We No Longer Carry Poetry

by Melinda Palacio

Thanks to my la Bloga deadline, I composed a new poem on my mother's typewriter.

Last week, I was on a mini Bay Area tour to Moe's in Berkeley, Reader's Books in Sonoma, and UC Merced. At Moe's, I read poetry with Francisco X. Alarcon as part of the Poetry Flash reading series. A few days later, I joined Reyna Grande at Reader's Books. The next day, I was the 34th speaker at the Chicano/a Literature Series at the University of California, Merced.

Owner of Reader's Books in Sonoma, Andy Weinberger with Melinda Palacio and Reyna Grande

Reading with my friend Reyna Grande is always fun. We got into a lively discussion, the details which I'll save for another bloga post, on the trials and tribulations of publishing poetry. Reyna has written fiction and memoir, but has yet to tackle poetry (I'm sure she will). She was under the impression that poetry books are easier to sell and publish than fiction or memoir. To make a long story short, she gave me the assignment to write a poem titled, "We No Longer Carry Poetry."

I don't recall seeing my mother use this typewriter. She preferred an electric word processor. 

During the week of travel and meeting with readers and students, I did not think about my typewriter at Chuck Rodger's Office Repair in Santa Barbara. Over the Christmas holiday, my grandmother had decided it was time to give me my mother's 'writing machine', a manual brother typewriter. This morning, I picked up the typewriter and put the $80.04 repair fee on my credit card. I wanted to test out my typing skills and I wrote the first draft of "We No Longer Carry Poetry," for Reyna.

We No Longer Carry Poetry

Melinda Palacio

We no longer sell poetry books.

No room for Whitman, Langston, Plath, or Espada.

Poetry books don't sell as well.

Putamayo CDs, music from all over the world, have replaced poetry books.

We are the first book store with a state-of-the-art e-signing table.

Bring your laptop, kindle, phablet, or phone, get a virtual signature,

a germ-free kiss from the author via instant messaging.

Thirsty?                        Stop by our latté experience counter,

buy yourself a hot drink while perusing our Best Sellers.

Best Sellers are books you've already heard about

by authors you already know, not obscure poets,

like the crazy lady pushing her book, sneaking

poetry in our store, confusing our staff.

Lucky you. You've walked into our store, a beautiful space with

vetted books on every aisle by a bona fide book buyer.

We have room for pens, iPhone for Dummies, and Gun Safety for Kids.

We no longer sell poetry books.

© 2013 Melinda Palacio. All Rights Reserved.

Melinda Palacio is the author of  the novel Ocotillo Dreams and the poetry book, 

How Fire Is a  Story, Waiting.

Advice for debut-book authors

by RudyG

River Oaks Bookstore's Michael Jones & author

I've completed the initial segment promoting my first book, The Closet of Discarded Dreams, in Denver, Nuevo Mexico, L.A. and San Anto & Houston, Texas. While I'm still digesting events in N.M. and Texas, I thought it might be useful to summarize some of the most important things I learned in that they might help others succeed with the whirlwind experience that many aspire to. In no particular order, here are my preliminary points:

Fine tune your book tour schedule to your abilities and capacity for stress. Mine was a whirlwind, not only rushing past me like a opening Xmas presents as a kid, but with too little time between events, too much driving that wore out my coccyx and jet lag that often reminded me of my age. It should have stretched over months rather than weeks. Once yours begins, the rollercoaster makes no stops for huevones.

Rely on published authors you know. Don't be shy; ask them everything. Ask them what surprised them most. See if they'll share their contacts, Email lists, connections, data bases and then be surprised when your familia and closest friends bring wine, cheese and biscochitos to a read.

Prepare everything well in advance. I devoted two solid months before my publication date (40 hrs./wk.) to setting up artwork, printing and shipment of books, bookmarks, business cards, posters, flyers and coasters; making connections for venues; contact media for publicity ops like interviews and reviews. Then a two-by-four came out of The Closet and struck me because I didn't begin early enough and/or I should have left additional lead-time before the first appearance.

