Chicanonautica: Guerrilla Mural Certified Radical

by Ernest Hogan

My story collection Guerrilla Mural of a Siren’s Song: 15 Gonzo Science Fiction Stories has been out for almost a year and there have been no “real” reviews, and it’s been largely ignored except for here at the intersection of Latino Lit and Sci-Fi. I was leaning toward depression . . . then . . . a review on video declares the book “Certified Radical.”

The upstart responsible for this subversive act is Alli Dubin, who describes herself as "a student of latinx sci-fi as someone who walks through the world with white privilege, as someone who is interested in the perspectives of other people and spending time in other worldviews.”

Take that, those of you who assume that my work is only of interest to microminority intellectual vatos locos!

She also gets what I’m doing:

“. . . combines something called rasquache and science fiction together and the result is absolutely hilarious.”

Yes, she comprendes rasquache!

 Made good use of some of my artwork.

Here to emphasize quotes from her favorite story, “Flying Under the Radar with Paco and Los Freetails”:

Hope she knows about the other Paco Cohen stories . . .

As well as providing some great quotes that I will be exploiting soon:

“. . . pulls little bits and pieces from politics and pop culture and literature and music and he filters it all through his Chicano identity and the result is you get this hilarious form of empowerment and resistance.”

And:

“ . . . very enriching while at the same time just a ton of fun. ”

I love it when reviewers remind people that my work is fun, and funny. 

Also, being “Certified Radical by Alli from Radical Reads” makes me proud.

So, watch the review yourself:

Ernest Hogan is a living example that Chicano is a science fiction state of being, and is also the author of Smoking Mirror Blues, in which Tezcatlipoca manifests in Hollywood during a futuristic festival combining Halloween and the Days of the Dead. ¡Feliz Dead Daze!

International Latino Book Award Ganadores 2024

This is the list of children's, chapter and young adult book awards. To find more information about the other categories awards, visit https://www.latinobookawards.org

Felicidades a todos los ganadores. 

A- CHILDREN’S, CHAPTER, & YOUNG ADULT BOOK AWARDS

The Alma Flor Ada Best Latino Focused Children’s Picture Book Award

GOLD MEDAL Spanish is the Language of My Family, Michael Genhart, illustrated by John Parra; Neal Porter Books/ Holiday House; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico; The author(s) lives in: San Francisco, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This is the one! Excellent story that acknowledge the shame and struggle of speaking Spanish at school.'

SILVER MEDAL Tata and the Mouse Famil / Tata y los ratoncitos, Jerry Tello, illustrated by Ramón Ramírez; Sueños Publications LLC ; Ancestry of the author(s): Usa, Mexico ; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles ; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'As a mom who knows the importance of next generation speaking Spanish I loved this book.'

BRONZE MEDAL Arletis, Abuelo, and the Message in the Bottle, Lea Aschkenas; Star Bright Books; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: San Francisco; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beautiful, endearing story. I love that it is a true story, and that real pictures were included.'

Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Bilingual

GOLD MEDAL Abuela’s Wishing Tree: El árbol de los deseos de abuela, Mitzi Spitzer Fernandez; Con Todo Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Seattle, WA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'It had memorable stories! Illustrations and design were great!'

SILVER MEDAL How to Stuff a Piñata: Cómo rellenar una piñata, Naibe Reynoso; Con Todo Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Cute little book very engaging and organized. Well written in rhyme. '

BRONZE MEDAL Chita, the Famous Chicken from Toto/ Chita, La Famosa Gallina de Toto, Wayne J. Pitts, Illustrated by Maria Paiz; Vista Tranquila Publishers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: Wimston-Salem, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Loved how humor was embedded within the storyline. The illustrator did a fabulous job.'

Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – English

GOLD MEDAL Pepita Meets Bebita, Ruth Behar and Gabriel Frye-Behar; Alfred A. Knopf; Ancestry of the author(s): Cuba, USA; The author(s) lives in: Ann Arbor, MI & New York, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'What a fantastic book. Told from the point of view of the dog.'

SILVER MEDAL Empanadas for Everyone, Jackie Azua Kramer, Illustrated by Lenny Wen; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: New York, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'It is a beautiful account of how a community can come together for a common purpose.'

BRONZE MEDAL Dad, Margarita del Mazo, Illustrated by Silvia Álvarez, Translated by Jon Brokenbow; Cuento de Luz; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Toledo; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'A touching account of a loving father and child. This was a beautiful book.'

Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Spanish

GOLD MEDAL La Pluma Del Condor, Nana Cóndor, Illustrated by Laura Muñoz; Paquicornio Libros; Ancestry of the author(s): Venezuela; The author(s) lives in: Cincinnati, OH; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beautiful ancestral stories and teachings, so good to see that this medicine is being shared to children.'

