Notes From the Rocky Mountain Front

Culture War? If there is such a thing, I think we are winning. Here are notices about a few artistic skirmishes in the Mountain West. Cultural warriors unite.

 

Call for Entry: El Dia de Los Muertos

CHAC Gallery & Cultural Center
774 Santa Fe Drive Denver

Attention Artists, Students, Teachers and Community Members!

 2014 “El Dia de Los Muertos” –A Celebration of Life!

Best of Show $100, and two honorable mentions $25 each!


Judges Stephanie Shearer and Chris Bacorn owners of Pandora on the Hill and Soul Haus!

Show Dates: Wed. Oct. 1- Sat. November 1, 2014
Opening Reception October 17^th 6-9 PM 
With a procession with Aztec dancers, and traditional refreshments

• Artwork drop off is Sunday September 28^th from noon to 4 PM at 774 Santa Fe Drive Denver CO 80205. 303-571-0440
• You may also drop off your work ahead of time during regular gallery hours the week prior.
• Requirements: Work must be Festive, Fun…new, never shown at CHAC, and based on the  cultural theme of El Dia de Los Muertos  (Day of the Dead). Work must be ready to hang. (Student artwork is the only exception) Art work must be suitable for a family friendly, environment, and be all age appropriate. 25% commission on all sales.
• All Mediums are welcome including, but not limited to paintings, photography, sculpture, drawings, carvings, mixed media, fabric and jewelry.
• Artwork may be refused for any reason if deemed inappropriate for the exhibit.
• Altars-We are encouraging small altars due to limited space. Sunday set up only! Please call to reserve a spot beforehand. $20 donation required.

Entry fee: Free for CHAC Gallery members, $10 each or 3 for $25 for non members Teachers and schools $1.00 per art piece per child. We will work with you on pricing and sizes. Please call Crystal at 303-571-0440 with any questions!

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 CineLatino

DENVER FILM SOCIETY TO WELCOME EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, RICHARD MONTOYA AND NICHOLAS GONZALEZ FOR THE OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION OF WATER & POWER AT CINELATINO


September 15, 2014 (Denver, CO) – The Denver Film Society (DFS) is proud to announce special guests Edward James Olmos (Producer), Richard Montoya (Director) and Nicholas Gonzalez (The Purge: Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow, Grimm) will attend CineLatino on behalf of the Opening Night film Water & Power on September 25. The film, a Sundance Lab Project and official selection of the LA Latino Film Festival and San Diego Latino Film Festival, revolves around twin brothers nicknamed “Water” and “Power (Gonzalez)” from the hard scrabble Eastside streets of Los Angeles.

“We are thrilled to make this announcement on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month,” says DFS Programming Manager, Ernie Quiroz. “CineLatino is a celebration of the accomplishments of Latinos in film and I can’t think of a better person that exemplifies this than Mr. Olmos. He has opened the door for multiple generations of Latino actors, writers, producers and directors and continues his tireless work with the new film Water & Power by Richard Montoya.”

The Festival will open on Thursday, September 25 with a special pre-reception beginning at 6pm. The film will begin at 7:30pm immediately followed by a Q&A with Mr. Olmos, Mr. Montoya and Mr. Gonzalez. The DFS will continue to celebrate Edward James Olmos’ legacy on Saturday, September 27, by presenting a free screening of his film, Zoot Suit. In addition, Antonio Mercado along with students from the original North High School production of Zoot Suit Riots will host a panel discussion following the film. In 2004, Mercado and the students of North High School made history with their performance of Zoot Suit Riots and the play became the first high school production to be staged at the Buell Theater. Ten years later, the students have grown to become community leaders, actors, and activists.

A complete Festival pass to CineLatino is $50 for DFS members and $60 for non-members. The pass includes guaranteed seating to all films and panels, as well as access to all receptions and parties. Tickets to the Opening Night Film and Reception are $20 for DFS members and $25 for non-members, Closing Night Film and Reception are $15 for DFS members and $20 for non-members – both receptions include complimentary food and drink courtesy of Lifestyles Catering and locally based, Suerte Tequila. Regularly scheduled films are $10 for DFS members and $12 for non-members. Visit www.DenverFilm.org for more information and to purchase your tickets. 

Direct Link to full program and to purchase passes and individual tickets: click here.

The Man Behind The Mask

         

Other notable films in the festival (twelve total) include:

Thesis on a Homicide (Argentina) 

The Man Behind the Mask (Mexico)

Who Is Dayani Cristal? (Mexico, documentary with Gael Garcia Bernal) 

Frontera (USA, starring Michael Peña and Ed Harris)

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Tirar Chancla

Great band, great venue, great people having a good time.

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Latin@ Book Festival - Pueblo

Hard to see in the image (the only one I could find), but this all-day event offers author presentations, panels on getting published and banned books, and more. La Bloga friend Mario Acevedo is featured at 2:45 PM when he will talk about Murder Your Writing Demons, while I will speak at 9:30 AM on Chicano Noir: It's Black and It's Brown.