Your largest audience for your first reading/signing of your novel, collection or poetry book may be your hometown or wherever you're best known. (Unless you burned too many bridges, in which case you go for the out-of-towners.) Do everything to make it the best showing possible. Even though over fifty people attended mine, I later realized how many corners of my little corner I'd not reached.

Some of author's best supporters - la familia

Overestimate and anticipate your need for books and bookmarks, at least. One day I had sixty copies of my book. Ten days later pendejo-Me had to tell three audiences that there were none available there at the event. I did fine on bookmarks, but ran out of business cards. Another place I lagged was on solidifying publisher orders by those hosting me. Entropy and disappointment somehow seem to converge like white lies with getting busted. Improved handling of the two sources for books would have covered my nalgas in all cases.

Develop and constantly update your database of contacts, events, meetings, etc. I started out well two months before publication, but the constant stream of E-mails, meetings and phone discussions didn't always get entered. The bill for this will come due, I know.

Keep a detailed log of what happens to copies of your book. Beyond who you billed and who still owes, the flood of book exchanges with other authors, books promised for reviewers or others will soon overwhelm you if your memory is like mine, which is casi ausente. Some of this is relevant for tax purposes but more importantly, all of it is necessary for the success of your first book and the future of your second.

Take no one for granted. Obviously you need to remember who to publically thank for their help on your tour. But also, don't assume that anyone you interact with is less intelligent or capable as you. I did this a couple of times and set myself up to be big-idiota-center-stage when I should have been most alert and prepared. I believe these were cases of the dreaded muy-muy syndrome attempting to take root in my ego.

Go for a more perfect reading. Periodically look up at some length at gente at your readings, not just peeking to see if they're still awake; the one whose your age often won't be. I read once with five other authors, including experienced ones, and I was the ONLY person to do this; the others NEVER looked up once. This requires prepping your readings, reading them aloud many times by yourself or with a critic, using typed copy rather than your book (or at least within a copy of your book), marking up your copy for pauses, word emphasis, intelligent enunciation (like I had problems reading "of value" and had to pause after "of") and at least for me, using fourteen point type. One day it'll be sixteen. I also learned that I didn't need to rote memorize my text; that came from repeated reading.

Do your best, especially for small audiences. Experienced, even well-known, authors with publisher support that included airfare, hotel, big bookstore liaison in large cities advised me they had had audiences of 3 people. When only two or three showed at a couple of mine, I was ready to give them the greatest performance I could.

Tweet, friend, share, post and make it a joy to read. I won't nominate myself as the best at this (consider this post), but my wisest daughter Marika has impressed upon me the importance of keeping mi cara in front of my fans by sharing news every few days. And at least trying to make it fun, funny, informative, interesting to read.

Give of yourself to your audience. I'm guessing that the majority of an audience comes to hear you, not your text. Yes, they want to find value in your book and your words may be great. But they want to know you, be a part of the special thing that's fallen on you the author. Don't give them dry facts about you, your life, your road to authorship. Give them the funny, the thrilling, the emotion behind writing that book. If you have to, invent some. But relax because they want the real you. Take pride, yes, because they expect for you to convince they should buy/read the work. Then fulfill your responsibility to make them glad they came and they'll look forward to book two.

Author Garcia finally takes a break

Take breaks to give yourself a qué-suave! You got a book published! Enjoy the moments. Remind yourself of the major hurdle you just leapt. Have some beers, some agavero, some President (not in that order) with family, friends and colleagues. And laugh, with joy. Then get to writing whatever you have the most energy and ganas for, because you're meant to be a writer, not some puto self-promoter.

Undoubtedly I've forgotten or not emphasized things that should be. Any one of these items could be expanded. This is also just one author's experience. I welcome additions, corrections, elaborations and contributions from others who know more. Or less.

Adelante con otra obra! 