SILVER MEDAL El ave rara, Elena Busse; Cuentos con Valores; Ancestry of the author(s): Letonia; The author(s) lives in: Cádiz, Spain; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The cover and illustrations were beautiful.'

BRONZE MEDAL La Gran Carrera del Cerdito Pinky, Carla Martilotti; José Luis Altet Editor y Escritor; Ancestry of the author(s): Uruguay, Spanish & Italian ; The author(s) lives in: Miami, FL.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Cute story with a great lesson to teach children.'

Best Children’s Nonfiction Picture Book

GOLD MEDAL Piece by Piece: Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt, Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Illustrated by Anna Lopez Real; Millbrook Press and imprint of Lerner; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexico; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Detailed Artwork. Great history information in the back of the book.'

SILVER MEDAL Fernando Llort: Pintando La Palma/ Painting La Palma, Kimberly Mathis Pitts, Illustrated by Maria José Llort; Vista Tranquila Publishers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: Winston-Salem, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Very colorful artwork. Wonderful that the illustrator is the daughter of Llort.'

SILVER MEDAL La expedición de la vacuna, F. Isabel Campoy; Velazquez Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Sarasota, FL; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Full of useful information.'

BRONZE MEDAL Martín Dihigo The Greatest Baseball Player You’ve Never Heard of, Darren López, Illustrated by Eric Kittelberger; ; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico and Colombia; The author(s) lives in: Washington DC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Great story. Easy to follow. Well told. Imagery is unique.'

Best Educational Children’s Picture Book

GOLD MEDAL Super Peanut and the Big Bully The Power of Kindness/Súper Cacahuate y EL Gran Bully El Poder de La Bondad, Bronx Baeza, Illustrated by Juan Calle; Cielito Lindo Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Sacramento, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'From life experiences I had with my eight year old I really appreciated this book.'

SILVER MEDAL El Chu Chu de Emociones: Un libro para entender y hablar de emociones, MJ Flockhart; ; Ancestry of the author(s): Colombia; The author(s) lives in: San Diego, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I love this book. It explains all the emotions kids would feel...'

BRONZE MEDAL Brave Lolis’s Box Of Hope/ La Valiente Lolis y Su Caja De Esperanza, Armida Espinoza; ; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This a inspirational book for kids to be more kind and help others.'

BRONZE MEDAL Mi guardiana, Azahara Castillo, Illustrated by Maite García; Cuento de Luz; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I love this book. Something I would read to my daughter every night.'

Most Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – Bilingual

GOLD MEDAL ¡Todos a Bailar! Let’s get up and dance!, Adriana Devers, Illustrated by Vanessa Balleza; Cuentos de Triadas INC.; Ancestry of the author(s): Dominican Republic; The author(s) lives in: New York City; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I felt like I learned new things about dancing in this book. It is cute...'

SILVER MEDAL Escuela de Panteras, Américo Ramírez, illustrated by Alynor Díaz; Snow Fountain Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Venezuela.; The author(s) lives in: West Palm Beach. Fl; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book teaches kids about friendship. The book is cute.'

BRONZE MEDAL Antigua’s Amazing Sawdust Carpets, Kimberly Mathis Pitts; Vista Tranquila Publishers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: Winston-Salem, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beau%ful story and great content. Wonderful Guatemalan illustrator.'

BRONZE MEDAL Do I Belong Here? ¿Es este mi lugar?, René Colato Laínez, Ilustrated by Fabricio Vanden Broeck; Arte Publico Press-Piñata Books; Ancestry of the author(s): El Salvador; The author(s) lives in: Arleta, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Many children can relate to this story. Definitely enjoy the full circle ending.'

Most Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – English

GOLD MEDAL What the Bread Says, Vanessa García, Illustrations by Tim Palin; Cardinal Rule Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/ Cuban ancestry; The author(s) lives in: Miami; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The guided questions in the book help keep the conversation going between child and caregiver.'

SILVER MEDAL La Mariachi, Isabel Estrada; Sleeping Bear Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Kalamazoo, MI; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The story illustrates a challenging situation.'

BRONZE MEDAL I’ll Be The Moon: A Migrant Child’s Story, Phillip D. Cortez, illustrated by Mafs Rodriguez Alpide; The Collective Book Studio ; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: El Paso, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Beautiful book! Would highly recommend this book for a read-aloud.'

Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – Spanish

GOLD MEDAL Patricio el patito y su patita chueca, Camila Parada; Trayecto Editorial; Ancestry of the author(s): Chile; The author(s) lives in: Santiago de Chile; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I really enjoyed this book! I love that it highlighted helping a character with disabilities.'

SILVER MEDAL The Coquíes Still Sing/ Los coquies aún cantan, Karina Nicole Gonzalez; Roaring Brook Press- Macmillan; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: New York City; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The reader really feels the tone and the mood of this story.'

BRONZE MEDAL Durante La Tormenta, Maria Ignacia Henríquez; Trayecto Editorial; Ancestry of the author(s): Chile; The author(s) lives in: Santiago de Chile; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Well written and developed story appropriate for read aloud with young children, encouraging.'

