Run into a Piñata If You Doubt a Golden Age in Latino Literature

Melinda Palacio

Are we experiencing a Golden Age in Latino Literature?

On the heels of La Bloga's debate of whether or not we are experiencing a Golden Age in Literature comes the clincher in form of a NY Times article, "Young Latino Students Don't See themselves in Books" by Motoko Rich. 

In Cuba, kids clamored to pose for a photo with me in front of Fusto's art studio.

In my own experience, I can say that it wasn't until college when I read my first Latina author, Sandra Cisneros. She was the one token voice that one of my professors at UC Berkeley had assigned. With the recent 25th anniversary edition of House on Mango Street, it's safe to say that generations of readers around the world have grown up reading her. However, while there are more Latino and Latina authors being published by small and larger houses, many self-published, we could do better.

The gold is not raining down on Latino authors. Only a handful of us have the name recognition and off-the-chart sales such as Sandra Cisneros and Junot Diaz. I will be the first to raise my hand high and hope to be anointed by the holy literary spirit and simply write without having to make marketing my work a companion occupation to writing.

This year, my first novel, Ocotillo Dreams, has garnered two awards. I am extremely grateful and fortunate that fellow Bloguero Daniel Olivas nominated me for the prestigious PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature.

Melinda Palacio and Daniel Olivas at the PEN Oakland Awards Ceremony

I have learned much from my numerous attempts to follow in the footsteps of Olivas, one of the hardest working writers I know (and he is a lawyer by day). Olivas taught me that if I wanted more of my stories, poetry, and books accepted for publication, I needed to read books in my field and become an expert in my market. An important lesson in reading. Through his book reviews with the El Paso Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books, Olivas also promotes the work of other Latino writers. 

The fact that he has published six books with respectable small presses should mean that agents and publishers knock on his door constantly and that he his bombarded with requests to visit schools and universities and could honor such requests because he could quit being a public defender and live off of his royalties.  A personal Golden Age, but not one that brings the type of gold that a best seller brings or a book featured in the New York Times or on NPR's Fresh Air.

UCSC student, Gabriela, was thankful to finally recognize herself in the works of Juan Felipe Herrera, Javier O. Huerta and Melinda Palacio.

I don't have a day job, but I try to stretch my honorarium dollars to visit as many schools and venues as possible because of the readers who thank me for my words, thank me for visiting their school, thank me for sharing my stories. A golden year? I am grateful to be included in the discussion of authors and poets and their writing. My books have not made those coveted holiday must-read list or garnered best-seller status. However, it is certainly a Golden Age when Juan Felipe Herrera is named California Poet Laureate, and he endorses my new poetry book, How Fire Is a Story, Waiting. The march continues and when I am feeling as if I am the only one who hears the tree falling in the forest, I will heed the advice of Juan Felipe Herrera and run into a piñata.

Juan Felipe Herrera contemplates explaining the joys of running into a piñata to UCSC students last week.

It's a Brown Holiday, Alright, My Birthday.

Melinda Palacio

Melinda in Havana, Cuba

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, which sometimes falls on my birthday. This year I am not doing much because everyday has been an incredible gift. Last week, I was in Cuba, celebrating my birthday and being a tourist under the auspices of All Rise Church. Traveling to Cuba was somewhat like traveling through time, the cars were old, the buildings ancient, a splendor that time forgot. Ingenuity on the tiny island spanned from making jewelry out cow bones to a musician using the wire on a bicycle brake to restring his guitar.

The View from Hemingway's house.

Listening to live music, everywhere, was one of my favorite parts of the trip, along with meeting the people. I have always loved Cuban music and "Maria Cristina," was sort of an early theme song for me because my grandmother would always play the record by Nico Saquito. Also, she never liked my name, Melinda, and instead called me, Maria Cristina. Strangely enough, the song is about a man complaining about his strong-headed woman who always tells him what to do.

Melinda in a 1956 Pontiac. Why don't they make cars like this anymore?

It's easy to see why Hemingway fell in love with Cuba. If we didn't have such restrictions, I would certainly visit more often and maybe live there part-time myself. Havana reminded me of New Orleans. I was happy to see there is a movement to restore and preserve the splendor of the buildings, many with marbled staircases and incredible iron work.

Cienfuegos, Cuba

I was the only one of our group brave enough to jump in the Caribbean ocean at Sunset. I thought the water was perfect for a November sunset swim. The water was so salty little effort was needed to stay afloat. One of my definitions of a perfect vacation involves swimming in a warm ocean. 

