Chicanonautica: The Secret Yaqui Apocalypse

by Ernest Hogan

I consider the Yaquis to be family. My grandfather was a Yaqui – well, actually he was my mom's stepfather, but we didn't make those kind of distinctions in our large, extended Chicano familia. Identity can be such a bitch. So I'm a Chichimec, but the influence of that Yaqui warrior on me is monumental.

I've always been frustrated by how difficult it was to find information about the Yaquis. In most accessible culture, the dubious books of Carlos Castaneda dominate, but I'm been told by Yaquis I've met that they're not accurate, and Castaneda's "New Age" activities later in life backed that up. The Yaquis we bought my wife's wedding dress from in Guadalupe, Arizona, were nice enough, but why were they such badasses in the movie Two Mules for Sister Sara (in which Clint Eastwood plays a guy named Hogan)? Hollywood thought Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch made believable Yaqui revolutionaries in 100 Rifles. And why were they trying to overthrow the Mexican government in the old serial Zorro's Fighting Legion?

Recently, I ran across a documentary by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, creator of the detective Hector Belacoarán Shayne, author of more fiction and nonfiction than I can keep up with. The Yaquis is part of Los Nuestros, a series he's doing for the Venezuelan network teleSUR. The missing Yaqui history is revealed.

The Yaquis tells the history that isn't told in Mexican classrooms: The story of Mexico's longest armed struggle that is echoed in the contemporary struggle for the waters of the Yaqui River, a struggle that could wipe the people and the river out of existence.

It's a story that's happened before, and is still happening, all over Aztlán. Ruins, ancient and modern, are usually found next to dead rivers. Towns, peoples, civilizations can die. It's a problem that will require very real politics, and more science than fiction to solve.

Meanwhile, here's the documentary:

Ernest Hogan's novel Cortez on Jupiter, “introduced the subgenre of Chicano SF to a startled, dazzled American audience,” according to Publishers Weekly.

Review: Mexico City Noir

Mexico City Noir. Edited by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Translated by Achy Obejas. NY: Akashic Books, 2010.
ISBN-13: 978-1-933354-90-3

Michael Sedano

When Akashic Books' Tim McLoughlin and Johnny Temple hit on the idea of a city themed collection, commencing with Brooklyn Noir, it must have seemed like a good idea. Now, with dozens of cities all over the world noired, it's obviously an idea whose time has come and keeps on coming. How deliciously endless its possibilities!

I'm waiting for Redlands Noir and Isla Vista Noir, and how cool would it be to see Hwa-ak-ni Noir? For now, however, I'm more than happy to take a walk on the dark side of one of my favorite non-hometown cities, el Defie, la Capirucha,"the best city on the planet," per the introduction by writer extraordinoir Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Mexico City.

Taibo, and his translator, the accomplished Cubana noirista Achy Obejas, do not make a very good case for that sentimental ascription. As TaibObejas note, if you were assaulted on the streets of Mexico City you wouldn't call a cop. "What do you want, to be assaulted twice?"

The editor collects his material in three parts featuring four stories each. Part I, Above the Law, spotlights four stories that reinforce that implict indictment of D.F. cops' murderous venality with a variety of cop lowlifes. The opening story, from Colonia Narvarte, offers a fevered monologue of a homeless vato who, brutalized in the course of witnessing a cop crime, pushes his shopping cart in a vain journey to escape the memory and a second encounter with the cops. Taibo's own story, "The Corner" set in Colonia Doctores, plays with point of view that beguiles with misdirection. A writer, Fierro, friendly with Manterola, the local beat cop, banters about this crime and that criminal, and the single most crime-ridden corner in the city. Fierro is engaged by the "top dog" of the city's police establishment, seeking ideas on how to change that locus of danger. Fierro's first suggestion, give the corner to sister city Los Angeles, gets a chuckle. The next suggestion, send the cops on vacation to Acapulco, doesn't. But a cultural festival with poetry and music and conga lines is the writer's answer. The story's also Taibo's in-joke, adding to the grim fun of the piece. There's a store named the Flor de Gijón--Taibo's hometown; Fierro gets several chapters out of the corner in a novel, i.e., this story; and the bad cop loses an eye to some angry convict, an echo of Taibo's one-eyed detective, Hector Belascoaran Shayne.

Part II, Dead Men Walking, presents first person narratives by witnesses or victims. An interesting piece, Myriam Laurini's "Violeta Isn't Here Anymore," could as readily fit into part I. Purporting to transcribe audiotapes of witness statements, the reader stares aghast at cold cynicism of a cop willing to trash the lives of anyone involved in a crime just because he can. Adding interest to the story is Laurini's ascent into surrealism when the cops begin to see parallels between the investigation and a Borges story, "The Aleph". By the wrap of events, elements of the Borges story overlap the crime narrative leaving everything hanging in a literary ambiguity.

Part III, Suffocation City, contains an abysmally dense experimental story, Eduardo Monteverde's "God Is Fanatical, Hija," involving transgender priests and nuns, buggering cops, and cannibalism. So thoroughly weird and wild, I hear echoes of William Burroughs' drug-spawned Naked Lunch rippling through the depravity of Monteverde's plot. It's deeply disturbingly strange. Taibo rewards the reader for patience with Monteverde with a finishing pair of more conventional tales, Victor Luis González "Of Cats and Murders" and Julia Rodríguez' RENO. In the former, echoes of the JFK assassination reverberate, in the latter the victim of gang rape may have ended up in tamales.