RudyG, aka Rudy Ch. Garcia, author of The Closet of Discarded Dreams, taking a break before visiting northern and southern Colorado to share my work. Sometime soon after I catch my breath and get some more pinche books.

TODAY'S REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN OF COLOR

A message from Claudia D. Hernandez

Dear Friends,

I am launching my very first Indiegogo effort to fund my latest project: TODAY'S REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN OF COLOR Book and Photography Exhibit

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT to cover costs such as book editor, art designer, exhibit costs and book publication which will be given as a GIFT to every young girl who attends the exhibit

The deadline to back this project is December 9th!The date and the location of the exhibit is pending. Most likely, it will be next year, mid year.Please, watch my video and then click on the pink button that says "Contribute now" and donate $1

Share the video with your friends and family to help spread the word. Please forward this email to your friends and organizations that you know might help. Thank you for supporting education and community through the arts!

Please visit http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/258398?a=1644733

The Closet of Discarded Dreams

Texas Book Tour

 Oct. 25-31, 2012

Bloguero Rudy Ch. Garcia will be visiting Texas. Come and discover the Closet of Discarded Dreams. 

HOUSTON

River Oaks Bookstore

Friday Oct. 26, 2012 5:00 – 7:00pm

3270 Westheimer

Live on-air interview on Tony Diaz’s Nuestra Palabra –

Latino Writers Having Their Say, KPFT 90.1fm, Tue. Oct 23, 7:30pm CST

SAN ANTONIO

Southwest Workers Union

Sun. Oct. 28 3:00

1416 E. Commerce

The Twig Book Shop

Sun. Oct 28 5:00

@ The Pearl Brewery

Palo Alto College Guadalupe Hall #119

Tuesday Oct. 30 12:50

1400 W. Villaret Blvd.

Great Day SA interview

on daytime TV program, KENS5 in San Anto

Sun. Oct. 28 beginning at 12:00 noon.

Pedazos of a fall book-tour - SoCal 2

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

For more information you can go here to read Sedano's post about the great Mexican revolutionary artist David Siqueiros mural, America Tropical.

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.

  

Pedazos, fall book-tour, SoCal 1

LAX and Lotusland

Landing in L.A. for this chapter of promoting my novel The Closet of Discarded Dreams reminded me that I portrayed this city in my first published short story, LAX Confidential, in Latinos in Lotusland. I based the first segment of that story on a trip umpteen years earlier, before I'd turned serious writer. In a sense I've come full circle, setting off now to see how los angelenos would take to my biggest published work.

El tráfico and the traficantes

To accomplish that, I first had to negotiate the freeways and byways of the present-day City of Angeles. Problem was that here, negotiation wasn't integral to highway driving. True, I occasionally spotted instances of courtesy or cooperation between drivers, just rarely. 

It took two vulnerable days on the road to learn that speed limits apply only where there are residential speed bumps--and even only for self-preservation of self and one's car--and most of the time in school zones. Otherwise, 75mph is the prevailing minimum speed. I finally removed my eyes from the speedometer and relied on surrounding vehicles to inform me whether I drove too slow or fast; it was never the latter.

Denver is still a cow town. The Californios' habit of 75mph lane changes--sideways!--reinforced that. Denverites can drive at 65 or 70 but will allow full car lengths or more of space to develop between them and the auto in front. Not so in El Lay. Leave just half a car length open in front of you and the vacuum gets sucked up by the blur of another car plugging up the gap. And all the while surrounding commuters continue their 75mph flow. I suffered automotive culture shock during my time there and after returning to Denver, as well. My blood pressure elevates somewhat when I recall the experience.

Two strolls con René Colato

For an hour before a book reading René and I walked the halls and grounds of At the Mission San Fernando in Mission Hills, Califas (1797), a popular attraction less attended on a Sun. afternoon. The immaculately manicured gardens and walkways at that hour were shielded from L.A. noise and traffic, wind and sun.