All Play And No Work... hmm

A little poetry propaganda and promotion was in order. I have the self-promotion act down. Even on vacation in Cuba, I managed to sell a couple of books to Canadian tourists and share my work with a few locals. People that knew my mother, Blanca, can tell you that she was promoting me from the start, preparing me to be comfortable talking about myself. It's ironic because I used to hate it and found it highly embarrassing that strangers would tell me, your mother was bragging about you and she told us all about you. At age nine, I didn't feel accomplished about anything and believed that the things my mother would brag to her friends about were highly exaggerated. But she also taught me how to market and sell products. She belonged to AMAE, the Association of Mexican American Educators, and would have me sell t-shirts and buttons to support a scholarship program for high school graduates. I didn't know it at the time, but she was preparing me for all business side of writing, the marketing and self-promotion that authors must now do for themselves.

Next week, I have two exciting events. First, I will be part of UC Santa Cruz's Latino Literature Conference with Juan Felipe Herrera and Javier O. Huerta and a host of academic panels, November 30.

And, drum roll please, on Saturday, December 1, Ocotillo Dreams will receive a PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature. You are invited to the 22nd annual PEN Oakland National Literary Awards, Saturday December 1, 2 PM, at the Oakland Rockridge library, 5366 College Avenue. Admission is free. 

The PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, Saturday, December 1st .

The Latino Literature Conference at UC Santa Cruz is November 30

Finally, the Fire tour continues, actually it hasn't stopped. After Cuba I was on the Pooch Power Hour, wearing my Pocha t-shirt by Lalo Alcarez last Friday. Last Saturday, I read at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque and Tuesday, I had a book signing and reading at Chaucer's in Santa Barbara. 

Next week, before heading to the Bay Area, I will visit SBCC's Chicana Literature class on Tuesday, November 27 and a Santa Barbara Book Club, December 4.

Next month, before heading to New Orleans, I have one more book signing in Santa Barbara for First Thursday, Santa Barbara at the Book Den, December 6 at 6pm, where I will be signing copies of How Fire Is a Story, Waiting. 

There are a few days left to support Claudia Hernandez's Revolutionary Women Project; I have the honor of being part of her dream to inspire young women.

Got Libros?

Melinda Palacio

Melinda Palacio, Aurora Anaya Cerda, and Nora Comstock at the 14th International Latino Book Awards

La Bloga will be reporting from La Casa Azul Bookstore in Nueva York all week. I'll be in town for all the events, including the Brooklyn Book Festival Saturday, September 23 and a book signing at the booth hosted by La Casa Azul Bookstore and Las Comadres, Booth # 122. Confirmed authors include: Esmeralda Santiago, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, John Parra, Reyna Grande, Sandra Guzman, Toni Plummer, Melinda Palacio, Alberto Ferreras, Ana Arelys Cruz Cabrera, Carlos Andres Gomez, David Unger, Grece Flores Hughes, Jaime Manrique, Lucrecia Guerrero, and Patricia Engel.  

My first visit to New York as an author brought a special surprise, a win of the Mariposa Award for Best First Book for my novel, Ocotillo Dreams. I had such a grand time seeing the sights and mingling with New Yorkers that, after the June ceremony at the Instituto Cervantes, I kept saying,  'I wish I can come back to New York soon'. Immediately, my wish was granted when Adriana Dominguez invited me to join the Las Comadres booth at the Brooklyn Book Festival and the Las Comadres y Compadres Writers Conference, Saturday October 6,held at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, Brooklyn.

The conference features authors, agents, editors, and publishers, but there will also be a poetry panel, moderated by Rich Villar, Executive Director of Acentos, from 11:00 -11-50. Published poets discuss the poetry business and how to see your poems in print. Panelists include Melinda Palacio, Emanuel Xavier, and Lila Zemborain. Register for the conference here.

Melinda and Toni Margarita (find us at the Brooklyn Book Festival Saturday, Sept. 23 at noon, booth 122)

For those of you playing the Where in the World is Melinda postcard contest on facebook, a big hint, I will be in New York this week and for two days in October. See if you're the first to identify where I'm at and I will write a postcard to you and drop it in the US mail.

The New York festivities begin tonight at La Casa Azul:

Book Launch Party for   

Count on Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships
Thursday September 20, 6:00pm - 8:00pm  

Edited by Adriana V. López, this collection of stories features twelve prominent Latino authors who reveal how friendships have helped them to overcome difficult moments in their lives.

Confirmed authors:

Esmeralda Santiago, Daisy Martínez, Sofia Quintero, Michelle Herrera Mulligan and Adriana V. López.