Mexico City Noir is one of those volumes that cries out for facing page translation, if for no other reason than to enjoy the vituperative resources of Defie Spanish. Obejas usually resorts to "fuck" in a variety of settings that leave me wondering how the conversation goes down in the writer's own idiom. Obejas elects an easy-going narrative style that sounds the same voice from story to story. To her credit, the translation has few of the intercultural irritations seen in less able translations. Obejas recognizes that some things can be said in only one language, so a cabrón is a cabrón, a .45 caliber bullet pulverizes 20 centimeters of one's heart, not 7-plus inches, but Temeraria is reckless, including italics in a clever reversal of the "foreign word" orthography rule of Unitedstatesian publishing.

Readers will enjoy experiencing numerous Mexicano and two Mexicana writers likely unknown to U.S. or Canadian readers. Taibo, of course, is well-known, as perhaps twice-Hammett prized Rolo Diez, whose excellent cop novel, Tequila Blue was translated by the British publisher Bitter Lemon Press. The author thumbnails at the end identify Julia Rodríguez as among the first Mexican noir writers, and Laurini as one of the first women noir writers in Mexico. Per the back cover, many of the stories are brand-new for this collection.

Last time I was in Mexico City, the locals advised I not wear a wrist watch, to blend in better. My digital camera obviously fooled everyone but one taxi driver who relentlessly asked if I came to Mexico loaded with cash. "Nel," I told him, I'd come to borrow money from relatives. Wonder if I woulda called the cops if the cabrón had pulled a knife?

That's the view from Mexico City this second Tuesday of December. A Tuesday like any other Tuesday, except You Are Here. Watch out for those tamales with rings in them, it might not be a simple children's story.

Les wachamos.

mvs

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Mexico City Noir and the Six Word Story

Mexico City Noir
edited by Paco Ignacio Taibo II
Akashic Books - February, 2010

I recently learned about this upcoming book - here's the publisher's announcement:

Launched by the summer '04 award-winning, best-seller Brooklyn Noir, Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.

Mexico City enters the Noir Series arena, edited by one of Mexico's most revered novelists.

Brand-new stories by: Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Eugenio Aguirre, Eduardo Antonia Parra, Bernardo Fernandez Bef, Oscar de la Borbolla, Rolo Diez, Victor Luiz Gonzalez, F.G. Haghenbeck, Juan Hernandez Luna, Myriam Laurini, Eduardo Monteverde, and Julia Rodriguez.

It's hard to get much more noir than Mexico City, and after several years' effort, Akashic was finally able to rope Paco I. Taibo into curating this dramatic, chilling, and frequently hilarious volume.

Paco I. Taibo II was born in Gijon, Spain and has lived in Mexico since 1958. He is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, which have been published in many languages around the world, including a mystery series starring Mexican Private Investigator Hector Belascoaran Shayne. He is a professor of history at the Metropolitan University of Mexico City.

This is the first book on my TBR file for 2010.

Six Word Story

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway thought his best story had only six words:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

That's a very good story but Hemingway probably didn't write it, and I can't find a reliable source that says he took credit for the six words. At this point in time, it doesn't really matter, does it? The six words have a beginning, middle and end; a set-up, tension, a twist, and climactic finish; all wrapped in admirable brevity and poignancy. We want to believe the legend because the story fits with what we want to believe about Hemingway. In any event, the idea that short is good (those of us under 6 feet already know this to be true) has caught on and there are numerous six word story contests online. Just search six word story and read any of the 65,900,000 results.

You know what's next. Let's see your six word stories. Post them in a comment to La Bloga. So far there are only two rules: six words, no more, no less; and the six words have to be a story, not a wise saying, not a dicho, not a line of poetry. Other than that, the field is wide open.

The deadline for posting your story as a comment to this post is November 23, by midnight (MST). I'll pick the winner but I will take into consideration any comments that praise particular entries, so, in a sense, you get to be a judge, too. The winner will get a copy of my new book, King of the Chicanos, when it is published in the spring of 2010.

This is harder than it sounds and since I know you can do better than I, here are a few six word stories to set up the challenge:

Late night affair, early morning heartbreak.

He died; they discovered the medal.

She stood her ground, he fired.

Letters torn, photos burned, locks changed.

Later.

Este y Eso

I hope you all had a peaceful and meaningful holiday. For the day after Thanksgiving, I present brief notices skimmed from the headlines that feature a few books and many people deserving our gratitude.


Junot Díaz says that Martín Solares' grim noir novel, Los minutos negros (Debosillo), translated as The Black Minutes, (Grove Press), is one of the best of 2008. Díaz is quoted in the London Times Online: "A breathless, marvelous first novel that begins with the murder of a journalist in a mid-sized Mexican city but that quickly propels the investigator-protagonist, Maceton, into a darker mystery: the savage unsolved murders of a series of young girls. This is Latin American fiction at its pulpy phantasmagorical finest, this is a literary masterpiece masquerading as a police procedural and nothing else I’ve read this year comes close."

Sounds like I should read this book. Anyone out there already done that?


Bless Me, Ultima has again been blacklisted by a school district. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District (California) Superintendent Rick Fauss decided the book is not suitable for teenagers and banned it for the rest of the school year. The American Library Association says that Rudolfo Anaya's book is one of the most challenged in the country. "I think there's room for exposing students to other experiences, but do we have to sacrifice the values of our families and our community to do that?" asked Fauss, a former high school English teacher. He hasn't read the entire book but said he's "read enough." Despite widespread community knowledge of his decision, Fauss said he hasn't received any complaints except from four teachers. Fauss said that proves he made the right decision, one that "reflects the values of the community." The article in the Mercury News quotes one of the complaining teachers: "This is Hispanic literature. Sixty-five percent of our enrollment consists of the Hispanic population. They can identify with this book culturally. ... The book talks about things these kids are growing up hearing. And for the non-Hispanic kids, this is something different."

