SPOTLIGHT ON JESSICA BARKSDALE INCLÁN

Monday’s post from Daniel Olivas…

Jessica Barksdale Inclán's debut novel Her Daughter's Eyes, published in 2001, was the premier novel published under New American Library's new imprint Accent. Her Daughter's Eyes was a final nominee for the YALSA Award for the best books of 2001 and best paperbacks for 2001 and has been published in Dutch and Spanish. Her next novel The Matter of Grace was published in May 2002 and was re-released in a mass market version in May 2004. Her third, When You Go Away, came out April 1, 2003. Her fourth, One Small Thing, was published April 2004, and is soon to be published in Dutch. Her fifth, Walking With Her Daughter, was published in April 2005. The Instant When Everything is Perfect will be published in 2006. She is a 2002 recipient of the CAC Artist’s Fellowship in Literature. Inclán teaches composition, creative writing, mythology, and women’s literature at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, and on-line creative writing courses for UCLA extension. She has studied with Sharon Olds, Anne Lamott, Kate Braverman, Grace Paley, Marjorie Sandor, and Cristina Garcia. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Rockhurst Review, Hotwired, The Salt Hill Journal, Free Lunch, The West Wind Review, The Prairie Star, Gargoyle and many other journals and newspapers. Her short story Open Eyes was given first prize by Sandra Cisneros for El Andar magazine's 2000 writing contest. She co-edited a women’s literature/studies textbook Diverse Voices of Women (Mayfield Publishing, 1995). Inclán has degrees in sociology and English literature from CSU Stanislaus and a Master’s degree in English literature from SFSU. Inclán lives in Orinda, California and is currently at work on her next novel.

REVIEWS: Rigoberto González reviews Rose Castillo Guilbault’s new book, Farmworker's Daughter: Growing Up Mexican in America (Heyday Books). González calls it “a tender memoir about growing up in California's Salinas Valley in the 1960s.” He observes:

“As a testament of the politicized '60s as viewed through the lens of a budding Latina activist, Farmworker's Daughter is a quiet endeavor, but no less significant, since, in fact, this is a story of how the world viewed her. Everyone -- including the soldiers at Fort Ord, the working-class Anglos and the agribusiness bosses -- has a hand in defining parameters and boundaries of power. But from these encounters Rose learns about resistance.”

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Border Senses is about to begin accepting submissions for its Fall issue. Submission period: Aug 1, 2005 – Sep 30, 2005. Please read submission guidelines. Spring 2005 Volume XI was published on May 12, 2005 with a grand party. Read more. (Thanks to my compa RudyG for this notice.)

IN THE FLESH: Next Saturday, August 6, at 2:00 p.m., I’ll be signing my first children’s book, Benjamin and the Word / Benjamin y La Palabra (Arte Público Press) at Tía Chucha's Cafe Cultural, 12737 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar, (818) 362-7060. No need to buy! Just come and say hola, give me a big abrazo, and enjoy one of the best bookstores around (not to mention great coffee and other treats).

All done. Until next Monday, enjoy the intervening posts from my compadres at La Bloga. ¡Lea un libro!