BRONZE MEDAL Picnic de sorpresas, F. Isabel Campoy; Velazquez Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Sarasota, FL; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book was very cute. It had a theme going on what children usually experience in their home.'

Best Board Book

GOLD MEDAL The Life of/ La Vida de Llort, Cynthia Gonzalez; Lil’ Libros; Ancestry of the author(s): El Salvador; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book is so educational for little kids.'

SILVER MEDAL Contando te quieros, Vanessa Pérez-Sauquillo, illustrated by Elisa Bernat; Editorial RUBIO; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Madrid; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book is beautiful, I love how they teach little kids that they are loved, which is an important thing for a growing child.'

BRONZE MEDAL Celebrate the Day of the Dead!, Diane de Anda, Illustrated by Gloria Féliz; Crown Books for Young readers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book is so colorful it will draw the attention of children.'

Best Latino Focused Chapter Book

GOLD MEDAL Warrior Girl, Carmen Tafolla; Nancy Paulsen Books (An Imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC); Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This a wonderful empowerment book for immigrant youth and really all girls.'

SILVER MEDAL Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, Anna Lapera; Levine Querido; Ancestry of the author(s): Guatemala, Filipina; The author(s) lives in: Washington, D.C.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Fabulous book. I feel in love with the character Mani. It was a great girl empowerment book.'

SILVER MEDAL Sincerely Sicily, Tamika Burgess; Harper Collins; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Panama; The author(s) lives in: San Diego, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I loved Sicily's story. Girls need to speak up.'

Best Chapter Fiction Book

GOLD MEDAL La tienda de salva, Almendra Vila; Babidi-Bú; Ancestry of the author(s): Spain; The author(s) lives in: Tortosa; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I loved this book from beginning to end!!!'

SILVER MEDAL Something Like Home, Andrea Beatriz Arango; Random House Books for Young Readers; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Charlottesville, VA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Everyone in this country will relate to the main character, her aunt, and parents.'

BRONZE MEDAL Mariana, Alma Flor Ada & Gabriel Zubizarreta Ada; Velazquez Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Cuba, USA; The author(s) lives in: Sarasota, San Francisco; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I love the story.'

Best Educational Chapter Book

GOLD MEDAL Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898, Adriana Erin Rivera, Illustrated by Eugenia Nobati; Capstone; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: New York City; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This is a story that needs to be told and heard. Excellent! I loved the fact that it had questions for discussion at the end and other notes. '

SILVER MEDAL Mara Turing#1 (serie 4Kids): Hackers en Nueva York, Javier Padilla; Samarcanda (LANTIA); Ancestry of the author(s): España; The author(s) lives in: Madrid ; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Kids will enjoy stories about technology! A mystery keeps the reader involved at all times. Great book! '

BRONZE MEDAL Bienvenida a Washington Fina Mendoza, Kitty Felde, translator Jorge Flores González; Chesapeake Press; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The author did an excellent jov in introducing the reader to Washington DC in a fun way.'

BRONZE MEDAL Mammals Unlocked/ Mamiferos Descubiertos, Dia L. Michels; Science, Naturally!; Ancestry of the author(s): u.s.a; The author(s) lives in: Washington,DC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Wonderful creatvie book about mammals. Great idea to start with a question about each mammal described.'

Best Young Adult Latino Focused Book

GOLD MEDAL The Garden of Second Chances, Mona Alvarado Frazier; She Writes Press/ Spark Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Oxnard, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Good flow in the writing. Could not put book down.'

SILVER MEDAL Los Tejanos de Bexar, Irma Olivares; ; Ancestry of the author(s): US, Mexico, Spain, Native American; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Enjoyed reading it. The telling from the individual characters kept me hooked.'

Best Young Adult Fiction Book – English

GOLD MEDAL Wings in the Wild, Margarita Engle; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Fresno, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Incredible story of 2 totally different people coming together for love, for their convictions, their passions.'

SILVER MEDAL What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez; Wednesday Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Bolivia, USA; The author(s) lives in: Asheville, NC; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This was a very exciting story that reminded me of 100 Years of Solitude. '

BRONZE MEDAL Ander & Santi Were Here, Jonny Garza Villa; Wednesday Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico,USA; The author(s) lives in: San Antonio, TX; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The story is excellent; beautiful, passionate, and heartbreaking. The characters are fully dimensional and empathetic.'

BRONZE MEDAL Borderless, Jennifer De Leon; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Guatemalan-American; The author(s) lives in: Boston, MA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Mey was a very relatable character! Her family and friends were likeable and realistic.'

BRONZE MEDAL Breathe and Count Back From Ten, Natalia Sylvester; HarperCollins Español; Ancestry of the author(s): Peruvian American; The author(s) lives in: Miami, FL; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This was my favorite of the books I was able to read. The cast of this book was wonderfully written.'