Mr. Fauss should finish the book. Then he ought to check out what Dana Gioia, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts says about Bless Me, Ultima, one of the books in the NEA's Big Read program:
"there was something magical about Anaya's coming-of-age story in post-World War II New Mexico. Full of dreams, legends, prayers, and folkways, it presents a world where everyday life is still enchanted. ... A great book combines enlightenment with enchantment. It awakens our imagination and enlarges our humanity. It can even offer harrowing insights that somehow console and comfort us." Have no fear, Mr. Strauss, and read on.

Paco Ignacio Taibo I died in Mexico City on November 13. He was 84. Taibo was exiled from Spain in 1950 for his socialist activism. He began his writing career as a cycling reporter and eventually wrote more than 50 novels. He won numerous awards during his lifetime including the Great Cross of the Order of Civil Merit presented by the Spanish government, one for his contribution to cultural journalism at the 2004 Guadalajara International Book Fair, and Mexico's National Journalism Prize last May. One of his sons, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, is well-known in the U.S. for his crime and political fiction, and his sponsorship of the annual literary festival in Gijón, Spain, Semana Negra ( featured here on La Bloga last summer with reporting from Thania Muñoz.) Our condolences to the Taibo family.

The Rocky Mountain News continues its celebration of 150 years of Denver history with a list of 150 unsung heroes. Of course, such a list will never include everyone who should be included, but I think it's worth acknowledging the Latinos and Latinas who are listed. I won't name them all, but on the list you will find people such as: Rosalinda Aguirre (co-owner of Rosalinda's Mexican Café, in Northwest Denver for more than 25 years; co-chair of Padres Unidos a parent organization serving Northwest Denver); Stella Cordova (owner and creator of world-famous Chubby's); Ray Espinoza (teacher, artist and one of the original founders of the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council [CHAC]); Nita Gonzales (a lifelong activist who oversees Escuela Tlatelolco, a school founded in 1969 by her late father, Corky Gonzales); Stevon Lucero (noted artist and another CHAC founder); José Mercado (actor and teacher, founder of the Labyrinth Arts Academy, a nonprofit that offers education in theater and media arts for public schools and at-risk youth) and several other very worthy "unsung heroes." You can find the entire list here.

Meanwhile, over at The Latest Word, a blog from Westword, a weekly news and arts magazine, Susan Froyd posted her own list of "Denver treasures" in the arts. Froyd says her list is of " a few folks – everyday people who’ve carved out their thriving niches – whom I’ve been lucky enough to find along the way."


Under the heading of The Denver Chicano Arts Community, Froyd says, "I thought I could name just one person, Carlos Fresquez (a personal favorite as an artist) [pictured at right]. But I soon realized that Carlos is a community member who shares with his artist compadres and comadres a certain number of traits: a 500-year-old regional history, a recognition for the bedrock importance of la familia, a politicized sensibility rooted in the populist rise of La Raza in the ´60s and ´70s, and a kind of identifiable humbleness (and the easy sense of humor that goes along with it), to name a few. And they are many, both living and departed. Along with Carlos, there are Daniel and Maruca Salazar, Tony Ortega and Sylvia Montero, santeros Carlos Santistevan and Jerry Vigil, Su Teatro director Tony Garcia, muralist Emanuel Martinez, the poets Lalo Delgado and Corky Gonzales, author Manuel Ramos and broadcaster Flo Hernandez Ramos, actor and filmmaker Gwylym Cano, literally everyone at the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council and so many more -- some elder statesmen and others on the rise. The word rich doesn’t even begin to describe this league." That's quite a list; thanks for the mention, Susan.

One of the people on Westword's list, Florence Hernandez-Ramos, published an article entitled The Revolution May Not Be Televised, But It Will Be On Radio, a think piece for Grow The Audience, a segment of Station Resource Group Online. The article was written on behalf of the Latino Public Radio Consortium and explores the future and challenges of Latino involvement and influence in public radio. Check it out.

Al fin, Happy Birthday to Daniel, Michael, René, Lisa, Ann, Rudy, and yours truly - today La Bloga is four years old- finally learning how to walk. Thanks to our contributors, all the writers who continue to write, and all of you readers who insist on reading books that matter, that entertain, that teach, that make you cry in the night or laugh in the morning; books that leave you wanting more. Here's to another year of La Bloga.


Later.

La Semana Negra’s last days

Exclusive reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash by our roving reporter.

I’m back in Los Angeles, La Semana Negra ended! There was a lot going on during the final days, but I’ll try to summarize them in two posts.

One of the most important events happened on July 19. At the yell of, “Weimar for everyone,” the 21st Semana Negra gave away 1,000 book sets dedicated to giving voice to writers who opposed the Nazis during the 1930’s and 40’s. The set is an incredible black edition with a big, thick gold “W” across the box. It's composed of two books, one is a selection of texts by German writers who, because they opposed the Nazis, were silenced and as a consequence their literature is not well known--writers such as Gustav Regler, Ludwig Renn, Bodo Ushe, and Marchwitza Kisch even wrote continuously during those years.

As Carlos Fortea said, “I think we owed them this recognition and this rescue from oblivion. . . I wouldn’t call this poetic justice; instead, I want this to be an act to rescue their literature. These people have the right to be on these pages.” Other writers such as Bertolt Bretch and Anna Seghers also deserve acknowledgment for their work during that time, but their case is different since they did gain international recognition.

The second book is dedicated to stories told from different perspectives but with the same setting, by contemporary writers. Paco Taibo II and forty other writers illustrate this period of history with photography, comics, or short stories, among others. At the event in the main tent of La Semana Negra, the stage was packed with writers and other artists who participated in the making of the book. Taibo II wanted to give each recognition for their work, from taking the time to doing it for free.

