I can finally announce that a Latino crime fiction anthology is on the way. This idea has been talked about for years, with a few false starts, by writers, readers, publishers, critics. Sarah Cortez and Liz Martinez managed to turn the talk into action. Cortez and Martinez are the editors of a new book that will be released in the spring of 2009. Tentatively titled Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery, the book will include stories by new and veteran writers exploring the mystery, detective, and crime fiction genres from a Latino perspective.
Arte Público is the publisher. I don't have a list of the writers featured in the book, but I know that Steven Torres (the Precinct Puerto Rico series and The Concrete Maze) has a story in the anthology and I am fairly certain that Lucha Corpi also has a piece in the collection. I've been told that Ralph E. Rodriguez, who wrote Brown Gumshoes: Detective Fiction and the Search for Chicana/o Identity, will write an introduction for the book. My contribution is a story entitled The Skull of Pancho Villa - it's a killer, as they say in the biz.
If anyone has more details about this book that you would like to share with La Bloga, go ahead and post a comment. We all would appreciate the information. I'll post updates about this book as I learn more, including a definite publication date.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AT MUSEO DE LAS AMERICAS
In collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and the Mexican Cultural Center, renowned Mexican paper artist Jorge Rosano will unveil a one-of-a-kind paper altar as part of the Museo's Día de los Muertos festivities. The event will include a special performance by Fiesta Colorado.
Rosano is widely known for his contemporary 3-D cut-paper sculptures, which are inspired by the Pre-Hispanic Indian tradition of paper cutting. His work reflects on Mexican culture and history and is done spontaneously without the use of preliminary sketches.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
6:30 PM @ the Museo
Members $3, General admission $5
861 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204
303-571-4401 www.museo.org
Back by popular demand… Su Teatro announces Braided Sorrow: The Extension
Don’t miss your last chance to see this incredibly moving story about the missing women of Juárez and the one mysterious figure who knows too much —the play Westword calls “gutsy” —the play the Rocky Mountain News calls “chilling reality and artful imagining” —the play the Denver Post calls “alternately haunting and beautiful” —the play the North Denver Tribune calls “important.”
LATINO LITERATURE CONFERENCE AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ
Press release from UCSC:
A distinguished group of writers, editors, scholars, and publishers will converge on the UCSC campus November 6-8, for a bilingual conference on Latino Literature.
In addition to a series of academic panels, the conference will feature eight noted writers and poets who will read from their works in two evening sessions--Thursday and Friday, November 6 and 7--at the UCSC Humanities Lecture Hall beginning at 7 p.m.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Guest authors and poets appearing at the conference will include:
• Daniel Alarcón: award-winning fiction writer and essayist. His most recent novel, Lost City Radio, was named a “Best Book of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times and several other publications; he is also the editor of the Lima-based Etiqueta Negra, a cross-border print/online literary journal.
• Héctor Tobar: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the LA Times (and a UCSC alumnus). He is the author of the novel The Tattooed Soldier (Penguin) and the nonfiction book Translation Nation: Defining a New American Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States.
• Achy Obejas: fiction and poetry writer. She is the author of the short story collection We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?, the novels Memory Mambo, and Days of Awe, as well as a new poetry collection. Objeas edited the volume Havana Noir, and is also translating Junot Díaz’s Pulitzer-Prize winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
• Brenda Cárdenas: Chicago-based Chicana poet and performer. Her most recent chapbook is From the Tongues of Brick and Stone.
• Luis Cortés Bargalló: poet and translator based in Baja California. He is co-editor of the two-volume bilingual poetry anthology Connecting Lines/Líneas Conectadas co-sponsored by the NEA and UNAM.
• Dagoberto Gilb: acclaimed fiction writer (The Last Known Residence of Mickey Acuña; Woodcuts of Women; The Flowers), essayist (Gritos), and anthologist (Hecho en Tejas: An Anthology of Texas Mexican Literature).
• Marc David Pinate: poet, playwright, and community activist. He is currently program manager at Galería de la Raza in San Francisco and is the co-founder and front man-poet of Grito Serpentino, a spoken word and music ensemble with a high profile in the slam poetry scene.
• Cristina Rivera Garza: one of the leading novelists in Mexico. She is the author of the prizewinning Nadie me verá llorar, translated as No One Will See Me Cry, as well as short story and poetry collections.
Designed to explore the variety and diversity of Latino literature, the conference will also feature a lunch workshop on November 8 with secondary school teachers.
Panel discussions with writers, scholars, and librarians will take place on Friday, Nov. 7, from 9:30 am to 4 pm and on Saturday Nov. 8, from 10 am to 12:30 p.m. at UCSC's Namaste Lounge (Colleges 9 and 10).
For more information and a complete schedule of conference events, go to the Conference web site.
FENCE BUSTERS
If you haven't had the time to read my short story Fence Busters yet, published by the Rocky Mountain News online and in the paper itself, you can listen to an excellent recording of a reading of the story by Gabriella Cavallero. Go to this web page and click on the Audio button under Additional Media. Ms. Cavallero does a fine job.
NEW MAGAZINE
Finally, I hear there's a new Latino lifestyle magazine based in Chicago - Café. Everything I know about it is found in this article at the Chicago Reader. ¡Buena suerte!
Later.
Thanks for that info on the UC Santa Cruz literary conference. I wish I could attend every session. Wonder if the conference and readings will be recorded?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention on Braided Sorrow's extension. I'm really thrilled that Su Teatro is doing 4 more performances.
ReplyDeleteI’m so excited about the NEW LATINO CRIME FICTION ANTHOLOGY, Can’t wait!, I’m also happy you are included in the anthology, Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI have to say,
I shed a tear.
I'd love to attend the conference at UCSC but I doubt I can make it. Long drive for me now that I'm in Oregon. Please let us know if any of it is recorded/filmed and how we can access it.
ReplyDeleteMichael and Corina - the conference website doesn't indicate if the sessions would be recorded - but my bet is that they will be. It appears to be a well-organized event. Thania - I'm excited, too, and expect to say a lot more about the anthology and hope to get comments, reviews, etc. from readers. Marisela - congratulations on a great play - as you know it is very popular here in Denver and I know that it will have much more success.
ReplyDeleteManuel