BRONZE MEDAL Broke Hearts, Matt Mendez; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Tucson, AZ; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This was one of the best books I have read this year. It made me openly cry in a coffee shop.'

BRONZE MEDAL Infested, Angel Luis Colon; Simon and Schuster; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: New York, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This would make for a great film. I thought this was fun.'

Best Young Adult Fiction Book – Spanish

GOLD MEDAL Confesiones Desde el Abismo, Jorge Ancizar Mejia; PanHouse- Casa editorial; Ancestry of the author(s): Colombia; The author(s) lives in: Miami, Fl; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The plot captures your atenttion immediately.'

SILVER MEDAL Al encuentro del Fuego, Helena Sampedro; PLANETA ; Ancestry of the author(s): España/USA / Puerto Rico ; The author(s) lives in: San Juan, PR/Madrid-España; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The narrative captures the attention and imagination of the reader. It is hard to leave...'

Best Young Adult Nonfiction Book

GOLD MEDAL Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War, Talia Aikens-Nuñez; Lerner Publishing Group; Ancestry of the author(s): USA; The author(s) lives in: New Haven, CT; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Interesting story! What valiant men whose story should be in our history books for high schools and colleges.'

SILVER MEDAL La inocencia en la mentira, Anita Corro; Ediciones Loaeza; Ancestry of the author(s): México; The author(s) lives in: Tustin, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Loved this journey of Ita’s and how she overcame obstacles and with hard work and determination.'

BRONZE MEDAL Our Voices: Little Stories Through A Latina Lens, Lizette Epps; Breadth of Hope, LLC; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Philadelphia; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Nice collection of stories across the USA. Glad you incorporated the photos of the authors of each piece.'

Best Young Adult Fantasy & Adventure

GOLD MEDAL Reclaim the Stars, Zoraida Córdova; Wednesday Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Ecuador, USA; The author(s) lives in: New York City, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Excellent! This one is going on my library shelf.'

SILVER MEDAL En la posada de Sofía, Cristina Molina; Áurea Ediciones; Ancestry of the author(s): Chile; The author(s) lives in: Santiago de Chile; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Well written! It reminds me of Poe or The Canterbury Tales.'

BRONZE MEDAL Lucha of the Night Forest, Tehlor Kay Mejia; Make Me A World; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexican, USA; The author(s) lives in: Portland, OR; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I liked the creation of a vibrant fantasy world rooted in Latin American culture...'

Best Young Adult Romance Book

GOLD MEDAL El secreto de tu magia, Cassandra Santiago; Portadas PR; Ancestry of the author(s): Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Comerío, PR; Insights from the ILBA judges, ' It was a beautiful story from the beginning. Very well written.'

SILVER MEDAL Caught in a Bad Fauxmance, Elle Gonzalez Rose; Joy Revolution; Ancestry of the author(s): U.S. Puerto Rico; The author(s) lives in: Brooklyn, NY; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I enjoyed this book very much! Well done! Made me LOL a number of times.'

Most Inspirational Young Adult Book

GOLD MEDAL Across So Many Seas, Ruth Behar; Alfred A. Knopf; Ancestry of the author(s): Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Ann Arbor, MI; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'I hope to see this text in a movie one day. Her way of describing and even enlightening the audience with so many historical facts is riveting.'

SILVER MEDAL Al encuentro del Fuego, Helena Sampedro; PLANETA ; Ancestry of the author(s): España/USA / Puerto Rico ; The author(s) lives in: San Juan, PR/Madrid-España; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Helena Sampedro did a marvelous job bridging fiction with social justice and a cause that our society is not ready to face misogyny.'

SILVER MEDAL The Garden of Second Chances, Mona Alvarado Frazier; She Writes Press/ Spark Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Oxnard, CA.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This book, even if it is fiction, could very well be the story of any young undocumented woman.'

BRONZE MEDAL Wings in the Wild, Margarita Engle; Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/Cuba; The author(s) lives in: Fresno, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'This is the book I want to have on my night stand and read to come to a place of calmness and understanding.'

The Charlie Ericksen Best Book Written by a Youth

GOLD MEDAL Super Peanut and the Big Bully The Power of Kindness/Súper Cacahuate y EL Gran Bully El Poder de La Bondad, Bronx Baeza, Illustrated by Juan Calle; Cielito Lindo Books; Ancestry of the author(s): Mexico, Mexican American; The author(s) lives in: Sacramento, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'The illustrations are superb! I can envision a tv show for children. GREAT BOOK!!!'

SILVER MEDAL Dr.Pren y el Guardián del Vórtice, Máximo César Castellanos; Editorial Ramy; Ancestry of the author(s): USA/México; The author(s) lives in: Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Fantastic cover. Make us care about the characters. Needs an editor.'