The quiet stillness imparted a sense of bounty and wealth, what the ruling class Californios have always enjoyed. That the adobe, rock and native wood structures were built by the labor of Indian slaves or peones is not evident during our time there, though I might have heard the screams and moans of antepasado gente who labored to erect it all had I but stopped to listen to the wisps of history.

We traversed much of the Mission, resting on a bench where I bounced ideas off René about my next novel. An incredibly entertaining teacher, a prolific children's books author, this short, amiable, usually low-voiced ex-Salvadoreño incisively dissected components of my plot and characters and in the space of half an hour provided me sufficient guidance to run with the composition. The man's invaluable insights were something I should have had to pay hundreds of dollars for. Next time, I'm skipping workshops for just an afternoon with el Maestro Colato Laínez.

To break up the Author-Author routine, one night René Colato Laínez directed me to Universal Studios CityWalk. My novel's Closet otherworld is a contrast of unbounded horizontalness vs. a 20 ft. ceiling that continually oppresses The Chicano hero. The overall sense of CityWalk is the opposite: despite open sky above, the limited walking space for people and their numbers likewise imparts a unique crowdedness that results in similar sensations.

What struck me more about attractions like CityWalk was how they demonstrate Califas' 1% tossing loaves of bread to the masses as our distant military "lions" munch on middle-eastern "Christians." The tram ride up the hill to reach the place is free, no entry fee, nor required purchases, which is good for the millions that come every year, because a mixed drink and a soda cost us over $20. At the same time, the locale provides thousands of young people a relatively safe venue to be seen and entertained despite being unable to purchase any piece of Universal. A brilliant opiate in the midst of the opulence.

Casa Sedano

Most of what I learned in L.A. came not from conferences, but from charlando like at Michael Sedano's, out on the patio, an iced brandy in hand, an undetermined agenda on our table. What I'd expected to meet for the first time at Casa Sedano was a creature who ate author's novels and spit out frank, cutting critiques like L.A. spits out its miasma of smog. I'll tell you, gente, turns out Sedano is not as ugly in person as his La Bloga headshot would indicate. No, really.  A tough critiquer, sí, pero no tan feo.

Trapped out back of Casa Sedano, surrounded by palm trees on the left, unnaturally huge hens-n-chick succulents, a swimming pool serving as a moat in the foreground and to our right several exotic flowering shrubs that belonged in a photo of the Guatemalan Petén jungle, I had nowhere to turn when Sedan ordered me to practice my reading of The Closet on him.

Nor was escape possible as he explained the weaknesses, gaps and hokeyness indicated by my presentation. I felt as marooned as The Chicano in my novel, though more affected by the brandy and sunshine, both of which are nonexistent in my otherworld.

Eventually I accepted that I was better off without an avenue of retreat because no matter I didn't always concur with the oratory gospel-according-to-Sedano, he was right-on in nearly every example or question he raised. However imperfect my future readings prove, their better quality will be largely attributable to that patio and persona.

In part 2 tomorrow, I cover Latinopia y Jesus Treviño, the Latino Book & Family Festival, my reading at Tía Chucha's, a Siquieros mural that Sedano covered this week, y otras cositas.

Es todo, hoy,

RudyG, aka Rudy Ch. Garcia, author of The Closet of Discarded Dreams

Oct. 24-31, Garcia will be reading from his novel 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 starting at noon.

Discarded Dreams Book Tour. Siqueiros Mural ATIC. On-Line Floricanto

Late Breaking News

Memorial Honors Frank Sifuentes, QEPD

Last Tuesday, La Bloga published a hail and farewell message to Frank Sifuentes. Frank did not have the time to read it. He died on Monday, the day prior. 

Tempus fugit que no?

Frank's long-time friend, Jesus Treviño, has compiled a memorial including messages from all five of Frank's friends, and a video. Click the links to Frank's spoken word recordings at the USC digital library and Nuestrafamilia.

http://latinopia.com/latino-history/latinopia-hero-frank-sifuentes/

QEPD, Frank.

