FESTIBA & Sin Fronteras Book Festival, International Women’s Day, and La Pachanga 2016

Xánath Caraza

Reporting from FESTIBA and Sin Fronteras Book Festival, Rossy Lima

Durante los últimos 6 días, el Valle del Río Grande celebró la palabra verdadera, esa que no hace distinción entre idiomas. Seis días dedicados a la literatura latina en Estados Unidos. FESTIBA (Festival of International Books and Arts) y Sin Fronteras Independent Book Festival ofrecieron una plataforma para escritores y artistas que lleven en sus trabajos  un mensaje muy claro “Nuestras Raíces.” Las presentaciones durante FESTIBA fueron variadas, y por primera vez desde la fundación del festival se expandieron a través del Valle del Río Grande desde Edinburg hasta Brownsville. Las presentaciones en Brownsville fueron organizadas por Christopher Carmona y Rossy Lima, con colaboraciones voluntarias de varios estudiantes. Dentro de las presentaciones más destacadas se encontraron la presentación de los libros El Viejo y El Man, novela corta del escritor colombiano Carlos Aguasaco, la cual capturó a la audiencia, compuesta en su mayoría por autores locales y estudiantes universitarios en el Campus Brownsville.

Otra presentación en este campus fue el Libro Ocelocíhuatl, de Xánath Caraza, quien llenó el Gran Salón con el esplendor de palabras cargadas de melodías, palabras ancestrales e historias que han sobrevivido la opresión de los tiempos. La presentación de Ocelocíhuatl fue seguida por la visita de un Ocelote hembra, organizada por la asociación SEEMS (School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences). Los asistentes a la presentación del libro pudieron vivir una experiencia sin igual, escuchar los versos del más reciente libro de la autora y ver una ocelote, ambos nos recordaron el amor y respeto que tenían nuestros ancestros hacia este felino y hacia la palabra de los poetas.

Otra presentación de gran impacto para nuestra comunidad fue la de Gabriela Baeza Ventura, directora ejecutiva de Arte Público. Su presentación llenó a la audiencia de esperanza por una representación equitativa de los Latinos dentro de la literatura en Estados Unidos. La misión de Arte Público le dio a la audiencia, conformada por escritores, miembros de la comunidad y estudiantes, una visión panorámica de los esfuerzos constantes de dicha editorial por publicar y recuperar textos escritos por latinos en este país y exhortó a los presentes a apoyar a las editoriales que publiquen libros escritos por latinos. Arte Público donó más de 50 libros durante su presentación como una muestra de que los libros escritos por latinos pertenecen en las manos de nuestra comunidad. Esta editorial, reconocida como la más importante para la publicación y recuperación de literatura latina, también donó más de 100 libros durante Sin Fronteras Book Fest, festival llevado a cabo en el McAllen Creative Incubator. Este festival se celebró el sábado, congregando a escritores y editoriales localizadas alrededor de Texas y el Valle del Río Grande. Organizado por  la Coalition of New Chican@ Artist, el festival Sin Fronteras, ofreció un espacio a 36 escritores y editoriales en ambos idiomas, español e inglés. La marca que estos eventos dejaron en nuestra comunidad fue definitiva. Las celebraciones  tienen la obligación de reflejar la realidad y las necesidades de nuestra cultura, reflejar la riqueza de nuestras raíces, enorgullecernos, darnos el valor que necesitamos para seguir adelante y empoderar a las generaciones que crecerán sabiendo que su cultura está viva y floreciendo. 

During the last six days, de Rio Grande Valley celebrated the real word, one which doesn’t make a distinction between languages. Six days, dedicated to Latino literature in the US. FESTIBA (Festival of International Books and Arts) and Sin Fronteras Independent Book Fetival offered a platform for writers and artist whose works carry a very clear message “Nuestras Raíces.” The presentations during FESTIBA where varied, and for the first time since the festival’s foundation, where expanded through out the Río Grande Valley, from Edinburg to Brownsville. Brownsville’s presentations where organized by Christopher Carmona and Rossy Lima, with voluntary collaborations from many university students. Some of the most notable presentations where the book presentation, El Viejo y el Man, short novel by the Colombian author Carlos Aguasaco, which captured the audience, composed of local authors and university students at the Brownsville Campus.

