on my bulletin board ever since Josh gave it to me in a fit of anger.

Not to be outdone, his sister has given me several Bad Mom awards and a this:



I can't remember which of the many times I've almost set the house on fire this was for, but I do remember it was well deserved.

It's always good to know where you stand. Last weekend over dinner, I was discussing Pat Buchanan's latest and Son said, "This is why I should be Dictator of America."

Daughter and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. I'm not quite sure what Kerri, our dinner guest, made of all this, but I decided to give Son some rope.

"Okay, Dictator. What's your platform?"

He said that he would close all US military bases in Europe (he happens to be writing a paper about this at the moment) and create closer relations with China.

"How would you create closer relations with China? And how would you do that without compromising our democratic principles?" I asked.

He gave me the "over the glasses look".

"What democratic principles? The US is a dictatorship!"

This is what happens when a merely gifted Mom argues with her Mensa teen so

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On Friday morning, March 17th, 2006, the National Public Radio program Morning Edition broadcast a brief clip from an interview of me done at the StoryCorps booth in Grand Central Station, New York, by my then twelve year-old son Joshua, who was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, an autistic spectrum disorder, when he was five years old.
The response was overwhelming.

“Our best friends are a couple who have a boy with Asperger's. I wrote to the father this morning and told him he had to go to NPR and listen to the story. My exact words to him were, "I was in love with this kid." … Man...another morning driving to work with tears in my eyes.”

“I have never had this happen before, but when I was listening to the Story Corp interview and heard your son ask you if he had met your expectations as a son and your tender reply tears ran down my cheeks. Your answer to his question is the most loving thing I think I have ever heard a parent say to a child. How blessed he is to have you for a mother and how blessed this world is to have you in it”

“Well, I've had my share of "driveway moments" in 25+ years of listening to public radio, but your Story Corps segment with Joshua this morning was a first for me: a "burst into tears while driving 70 mph moment."

“I’m the father of a 10 year-old son who was (finally) diagnosed with Aspergers a year ago…After listening to Joshua’s questions and Sarah’s responses, I feel for the first time that my son, my wife, and I are not alone in dealing with these challenges.”

“I am a principal of an elementary school and wish I had more parents like you. You see the qualities that Joshua has, and don’t seem to focus on the one he doesn’t.”

This was just the beginning. As a fiction author by trade, I’m not short on imagination, but the reaction to our interview was beyond anything I’d have envisaged. In fact, our story turned out to be one of the top three most responded-to StoryCorps segments in 2006.

It wasn’t just the sheer volume of e-mails that amazed me.It was the depth of the responses - the heartfelt connection people seemed to feel upon hearing this brief snippet of conversation between my son Joshua and me.

The father of a five year-old with autism wrote: “I found your interview very uplifting! It gave me the sense that we can get through this journey together…Please remain vocal about your experiences and share them with other people in your position. It helps!”

What’s more, it wasn’t just parents of children on the autistic spectrum who wrote - our conversation seemed to strike a chord with parents in general. One woman wrote of her frustration trying to communicate with her son, and concluded: “Thank you for allowing strangers to peek into your life. It has inspired me to work harder to become a better mother to my son.”

All I can say is that she didn’t peek into our life at 7:15 am on a school morning, when I can usually be found shouting something along the lines of: “Aren’t you dressed yet? I woke you up half an hour ago! Stop winding up your sister! And feed the dog, already!!”