Since this was a free book, a gift from La Semana Negra and Pepsi, the tent was full and everyone was trying to get to the front, because although there were 1,000 books, there weren’t enough for all the people. Talking to people, I found out why everyone was so anxious and desperate to get to the front. But of course at the beginning they weren’t too obvious. I also wanted to get the free book, so I got there an hour early and got a comfortable chair at the front.

From asking the staff and people around me, I found out that every year people get wild. They push, throw chairs or even hit people to get to the front for the free book. Since there are a limited number, people know that if they don’t in a sense get a little rowdy and pushy, they are not going to get one. For some this is almost unthinkable, because the book is a Semana Negra tradition and they have been collecting them for years.

I think this a great tradition. I think there is nothing better than collecting books and of course reading them. But the conversations about how “last year people were taking the books from each other” and “people got on stage and wanted more than two!” (the rule is you can only get one) got me very scared.

But the story that seemed the most funny and scary at the same time, was that last year the organization decided to keep the books in the big brown boxes and designated people to pass them out. Well, this didn’t turn out as planned, because people were fighting for the boxes with the staff and the old lady who I previously mentioned actually fought Taibo II for one of them. As Marina Taibo (Taibo II’s daughter) told me, “she was crunching her teeth and pulling the box with all her strength. It was quite scary.” Even though I would have loved to see this, this year’s organization would try to avoid this sort of thing.

All the books were spread out on stage. After introductions and thank-you’s, Taibo II and Angel de la Calle, one of the contributors and the director of “A Quemarropa” (La Semana Negra’s newspaper) gave the ok for people to come on stage to get the book. At the beginning people came up in an orderly fashion. I did so by only taking two steps, but as soon as people saw the books were running out, they forgot their manners and started pushing.

Not that I’m complaining, but to properly illustrate people’s behavior, after I got my book and was making my way to the rear of the tent, my shins were hurt by chairs people were trying to get them out of the way. I screamed (not too loud though) and made it out alive with just a few bruises. This year didn’t get as wild as others, which made everything so much better and enjoyable, although my shins don’t agree.

After the books were distributed, the contributors went to another tent where they had set up tables, and the writers signed the books. An endless line, but that made the free book even more special--thirty-two contributors in total! Some writers signed on the page of their story, the comic’s artists drew on them and others simply gave you a quick smile and signed on the first page. After an hour and half, they finally ended and marked their time in history, which in my case, will never be forgotten.

Don’t miss the last post of the incredible Semana Negra,
Thank you to all who have been keeping up with my posts!

Saludos desde Los Angeles!
Thania Muñoz

Poets José Emilio Pacheco, Joaquín Sabina & Luis García Montero

Exclusive reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash by our roving reporter.

6th Day - Thursday's Poetry Reading

This morning, José Emilio Pacheco, Joaquín Sabina and Luis García Montero read their poetry at the main tent of La Semana Negra. Since the recital was scheduled for one in the morning, I had planned to arrive an hour before, thinking I was going to get a good, comfortable spot. But it seemed dozens of people thought the same thing. Usually at this hour people are at the clubs dancing away the night, and you would think no one would even think about poetry. But in Gijón this was not the case.

As Paco Ignacio Taibo, II said, “Some years ago when I proposed a poetry reading late at night, people said I was crazy, that no one would actually attend.” But in fact a lot of people attended, and as I made my way through the audience that was trying to find chairs and move closer to the stage, I soon realized I wasn’t going to get a chair. So I made my way through to the front to sit wherever possible. I got a little spot right on the front between two couples and took out my camera. I’m a big poetry reader and just thinking that I was going to be listening to these three important poets of the Spanish language made me shiver. Before the recital, the tent was noisy, people desperately trying to find a place, but by 1:00am, no one else was able to get in. This made me feel more excited, and I felt envious looks from people behind me.

The recital got started by Yampi who livened up the tent with his guitar so people started singing. With his endless smile, Yampi thanked everyone for being there so late at night. He honored the deceased poet Ángel González by singing some of his poems, verses that quickly changed the mood of the tent. Ángel González died this year on January 12th and his death is most felt at La Semana Negra, because since the late-night poetry readings got started by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Ángel had never missed a year.

Joaquín Sabina, famous songwriter and poet, has been attending La Semana Negra for the last six years and Luis García Montero, has also attended for many years. The only newbie was José Emilio Pacheco, who in some way came to replace Ángel González. Not an easy task, but knowing that José Emilio is considered one of the most important Mexican poets of our time, with his brilliant work in narrative, translation and most importantly poetry, he had nothing to fear.

A little after 1:00 Paco Taibo went on the stage and people went crazy clapping. Taibo said how happy he felt that so many people were at the event and that he knew we would truly enjoy it because, "poetry has less and less space in our society." He introduced the poets and surrounded by claps, cheers and yells, the three poets got on stage and waved to everyone. It was an amazing moment when the poets took their seats. Sabina and Montero seemed very comfortable on stage. Pacheco on the other hand seemed nervous and timid, but this didn’t stop his smile.

The recital started with Sabina and Montero together reciting a poem dedicated to Pacheco, verses that truly evoked the importance of Pacheco’s place in Spanish language poetry. The two poets declared that the poem was an homage, following the example of Pablo Neruda and Federico García Lorca's tribute poem to Ruben Darío. The poem was recited with enthusiasm, vividly, full of respect and admiration for the Mexican poet. Pacheco was moved by the poem to reply, “The least I can do you for you is read you poems that haven’t been publish yet.” He read three short poems and afterward timidly thanked everyone.