SILVER MEDAL Dried Lavender & Sage: Poems As I Grow, Julia Rae Rodriguez; Skillful and Soulful Press; Ancestry of the author(s): USA, Mexican; The author(s) lives in: Los Angeles, CA; Insights from the ILBA judges, 'Thank you for sharing your raw thoughts and feelings. Great read.'

Peter J. Harris QEPD

Peter J. Harris leaves a resounding legacy in memories of astounding performances of the poet's work. Every performance offers a constant reminder that Harris is a consummate reader and interpreter of poetry, one of the language's two best male readers. 

Sharing fotos and accounts over the years of Peter J. Harris readings illustrate the poet's ability to make a difference in the lives of an audience, a readership, and fellow poets. In memoriam, I share a pair of columns, Harris' farewell performance as Co-Poet Laureate of Altadena, California, and a reading with Luis J. Rodriguez at a critical point in one listener's life.

La Bloga is privileged to have shared Peter J. Harris, the man and his work, witnessed at his September 2023 farewell reading, when Harris and his Altadena Co-Poet Laureate Carla R. Sameth, concluded their two-year service. The event also marked Harris' goodbye to his longtime Southern California home. (Click the link below to read the full account.) 

Hail and Farewell forms the heart of an evening's poetry reading with Altadena, California's co-Poets Laureate, Carla R. Sameth and Peter J. Harris (link to biographies). The audience quickly fills every seat and staff bring more chairs, and more people arrive. There's a buzz in the air, electric excitement you feel on rare occasions. Something Significant occurring here.

The news had reached many attendees: Peter Harris is really sick. Peter Harris is hospitalized. Peter Harris might not attend his own reading. Tonight, Peter J. Harris sits at the front of the room. He's using a 4-wheel walker and a cane, looks frail. The Poet takes the lectern. He shares his news: Peter Harris is moving to Florida.

Familia and friends have thronged to be with the poet this important, landmark evening. https://labloga.blogspot.com/2023/09/hail-laureates-atque-vale-peter-j-harris.html

Peter J. Harris, along with Luis J. Rodriguez, resuscitated my soul the evening I'd checked my wife, Barbara, into a memory care ward where I feared she would live her remaining years. (Click the link below to read the full account.)

The two poets reading in a local bookstore I'd never set foot in offered a powerful lure. Luis J. Rodríguez and Peter J. Harris need to be experienced in writing and in person and together, and they were reading in Pasadena at Battery Books at the city's least amenable to foot traffic address. Siri knew where it was but damned if I had confidence in where she was leading me. But I have an imperative tonight. It's the night of the day my wife went into Memory Care and just like that, I am living alone. 

Tonight, I test my sea legs as an independent entity. I'll deal with the guilt later, at having fun and being out among 'em without her. We hadn't done much going out the past few years as the Alzheimer's progression expressed itself by fatigue and agoraphobia. Gente came to Casa Sedano and that's how we got our poetry read aloud, the Living Room Floricanto.

These guys write kick-ass poetry. These guys write break-your-heart-for-all-sorts-of-reasons poetry. Poetry that breaks your heart for its stories and voices of tragedy, privation, desperation, love. Poetry that breaks your heart for being il miglior fabbro stuff. Rodríguez is the emeritus Poet Laureate of the City of LosAngeles, that kind of quality. I don't know why Harris hasn't been named to a Laureateship, that breaks your heart.

https://labloga.blogspot.com/2019/07/recharging-at-battery.html

Eulogies to il miglior fabbro

Luis J. Rodriguez

The extraordinary poet, activist, and wonderful human being, Peter J. Harris, has passed. I send my deepest condolences to his family and countless friends and admirers. He was also a dear friend. We met 44 years ago at the University of California, Berkeley where we were part of the 1980 Summer Program for Minority Journalists, an 11-week training program. He was my roommate in the university dorms. The program consisted of young writers of color from all over the United States. Peter and I also had two small children each. Mine were six and four when I entered this program. His were in Washington D.C. Mine in East Los Angeles. Twenty-six years old, I no longer had a wife or a family, although my children were constantly in my heart, and I had to forge a loving relationship with them despite a messy breakup and years of abandonment on my part. Peter and I talked about this: love, children, broken relationships, being imperfect in our responses, and then what we had to do to become the fathers they needed. Too many wrongs can make right, but it takes work, dedication, and love, love, love. I have had a hard time, but I'm now good with my oldest children (and two other sons, five grandkids, and seven great-grandkids). I know Peter has filled this gap as well. More importantly, while we struggled to be journalists of color at a time when we were less than three percent of U.S. newsrooms, we both also became renowned poets. While I lived in Chicago for fifteen years, when I returned to Los Angeles I was glad to know Peter was already here. We renewed our friendship, and took an active part in this city's expansive poetry scene. I was also honored to publish Peter's powerful poetry collection "Bless the Ashes" with Tia Chucha Press (link), my small press (now 35 years old), also part of a larger cultural space and bookstore known as Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore (link). Peter was not only a friend, but one of the most amazing poets. More importantly he was generous of heart, a sweet soul. He fought for happiness in a world that didn't seem to have much. He was about spreading joy; he was joy. I honor Peter J. Harris, griot for the ages.