America Tropical Interpretive Center at La Placita

Michael Sedano

Over there, across a couple of blinded-by-the-light grey roofs and assorted HVAC ducts, underneath the canopy, all old and faded. Behold the remains of América Tropical, a mural painted on a Los Angeles wall by David Alfaro Siqueiros 80 years ago and whitewashed shortly thereafter.

"In a way, the whitewashing preserved it," one docent avers, pointing to the richer coloring at the right, a section that had been whitewashed earlier by disillusioned patrons whose vision of tropical America included lovely colorful people and happy native dancing girls.

What America got from el maestro is an undulating jungle surrounding a native nailed to a double cross upon whose crown perches a fierce eagle. ¡Ajua! 

The mural also signals the benefits of painting on wall substrates. Nelson Rockefeller jackhammered a Diego Rivera fresco off the walls of that arts patron's building in Manhattan. In El Lay, where easy solutions prevail, city powers tagged the wall with their own gang color. 

The mural, the only publicly accessible Siqueiros mural in the United States, is conserved. Numerous visitors ask about preservation, or repainting. The mural, whitewashed and exposed to ample ultaviolence by its south-facing wall, has faded past the point of ever being more than what it is.

A Getty-led conservation team  has managed to remove the obscuring layer of paint and some tar stains, and has protected what remains from further degradation now that it once again finds the sun and elements. Black and white fotos exist of the mural, making impossible any ill-conceived wild hair notion to repaint.

Visitors to the observation platform must simply marvel at what that wall once said in its own voice. Downstairs, in the interpretive center, a trio of Siqueiros' muralist descendants--Barbara Carrasco, Wayne Healy, John Valadez--recreate America Tropical in grand scale, reproducing those B&W frames taken back in 1932.

Opening day packed the space shoulder-to-shoulder. Such heavy demand must account for the elevator being out of service on my second visit. Access to the viewing deck, without that elevator, is restricted to able-bodied gente. 

The spectacular corn mural in the stairwell is the compensation for stressed knees. Below, Angelica Garcia, a principal in a Fontana tax firm, takes a breather for a snapshot with her daughter.

ATIC adds an important cultural dimension to school field trips to the birthplace of Los Angeles. I visited in 4th grade around '54. The place remains largely unchanged, a single file of curio and dulces-selling puestos down a cobbled pasillo flanked by restaurants, mid-scale boutiques, and recuerdos. ATIC fills a space midway down the street, next door where my primos' shop, Casa de Sousa, used to sell quality artifacts and espresso.

Reviewing the Classics

Thelma Reyna Reviews Pat Mora's Borders

La Bloga friend and guest columnist Thelma Reyna continues with her exploration of classic works by Chicanas, a project Thelma's engaged in conjunction with Latinopia. The multifaceted Latinopia features historical and historic video features picked from filmmaker Jesus Treviños exhaustive archive of the movimiento, along with coverage of art, food, music, literature; la cultura en general.

Among the beauties of reassessing classic works is the likelihood of introducing readers new to these seminal expressions, to foundation literature that has influenced what they read today. Beginning at the beginning helps develop an informed critical understanding of everything read.

Among the classics Dr. Reyna has reviewed are House on Mango Street, Nilda, Loving In the War Years. Latinopia currently features Thelma's appreciation of Pat Mora's poetry collection, Borders.

Her book goes on to evoke and explore borders large and small, known and unknown, old and new, faint and glaring. The poet draws on her lifetime of living on and near borders, beginning with her birth in El Paso, Texas, her home for most of her life before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, Mora has straddled the border between cultures and languages, has navigated the “like” and “unlike” for her entire life. As her book depicts, borders can be cruel or innocuous, but they ultimately reveal us to ourselves.