For an hour the poets took turns reading their poetry, and after each, the crowd got rowdier and louder. Many times you would see Taibo II trying to silence everyone from the side, because as he said at the beginning, “I want to establish a quiet and peaceful atmosphere so everyone can hear well and enjoy the poetry.” This was impossible. People would scream and tell Sabina or Montero that they loved them; or to Pacheco, “You are the greatest,” and similar remarks. I have to confess I was loud too, but how could you not in the presence of these eminents breathing the same air you are, stepping on the same sand and, most importantly, listening to their verses in such an intimate space?

Joaquin Sabina was the last to perform; García Montero joined him by singing the choruses. It was a tango entitled "Semana Negra", lyrics especially dedicated to La Semana Negra and all the happiness it brings to Gijón. After the song, a lot of people tried to get on stage. I got pushed and stepped on, until Taibo announced the poets would be signing books, but that everyone had to make a line. The organizers of La Semana Negra also gave away copies of a special anthology of Pacheco’s poetry to everyone.

For half an hour the poets signed books, and people in line were excited and had big smiles on their faces. Unfortunately, when the poets tired and decided to head to the hotel, people still in line got a little crazy and started pushing. Security intervened to protect the poets, who at the moment were much like rock stars. I don’t blame anyone; getting their autographs is special.

After the poets left, there was a strong energy in the air. It was like one of those moments you don’t believe just happened and you know they will never happen again--truly an unforgettable night for the people and visitors of Gijón.

I love La Semana Negra!

Besos desde Gijón,
Thania Muñoz

Las Tertulias at La Semana Negra

Exclusive reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash by our roving reporter.

I've been looking for a word to correctly translate “tertulias.” Since unfortunately I didn’t bring my big and thick Oxford dictionary with me, I relied on wordreference.com. The definition it gives doesn’t transmit the same meaning to me, but then again, I think about all the translations in the world, from the classics of literature to Latin American literature translated into English, and I convince myself and say "don’t be so stupid, translations are not that bad."

So, according to my online translator tertulias are: literary gatherings, and I’m sticking to that term. At La Semana Negra, every day at five, there are tertulias where the invited writers discuss a topic. It’s an hour-long debate where they give their own opinions and even get into arguments with the other writers.

The first three literary gatherings where dedicated to the “monsters” of literature or film. The panel included Mexican writer, Miguel Cane, Spanish writers, Elia Barceló, Cristina Macía, Rafael Marín, Daniel Mares, Marc R. Soto, Victor Condé, Federico Fernández Giordano, Rodolfo Martínez, Juan Miguel Aguilera, Eduardo Angulo and Manuel Nonídez.

Right off the bat, the debate heated up. Some said Mr. Hyde is the worst monster of all time; others thought it was zombies and of course the always scary vampires. Although the list of monsters was very long, Mr. Hyde took the prize. Rafael Marín took the discussion to another level by saying Mr. Hyde scares us because he demonstrates that “we could be monsters, too.”

After that “Alien” made an appearance in the discussion and writer Elia Barceló defended him, affirming that “the only thing Alien is trying to do is defend himself.” Some agreed, some didn’t, but what made the literary gatherings more interesting was the great number of people listening to this conversation full of some very nerdy details on movies and books.

Although at the beginning in the “Carpa del encuentro”, Semana Negra's main tent, there weren’t many people, as time went by more slowly started coming. I would look around at the puzzled faces: some were ready to get up and say something, and others nodded when they agreed with what one of the writers said.

The guys next to me confided in me (I think because I was taking notes the whole time), “Yeah, I know it’s so cool to find out that you are not the only one that talks endlessly about these things.” These tertulias bring people closer to the writers so they have the opportunity to get to know them in a more personal way. After the debates are over, you see spectators coming up to the writers, saying they agreed with what they were saying, that the other writers were wrong, or something of the sort.

After the “monsters” tertulias, the next two followed the theme entitled “El mal y sus protagonistas” (wordreference.com again: “Evil and its main characters"). This time it was Paco Ignacio Taibo, II, the Cuban Lorenzo Lunar, Colombians Mario Mendoza and Nahum Montt, Mexican writer Eduardo Monteverde, the Chilean Roberto Ampuero, the Chicano Rolando Hinojosa, and Spaniards Ángel Tomás González, Kama Gutier, Juan Ramón Biedma and Achy Obejas.

This tertulia focused on evil in these writers' own literature, why they write detective fiction, hardboiled, gothic and such, summarizing why their characters or stories are in some way evil. Juan Ramón Biedma at one point, firmly and passionately said, “Because good characters are boring.”

Simple and clear as that, but Roberto Ampuero, the Chilean writer who teaches at the University of Iowa, said “I live in a country (USA) that is constantly trying to separate good from evil, and of course George W. Bush is always saying that we are good, but it’s a lie and it makes no sense. That’s something that intrigues me--why people are always trying to differentiate good from evil, if in reality we are both.” The debate continued on that note, and most of the writers agreed evil is very ambiguous and that we all have the possibility of being the hero or villain, because evil is something within us, something natural.

I don’t want to scare anybody--I know Vampires and Mr. Hyde are not the prettiest things--but I definitely wanted La Bloga readers to know what topics are discussed at La Semana Negra and to make sure everyone gets a feel of the types of discussion that happen here. But not only that; I also wanted to pass on the excitement and happiness that people who attend this gathering feel.

I’m sure some of you reading this will love hearing your favorite writer talk about his horror characters or why they write the way they do and how they build their characters. It’s a special thing and the spectators certainly recognize this, because during the discussions, they didn’t stop taking photos and notes. As someone behind me said, “I’m posting this on my blog.”

Saludos desde Gijón!
Thania Muñoz

The Mexican Vampire

Exclusive reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash by our roving reporter.