September 27
Rawlings Library
100 E Abriendo Ave.
Pueblo, CO 81004-4290
(719) 562-5600


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Enrique's Journey

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Michael Nava in Boulder

On a very warm but beautiful afternoon (September 18) I attended a reading and discussion with the popular and award-winning author Michael Nava on the Boulder campus of the University of Colorado.  The event was hosted by Professor and author Emma Pérez of the C.U. Ethnic Studies Department.  Michael read from his excellent novel The City of Palaces, reviewed on La Bloga here and here. Retirement allows me the spontaneity to take in events such as these, and this was an interesting and enlightening time enjoyed by all who attended.

Emma Pérez, Michael Nava, Manuel Ramos

Final note:  I had a great time at the Literatura Hispana event sponsored by Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado on September 16. I read and answered questions about Desperado, and shared the stage with fellow writers and friends Denise Vega and Sheryl Luna. This was the first time this college hosted such an event but the organizers hope to make it an annual event for September 16th celebrations.  That would be swell.

Later.

Three Louies, Artists, and a Day of the Dead

The Three Louies

[from the Latin Playboys website]

The iconoclastic comedy group known as The Three Louies will perform at the Vincent Price Art Museum on November 12 at 4:00 pm as part of the activities scheduled for the huge arts and performance exhibition titled After the Gold Rush: Reflections and Postscripts on the National Chicano Moratorium of August 29, 1970. The museum is located at 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez in Monterey Park, on the campus of East Los Angeles College.

Several art exhibits, panel discussions and performances will be presented to examine the impact and significance of the August 29 National Chicano Moratorium which marks a pivotal watershed in the Chicano movement for social justice and civil rights. It was a huge rally in East Los Angeles in 1970 which erupted into violence amid charges of police brutality.

The Three Louies will begin their three-legged comedy and social satire routine with a look back at the August 29 National Chicano Moratorium.

Three guys from East LA who all happen to be named Louie (or a version thereof.) Three guys who faced formidable obstacles (hey, didn’t we say they came from East LA?) but overcame them and became professionally successful in their chosen endeavors. Each was inquisitive and eager to explore. And willing to apply some time, focus and diligence to the task of “getting somewhere.”

“At least we’re not making license plates,” quips one of the Three Louies.

Three Louies from Los Angeles’ Eastside who made their way in the world. One is a world class musician. One is a poet, novelist and political activist. One is a journalist and author who has been accused of having a sense of humor. They are The Three Louies and they are planning to “put on a show” at a venue near you, the next one will be at the Vincent Price Art Museum.

They are: Louie Pérez, one of the founding members of the world renowned roots-rock band Los Lobos; Luís J. Rodriguez, author of Always Running — La Vida Loca, Gang Days in LA; and Luís Torres, award-winning broadcast journalist from CBS Radio and author of the forthcoming book The Man Who Empowered Students and Parents. They have taken leave of their senses and formed The Three Louies, or Los Tres Louies, depending on what neighborhood you live in.

And just what do these three do in front of an audience? You have to see it to believe it. Humor, juggling, a little music, interaction with the audience and reminiscences about growing up and striving and thriving in East Los Angeles, the Chicano capital of the world.

In many respects, The Three Louies are representative of the the arc of the Chicano experience in America. They were all distilled in the cauldron of strident activism of the 1970s. They all made their way through public schools that generally regarded Mexicans as somehow unworthy and incapable. They learned how to get the most out of education. And they all made a dent in the fields they entered, always remembering to smile and make others do the same.

More subtle than the Three Stooges, more bilingual than the Three Musketeers and funnier than Manny, Moe and Jack — The Three Louies will make you laugh, will make you cry, will make you remember and maybe provide just a tiny bit of insight into the wacky world that is the human condition.

An evening of fun and maybe even some frolic. The Three Louies.

More information on this event can be found here.

A Room of One's Own

CHAC is pleased to announce A Room of One’s Own : Urban Narrations, an exhibition of visual art by Denver area artists Meggan DeAnza, Hunter Lawrence, Clara Martinez, Sylvia Montero, Tony Ortega, and Eugene Stewart-Huidobro. Working in various and mixed media, these artists address the tension between the richness of urban life and the challenges of working in sprawling and crowded spaces. The exhibition runs from November 4th through November 19th. The opening reception is Friday, November 4th, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. CHAC, 772 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 303-571-0440

Maria Lopez at O'Sullivan Art Gallery

Regis University’s O’Sullivan Art Gallery will feature an exhibit by professional visual artist Maria Lopez Oct. 25 through Dec. 9.

An opening reception for the artist is from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27 and a gallery talk by Lopez is at 7 p.m. Nov. 10.

As a classically-trained visual artist, her range is wide and she paints both realistic and abstract paintings. She paints still-lifes, landscapes on-location, figure work and drawing and is avidly interested in religious art.

The native of Pueblo, Colo., earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a master’s degree in painting from Boston University. She has worked for The Museum of Modern Art in NYC in the Office of the Chief-Curator-at-Large. She has shown her work nationally and internationally. She is a part-time Art History and Studio Art instructor at Colorado State University in Pueblo.

Among her awards are: Museum of Modern Art Twelve-Month Internship 2001-2002; Boston University Women’s Art Council Scholarship 2000-2001; Constantin Alajalov Fellowship 1999-2001; Colorado Council on the Arts Grant 1999; and the Matheson Scholarship 1998.

