Special Saturday Edition

Manuel Ramos

I was unable to post on Friday, but how about a few quick items for a special Saturday edition of La Bloga.

DAY OF THE DEAD PAPERBACK ALTAR
Now here is something a bit unusual.

"Miss Prothero's Books and book artist Deborah Horner are building a Day of the Dead altar out of mass market paperbacks. If you have a garage full of pulps, pocketbooks or mass markets that need a good home, please consider donating them to the project. We're looking for paperbacks that are approximately 4 1/4" wide by 7" tall. Bring your donations to Miss Prothero's by October 20. We're located at 1112 Santa Fe Drive[Denver]. We're open Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The altar will be unveiled on November 2nd at 7 p.m. You're welcome to bring something that pays homage to your favorite dead writer, reader, printer or binder on the evening of the unveiling. Call Miss Prothero's Books at 303-572-2260 if you need more information."

UPCOMING EVENTS AT EL LABORATORIO
Emma Perez and Manuel Ramos
October 20, 2007
Reception 6PM
Main Event 6:30-8PM
Emma Perez will read from her forthcoming novel Forgetting the Alamo followed by a reading by Manuel Ramos of works in progress.

Gustavo Arellano
November 14, 2007
Reception 6PM
Main Event 6:30-8PM
Gustavo Arellano will discuss his popular syndicated newspaper column Ask a Mexican and read from his book of the same name. Gustavo has appeared on The Today Show, The Colbert Report, CNN, Nightline and others. Ask a Mexican, the book, was published in 2007.

Sheryl Luna & Angel Vigil
December 1, 2007
Reception 6PM
Main Event 6:30-8PM
Sheryl Luna will read from her book Pity the Drowned Horses followed by a performance by award-winning storyteller Angel Vigil.
El Laboratorio, 404 S. Upham Street, Lakewood, CO 303-934-1777. All events are $10, $5 for members.

JUDITH ORTIZ COFER
A recent interview in the Nashville Scene produced an exchange that should be of some interest to La Bloga readers. Ms. Cofer was asked if she ever gets tired of being thought of and getting asked questions as a Latina writer, instead of just a writer. She responded:

"It’s inevitable. I usually am advertised with so many tags that I’m short- and nearsighted to it. Puerto Rican writer, Latina, whatever. It doesn’t bother me anymore because people have to find their way towards you. They will call you whatever they want, and then they come to the poetry reading and they understand that it’s about them. Even if I’m writing about my grandmother, it’s about them."

Good interview, check it out.

MODERN INDIAN IDENTITY
My father's stories:Remembering Oklahoma
October 25, 2007
7:30 PM, Atlas 100, University of Colorado, Boulder

The Center of the American West presents Dr. Eva Maria Garroutte in this fall's Modern Indian Identity Lecture. Professor Garroutte is the author of Real Indians: Identity, Community, and the Survival of Native America. In this talk, Professor Garroutte blends her father's stories of growing up in the Cherokee Nation of the 1930's with her own recent experiences as a tribal citizen working in the field of American Indian health. Reception to follow. More info here, or call 303-492-4879.

That's it. Have a great weekend, read and read some more, come back, often, to La Bloga, and how about those Rockies.

Later.