by Rudy Ch. Garcia
As I describe in yesterday's first report, I spent a week on the road to promote my fantasy novel The Closet of Discarded Dreams in another state, Califas,
and a strange region, L.A., as a relatively unknown author and culture-shocked
tourist, not knowing how Californios would receive a Chicano author peddling a
fantasy book that, as one vata put it, "our gente won't read."
Every time I needed to head
to another venue, to this Denverite it was comparable to driving to another
city, another city sometimes two hours away. But apparently that's life here.
Latinopia y Jesus Treviño
When Bloguero Michael Sedano told me people were coming over
to Casa Sedano for a Mental Cocido (the local version of intimate Salon
gatherings), I welcomed not having to climb into the rental again. As the guest
artists and writers began showing up, a short trim guëro brought in camera
equipment, set it up and introduced himself as Jesús Treviño.
Not until later did I realize this was the Treviño who
Sedano featured in a La Bloga post, the one whose television credits include Law and Order - Criminal Intent, The Unit, Criminal Minds and Resurrection Blvd. Apparently, that too
is life here, periodic encounters with raza who have broken into higher levels
of cultural work than what I'm accustomed to in Denver.
Treviño filmed part of my reading of my novel The Closet of Discarded Dreams and
informed me he'll be posting it on his website Latinopia sometime soon.
Later I spent time exploring Latinopia.
Calling it a website is an understatement. Yes, it's like other sites with
videos, others that feature cultural events or interviews. But the breadth of
it is more than ambitious. It struck me--and will you when you check it--as a
monumental work. I quickly realized Treviño and company are documenting our
history for future generations and others in distant places.
Read Sedano's piece on Latinopia; set aside some time to navigate the wealth of documentary available
there; then enjoy it and learn. College students needing research material,
fans of lit and music, baby boomers wanting to relive the times and hear the
words of those who have, are and will pass through Aztlán, making their marks,
leaving their cultural imprints--many of those are here. Later, gente will come
to realize the great legacy Treviño has and is making.
The Latino Book & Family Festival
I'd been invited to
participate in this festival on Oct. 13 at California State University, in Dominguez
Hills, and was eager to read and share my novel with everyone in earshot. The
Festival linked up with another event aimed more at the community than just
writers and lovers of lit. Tens of thousands of people, primarily latino
families came through that day.
The building housing
the rooms designated for many events had such a convoluted layout and room
numbering system, I thought I was The Chicano in my novel--disoriented, lost,
wandering into dead ends and generally not certain anyone would find us, even
though we authors were determined not to be no-shows.
At my first panel, the
audience consisted of two people.
At another panel, three
showed and the moderator never appeared.
At my one reading, the
two people there very much enjoyed what I read.
I sold a handful of
books, probably more due to my lack of fame than anything else.
The event was great for
children's books authors Mara Price, René Colato Laínez and others, given the
latino family makeup of Festival attendees. Well-known latino authors also did
well.
My Festival highlights
consisted of meeting authors, celebrities and notables, and getting my pic
taken with them, like some cow-town tourist's first time in the Big City.
At Tía Chucha's
Of my two readings at Tia Chucha's Cultural Center
& Bookstore in
Sylmar, getting a chance at the open mic proved to be the
best experience. Founders Maria Trinidad Rodriguez, Enrique Sanchez and Luis J.
Rodriguez have a gem in this bookstore/cultural center. The Friday Open Mic had
the feel of gente greatly knowledgeable about our government's mad dash to the
bottom and the 99%'s equally great efforts to keep not only past culture, but
also ongoing love of learning. I would read again there any day.
The small attendance at my offical reading and
signing was less well-attended, again probably due to me being the out-of-town
wannabe searching for fame. But my hosts and the staff made me feel not only welcome, but even a little distinguished.
The Siqueiros mural
I've been to Mexico, enjoyed
not enough time in front of the wondrous Mexican muralists' work, Dr. Atl, Siqueiros,
Orozco and Rivera. Every Chicano's bucket list should include travel there to
experience something that still inspires the way hearing the national anthem
did when we were young, before we knew better.
 |
| B&W estimation of the original America Tropical |
Standing in front of Siqueiros
partially salvaged monumental work on an L.A. wall engenders entangled feelings
and sensations:
Immediate anger. Over Anglo
American ignorance that desecrated a historical treasure, appropriately, with
whitewash.
Disgust. For small-minded
commercialism that deprived even Anglos of the evocative creativity of one of
the world's masters as vaunted as Michelangelo or Degas.
Relief. That modern day
efforts restored something of the grandeur that brown children should
experience each day before they pick up a crayon.
Pride. That what opens up
before you was created by a mind and heart you are distantly linked to, with
other links that stretch back into the times of Bonampak.
Emptiness. That can never be
satisfied by seeing the original masterpiece. At least not until the next
Siqueiros arises with a rebellious brush and revolutionary heart.
Soon enough.
 |
| Author Garcia, Ed Olmos, Lalo Alcarez |
Fin
Sedano's S.O. Barbara made
my stay as Casa Sedano much like finding that perfect resort on a vacation. My
other hosts during my stay included René's charming parents, Salvadoreños whose
accents reminded me of boriqua's speech of which I usually catch only about
every third word. It made me realize how complex latino Spanish is, something
not cured in a matter of a few days. With more time, I would have loved talking
and listening to fill my coffer of how varied our lives are, how different our experiences,
how crazy our heritage. Maybe on another, extended stay I can work past that.
I headed back to Denver, off
to another conference, and then Tejas. I retuned with many copies of my books, not
much lighter than when I arrived. Other things were also much more weighty. The
contacts I'd made, the enjoyment from people I'd spent time with, my
perspective on some aspects of life in L.A. And my fuller belly from the
cuisine at Casa Sedano. Hasta luego.
Es todo, hoy,
RudyG, aka Rudy Ch. Garcia,
author of The Closet of Discarded Dreams
Oct. 24-31, Garcia will be
in HOUSTON at the River Oaks Bookstore;
in SAN ANTONIO at the SW Workers Union Underground Library, The
Twig Book Shop and at Palo Alto College. Click here for details.
Garcia's author interviews
can be heard on Tue. Oct 23, 7:30pm CST on Tony Diaz's Nuestra Palabra - Latino Writers Having Their Say, KPFT 90.1fm in
Houston and seen on the Great Day San
Antonio daytime program, KENS5 TV in San Anto, Sun. Oct. 28 at noon.