She is a wife and mother of two children and is currently painting full-time.

To view more about Lopez visit www.lopezme.com.

O’Sullivan Art Gallery hours are: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m.

For more information, contact Robert St. John, O’Sullivan Art Gallery and Studio manager, at 303-964-3634.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Flo's annual Dia de Los Muertos dinner was another great family affair. This one was dedicated to Flo's mother, who passed away twenty years ago. Food, drink, and beautiful stories filled the night with memories of a woman who made a lasting and loved impression on her children and grandchildren, and anyone connected to her family. Flo's special cake (from Le Bakery Sensual) was based on a photo of "Dora" that you can see in the picture of the cake below. More Day of the Dead cakes can be seen here, including several of Flo's.

Flo's altar - the photo does not do it justice
Nunca te olvidaré

Later.

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.

Two early heartfelts

[Jpegs taken from CHAC Valentine's Day showings, 2010 or prior years.]

This first piece doesn't begin in a "heartfelt" fashion, but bear with.

There's an adage about Life being the cruelest teacher: first it gives the test, then it gives the lesson.

Actually, there's something just as cruel that's omnisciently administered in U.S. public schools, that's called the pre-test. Those of you sans children or who've never personally benefited from this experience and don't know how lowly it can make children feel, well, don't despair; at some point in your remaining life you or yours may yet undergo the uplifting rigor of a pre-test.

Why test children--even five-year-old kindergartners--on something they know little to nothing about? For the sake of the BASELINE, a word teachers and students come to know as well as their daily schedule.

A schoolchild's progress (or lack of) and effectiveness of the teacher's skills (ditto), you see, justify the expenditure of millions of dollars and sustain thousands of jobs for "academic" number-crunchers and bean-counters whose existence depends on providing DATA to politicians, education corporations and administrators with the justification for cutting teachers, jobs and closing public schools so charter schools can be opened.

Even Colorado's entry into Obama's Race to the Top includes monies to be used for software, hardware and more numbers-people to cure our academic incompetence in international teaching standards. The thinking is that, if we're behind countries like Singapore, China and Denmark, it must be the teachers' fault.

Those millions of dollars and thousands of jobs might instead have been channeled into classrooms to teach children. Maybe with more teacher assistant paraprofessionals--try raising the educational level of 32 third graders by yourself all day long. Or more education specialists instructing in the classroom--try finding time to give differentiated one-on-one to a special ed kid in that same third grade room. Or more office staff to support teachers with children's behavioral problems and counseling--yeah, try teaching while one kid is hitting others and then being informed, "He's your fault and problem."

But our society doesn't believe in spending money in something so obviously beneficial because its targeted scapegoats are the teachers. The final solution is DATA and the obligatory pre-test.

In my case, for the sake of whatever self-esteem my first graders might salvage from such gauntlets, I regularly tell them that an answer of "Right now, I don't know." is acceptable. Thus I get many pre-tests with such responses. After all, how much would a six-year-old know about an index?

So, this week this teacher gave one of those pre-tests. Among other questions, was the following:
"Explica qué es un diagrama." ("What is a diagram?")

A few students had some idea. Most had none and responded as expected.

But one of the flaquitas, F__, usually does well or better in all subjects, She's a beanpole of unassuming ability, soft-voiced and reserved delight, who even after five months seems to enjoy deliberately driving me pre-testy by holding her pencil like she's attacking a steak, which in real life she probably doesn't do very often.

She also has within her a determination that won't allow her to easily admit failure. So, she tried. And she thought. And she dared to write this:

"Diagrama es el día de las fiestas de las abuelitas." (It's grandmothers' day.)

[Monolingual spoiler: F__ had deconstructed diagrama into "dia", which with an accent is the word for "day" (diá), and "grama" into a pochismo denoting grandmother.]

Amongst the teachers that day, it earned instant, funniest phrase of the week, because it demonstrated her imagination, her attempt to find sense in a nonsensical exercise--no matter her misinterpretation--and belied the intentions of pre-testers.

She brought more than laughter to our end of the building. She rejuvenated my tested-to-death teaching soul with her inventiveness and resourcefulness. Whichever cruel teachers, Life or otherwise, come her way, hopefully she'll continue putting her mind to them and send the inane scurrying.

And that's why I believe the episode with F__ fittingly, heartfelt.

_____________

Denver's CHAC Gallery
Milagros del Corazon
Miracles of the Heart is Underway!

February 12th, Friday night 6 to 9pm at Space Gallery across the street from CHAC is the site of this year's incredible Milagros del Corazon Auction. Join us for our Silent Auction that will feature hundreds of beautiful hearts designed by local Denver Artists, schools and our community supporters. Choose from numerous donated art pieces and services. Proceeds from this event will benefit our year round cultural arts programming!

Live classical Spanish guitar music by James Garcia.

Tickets: $7 per person or $12/couple and may be purchased in advance at CHAC. 303-571-0440 or click here for more info. (Artists go to "Artists News" for latest details on participating in the show.)