Free event, RSVP required: rsvp.lacasaazul@gmail.com 

50 for Freedom (This event is also happening nationwide, including Tia Chucha's in Sylmar from 5pm to 10 pm)

Friday September 21, 6:00pm - 8:00pm 
New York City's Latino literary community will converge to participate in "50 for Freedom of Speech," a national day of action protesting the de facto banning of Latino literature in the state of Arizona (with similar legislation poised to pass in other states as a result). 
Reading by banned Puerto Rican author and award-winning poet Martín Espada and readings of other banned book texts by some of New York City's top Latino academic, literary and spoken word talent.

Organized by: Librotraficante, Sangre Viva Arts Alliance and Acentos, Latino Rebels and La Casa Azul Bookstore, 143 E. 103rd street,  New York, New York.

Free event, RSVP required: rsvp.lacasaazul@gmail.com

Storytelling & Book Signing by John Parra, Saturday September 22, 12:00pm - 1:00pm.   

He may be a New Yorker now, but Parra is from Santa Barbara and Goleta, a fellow California native. He is a wonderful artist and I own my personal copy of My Name Is Gabriela. I'm looking forward to meeting the artist behind children's titles including: Gracias/Thanks, Waiting for the Biblioburro, P is for Piñata, and My Name is Gabriela.

   

Reading of The Distance Between Us

by Reyna Grande  

Tuesday September 25 6:00pm - 7:30pm  

You've read all about her on La Bloga, the L.A. Times, Slate, Christian Science Monitor, you name it. New yorkers can enjoy hearing Reyna Grande's story at La Casa Azul.

Free event, RSVP required: rsvp.lacasaazul@gmail.com 

Reading with Sergio Troncoso & Renato Rosaldo    

Thursday September 27, 6:00 - 8:00pm 

Sergio Troncoso debates and challenges us on the mystery of familias, how they determine our identity and how we break free of them, from fatherhood to interfaith marriage to educating our children. From Tucson to the Philippines, from Palo Alto to Manhattan, these readable poems tell of illness and racism, love and death-all in vivid tones. Savor these poems, slowly, what you inbibe will engage and enrich you.

Free event, RSVP required: rsvp.lacasaazul@gmail.com 

Here's some excellent news...

PEN Oakland officially announced the winners of the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Awards. I'm honored to see Ocotillo Dreams make the list.

PEN OAKLAND

" The Blue Collar PEN" The New York Times

Announces

22st Annual 2012 Literary Awards

Saturday, December 1, 2012, 2 PM – 5 PM

(Oakland , CA), September 17, 2012  --- The 22nd Annual PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles National Literary Awards will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2012, at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Avenue from 2 to 5 p.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a reception and book signings.   PEN Oakland , founded in 1989, is a chapter of PEN International, founded in 1921. Dubbed "the blue collar PEN" by the New York Times, PEN Oakland annually sponsors the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Book Awards, named for the late poet and faculty member of U.C. Berkeley's English Department. This year marks the 22st anniversary of the awards.  Each year PEN Oakland presents an award to outstanding book titles published in the previous year. The Awards were created twenty years ago to honor writers of exceptional works often not acknowledged by the mainstream literary community.  Judged by respected writers, the awards honor books that both reflect a multi-cultural or marginalized viewpoint and represent the highest standards of literature.

THE 2012 PEN OAKLAND-JOSEPHINE MILES LITERARY AWARD WINNERS

 
 

Ocotillo Dreams  by Melinda Palacio.

Bilingual Review Press. (novel)

The Armageddon of Funk by Michael Warr.

Tia Chucha Press. (poetry)

Solitude of Five Moons  by Aurora Harris.

Broadside Press/University of Detroit Mercy Press. (poetry)

La Negra y Blanca: Fugue & Commentary by Deena Metzger.

Hand to Hand Press. (novel)

Fug You  by Ed Sanders.

Da Capo Press. (memoir)   

Sugar Zone by Mary Mackey.

Marsh Hawk Press (poetry)

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward.

Bloomsbury. (novel)

CENSORSHIP AND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Alexander Cockburn is the winner of the 2012 Censorship Award.

Q.R. Hand will receive the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Countdown to Publication:

ONE MONTH

How Fire Is a Story, Waiting (Tia Chucha Press, Fall 2012)

"Palacio’s work is expansive, physical, funeral-wet, elevated, funny, existential, woman-story, jazzy and Pachukona. She is unafraid to dive head-on into questions of death, loss and self. Into the fiery entwined spikes of father-daughter estrangements, mother-daughter intimacies and most of all, she is “insomniac” bold in this volume as an ongoing sequence on self.  Melinda’s collection has Bop and “swagger,” lingo, song, denuncia, compassion and wild, unexpected turns– all the key ingredients and hard-won practices of a poet (and shaman) in command of her powers.  I don’t think there is anything like this book. ¡Brillantissima!"

- Juan Felipe Herrera