Get a Clue to What's Happening

YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE

You Don't Have a Clue, edited by Sarah Cortez, foreword by James Blasingame (Arte Público, April, 2011)

You Don't Have a Clue is aimed at the young adult audience and features several writers who should be familiar to La Bloga's readers. In case you can't read the graphic above, here's the list of contributors: Mario Acevedo, Patricia S. Carrillo, Sarah Cortez, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Nanette Guadiano, Chema Guijarro, Carlos Hernandez, Bertha Jacobson, Diana López, R. Narvaez, Daniel A. Olivas, Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie, L.M. Quinn, Manuel Ramos, René Saldaña, Jr., Sergio Troncoso, Ray Villareal, Gwendolyn Zepeda. Quite a lineup.


The Denver kick-off for this book co-stars Mario Acevedo and Manuel Ramos, as well as students from Trevista at Horace Mann, who will read from their own writing. Join us on May 20 at 7:00 PM at the Tattered Cover (Colfax).

Meanwhile, editor-author Sarah Cortez and contributors Gwendolyn Zepeda and Diana López celebrate the publication of You Don't Have a Clue: Latino Mystery Stories for Teens at Houston's Murder by the Book (2342 Bissonnet Street, 77005). May 6, 2011, 6:30 p.m.

And in case you were wondering whether the book is any good, here's some of the review from Kirkus, a tough audience to please:

"Readers with a taste for the gruesome will be delighted by Xander’s discovery of a freshly severed human arm in his school locker in R. Narvaez’s hilarious and memorable Hating Holly Hernandez or the bloody, eye-gouging battle with alien fugitives in Mario Acevedo’s leadoff No Soy Loco. Along with scary tales of murder, attempted murder and kidnapping, less violent crimes solved by young detectives include stolen auto parts, santitos (religious figurines) and costume jewelry—along with an encounter with possible ghosts and a vision of the enraged Aztec goddess Coyolxauhqui rising up over Venice Beach in Alicia Gaspar de Alba’s The Tattoo. ... Sergio Troncoso contributes an anti-mystery in which a teenager simply shrugs off a near-fatal allergic reaction and moves on, and, in another ingenious twist on conventions, Carlos Hernandez crafts a smooth-talking Bronx teen who cements his reputation as a “cop-whisperer” when a face-blind friend’s girlfriend supposedly disappears after posting a suicide note. ... Overall, a consistent, well crafted collection."

LITERARY EVENTS AT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER

Click on the image for information about several events scheduled for the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM

THE STORM THAT SWEPT MEXICO

PBS - May 15th.

Produced by Raymond Telles (The Fight in The Fields) and Kenn Rabin, the new 2-hour documentary tells the epic story of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Fueled by the Mexican people’s growing dissatisfaction with an elitist ruling regime, the revolution was led by two of the most intriguing and mythic figures in 20th century history -- Emiliano Zapata and Francisco “Pancho” Villa. At stake was Mexico’s ability to claim its own natural resources, establish long-term democracy, and re-define its identity. Capturing the color, drama, intrigue, and tragedy of the era, The Storm That Swept Mexico also explores how the Mexican revolution not only changed the course of Mexican history, transforming economic and political power within the nation, but also profoundly impacted the relationships between Mexico, the U.S. and the rest of the world. Over ten years in the making and featuring interviews with a variety of scholars, veterans of the Revolution, and a trove of film footage virtually unseen in close to a century, The Storm That Swept Mexico is a fascinating exploration of the beliefs and conditions that led to the revolution, influenced the course of the conflict, and determined its consequences over the century that followed. You can watch a trailer here.

THE WILD BUNCH

What do you get when you assemble a collective of seasoned Chicano artists, add in some newer artists, lash together various styles then let loose with an unquestionable attitude? You get the The Wild Bunch.

Coming up in May to CHAC , “The Wild Bunch” exhibit, where, unlike old westerns these artists are not looking to ride off into the sunset. Al Sanchez, Stevon Lucero, Rob Yancey, Michael Canada , Robert Martinez, Carlos Sandoval, Robert Maestes and Jerry Vigil have harnessed their creative powers, donned their collective attitudes and set about to display a combination of Chicano art that by its mere variety, unity and integrity will entertain, enlighten and amuse. To be certain, this is not their first rodeo and it will not be their last! You’re invited to join us at “The Wild Bunch” art exhibit, to be held at the CHAC Gallery (772 Santa Fe Drive) from May 4 thru May 28, 2011. The opening for our exhibition is First Friday, May 6, 2011, 6-10pm. For more info Contact: Rob Yancey: 720-231-8191

Dates: May 4 thru May 28, 2011. Opening for our exhibition is First Friday May 6, 2011, 6-10pm Location: CHAC 772 Santa fe Dr., Denver CO

BITS AND PIECES

10th Annual Cesar Chavez Peace & Justice March Saturday, March 26 at 8:30am Location: Mass at St. Anthony's of Padua, then March to Denver Indian Center

John and Frank Montaño operate the Cervantes@MileHighCity literary blog - an international site that features interviews, news, reviews - kind of what La Bloga does, pero, todo en español. Currently they have an interview with yours truly - check it out here.



Todo lo Mexicano
For Mexicans there is a fine line between the modern and ancient, illusion and reality and the fantastic and everyday. Join us for an evening of theater based on the short stories of Mexico's most important writers. Prepare to be entertained by stories that are both eerie and absurd, funny and wry, passionate and chilling. Carlos Fuentes * Chac Mool- Juan Jose Arreola * The Switchman-Rosario Castellano* The Cooking Lesson- Octavio Paz *My Life with the Wave*- Alfonso Reyes* The Dinner- Elena Garro * Blame the Tlaxcaltecs. Click on the image for more info.

Sun, Stone and Shadows

And this just in from Su Teatro:
Enduring Legacies: Ethnic Histories and Cultures of Colorado expands the study of Colorado's past and present by adopting a borderlands perspective that emphasizes the multiplicity of peoples who have inhabited this region. This volume is the first to bring together comparative scholarship on historical and contemporary issues that span groups from Chicanas and Chicanos to African Americans to Asian Americans. Special book signing with contributing authors (including Su Teatro's very own board chair Phil Gallegos Jr.) this Saturday at 6 p.m. Attend the book signing and our Saturday night production of Todo lo Mexicano! - Everything Mexican! for $15 but only when you buy your ticket in advance! 303-296-0219

How about some writing advice from a damn good writer?

"Dear Writer: Although it must be a thousand years ago that I sat in a class in story writing at Stanford, I remember the experience very clearly. I was bright-eyes and bushy-brained and prepared to absorb the secret formula for writing good short stories, even great short stories. This illusion was canceled very quickly. The only way to write a good short story, we were told, is to write a good short story. Only after it is written can it be taken apart to see how it was done. It is a most difficult form, as we were told, and the proof lies in how very few great short stories there are in the world."

For the rest of John Steinbeck's letter, jump to here.

Later.