4th day - Mexican actor Germán Robles

This year La Semana Negra is paying homage to Germán Robles. Robles is a very well known actor in México and other parts of the world for the collection of vampire movies he did during the late 1950s. He is considered “the” Latin vampire of our time. As critic Jesús Palacios (author of the ¡A mordiscos! book distributed free each night) said, “the Americans have Bela Lugosi, the English, Christopher Lee. We have Germán Robles, one of the greatest”.

La Semana Negra has been screening his movies since Saturday, every night at ten thirty. Since the first day the tent has been full, definitely because at the beginning of each screening, Germán Robles himself presents the movie, and tells spectators an anecdote about the movie. Although he is an elderly person now, he still maintains a posture and an enviable elegance. He is a great actor and is not afraid to say it himself, as on Sunday, “I’m a great actor, and since I don’t have my grandma to be saying good things about me, I have to say it myself: I’m a really good actor!”

Although he has been recognized for his work around the world, and his movies have been translated into more then fifty languages, he is not very well known in Spain. This is especially sad, because although his whole career is centered in México, Robles is from Gijón.

This was a big surprise for the people of this city. Robles’s dad fled the country during the years of the war and settled in Mexico City. Seven years later his wife and son Germán followed him, and the seventeen-year-old Germán Robles started working as an actor and draftsman. He filmed “El Vampiro” in 1957, directed by Fernando Mendéz, before Christopher Lee!

Germán told Sunday’s audience an amazing anecdote about this. He said he had a Mexican friend who used to work at London’s BBC, and at an event he had the opportunity to talk to Christopher Lee. Lee asked him if he was from México and if he knew the actor Germán Robles, to which the reporter, Robles’ friend, answered, “Yes, yes, we are like brothers”. Then Lee told him, “Well, tell Mr. Robles that he was been a true inspiration for me.” Who would have thought that a Mexican inspired the acting as a vampire of an Englishman! An incredible anecdote that Robles told with great pride and a definitely well deserved recognition.

I don’t know how hard it is to find his movies now, but it is definitely worth a try. There are incredibly good Mexican movies from the so-called, “cine de oro mexicano.” Instead of gothic cathedrals or houses with enormous chandeliers as we are used to seeing in dark vampire movies, you see an old Mexican hacienda in a little town of provincial México, a beautiful actress, and an indigenous man, endlessly praying throughout the movie.

Germán Robles's character is an elegant vampire who speaks well, and as Robles himself said, “you can smell his lavender cologne from meters away.” Well directed and aesthetically perfect, even though it was 1957, the special effects are good and the acting amazing.

I emphatically recommend Roble’s vampire collection, and as La Semana Negra continues, so the screenings will continue special homage to a special bloodsucking Gijones.

Thania Muñoz

Books and Churros

Exclusive reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash by our roving reporter.

3rd day - Sunday, June 13

I would like to dedicate this post to the tents of La Semana Negra, to the smell of oily churros, waffles, French fries and sandwiches that populate the air.

I’d heard that at La Semana Negra there was more than books, writers and conferences, but to see it with my own eyes, is an incredible experience. There are tents full of horror books, next to a sandwich and hamburgers joint. Needless to say, a churro tent is located between a detective fiction book tent and another one of fantasy genre.

The event this year is held at Poniente Beach in four tents where most of the film screenings, conferences and other events take place. Your shoes get full of sand everywhere you go, but if it rains, as it did last Friday, what you step in is mud. Nothing to complain about though; you’ll still enjoy a great conference about new book releases or a screening of the 1950’s classic vampire movies of “El Vampiro Mexicano” with an introduction by the vampire himself, the great Mexican actor, Germán Robles. [more on that tomorrow]

The fair is set up as a long line of tents facing the sea. It starts everyday at five o’clock and in a few hours all the tents are lighted. Tons people walk around, eating, talking, and sporting La Semana Negra hats--a black, detective hat given free as a pretty keepsake to people who attend.

There are also tents set up as bars, nightclubs and restaurants. At night, these places are full of people listening either to a live rock band or dancing to the sounds of techno or house. Paco Ignacio Taibo, II proudly said that this year “there are as many bars as bookstores.” When he said this, you could see his gray-haired mustache became a big smile.

La Semana Negra also contains a big concert stage where everyday at 10:30 there are concerts, and spectators comfortably sit on the sand, drink beer, sidra, or their drink of choice and enjoy the music.

The tent bookstores close at 12pm, so it is not rare to see people with bags full of books, tired of carrying them around, having a beer while reading a book they just purchased. I shed a tear every time I see someone with a book by Dashiell Hammett in one hand and chocolate churro on the other. Plain and simple paradise.

This picturesque scenery and the great variety of tents is something Paco Ignacio Taibo II tries to convey every year. In the inauguration ceremony he made a note of that (roughly translated): “this is a celebration for the masses, for the great majority”. And this is entirely true.

You don’t only see intellectuals, professors and other nerds walking around the fair. There are all sorts of people--from the abuelito who can barely read anymore because his sight is not as good as before, to the young guy who prefers to wait until the movie comes out instead of reading the book--who come to La Semana Negra just to have a good time and maybe, after looking at so many books, even buy one.

Great books, food, drinks, and people, just some of the many things this event brings to the city of Gijón and to the people who come and visit during this amazing week.

Besos desde Gijón!

Thania Muñoz

¡Yo vengo a gozar!

Exclusive reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash by our roving reporter

2nd day - interviewing Rolando Hinojosa

Chicano writer Rolando Hinojosa met with me on a cold and rainy Saturday morning. We talked about what la Semana Negra means for him, his book and much more. Enjoy.

Thania: What has been your experience at la Semana Negra?