Thelma T. Reyna

Our world was diminished with the passing of Peter J. Harris, a literary star whose brilliant, musical poetry and prose awakened our senses and broadened our understanding of humanity. He was a consummate Co-Poet Laureate in Altadena, CA, one of the finest Laureates any of us has known. He gave us his best work, his best thinking in each project he undertook: as journalist, editor, speaker, blogger, advocate, community leader, and founder of the Black Man of Happiness Project. He mentored, collaborated, and inspired, always kind, thoughtful, honest, and courageous. Those of us who knew him and worked with him will deeply miss him.

Peter was the brilliant Editor of my Golden Foothills Press' Altadena Poetry Review: Anthology 2024 (link). Battling a critical illness, he singlehandedly vetted over 350 poems submitted to us for the anthology from throughout the U.S. He culled these to 178 poems, and the anthology was born. In a conversation with me, Peter said he considered this book his "gift" to the poetry community. It was his labor of love and excellence. It was his last published book.

Link to the Press: http://www.goldenfoothillspress.com/

John Martinez

When a mountain disappears from the surface of earth, the people are left, shocked, with disbelief, unaccepting. Fact is, a mountain, a true mountain, never leaves. It gazes over, all that is terminal, the animals, the mumbling trees; it stands, above and is always, always present. This is what I feel about the passing of Peter J. Harris. We mourn, that we won’t see him again, those glasses, tipped on the rim of his nose, his straight shoulders, the time colored grey-his trimmed gotee the light bronze of his face. We won’t hear him, on stage, clutching his open book, slightly hunched into the mic, eyes wide open, drawing us all in, as he peers back at us, then back to his open book, then, back to the audience. But you see, he’s a mountain. He emerged from the earth, eons ago. And we could see him, from afar, his presence, in the blue, blue, between the green hang of tree branches. 

Once, I gave Peter J., a ride to his home, after a poetry reading in East Los Angeles. We were in my convertible BMW. The air was brisk, the sky, an emergence of firefly’s and stars. I was in my dark mode (as usual) existential angst, this uselessness I felt, about writing, about poetry, and the thought of death was so overwhelming. And he was patient as a seasoned doctor, always on call. I, then, reminded him, that all of this was in contrast to the sheer optimism in his writing, the love he had for his community, for all of us-his poetic and precise love for life itself. He responded with Patience. Patience for an old poet, 59, going on 15., “What is important here,” he said, as the night sky breeze chilled our faces, the wind ruffled through his sheep’s pelt hair…“It’s all about, happiness.” He said. And he looked over at me and grinned. It was that look that Vic (my brother) would give me when my observations were off put, that it might be time for me to shut up and listen.  Besides, it was foolish of me, to act out my fears, before legendary poet. A man, who had already risen from such nonsense. “Happiness.” This is the word. This is what makes the ink, worthy. And so, on the way, Pasadena is green. Greener than I have ever imagined. Even though, I passed through, many, many, times-this time, the hues were vamped, like someone sloshed on the landscape with a photoshop saturation brush. And the streets are shimmering, tar mirrors from a rain that was less than a mist. And when we stopped at the entrance to his home, he said to me; “Always write, and consider happiness,” as he gathered his books and a few tattered  notebooks, crunches them to his chest and opened the door. And in my trek to my own home, I took the 210 Freeway, East, and to my left, the soft outlining of foothills and behind them, the dark blue bold of snow peaked mountains, I felt the permanency of it all, how something’s in life, remain, always remain. 

RIP Peter J. Harris.

Spotlight on Leticia Hernandéz-Linares

 Melinda Palacio

Leticia Hernandéz-Linares

When I found out that LeticiaHernandéz-Linares lived in Santa Barbara for a year and was an intern at the Santa Barbara Independent, I asked interviewed her about that special year. This post was previously published in the Santa Barbara Independent. 

Thanks to the events celebrating Latino Poetry and the Anthology from the Library of America I have discovered that I know a poet who is a former Independent intern. Leticia Hernández-Linares, professor at San Francisco State University, was an Indy intern for a year in 1993.

 

Leticia and I are both poets published by Tía Chucha Press. I lived in San Francisco during the year she lived in Santa Barbara and our paths didn’t cross until 2017, when we read together at Beyond Baroque in Venice.  As the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, she is a poet who champions and promotes Latina poetry. Earlier this month when I participated in her hybrid reading at San Francisco’s Medicine for Nightmares bookstore, via zoom, I mentioned that I would be writing about the event for the Independent. She then told me her story of how she took some time off from completing her MFA to live and heal in Santa Barbara. 