So how did Joshua and I end up at StoryCorps in the first place? Well, every school vacation since my kids were little, I’ve tried to have a one-on-one day with each of them, doing something fun.
One of the many difficult things a working mother of more than one child is the feeling that there simply isn’t enough of you to go around. You can multiply that feeling by however many hours a week you have to work to earn a living, because even if you’re fortunate enough to be a writer, working from your basement lair, your kids won’t be thinking, Gee, I’m so lucky that my mom works downstairs instead of having to commute into New York every day. No, they’ll still resent the fact that you’re in the middle of a phone interview w

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Sticking my head above the revision parapet to let you know about two exciting things that happened this week:

1. On Sunday night, the kids and I attended the ASIFA - East Film Festival at the New School, where Q & A, the animated short of the StoryCorps interview between my son and me by the wonderful Rauch Brothers took Best in Show!! It was so incredibly exciting! I felt like I was at the Oscars (minus the red carpet and a fabulous dress, loaned diamonds and Joan and Melissa Rivers and the E Network). J and I got to go up on stage when Mike and Tim accepted the award. I stood there sporting a cheesy grin like an ad for some bad dentist, but I couldn't help it. It was Just.So.Cool!



me, J's head, Mike Rauch speaking and Tim Rauch


I don't either J or I ever would have imagined when we stepped into that booth in Grand Central Station in February 2006 that our discussion would have reached so many people. And now we're going international! "Q & A" is one of 3 US short animated films chosen as an official selection at the Annecy Film Festival next month. Unfortunately, we're not going to that one, but Mike and Tim are, we'll live vicariously through their blog.



A, Me, J, Mike Rauch, Tim Rauch

2. In other exciting news, The Webmeister was mentioned on the FRONT PAGE of the New York Times! Our trip to Germany two summers ago was prompted by this research - Dr Brockmann was at the Max Planck Institute at the time. It's fascinating to see the real life applications of the research. And it's a terrific example of how it pays to always try to keep your awareness open because there are so many potential connections that are easily missed.

And now, back to revisions.

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I've been working on a sort of "StoryCorps" project for WorldCat and library cooperation--except it's video. It's really simple. All you do is record a quick blip about Why You Love WorldCat.org, and upload it to YouTube to join the growing collection.

We're inviting everyone to record their "WorldCat stories" in video form. It can be a simple as telling the world why you love a specific WorldCat.org feature (10 seconds), or as involved as relating the time when someone you knew absolutely couldn't find the Ukrainian resource she desperately needed, until a library staff member suggested WorldCat and she found the actual digitized art object itself. (2 minutes or, as long as you like).

If you're headed to the ACRL conference, we even have a videographer lined up to do the video taping for you. It will be at the OCLC hospitality suite at the Seattle Sheraton, room 3102 from 1-4 pm.

If you're at SXSW Interactive, lucky you! Record yourself in the midst of all the fun.

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Back in 2006, the StoryCorps interview between my son and me was broadcast on NPR's Morning Edition.

Well, now we're animated! The extraordinarily talented Rauch Brothers, Mike and Tim have created an animated short, Q & A, based on our interview.

Here's the trailer!:



I've seen the storyboard and it was priceless, so I can't wait to see the finished short.

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About this time two years ago, my son and I visted the StoryCorps booth in Grand Central Station and he interviwed me, asking the most amazing questions. An edited clip of that interview was played a month later on NPR's Morning Edition, to an absolutely incredible response.

Last week I went back to the StoryCorps booth and finally got to meet Michael Garofalo in person. Michael is a Senior Producer at StoryCorps, and he's the guy who worked so hard to edit our interview down from 40 minutes to 3 minutes in compelling yet extremely sensitive way. He asked me some follow up question about how we came to do the interview, what it felt like to hear ourselves on the radio, and how we were affected by the response to the piece. Some of this will be used for a promotional clip on NPR.

Michael told me how everyone at StoryCorps loves J and wanted to meet him, and since it's vacation week I offered to bring the star of the show to the StoryCorps offices in Brooklyn. So yesterday Son, The Webmeister and I headed into Fort Greene.

It was incredibly cool to get to meet the people who get me crying practically every Friday morning when I hear the StoryCorps clips on NPR. Michael showed us how they edited our piece - and the authors amongst us will related to the fact that for this 3 minute piece they did 19 edits! J really enjoyed seeing how they bleeped out the name of his 7th grade nemesis.