Rolando: I started attending la Semana Negra ten years ago. I’ve only missed one year, in 2005, and it was only because I was having some health issues, but overall I always try not to miss La Semana.

Three years ago I started teaching, with Spanish writer Elia Barceló, creative writing courses to adults. This year we have a big group of sixteen students; there are fifteen women and one man. The students are seventy years or older, and since they have lived a lot, they also have a lot of experience and a lot to talk about. We meet every day and I read, edit, and provide some criticism of their work. They are dedicated students and one of our students who started taking the classes three years ago has already published a novel; she is eighty-six years old. So we feel very proud to be a part of that.

Thania: What about your experience as a writer?

Rolando: I always participate in discussions here. For example this year I’ m going to participate in a series of discussions about “El mal y sus protagonistas” (Evil and its principal characters). But I also present my work here, either my latest book or work that is going to be published soon. This year I have a novella entitled “Los siete contratos de Ramsey.” I’m trying to get it published here in Spain along with two other novellas that I have written.

Thania: And what about these novels; do they follow the “color” of La Semana? Are they “dark”?

Rolando: Yes, yes, for example, “Los siete contratos de Ramsey” is about an Irish-American cop from Manhattan who retires after twenty-two years of service to turn into a contract killer, “en un matón.” He has seven contracts. Although he is a killer, he is a really good killer. He accomplishes all the contracts, so he is a good worker, but he is also very kind. He behaves good, he is a widower; besides all the killing that he does for money, he is a really good person. The book is in Spanish, but this summer I’m planning to translate it into English.

* * *

This is the short version of a one-hour interview with Rolando Hinojosa. Unfortunately with the hectic Semana Negra schedule I didn’t have the time to type up the complete interview. This is only a taste, but you can imagine what is coming. Hinojosa’s ten years of Semana Negra are hard to explain in one sentence, but what he emphasized throughout the interview is:

“I come to Gijón to have a good time and see old friends, even if I have to do a little work here and there. Yo vengo a gozar!”

Saludos desde Gijón!

Thania Muñoz

The Black Train to Gijón

1st day Friday the 11th

On Friday, I took the famous Black Train to Gijón. I still get the chills when I pronounce these words, although the train is not black (as I had excitedly imagined), the people who get on it definitely are. Not because of their skin hues, of course, but because the train is full of people who write detective fiction, thrillers, horror, fantasy, comics, testimonial, historical, and science fiction books and the rest of us who love these genres.

The writers, visitors, and the press (which I’m part of) met at Hotel Chamartín, which is located in the middle of the train station in Madrid. It was a big group of people from all over the world, with luggage, cameras and smiling faces. My first concern was the organization, how would they keep us together. It seemed as if everyone was in their own little world, but soon I discovered their formula.

Most people participating in La Semana Negra, have attended the event more than once. The famous Chicano writer Rolando Hinojosa told me, “like me, out of the twenty-one years of la Semana Negra, I’ve only missed one, back in 2005”. Everyone knows each other; if one gets lost, someone will notice and look for you. The second way of keeping everyone together is by walking as a group; yes, I felt I was back in middle school and taking a field trip to the museum.

Paco Ignacio Taibo II, la Semana Negra’s founder and continuous organizer, is the leader of our group. With his emblematic cigarette on hand, he lead the group to the train and another member of the organization made sure no one was left behind. What seemed as an impossible task was handled by old-fashioned comradeship.

Before we got on the train, the first issue of A Quemarropa was distributed. This newspaper details the agenda of day, news of invited writers, conferences, concerts and other events at Gijón. The paper is released every morning of la Semana Negra. After we took a look at the newspaper, a group picture was taken and we finally got on the train. My adventure was starting.


As soon as the train left the Madrid train station, writers and reporters alike started walking the aisles, talking and telling each other jokes, laughing and overall having a good time. That’s the other outstanding thing that I would like to highlight about the people who attend this event. Although the genres paid tribute at la Semana might be considered too “black” for every member of the family, it’s still a family event.

Imagine a crime friction writer, a comic writer, and a fantasy writer having a deep conversation about their latest works, while the Cuban writer Amir Valle’s son is pulling down his pants, and the Spanish comic writer Juan Diaz is trying to put his baby to sleep, with no success, to say the least. Not the typical picture of writers smoking cigars and drinking Mojitos in the middle of a smoke cloud, but there is still great conversation, respect for each other, and love. Truly a family event.

We left the station at 8:00am and arrived at Gijón at 6:00pm, a long ride, which included a press conference: Chilean writer Roberto Ampuero talked about his latest book, El Caso Neruda; Colombian writer Mario Mendoza about his book Sátanas. And many others, a long list of new titles and writers that I would share through email.


There was also a concert by Yampi, a Spanish artist, and a funny, but short talk with American writer George RR Martin. At around 4:00 we stopped at the little town of Miéres, where a typical Asturian (northern Spain) band led us into the town to a place where Asturian sidra and appetizers were quickly consumed by us all.

In Gijón, after a short stop at the hotel, all of us headed to playa Poniente, where la Semana Negra tents are set-up. There were already a great number of people looking through tents full of books, sweet desserts or clothing--a weird mixture of items, but this is what makes la Semana Negra a warm, popular event: it's dedicated to literature and to the people who love it.

The inauguration black ribbon was cut by Gijón’s mayor Paz Fernández Felgueroso and Paco Ignacio: la Semana Negra was officially inaugurated!

Great first busy day of a long awaited event. Looking forward to the rest of la Semana Negra. Hope everyone enjoys the post.

Saludos desde Gijón!
Thania Muñoz

Next post:
Rolando Hinojosa talks about his 10-year experience in la Semana Negra.

