Melinda Palacio
Las Comadres Para Las Americas shares the
power of literature and friendship. On Friday, La Bloga covered their upcoming Comadres and Compadres
Writers Conference next
month, October 6, in New York.
For those that cannot take advantage of the
Comadres Writers Conference, a new book, out next month, Count on Me: Tales ofSisterhoods and Fierce Friendships, offers readers a view into the role of
comadres and compadres for authors; there's one essay by compadre Luis Alberto
Urrea.
Nora Comstock is always busy, but the next
two months might prove her busiest with the writers conference and publication
launch party of Count on Me at La Casa Azul Bookstore,
September 20, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 143 E. 103rd Street, NY, NY.
Comstock, the founder of the international and national group, talks about seeing the book in print.
Comstock, the founder of the international and national group, talks about seeing the book in print.
"I have the advanced reading copy and I sleep with it! It is the most amazing feeling to have it actually finished. It seems like a dream. Everything seemed to get done so fast. When you work with consummate professionals, it is a seamless process. I did not expect it to go so smoothly. Writing the intro was very hard both because I am not a writer and because I had so much to say. I kept trying to put all my feelings and thoughts into a small space. They had to cut a lot."
The book is inspiring to anyone who's ever relied on a friend,
not just any friend, but the kind of friend you know will be there for you no
matter what. One of my good friends and comadres, Reyna Grande, is in the anthology.
Reyna's moving memoir, The Distance Between Us, is garnering rave reviews. A modified chapter from her memoir is in Count on Me. Reyna writes
about her teacher and mentor, Diana Savas. Diana is a perfect example of a
comadre because she immediately recognized that Reyna needed more than a friend
and offered to fulfill the role of family, confidant and nurturer in order to support
a young woman, very much like herself, who wanted to do well in college. Thanks
to her comadre Diana, Reyna went on to publish two novels and a memoir and
participate in the Las Comadres Book Club as an author and presenter. Reyna
says she felt very honored to contribute to the anthology:
"The topic was especially appealing because I immediately thought of my former teacher and mentor as the subject of my piece. I'm grateful to las Comadres for giving me the chance to thank my teacher publicly for what she did for me."
Upcoming Events in
Los Angeles, CA
September 4, Reyna Grande presents her new memoir, The Distance Between
Us, Tuesday at Vroman's at 7pm, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA 91101.
(You can wish Reyna
a happy birthday, September 7)
Saturday, September 15, Latinos in Lotusland at the Autry, 2pm to 4pm. Don't miss a full day of Latino Heritage month at the Autry Museum at Griffith Park, CA.
Over in Denver...
La Bloga's Rudy Garcia presents his debut novel, The Closet of Discarded Dreams, at Su Teatro, Sunday Sept. 16 at 5pm.
Countdown to publication...
Less than two months until the release of How Fire Is a Story,Waiting.
Last, but not least...
Happy Labor Day
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