About CHAC
The Chicano Humanities & Arts Council (CHAC) was founded in 1978 by a group of visual and performing artists. The organization was established as a place where Chicano/Latino artists were provided with a venue to explore visual and performance art and promote and preserve the Chicano/Latino culture through the expression of the arts.
The gallery offers two shows each month by local visual art exhibits and performances by area musicians, actors, dancers, writers and poets. Other popular annual events include the Members Season Opener in January, Santos & Crosses in August, El Dia De Los Muertos in November and our Luminarias de la Guadalupe & Christmas Mercado in December.

Es todo, hoy,
RudyG

Awards, Honors and a Little Bit of Holiday Commerce

Cervantes Prize

It was announced this week that the Cervantes Prize, considered the most prestigious honor among Spanish-language writers, was awarded this year to José Emilio Pacheco of Mexico. The seventy-year-old poet, fiction writer, and essayist received 125,000 euros (approximately $188,000).

Pacheco's works translated into English include City of Memory and Other Poems (City Lights, 1997), translated by Cynthia Steele and David Lauer; Battles in the Desert and Other Stories (New Directions, 1987), translated by Katherine Silver; and Don’t Ask Me How the Time Goes By: Poems 1964−1968 (Columbia University Press, 1978), translated by Alastair Reid. He has received a Guggenheim fellowship and numerous awards for Spanish-language literature including the Mexican Literature Prize.

The Cervantes Prize, established in 1976 and given annually by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, has generally been awarded in alternating years to Spanish and Latin American writers. Among the previous recipients are Octavio Paz, Jorge Luis Borges, and Mario Vargas Llosa. Here's a short video of the prize ceremony and a few remarks by Pacheco:

Call for Entries for the 2010 Colorado Book Awards

Dear Authors, Illustrators, Photographers, Editors & Publishers,

The Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book is now accepting entries for the 2010 Colorado Book Awards. We invite you to enter your qualified book(s) for a 2010 Colorado Book Award.

To be eligible for a 2010 Colorado Book Award, the primary contributor to the book must be a Colorado writer, editor, illustrator or photographer, and the entry must have a 2009 publication date. Current Colorado residents are eligible, as are individuals engaged in ongoing literary work in the state and contributors whose personal history, identity, or literary work reflect a strong Colorado influence. A contributor not currently a Colorado resident who feels his or her work is inspired by or connected to Colorado should submit a letter with his/her entry describing the connection. Final eligibility determinations will be made by the Colorado Book Awards Advisory Committee.

Additional entry guidelines are available on our website. The Colorado Book Awards program celebrates the accomplishments of Colorado's literary community and promotes their work to Colorado readers.

Deadlines & Fees
To be considered, contributors or publishers should submit the completed application along with a $50 processing fee and 7 copies of the nominated book (digital books must provide a CD or flash drive with document) to Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book. Our address is provided on the form.

All entries must be postmarked or delivered to the Colorado Humanities office no later than January 15, 2010.

Please click the link below to download your application. Follow the links to the Colorado Book Awards. 2010 Colorado Book Award Information & Applications

Wall of Honor Unveiling

The Eugene A. Obregon Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial Foundation (Obregon CMH Foundation) will host its “Wall of Honor” unveiling event this Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11am PST in downtown Los Angeles. The event will take place at Father Serra Park located in the historic El Pueblo of downtown Los Angeles to unveil the wall that will pay tribute to our 3,448 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. The unveiling completes phase two of the Obregon CMH Foundation’s monument site construction plans.

Phase three will display a 20-foot high monument that will pay tribute to the 40 Latino-American Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Two bronze figures atop a pyramid-shaped base will depict Marine Pfc Eugene A. Obregon, a 19-year-old East Los Angeles native, who was killed while shielding his wounded buddy, Pfc. Bert Johnson, a 19-year-old from Grand Prairie, Texas, while fighting off a North Korean Army attack. Obregon’s sacrifice symbolizes the monument’s theme of brotherhood amongst all Americans.

WHAT: Obregon CMH Foundation “Wall of Honor” Unveiling Ceremony

WHO: William Lansford, President of the Obregon CMH Foundation; Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles; Honorable Jose Huizar, Councilmember of the City of Los Angeles; Cpl. Rodolfo “Rudy” Hernandez, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient;* Rosa Rosales, National President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); CSM Victor Rivera, National Hispanic Spokesperson for the U.S. Army; Virginia Lacara, Sister of Eugene A. Obregon;

ADDITIONAL CELEBRITIES INCLUDE: Gabriella Campo; Enrique Castillo; Jesse Garcia; Lorenzo Martinez; Dan Navarro; Lupe Ontiveros. *Invited

WHEN: Saturday, December 5, 2009 @ 11am PST

WHERE: Father Serra Park, El Pueblo 125 Paseo De La Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012 (across from Union Station)**

Christmas Mercado

Join the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) for our annual Christmas Mercado celebrating the Virgen of Guadalupe. Enjoy a wide array of unique handmade gift items from local Denver artists including jewelry, pottery, painting, sculpture, retablos, handmade crosses, photography, prints and more.