In a world obsessed with celebrity, the work that StoryCorps does is critically important, because every week when we listen to these brief recollections from the lives of everyday, average people we realize that everyone has a story to tell, and, perhaps more importantly, that everyday, average people are anything but everyday and average. The word heroism has become overused in recent years, but when listening to clips on StoryCorps I find myself marvelling at the quiet fortitude of people I might never otherwise have known.



Here's J and me with StoryCorps founder Dave Isay (the tall one) and Michael Garofalo (the less tall but still taller than me one).

Meanwhile, Daughter was at home with Mary Poppins and she decided to surprise me by making dinner. It was all very secretive, but she ended up creating what we shall hereinafter refer to as Kick Butt Meatloaf. (I'm sure you were wondering how meatloaf and StoryCorps were related...) I've never been a big fan of meatloaf (the dinner meat, not the singer, whom I found somewhat entertaining) but Daughter's meatloaf was a culinary delight that might make me rethink my previous antipathy.

And now, Reasons to love the Webmeister number #189: He's a techno-geek. (He, J and I had a conversation in the car on the way to Brooklyn about the difference between a nerd and a geek. Conclusion: A Geek is a Nerd with fashion sense.)

So I'm writing this blog from the car as we travel along I-80 heading towards Scrotum Scotrun , PA. You will, no doubt, be relieved to hear that I am not driving at the same time. The Webmeister managed to rig up this thing so we've got wireless internet in the car. Pretty Kewl, huh?

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Denver teatro readings.
East LA Rep extends Black Butterfly run.
Tia Chucha's reopening

RealtalkLA Launches magazine to hit streets in May.

Watch out Tu Ciudad! There's a new lifestyle magazine coming to town and it's pointing in your direction. The big difference is RealTalk LA is a free monthly magazine and website that intends to carve its nickle out of the LA Times, LA Free Press, Pasadena Weekly.

Publisher Jay Levin and staff threw an open house recently to launch the magazine. Located a mile north of the Spring Street headquarters of the Los Angeles Times, the old industrial building has been spiffed up into a modern-day information factory.

A magnificent stage set painting by Margaret Garcia greets the visitor to Real TalkLA's studio. It's a warren of spaces partitioned into ten foot walls. Bundles of cable snake their way in the shadows at the walltops. Muy high tech place, a web and print design studio like this. A panorama of Garcia's larger paintings lines the corridors. I turn a corner and there is Margaret and her prima Cookie.

Real Talk LA's web executive Kamren Curiel admires Garcia's work and took the opportunity to sit at the tequila tasting table and chat about Curiel's collection. Publisher Jay Levin stopped at Margaret's table to say "hello." Culture Clash's Ric Salinas arrived a few moments later, and the actor and publisher shared a few quick laughs.

Real Talk LA is not Chicana Chicano media, but it'll have an influence and be influenced by. The target audience is 600,000 mid-twenties to low fifties second and third generation ethnics of all flavors. Gente who pump at family rates around $70,000 a year into the local advertisers' pockets.

In Los Angeles, this is code language for a lot of Mexicans. The publisher knows Black and Asian communities make up a lucrative chunk of Real Talk LA's market. Given the look and feel of the launch, there's almost a guarantee of better diversity here, than say, the LA Times, whose westside bias censors arts coverage of the Northeast and Eastside of town. Lastima. Pendejos. And with color and polished paper covers, a better value than newsprint, so wacha LA Free Press and Pasadena Weekly.

Advertising positioned in a package like this gains instant credibility. Levin's slick package has the gloss and high style to make the product sizzle, in so far as the team can put forth a quality piece month after month after month. The temptation to lean to the west, toward Hollywood must loom in the editor's mind.

Levin has good people working with him. Culture Clash, for example, is discussing a monthly humor and culture column, according to Salinas. La Bloga hopes the magazine and website will feature monthly literature and reading columns. Real Talk LA's staff will be the secret ingredient. Judging by the open house, most of these are: Young. Attractive. Dynamic go-getters. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do.

mvs

Denver Troupe Brings Teatro to the Frontrange

email from the Troupe to Manuel Ramos...