 

As someone who also has a master’s in literature from UC Santa Cruz, I can tell you that academic work is no easy feat and completing any type of graduate work is testament to a person’s strength. Leticia is certainly impressive with everything she has accomplished in the past three decades, from her first publication in the Independent to award-winning author and poet to writing a picture book, her community work against gentrification, and her many grants as an artist in resident at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. 

 

All of the roles that Leticia currently embodies began to take shape during that formative year in Santa Barbara. She started working with youth as a case worker for Goleta Valley Middle School and she started to prioritize her writing: “I began writing consistently,” she said. Living in Santa Barbara encouraged her to try new things. She worked as an art teacher for Girls inc. and worked with daughters of migrant workers. 

 

“I took a woman’s self-defense class at Jang’s Karate Center on Gutierrez Street. I had never taken martial arts. I felt very connected to the place. There were lots of Latina women there to support their kids.” 

 

Leticia is a self-taught artist. She also sings and is a single mom of two boys, one in college and one in high school. Her boundless energy is impressive. In addition to her work as a professor of literature and Latino Studies, a poet and published author, she is a library laureate, and has received the Local Hero Award for her community activism. She incorporates art and song in her poetry presentations. When I spoke to her on the phone for this interview, she was multitasking by answering my questions, cooking eggs Salvadorean style, and attending to her teenage son. She gives credit to her community for helping her raise two boys. If you were one of the handful of Santa Barbara attendees on the zoom on October 9, you know just how boundless and fun her energy is. Along with Héctor Tobar and Rubén Martínez, she edited Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States (Tía Chucha Press, 2017). When I met her twenty years ago, I had no idea she graduated Scripps College Cum Laude nor did I know that she has both an M.A. in English with a concentration in Chicanx Literature, Testimonio, Ethnic & Urban Studies, and an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Leticia is also as humble as she is dynamic. And to think, her creating writing, poetry, journalism and art started at the Santa Barbara Independent. 

 

 

This week’s poetry connection comes from former Indy intern, Leticia Hernandez, a poem published in her first full-length poetry collection Mucha Muchacha by Tía Chucha Press. 

 

Despierta

By Leticia Hernández-Linares

Mission street yawns wide under the canopy of breaking day,
breathless footsteps tax rickety ladder rungs,
chase streams of light unveiling the horizon,
sleepy hands burning sage on tar rooftop,
the day just barely born
into my desert dusted arms wanting
to hold a neighborhood hostage from itself

What a perfect mission these streets have become,
shoveling out plots for graves, lots for sale
a concentric circle of conquest carving itself
into a ground overcrowded with the whispering of ghosts

If I charge the children with painting poems,
will you learn to feed yourself, curl up from the crouching
towards death stance you slag around the streets in,
cease the fire that barrels holes through the heads
of young men guilty of nothing but brown skin,
being on foot––no car to speed past the candle lit
processing of their own untimely deaths

La piedra del sol down la calle Valencia reflects
light from a Chicana architect’s plans, shines
over open doors of a community learning space,
comedores bearing plates steaming with home country
recuerdos, connecting writers to the next verse,
amantes to inevitable missteps

Prayers printed on the feet of danzantes resound
through blocks where I learned how to make crying count,
counted murals counting wars cried close to corners
where someone keeps dying for nothing, nodded
while poet cantos sing truth into sense
calling each day to attention with the promise
of sunrise and sanctuary

Baseball in Granada

                                                                                

First baseball team in Granada, my son, Danny, lower left, top, me "El Coach"

     In Granda, what many Spaniards considered Spain's “deep south,” in 1978, there were only three television stations, mostly silly variety shows, local news, and a Friday night movie, classic Mexican rancheras and American drama really popular. At the movie theaters in town, the three biggest draws, U.S. imports, were Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Rocky, and Saturday Night Fever, cutting edge, for the soft sex scenes, nothing explicit.

     El generalissimo Franco had died three years earlier, after nearly 40 years in power, and Spaniards were still “testing the waters,” so to speak, not sure how far they could go, culturally, the Catholic morality folks always on high alert. Get drunk and yell, “Viva La Republica” could get you jailed, or beaten by the feared Guardia Civil, Franco’s personal Taliban. I knew, in 1933, the U.S. refused to help Spain's Republic against Franco's fascists, supported by Hitler, and I sensed some shame.

     So, you can understand the stir it caused when a prominent magazine pushed the boundaries and announced its next cover would be graced with the photo of a woman in a bathing suit. It was the talk of the town, most Spaniards in doubt. When the big day arrived, people surrounded the town's kiosks. Sure enough, there she was, on the cover, a shapely woman in a bathing suit on full display, the older people disgusted, the younger generation delighted, yet leery. For me, an American living in Spain, it was all a curiosity, but what did it mean for the country, in some places, still living in gothic times but struggling to move into the present.