December 4 - 23rd, 2009

Opening Reception Friday, December 4, 6 - 10 PM

Gallery Hours: Wednesday, Thursday 10am - 4pm Fridays, 12 - 6pm

First Friday, 12 - 10pm

Third Friday, 12 - 9pm

Saturday, 12 Noon - 4pm

Join us on Saturday, December 12th from Noon to 4pm for Celebración de la Guadalupe featuring poetry, storytelling and refreshments. Cuentista Gerry Lawson & Poet Flor Lovato will read and perform. Great selection of "Guadalupe" items!

772 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204
phone: 303-571-0440.


Later.

Things that make me go ¡híjole!

How about those talk show hosts and bloggers who compare the Henry Louis Gates incident with the questioning of Bob Dylan, and conclude that Dylan knew how to behave himself but Gates pulled the "race card"? Is white privilege so blind that the differences between the two situations aren't readily apparent, even to right-wing agitators?

Or the health reform"protester" on NPR who said that in the old days at the emergency room you either paid for your care or you died and "that seemed to work okay"? Pay or die – sounds like a bad Tarantino flick.

Common Dreams reports: "Proving that Taiwan is not America, Taiwanese leaders are facing a political firestorm for their inadequate response to a natural disaster - Typhoon Morakot, which killed hundreds and did massive damage. Blasted by critics, facing the resignation of senior officials and promising an investigation, President Ma Ying-jeou began a press conference by bowing in apology to the people." Katrina? George Bush bowing in apology to the American people? Yeah, right.

The Denver Post says: "Colorado's lowest-paid workers could make even less money next year. That's because the state has an adjustable minimum wage that may become the first in the nation to drop slightly along with the cost of living. Colorado is one of 10 states where the minimum wage is tied to inflation. The indexing is thought to protect low-wage workers from having flat wages as the cost of living goes up. But because Colorado's provision allows wage declines, the minimum wage could actually drop 3 cents an hour next year. If the wage is reduced by state labor officials in September as expected, it would be the first minimum wage decrease in any state since the federal minimum wage law was passed in 1938." The rich get richer and …

Meanwhile, Colorado casinos reported $76.1 million in adjusted gross proceeds in July, the second best month in Colorado gaming history, trailing only the $76.5 million recorded in July 2007. … the poor get fleeced.

Police in Ohio say officers using a new Taser stun gun briefly set a homeless man on fire while trying to subdue him. The police chief said his officers acted appropriately. The homeless man was charged with abusing harmful intoxicants and other counts. There's something really wrong with that picture.

You've got to see this to believe it: Woman at Vegas town hall yells "Heil Hitler" at Jewish man. We are on the brink.

CHILE HARVEST FESTIVAL

Thanks to a partnership between the City of Lakewood and the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council, the Chile Harvest Festival will be in full swing August 29 & 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m . at Lakewood’s Heritage Center (Wadsworth and Ohio), 801 S. Yarrow Street. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for children (ages 3-12). With plenty of free parking available.

The festival will feature up to 65 artists, showcasing both contemporary and traditional art forms including music, dancing and storytelling as well as many other cultural and art activities for the kids. Several local restaurants will be on site, serving authentic Mexican cuisine along with other specialty foods featuring chiles. And of course, there will be nonstop chile roasting, so stock-up your freezer with chiles for the winter. Demonstrators will be showcasing the art of making traditional chile ristras: dried chiles strung together to be used in cooking throughout the year or just for decoration. The Chile Harvest Festival is an outreach effort to educate, enlighten and entertain the community with the many different facets of Chicano and Latino culture. Its goal is to give people a well-rounded cultural experience. Proceeds from the event support HCA and CHAC programs.

Read then lead.

Later.

Five Reasons It's Great to be a Chicano in Denver

This post is motivated by similar articles I've read lately about why it's great to be a Latino in the U.S. or particular cities, etc. Lacking any brilliant inspiration for today's edition of La Bloga, I decided to steal the idea and give you my own list. No particular order, just how the pieces came to me. I have more than five reasons but I ran out of time. Maybe I'll continue with my list in future posts. If you have your own suggestions, send them in. Click on the comments link below.


1. Canción Mexicana - this radio program has been on the air for 24 years, an amazing run, and it's still as strong as ever. The show is broadcast on Denver's public radio jazz station, KUVO, 89.3 FM and on the Internet at www.kuvo.org. The show is hosted by Florencia Hernández-Ramos and Debra Gallegos every Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (Mountain).

Here's what the KUVO website says about this very popular show that has become a cultural icon in the Rocky Mountain West: New Mexico, Colorado and Tejano music with information excerpts from Latino USA and News From Our Community. Canción Mexicana has dominated jazz89 KUVO's Sunday line-up in both audience and business support. The best of the best in Tex-Mex music, Canción Mexicana has been frequently recognized in Denver's major newspapers. The program consistently ranks in the top five slots on Sunday mornings in the Denver metro area and has enjoyed the number one spot. It's cumbia, it's rancheras, and a little bit of mariachi - it's all that and more; it's Canción Mexicana with the best New Mexico, Tejano and Colorado music. There's music on Canción Mexicana as well as reports from Latino USA with a glimpse into what's happening in the community. Get ready to dance!