Another presentation in this campus was the book Ocelocíhuatl, by Xanath Caraza, who filled the Gran Salón with the splendor of words filled with melodies, ancestral words and history that have survived the oppression of time. The presentation of Ocelocíhuatl was followed by a visit of a female Ocelot, organized by the association SEEMS (School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences.). The attendees of the book presentation where able to live an unequaled experience: listening to the reading of the author’s latest book and seeing an ocelot, both reminding us of the love and respect our ancestors had for this feline and for the words of poets. 

Another impactful presentation for our community was by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, executive director of Arte Público. Her presentation filled the audience with hope for a fair representation of Latinos in US literature. Arte Público’s mission gave the audience, consisting of writers, community members and students, a panoramic vision of the constant efforts of this press to publish and recover writings by Latinos in this country, and urged the audience to support presses that publish books by Latinos. Arte Público donated more than 50 books during its presentation, as a demonstration that books written by Latinos belong in the hands of our community. This press, recognized as the largest US publisher of contemporary and recovered Latino Literature, also donated more than 100 books during the Sin Fronteras Book Fest, which took place at the McAllen Creative Incubator. This festival was celebrated Saturday, gathering writers and presses located all around Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Organized by the Coalition of New Chican@o Artist, Sin Fronteras book festival, offered a space to 36 writers and presses in both languages, English and Spanish. The mark that these events left in our community is definite. Celebrations by local organizations and institutions have an obligation to reflect the reality and needs of our culture, to reflect the richness of our roots, make us proud, give us the courage we need to move forward and empower the generations who will grow knowing their culture is alive and flourishing.

International Women’s Day in Kansas City

The Intercultural Dialogue Student Association celebrates International Women’s Day with four poets at the University of Missouri-Kansas City on March 7, 2016.  The event begins with a multilingual introduction in Turkish and English with a greeting in Spanish by the organization’s President.  Judy Ancel, Director of UMKC Labor Studies, is delivering a recount of what International Women’s Day is and a brief history of this significant holiday celebrating women’s achievements and empowerment.  Next, the artistic focus of the evening highlights four distinguished, Kansas City authors and poets, Nicole Higgins, Norma Cantú, Natasha Ria El-Scari and Xánath Caraza, by the reading and presentation of their original work.  The event is also sponsored by the Kansas City branch of the Dialogue Institute of the Southwest, and co-sponsored by four UMKC programs: Black Studies, Latina/Latino Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and the Women’s Center.  

La Pachanga 2016

 

Thursday, March 31, 2016, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Avenue 50 Studio La Pachanga 2016 will take place.  Con Tinta will honor the following Chican@/Latin@ writers.

Francisco X. Alarcón

Odilia Galván Rodríguez

Lucha Corpi

Luis Javier Rodríguez

Juan Felipe Herrera

Following the Award Ceremony, we will have one of the book releases for the anthology Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Justice (University of Arizona Press) edited by Francisco X. Alarcón and Odilia Galván, several poets from the anthology will be joining us and sharing la poesía for all of us.

Thank you to the following donors and supporters, donations are still welcome.

Daniel Olivas

Norma Cantú

Gabriella Gutierrez y Muhs

Kathleen Alcalá

Donna Miscolta

Xánath Caraza

Lara Medina
Andrea Mauk

Maria Elena Fernandez

Jessica Ceballos

Kathy Gallegos

Pola López

Josette Siqueiros

Lupe Mendez

Amelia Montes

Poets Responding to SB 1070

Avenue 50 Studio

La Bloga

Los Norteños Writers

Seattle University, Department of Women and Gender Studies

Seattle University, Center for the Study of Justice in Society

California State University North Ridge, Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies

100 Thousand Poets for Change

HOW TO DONATE FOR La Pachanga & Award Ceremony 2016

Please email ConTintaDonations@gmail.com for complete information to make a donation by sending a check via snail mail.