     After Franco died, King Juan Carlos decided to hold elections, anathema to the Spanish conservatives who preferred he appoint another dictator, or a close Franco replica. Juan Carlos was young, a different generation than the old-stuffy past rulers. Spain held its first election in forty years and Felipe Suarez and his socialist party came out on top. It was as if the country could breathe again, the wicked witch was dead. As a sheltered American, I learned many European countries had socialist and, even, communist, parties. It wasn't the political ideology that was so dangerous but the person elected to lead the country. Spain has had fair elections ever since, moving from right to left, following the will of the voters.

     Under the autocrat Franco, and his supporters, the country had turned inward, agriculture, mainly wine and olive oil, drove its weak economy. Jobs and food were scarce. To survive, Spanish men, with families, became Europe’s migrants, crossing borders, often illegally, to work the fields and restaurants in France, Switzerland, and Germany, work most Europeans felt was beneath them.

     As a university student, I could see many Spaniards were relieved, professors able to speak freely for the first time in many years, without the fear of punishment. In the bars and cafes, people drank wine and spoke politics, without looking over their shoulders. The youth listened to rock ‘n roll music. Tourists, mostly Japanese, once again, began flooding the streets. Cultural influences from outside the country took pokes to pierce the thick wall or fear Franco had built around the country.

     My apartment complex stood at the edge of the growing city, where the Vega began, the wide agricultural farmlands that stretched for miles towards the west, providing produce to Granadinos since the time of the Romans then the Arabs, who perfected the irrigation system that spread to other parts of Europe during the dark ages. Spring came in fast. That Friday night was movie night, the “Pride of the Yankees,” staring Gary Cooper as Yankee great, Lou Gehrig. 

     The streets were empty, everyone home watching television, if they had one, or crowding into friends' homes who did, mostly small black and whites. Movies were a big deal. Once the movie finished, the streets, again, were alive with people, each neighborhood had its own bars and cafes.

     Saturday morning, I walked outside and heard a ruckus coming from a vacant lot, a group of neighborhood kids who looked like they were trying to play baseball, one kid tossing a round stone and the other kid trying to hit it with a short tree branch then running somewhere, looking for a base. A pack of kids ran to the stone to pick it up, not sure what to do with it. The rest of the kids ran around wildly or just watched, looking for something to do. 

     When I returned from my errand a couple of hours later, the kids were still out there trying to figure out the game. I knew most of them, older friends of my five-year-old son, Danny, who became their American friend by default, took him in as if he were an orphan and taught him Spanish. When I asked them what they were doing, they told me they'd seen the baseball movie on television, Los Jankees, and wanted to be like the guys in the movie. Lou Gehrig had inspired them. They knew I was an American and asked if I’d teach them the rules. That’s how it started.

     The days turned into weeks and a month passed. The kids were out there, every day, after school, some foregoing soccer, like clockwork, enough for two teams, practicing as I'd taught them. They got it after I explained all the positions and how the game worked. We carved a playing field from a corner of the Vega, clearing it of rocks and debris. The Moors of old had no idea a portion of their farmland would be used to play American baseball. Imagine, baseball in Granada.

     With a knife, I shaped a piece of wood into a bat, not quite a Louisville slugger, a little rough around the edges but close enough. I figured a tennis ball might move too fast for them, so I made something of  a wiffle ball, like when I was a kid, taking tin foil, shaping it into a ball, and wrapping it with packaging tape, something they could hit and catch with their bare hands. After a month, the kids were, actually, pretty good, enough to make the games exciting, even attracting strangers who would stop by to watch.

     Hey, if the U.S. Marines could teach kids in Dominican Republic and Panama to play ball during breaks in combat operations, why couldn't I start a baseball league in Granada, during peace time, much less damaging, balls and bats better than bombs? 

     I knew my parents were coming to Granada to visit. They’d never been this far from home before. I had told my dad about the kids and their love of baseball, so he showed up with a baseball, a bat, and a mitt. When the kids saw the real thing, their eyes lit up. They all wanted to touch the bat, ball, and mitt, as if touching it would bring them closer to Lou Gehrig, their hero. 

     By the time I left Granada, some months later, the kids were still playing, good enough to transition from the tin foil ball, which was more manageable for beginners, to a tennis ball, which sped up the game and opened up the outfield to long fly balls from the real Louisville slugger. The catcher got to use the mitt. 

     It was strange how teaching them the fine art of baseball brought us closer together, their parents okay with it, I guess. I received invitations to their homes for dinner. I'd come to Granada to learn the roots of my Hispanic culture, as well as the language. Each day, meeting these kids out on the field, I felt a little less America with them, and when I returned home, for good, I brought a little bit of Spain with me. Maybe, I was teaching them more than baseball, maybe something about the larger world outside their world, as I was learning something about the world outside my world, a world of my Spanish-Arab ancestors.