2. La Raza Rocks - this show follows Canción Mexicana at 1:00 pm, Sundays, on KUVO. Pocho Joe and Gabe are the incredibly knowledgeable hosts of an hour of the best of Latino rock - new and old - Sunny & the Sunliners, Santana, Los Lobos, the Iguanas, Los Lonely Boys, and Dr. Loco and his Rockin' Jalapeno Band. Interviews and information are part of the show's presentation. Pocho Joe and Gabe dig deep into Chicano rock, coming up with groups like Thee Midniters, Tierra, Little Julian Herrera, El Chicano,War, the Blendells, Cannibal & the Headhunters, and the Premiers, but they also present the latest groups and singers. Over the years, this show has introduced Denver to Ozomatli, Quetzal, Alejandro Escovedo, the Blazers, and many more. As Pocho Joe likes to say, the show covers the "roots and branches" of Chicano soul music. It'll tear you up.


3. Su Teatro - this theater group sprung from the Movement more than thirty-five years ago (1971) as traveling agit-prop, consisting mostly of long-haired students. Today it is a well-established production company that every year amazes Denver audiences with the diversity and brilliance of Latino and Chicano theater. Under the direction of the long-haired Anthony Garcia, El Centro Su Teatro is about to enter a new phase with a multi-million dollar facility that promises to continue to enrich the Denver cultural scene with outstanding plays and events. In recent years, Su Teatro has presented remarkable theater such as Rudy Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima; Ollin; El Sol Que Tú Eres (Daniel Valdez and Tony Garcia collaborated on this Chicano version of the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus); Las Chicas de 3.5” Floppy; Death and the Maiden; and Catastrophe by Samuel Beckett. Annual events include the Neruda Poetry Festival (10 years), The XicanIndie Film Festival (11 years), and the Chicano Music Festival (12 years).


4. A bevy of writers and a strong literary tradition. Denver became the home for beloved poet Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado, author of one of the most famous Chicano poems ever published, Stupid America. Lalo probably is the best known Denver Chicano writer, but the city and the state have a long history of writers who have proudly preserved the story of Colorado's Chicanos and made a little of their own while they were at it. Names that immediately come to mind include Margie Domingo, Flor Lovato, Ramon Del Castillo, Anthony Vigil, Joe Navarro, and Corky Gonzales for I Am Joaquin, a classic bit of Chicano lit. (The Denver Public Library has arranged for a Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Exhibit at the Central Library, June 2 through September 20, 2009. A special reception to honor the exhibit is set for June 18 from 7 - 9 pm at the Central Library, 10 West 14th Avenue Parkway.)

The tradition continues and there are young poets reading and writing all over the city, with readings and slams happening at places like the Taza de Café where Café Cultura did a regular thing, Cafe Nuba, the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, the Neruda Poetry Festival, Art From Ashes, etc. We got fiction writers, too - Mario Acevedo, Aaron A. Abeyta, Rudy Garcia, Emma Perez, Angel Vigil, Reneé Fajardo, and yours truly, to name a few. Denver is a city that loves to read; it has great independent bookstores and many author events. Now if we could just get a permanent book fair.


5. The Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) and the Museo de las Américas. These two institutions sit on Santa Fe Drive in Denver's West Side. They provide art, artifacts, history, and venues for performance artists, poets, film-makers, and sculptors. CHAC has been around for thirty-one years, created by a group of artists who saw the need for their own space, devoted to their understanding of art and the creative process. That spirit still lives on at CHAC with ever-changing exhibits with themes such as Vida Artistica, the Poetry y Mas series of readings, and, returning this year, the Chile Harvest Festival (August 29 & 30).

The Museo has consistently presented world-class exhibits of Latino, Chicano and Latin American art, and has developed a national reputation for its adherence to its mission. As the website says, the Museo educates our community about the diversity of Latino Americano art and culture from ancient to contemporary through innovative exhibitions and programs. With the Latino population growing exponentially in the Denver and wider communities, the Museo plays an important role in building pride in the Latino community's heritage and promoting understanding among cultures. Other history and art museums in Denver cannot focus on one segment of the community in a sustained or comprehensive manner. The Museo was organized to fill this important niche in the cultural milieu. Under the leadership of newly-appointed director Maruca Salazar, a celebrated artist in her own right, the Museo should make an even bigger impression on the art-loving Denver residents.

The cool thing about this list is that you don't have to be a Chicana or a Chicano to enjoy the music, art, writing or history. We like to share.

Okay, send in your own suggestions for this list - is it really great to be a Chicano or Chicana, wherever you live? If so, why?



Later.

Sarah Cortez Interview - Neruda Poetry Festival - Estrellas - Best Muerto Book

As part of my ongoing efforts to spread the word about Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery, this week I have an interview with Sarah Cortez, one of the editors of Hit List. Sarah is quite an interesting person with a varied background, which we get into a bit in the Q&A below. Anyone who proclaims on her website that her two greatest loves are policing and poetry should be interviewed. I was intrigued about the idea of a cop also functioning as a poet and an editor, and Sarah responded quite well; I think you will find her answers informative and helpful, especially for someone considering a life in the literary world. You can find out more about Sarah, her books and her other projects on her website.

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You are a writer, poet, police officer, editor, and teacher. Quite a résumé. What kind of writer are you – how would you describe what you write? How did you get to the point where you said, “Yes, I am a writer”?

