SPOTLIGHT ON CRISTINA HENRÍQUEZ

Monday’s post from Daniel Olivas…

Cristina Henríquez’s stories have been published in The New Yorker, Glimmer Train, Ploughshares, TriQuarterly, and AGNI. She was featured in Virginia Quarterly Review as one of "Fiction's New Luminaries," and is a recipient of the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award, a grant for emerging Texas Writers started by Sandra Cisneros in honor of her father. She earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Henríquez’s first book is Come Together, Fall Apart (Penguin), a collection of stories and a novella.

Cristina Garcia says of this collection: “This is no ordinary debut. In story after lyrical story, Cristina Henríquez challenges us to revisit the familiar terrain of love, family, and separation—and discover something new about ourselves. She writes with a rare delicacy and compassion. Her tales will lodge themselves deep in your heart.” The San Francisco Chronicle recently reviewed Garcia’s collection calling it “luminous.” Henríquez lives with her husband in Dallas.

BECAUSE WE DON’T LIVE ON BOOKS ALONE: Tu Ciudad magazine tells us that Babita Mexicuisine is “a cozy San Gabriel restaurant, [that has] a mix of classic Mexican fare and what chef/owner Roberto Berrelleza calls ‘creational cuisine.’” The magazine recommends the Panuchos Yucatecos appetizer (a Yucatecan-style tostada), fiery Shrimp Topolobampo, and fall-off-the-bone-tender barbacoa (braised beef cheeks). 1823 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel, 626-288-7265. Tues.-Thurs. 11-2:30 & 5:30-9; Fri. 11-2:30 & 5:30-10; Sat 5:30-10; Sun. 5:30-9. Elba Berrelleza, waitress, recommends the Chicken and Shrimp Elba.

NEWS FROM THE UCLA CHICANO STUDIES RESEARCH CENTER (CSRC): The spring issue of Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies has been sent to subscribers. If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now so that you can read about two films, Star Maps (1997) and El Norte (1983), that are “part of a wide range of fantasies and ideas about U.S. national identity”; about the history of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, which helped exonerate seventeen Chicano youths who were convicted of murder in Los Angeles in 1942; about the material benefits that result from educational pursuits made by Mexican-American women; and about the pioneering Mexican rock band Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del 5 Patio. The dossier section—Loss Angeles—brings together prose, personal memoir, and poetry composed by three Los Angeles–based Chicana/o writers who reflect on the recent loss of a family member. To read the introduction or see the table of contents, click here. If you are not a subscriber and want to be one, e-mail your postal address to the CSRC Press to receive a subscription package.

FILM AT TÍA CHUCHA’S: On Wednesday, May 10, at 7 p.m., Tía Chucha’s Café Cultural will be showing Trudell. Trudell is a captivating, moving film that weaves archival footage and contemporary interviews together with John Trudell’s own words and music in a mystic way. The film artistically portrays the passionate, painful and multi-dimensional life of this Dakota man who went from being a spokesperson for the Indians of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1968 to Chairman of the American Indian Movement in the turbulent 1970’s to an internationally recognized poet, recording artist and actor in the 1980’s and 90’s. John Trudell will be present for Questions. Address: 12737 Glenoaks Blvd., #22, Sylmar, CA 91342. Phone: (818) 362-7060; Fax: (818) 362-7102. Write to info@tiachucha.com for more information

RIGOBERTO GONZÁLEZ: As readers of La Bloga know, poet, novelist, children’s book author and essayist Rigoberto González reviews books almost every Sunday over at the El Paso Times which I often link here. Unfortunately, after a week, those links disappear and the reviews go into archives…and due to scheduling problems on my part, I’ve failed to mention the last couple of reviews. So, I recommend that you check out the Living section of the El Paso Times each Sunday to see what books are being reviewed by Rigoberto and other gente. Ramón Renteria, the book editor at EPT, produces a beautiful page of book coverage; it’s worth checking out.

OHIO HERE I COME: I will be the guest of Ohio State University’s English Department today to celebrate the publication of Frederick Luis Aldama’s newest book, Spilling the Beans in Chicanolandia: Conversations with Writers and Artists (University of Texas Press). Here’s a nice little announcement from ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? During the day, I’ll meet with students to discuss their writing and then the evening will include a joint reading and signing at the Faculty Club. I will also be signing my collection, Devil Talk: Stories (Bilingual Press).

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