EXCLUSIVE: La Semana Negra XXI in Gijón, Spain

Daily reports from Crime Fiction's international big-bash

Manuel Ramos was busy this week in the Rocky Mtns., so I'm subbing today. This post concerns, coincidentally, two young readers who contacted us for different reasons, one literary, the other artistic. Though we lack a chat room, La Bloga occasionally helps readers make connections, sometimes with surprising results, as with this first case.

In January La Bloga posted a request from Thania Muñoz, a master's student of Latin American lit at Cal State Los Angeles (where she's editor of the Spanish Dept. blog) doing research to present at the Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies conference this November. She was interested in Mexican detective fiction and her research focuses on Jorge Ibargüengoitia’s novels.

As part of her research, this month she's attending the crime fiction symposium in Spain called La Semana Negra. Monday's contributor, Dan Olivas, suggested she do posts about it for La Bloga. So she mentioned it to the organizers and guess what? They were very excited and sponsored and authorized her as a member of the press! We Bloguistas are thrilled with the possibilities.

Manuel Ramos is the only Bloguista who's attended La Semana Negra, the annual fiesta led by Paco Ignacio Taibo II in his hometown Gijón, located on Spain's northern coast--una celebración magnífica de crime-fiction. He could attest to what this once-in-a-lifetime experience is like. Thania's in an enviable situation and position.

You can find out more info about La Semana Negra in English or Spanish, or just follow Thania's postings for the next ten days or so. Buried amidst paella, Spanish wine and the plethora of international writers around her, she may be hard pressed to do a daily post. But, as you can see from her first messages below, she exhibits the type of youthful exuberance that promises she'll provide La Bloga readers with some unique and delightful postings. The logo below will introduce her postings each day; just scroll down til you find it.

Good luck, Thania; we know you'll do us proud. And don't let your duties interfere with enjoying the great experience at hand.


First message: I think I told you I’m leaving June 10th. I want to be there for Madrid’s festival of books and since one of my good friends is studying abroad in Madrid, I decided to leave earlier and get to know the city. I’ll be in Madrid June 11th and later leave for a short trip to Barcelona. According to the email I got from Alejandro De-Bernardi (in charge of La Semana Negra visiting press/reporters) I’ll be taking a train (the “Tren negro” or “black train”) from Madrid to Gijón on July 11th. I’ll be staying at the Hotel Don Manuel in Gijón, and they will provide me with transportation back to Madrid.

I should receive the list of invited writers and other attendees at the end of this month. The "Semana" starts the 11th and ends the 20th. According to De-Bernardi, he will put me in contact with writers that I would like to interview or answer other questions about the event. Also, Rodolfo Perez Valero, the Cuban writer, knows a lot of the people that attend every year, and he's going to email them so they can contact with me and help me out.

I have this great opportunity, so I decided to just go for it. If when I come back, I have to live in a one-room apartment and only eat beans with tortillas, pues, ni modo.

Salud,
Thania Muñoz

Last message: La Semana Negra is getting closer! It starts this Friday. Yes, I can't believe it--the time is finally here. I’ll attend the press conference this Thursday and take the Tren Negro up north to Gijón, where the event is held, early Friday.

I could start sending posts as soon as Saturday. All events start at five in the afternoon or after, so I’ll have time to write and send you pictures during the day. Daniel had the great idea of having me write a post each day of La Semana Negra and then doing a final, more detailed piece at the end of the event.

Muchos saludos para todos,
Thania Muñoz

* * *

• The second possible "connection" is the request below, which we post for informational purposes, since some La Bloga readers may find it of interest. Included are samples of the artist's artwork. You can contact him via his Email.

"Peace. My name is Robert Trujillo (aka “Tres”). I’m a 28-yr.-old muralist / illustrator from Oakland, Calif., currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. I have been drawing since elementary school, painting on walls since high school, painting canvases since college, and illustrating many stories since I became a father in 2004. My cultural background is African American, Korean, Mexican, Apache, Spanish, and probably others, which I’m still searching for. I’m an artist who believes in teaching and learning.

In 2003 I co-founded a collective of muralist/art educator/activists called Trust Your Struggle. We have done murals, workshops for youth organizations, and gallery installations nationwide. Two years ago we went to Mexico and Central America doing just that, and this year we plan to do it in Los Estados Unidos--New York, Atlanta, New Orleans, Texas, Arizona, y California.

I started an online group called 'Come Bien' Books, focusing on collaboration projects about Black and Latino art, writing, comics, health, zines, and children’s books. We work with all types of people, but encourage young writers and illustrators of color who are professional, intermediate, and beginning to express their thoughts verbally and visually. The purpose of the project is to increase literacy and creativity in young minds, paint a picture of the world we want to see, to abandon the major publishers of this art who do not reflect our culture or ideas, and to combat negative images of our people in major media.

My motivation is to be a positive and nurturing influence on my son. It is to honor my ancestors and family by passing on our visual art traditions, to give, to learn, to challenge the educational system, both public and private, and to ensure more artwork that fuses ethnic studies, political commentary, personal history, and dynamic visual styles using a variety of media that are prominent, loud, unapologetic, and just what some of us need.

I contacted La Bloga is to get connected with the Latin@ writers community, authors who have created books, which I read to my son. As a parent it's great to connect with folks and learn from them. As an artist, I'd like to work with some of you or collaborate on a book. I have been preparing for the last couple of years to do illustration full time. Even if I don't get to collaborate, it would be nice to just read, get inspired, share my work and hopefully inspire you. An exchange is the best way to describe my intention."

Robert Trujillo / Tres
Trust Your Struggle Collective / 'Come Bien' Books, CA-NYC
beatdontstop@hotmail.com