Even though I was first published in fiction, I consider poetry to be my métier. My poetry has been described as “tightly-muscled,” as well as, “Searing. Sexy. Stunning. Blunt.” by no less a poet than Naomi Shihab Nye. I am a devotee of concise language and precise visceral imagery. You ask how I arrived to the point of considering myself a writer. Well, I was fortunate to be mentored by two of the great contemporary American poets: Edward Hirsch and Naomi Nye. By taking classes with them and with other talented teachers, I furthered my craft and my practice. Of course, as with many other writers, I found the first book contract quite convincing. Winning prizes and awards also added to my sense of being a professional writer. However, I would be the first to insist on the “democracy of the blank page.” Whether one has had eight books published or none, in front of the blank page we’re all equal.

Yes, equal and fearful - nothing like a blank page to stir up insecurities.

It’s not unheard of, of course, that law enforcement people would segue into something creative such as writing. In your opinion, though, has the police background helped or hindered your creative urges?

The policing background greatly augments my writing practice, particularly in poetry. One of the poet’s greatest and most formidable tasks is putting the inexplicable into words. One must attempt to translate the unknowable onto the page. In policing, you are slammed with the inexplicable all the time. In fact, it rains down on you. I am most productive in my writing when working the streets as a cop. The negotiation (both internal and external) required due to the amazingly different roles and concomitant discursive spaces is impossible for a civilian to understand.


You recently helped put together Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery, along with Liz Martínez, your co-editor. What attracted you to becoming an editor? How would you describe editing in comparison with writing a short story or a poem?

What attracted me to editing is much the same as what attracted me to teaching. While editing’s ultimate goal is producing an artistic whole that is publishable, the editor often helps the writer grow and learn. So, in both the teaching of creative writing and the editing, you are assisting the student/writer further his/her vision and craft. I would even go so far as to say that you can’t be a truly effective creative writing teacher without being an excellent editor. In terms of the differences between editing vs. writing your own work, I would say that in writing your own poem or short story you create from the get-go. Your primary excitement and joy is in the creative act, then later in the “revision” act. In editing, the editor has to totally enter into the author’s vision. The editor must carry inside him/herself a thorough understanding of the form, a keen eye for grammatical and syntactical snafus, and an exquisitely honed appreciation for the appropriate payoffs for the future reader, which of course, vary by form. Added to all of this is an impeccable ear for language and all those additional elements composing the standards of the form, e.g. in fiction, plot, characterization, dialogue, pacing, tone.

How did Hit List come about? Where did the idea originate? Who helped make the idea a reality? Why do you think it is important to have such an anthology

The original idea for Hit List came from Liz Martínez. She saw that while there were anthologies of short mystery for other ethnic or cultural groups that there wasn’t one for Latino authors. She came to me because I had the professional contacts to obtain a contract with a prominent publisher and I had the editing skills necessary to ensure a quality product. Plus we both had loved mystery since childhood.

Both Liz and I owe Dr. Nicolás Kanellos, the founder and director of Arte Público Press, an immense debt because he unhesitatingly and enthusiastically took on the project. You know, he is renown for being a brilliant visionary. He’s the publisher who started Denise Chávez, Ana Castillo, Gary Soto, Sandra Cisneros, and Pat Mora on their international writing careers.

It is important to have such an anthology for numerous reasons. First, the book showcases many excellent Latino/a writers. Secondly, the book lets the reader enjoy the widely varied applications of the mystery apparatus by Latino authors. Another important subtext for me as an editor is to let the multi-faceted cultures and sub-cultures of the characters shine forth. It is this richness, I believe, that may lead the reader to perceive that Latinos come from many different types of neighborhoods, different economic strata, etc. For instance, my story in Hit List, In My Hands, is set in an affluent Houston suburb and has only Anglo characters. I grew up in an Anglo neighborhood adjoining a ritzy enclave.

We don’t often hear about young people wanting to become an editor. Cop or writer, yes, but seldom editor. Give us a quick pitch as to why more students should look at editing as a way to become involved in literature or the arts in general, or even as a career path.

I would guess we don’t hear more about students becoming editors for two reasons. The first reason is that youthful dreams tend to lead the dreamer into starring roles. In the literary world, the starring role at this point in time is that of the author. The second reason is that if you take the general rule of thumb as true that it takes about ten years to become proficient writing in a form (and, BTW I believe that it is necessary to be extremely proficient in a form before you try to edit others’ writing in that form), then after those initial ten years, a young writer has to develop the eye and the ear for editing. Well, you can see how time-consuming the process will probably be.

When you read the submissions for Hit List, did your police experiences (your “real life”) “get in the way” of letting you escape into the stories, or maybe it was the other way around – because you have been a cop were you able to enjoy the stories at a certain level of reality that other readers might not recognize?

You ask if my experience as a cop interfered with my enjoyment of the Hit List stories, or help me enter the imaginative space of the authors. As a street cop, most of the calls for service don’t involve homicide, which is the preeminent crime of interest in mystery. However, a good cop is very intuitive and a master at reading body language and subtle shifts in minuscule details, e.g., breath, pupil dilation, hand movements, voice, etc. So, this eye for human behavior can really serve you well as an author, poet, or editor. I would say that the times when I would get pulled out of an author’s compelling fictional landscape would be when a tactical, ballistic, or equipment question came up. For instance, is that type of duty belt or nylon rig used that way, is the caliber correct, did that manufacturer make a weapon with that type of finish in that caliber in that year, etc. Fortunately, I have shot many of the weapons referenced by crime authors and ballistics fascinate me.