Su Teatro announces Spring Reading Series

El Centro Su Teatro proudly announces its Spring Reading Series—a vehicle for new play development aimed at discovering and nurturing new and innovative playwriting talent through live reading, examination, discussion, and critique.

The Spring Reading Series will kickoff Wednesday, March 28 at 7pm at the Laughing Bean Café on 10th and Santa Fe, and the series will continue each Wednesday through April 18—same time, same place. Su Teatro company actors and guest artists will read the select playscripts and audience members will be invited to participate in talkback discussions.

Leading off the series will be “Braided Sorrow” by Marisela Treviño Orta—a poetic meditation on the unsolved murders of female maquiladora workers in Ciudad Juarez. “Braided Sorrow” won the prestigious 2006 University of California Irvine Chicano/Latino Literary Prize, and it will receive a full production this fall, kicking off Su Teatro’s 2007-2008 35th Anniversary Season.

“Braided Sorrow” will be followed by “Las Monedas de Ismael” by Aaron Vieyra (April 4), “The Kinetic End” by Valarie Castillo (April 11), and “El Blanco” by John Kuebler, which was a finalist for the 2007 Rocky Mountain Theatre Association Playwriting Award (April 18). All four plays explore contemporary themes that challenge our beliefs and test our resolve, including economic exploitation, alcoholism, terminal illness, and identity politics.

For more information about Su Teatro’s Spring Reading Series, please contact El Centro Su Teatro at (303) 296-0219 or [email protected]. Also visit www.suteatro.org, www.myspace.com/elcentrosuteatro, and www.myspace.com/thelaughingbeancafe


East LA Rep captivated everyone who saw its staging of Sandra Cisneros' House on Mango Street.

EAST LA REPERTORY THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS...

Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Pinata Woman and other Super Hero Girls, Like Me.

created by Luis Alfaro
written by Maria Elena Cervantes, Sandra C. Munoz, & Marisela Norte

Feb 23 - April 1, 2007
Friday & Saturdays @ 8 pm
Sundays @ 3 pm

Admission: $8-20 Sliding Scale

El Gallo Plaza Theater
4545 E. Cesar Chavez Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90022

For info and to RSVP please call (323) 276- 1868
[email protected]
www.eastlarep.com or www.myspace.com/eastlarep

The upsanddowns of bricks and mortar indie bookstores have more ups than downs this week, in news from the San Fernando Valley...

email from Luis Rodriguez to Daniel Olivas

>
Come to Tia Chucha's Grand Opening of our New Space -- March 31
Grand Opening of Tia Chucha's New Space -- March 31 from 4 to 8 PM
I'm glad to invite everyone to the grand opening of Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural this Saturday, March 31, from 4 to 8 PM. It will be at the new space that we've finally painted and organized after we were forced to vacate our old store/center in Sylmar (the new location is only 10 minutes away from there).

This will be an easy-going evening of food, poetry, raffles, and presentations by our instructors and some of their students from our various workshops, including Son Jarocho Mexican traditional music, Guitar, African Drumming, DJing, Reiki Healing, Danza Azteca, Mexikayotl Indigenous Cosmology, and more. Books will also be on sale as well as sign-ups for our events and workshops.

Your humble servant will be your host.

We will also be starting our regular schedule for "Noche Bohemias" (guitar, song, and poetry, mostly for our Spanish-speaking community), Open Mic (poetry, Hip Hop, Song for anyone), Film, and more (this schedule will be available on Saturday).

The new space is nice and clean, located at 10258 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace, CA 91340 (on the corner of Foothill and Wheatland, in front of the Number 91 Bustop). Our new phone number is 818-896-1479.

Please join us as we try to re-weave the amazing tapestry of song, dance, words, theater, art, and ideas that temporarily unraveled with our move. However, we have the regenerative power as community to start anew, to continue our important work, and to prepare for better days ahead. You'll love our new space.

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