by Ernest Hogan
The Palabras del Pueblo Writing Workshop is over. I taught Papí Sci-Fi’s Ancient Chicano Sci-Fi Wisdom. It caught me by surprise. I learned things, as I hoped. It’s taking me a while to process it.
For one thing, the students were a lot older than I had expected. And a lot further along as writers. Except for one eighteen year-old, they were all teachers at the university level.
Maybe the “ancient” scared away the younger generation.
And it turns out there is a real need to talk about writing while Chicano. Who'da thunk it?
I did write a story before the class (two weekends, online) ended. It was on the subject of Chicano vs. Latinx, that kept coming up, and I’ve been feeling the need to say about it. And plea for us all to get along, as well as keep our identities. And I made it funny.
It all ended with a wild, spontaneous, free-for-all brainstorming/jam session. Ideas flying around, bouncing off everything. What should happen when creative minds, especially Chicanos, gather.
We did talk about staying in touch, conspiring about future events and progress. This is just the beginning of Chicanofuturism, or whatever we will end up calling it.
In a way, I hope we don’t come up with a name, a movement, and all that. I’d prefer it just be what we do, and that it goes on forever. Let the academics of the future sort it out, meanwhile, on with the wild ride!
It looks like there will be another Palabras del Pueblo workshop later on in the year. Stay tuned for details.
Meanwhile, the deadline to submit to Chicanofuturism: El Porvenir, Ya! Has been extended to July 1st. Get to it, gente!
Ernest Hogan is recovering from cataract surgery, experiencing changes in vision . . .
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