Your poetry was featured in the first issue of Lineup, a magazine devoted to crime poetry. What is crime poetry and how is it different from other kinds of poetry?

I’m glad you asked about Lineup, the chapbook series so wonderfully edited by Gerald So, with Patrick Shawn Bagley, R. Narvaez, and Anthony Rainone. The poetry featured deals with some aspect of criminal behavior whether from the victim’s, criminal’s, or another’s perspective. In trying to define what is different about crime poetry from other poetry, I would say that the subject matter focuses the poet’s eye very particularly. So that in trying to accomplish that “great” poetic task we talked about above – putting the inexplicable into words – the poet must unflinchingly hone in on physicality, whether the physicality of the crime scene, the victim, the suspect, and so on. What I see when I read poems from Lineup is the unremitting eye of each poet beginning in the sensory world of the crime’s occurrence. And, of course, the higher the emotional content of an event, the harder it becomes to write about it with elegance. Writers, especially fiction writers, joke about how hard it is to write love/sex scenes and have them turn out well. That’s because of the high emotional content and the enormous number of hackneyed clichés surrounding love/sex scenes. Well, crime scenes carry a lot of those same burdens for the writer/poet. The poets chosen for Lineup do a fantastic job.

I think Lineup is an innovation with much potential power to dramatically change the poetry/crime fiction scene. I hope more readers find it. I'm delighted to note that I have a poem in the upcoming second issue, due later this summer.

What other projects are you working on?

Thank you for asking about my current projects. I’m finishing up editing Indian Country Noir for Akashic Books, another of the projects that Liz Martínez and I have done together. I am also collecting essays by current or retired law enforcement officers for a collection of literary writing by America’s cops. I’ve been busy traveling to colleges and universities to show both composition teachers and creative writing teachers how to use Windows Into My World: Latino Youth Writer Their Lives in the classroom. You can tell people to contact me on my web site www.poetacortez.com if they’re interested in learning more about these projects. Thanks, Manuel. I’ve enjoyed talking with you!

Thank you, Sarah - I hope we meet in person one day, as long as you're not arresting me.


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BITS AND PIECES

TENTH ANNUAL NERUDA POETRY FESTIVAL

Thursday night 4/16, 7pm: A moving spoken word tribute to Flor Lovato and Margie Dominguez, featuring Su Teatro actors and local artists and scholars. $12, $10 student/senior

Friday night 4/17, 7pm: Barrio Slam competition—$500 grand prize attracts the best talent in the city. $250 for 2nd, $175 for 3rd, fun for everyone! Only $5

Saturday afternoon 4/18, 5:30pm: Tacos and Words Literary Salon featuring The Anaya Project. Creative responses to the work of Chicano literary legend and author of Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya. $12

This program features:
John-Michael Rivera, professor,writer and poet
Gabe Gomez, poet
Jennifer Rincon, playwright,writer, actor
Paul Flores, performance artist, writer
Maria Melendez, poet and teacher
Manuel Ramos, writer
Harrison Fletcher, professor, writer
J Michael Martinez, teacher, poet
Cecelia Aragon, playwright, professor, writer
Tina Griego, journalist, columnist for the Denver Post

Saturday night 4/18, 8:05pm: ¡Representa! featuring Paul S. Flores and Julio Cardenas. $18, $15 student/senior

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call El Centro Su Teatro at 303.296.0219 and check out our new and improved website: www.suteatro.org.
All events at El Centro Su Teatro, 4725 High Street, Denver, CO 80216


SUPER ESTRELLAS

Presenting the ultimate artistic extravaganza. artistes "super" estrellas features the ultra-cool urban art of: tony vecchio, gems, j.g. medina, jolt, josiah lee lopez a.k.a. zepol, and sev

n...

CHAC north gallery, 774 santa fe blvd., denver, april 1 - 25.

come one, come all, art to entertain the masses!

WESTWORD'S BEST
Best DIY Book With Local Ties
Day of the Dead Crafts Co-authored by Jerry Vigil
"We love local santero Jerry Vigil, having bestowed a previous Best of Denver award on him for his cocky Colorado Rockies muerto, a traditional bare-bones Day of the Dead calavera dressed up in a Rockies uniform. And now we get to laud him all over again for Day of the Dead Crafts: More Than 24 Projects That Celebrate Día de los Muertos, a book he co-authored (with Kerry Arquette and Andrea Zocchi) and contributed to as an artist. Vigil said last fall that he hoped to help impart a more sophisticated understanding of the cultural traditions behind the whimsical Day of the Dead art. And we say he succeeded, without taking away an ounce of the genre's personality."

http://www.westword.com/bestof/2009/award/best-diy-book-with-local-ties-1053353/

Spring is cruising the blood, the tired winter gasps empty threats (warning - we have had blizzards in April, even May.) I'm getting my second wind for writing. Life is good.

Later.