Cruel Borders of Hardship

Her book is filled with snapshots of people from all walks of life, people identifiable for their hardships as much as for their triumphs. Mora starts with the famous pioneering author and university leader, Tomás Rivera, whose hands “knew about the harvest,/ tasted the laborer’s sweat” but also “gathered books at city dumps

You can read Thelma Reyna's full review at Latinopia here. The classics series also features polymath Luis Torres, who reviews male writers, with Thelma Reyna covering women writers. La Bloga encourages gente to visit Latinopia's literary cornucopia.

Count on La Bloga to continue our de vez en cuando reviews of the old stuff, too. You can join in as a reader, or a guest columnist. For comments and questions, click the Comments link below, and be sure to subscribe to your comment to receive reader comments.

The Closet of Discarded Dreams Book Tour Makes Pasadena Stop

Author Rudy Garcia joined a handful of guests--writers and artists--in Pasadena to talk books, science fiction fantasy writing, Rudy's novel, and the upcoming Latino Book & Family Festival. 

Hugo Garcia tells J. Michael Walker and
Alfredo Lascano about La Dolce Vita.

One aspiring novelist arrived early, expressly to quiz Rudy on the mechanics of getting his first book published.

Garcia replied with the classic question, "what's your book about, in 25 words or less?"

Rudy stopped the novice around the 800th word. The lessons from pro to beginner: know your own stuff and get it written, then worry about the rights.

Rudy Garcia noted the rarity of Chicana Chicano science fiction and fantasy titles, making The Closet of Discarded Dreams a pleasingly unique opportunity for scifi readership, but uniqueness an obstacle to publisher decision-making.

Discussion ranged widely across writers, titles, and story lines, then divagated to revolutionary new waves in film, and authenticity in historical fiction, and other genres.

Discussion segued into an ideal moment for Rudy to take the floor and read two passages he selected that illustrate his book's surreal exposition and the author's ability to write funny.

Short story writer and poet Angel Guerrero basks in the ambiente of good friends, new friends, good reading and listening. Then cracks up at one of Rudy's funny passages.

Painter, cartographer, portratist, J. Michael Walker absorbs the performance from his artist's eye.

Novelist Sandra Ramos O'Briant observes as Jesus Treviño documents Rudy Garcia's reading in this living room setting. Treviño will showcase the reading in a future Latinopia.

Beyond the reading at Casa Sedano, Rudy appeared at Tia Chucha's Open Mic on Friday, the LB&FF, then a reading at Tia Chucha's Sunday afternoon. The Closet of Discarded Dreams heads to a science fiction writers conference in Colorado then San Antonio.

Banned Book Update

Still banned.

No big news out of Tucson. Vote like Freedom depends on it, because it does. Give Obama a Democratic Congress and let the nation see the return of bipartisanship to government. Give the GOP power and they will ban more books, just as a beginning.

La Bloga On-Line Floricanto Mid-October 2012
Avotcja, Sharon Elliott, Tara Evonne Trudell, Andrea Mauk, Tom Sheldon

ALGO DE TI, Avotcja
The Fence, Sharon Elliott
Dual Citizenship, Tara Evonne Trudell
Second Story, Andrea Mauk
Columbus through tiny eyes, Tom Sheldon



ALGO DE TI
by Avotcja

Tu pelo,
Abrazando su propia negrura
Como el color de medianoche en la manígua
Tu ser,
Un cuento vestido en sabiduría anciana
Una sabiduría agridulce
Sabiduría con sabor a colores de miles de flores
Bestial y arrogante
Una seda desenvoltura
A la vez inmóvil, pero misteriosa
Y como la noche de luna
Esclava de nadie
Eternamente libre como el viento
¿Y Otoño?
Siempre hay otoño,
Riendo, llorando, y bailando
En la negrura de tus ojos Indios
Tus ojos sabios
Tus ojos orgullosos
Tus pies ya caminaron por unos miles de siglos
En las tierras de tres continentes
Por los sueños de los afortunados
Por las pesadillas de los que nos engañan
Y porque tu eres quien eres tu,
Crecen las flores donde caminaste
Los Dioses me dicen
Que tu piel tiene el sabor de miel salvaje
Mientras que el viento canta tu nombre
Como yo ..… como yo
Y tu eres el color de amor
El color Moreno
El color prieto
El color Indio
El color de mi felicidad
El color de amor ….. eres tu

SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
by Avotcja

Your hair,
Embracing its own blackness
Like the color of a jungle midnight
Your being,
A story dressed in ancient wisdom
A bittersweet wisdom
Wisdom that
Tastes like the colors of thousands of flowers
Arrogant & wild
A smooth flowing freedom
That's at the same time stubborn, but mysterious
And like the moonlight
A slave of nobody
Infinitely free just like the wind
And Autumn?
Autumn is always laughing, crying & dancing
In the blackness of your Indian eyes
Your wise eyes
Your proud eyes
Your feet have walked
Through thousands of centuries
On the lands of three continents
Through the dreams of the fortunate
Through the nightmares of those who deceive us
And because you are who you are,
Wherever you’ve walked flowers grow
The Gods tell me,
That your skin tastes like wild honey
While even the wind sings your name
And so do I ….. so do I
And you are the color of love
The color brown
Very dark brown
A dark red Indian brown
The color of my happiness
You ….. are the color of love!



The Fence
by Sharon Elliott

sin vergüenza

Germany pulled theirs down
artifact of Nazis
with joy
celebration
Berlin united
pieces of brick
and stone
now inhabit the globe
in memory
of tyranny overcome

we
construct new fences
of wire and steel
to keep out ciudadanos
los que son
dueños de esta tierra
quienes que nos dieron
una bienvenida de corazón
nos cuidaron
nos regalaron una cama para acostarnos
nos alimentaron
con maíz y amor compartido

y que hicimos nosotros?
what did we do?
we accepted their gracious gifts
then stole their land
pushed them off
enslaved them
and their children
treated them as interlopers
in their own home

now we build fences
to keep them away
from what is rightly theirs

what hardened our hearts
blinded our eyes
withered our souls

money is a simple answer
privilege and power
more complex
yet the
foundation of those fences
bears more scrutiny

es una pobreza de alma
corazones sin sangre
como podemos vivir así
sin lo que alimenta a uno o el otro

tear those fences down
stand in our humanity
wield sledgehammers
wire cutters
bulldozers
machetes
y en un solo golpe
tear those fences down

until we do
we will not be whole
we will continue to be ghosts
fragmented spirits
alone
disconnected
and afraid



Dual Citizenship
by Tara Evonne Trudell

Answers lie
when their truths
don't add up
whitewashing politicians
diluting
intelligent thoughts
puppet shows
debating
who's in control
slandering smiles
blinding white
control
Americans hanging on
to every word
taking their minds
off humanity
the wanting
of righteous law
breaking politics
playing ping pong
hitting hard
manipulating tactics
of manifest destiny
corporate sponsors
running the game
monopolizing
earth
colonizing
brown
people backed up
against
invisible walls
guns drawn
border agents
playing warfare
targeting migrants
killing softly
our song
500 years
of proving
we belong
to our earth
erasing their borders
in sand
willing breaths
we fall
before we stand
in barrios
in canyons
in homes
uniting
dual citizenship
past
their make believe
land
their misleading debate
loudly continues on
in a world
our spirits
do not belong.



Second Story
by Andrea Mauk

No matter where you live,
you exist on top of a
failed, conquered civilization.
You walk upon footsteps of buried wisdom,
upon people who understood
the whispers of the winds,
the nutritional medicinal value of
each plant and
the reason to respect each animal,
upon 'pagan' engineers, architects and astronomers
who learned the formulas taught
by the sun and moon and stars.

You walk on the skulls of those
sacrificed in ceremonies
we will never fully understand,
you guffaw at their Gods and
their nectars and their dances
as you marvel at the
modern technology that
distracts you away from the fact
that our planet, our earth,
our way of life is spinning out of control,
and you are standing on top of
land grabbed without regard to
the wisdom of civilizations
who may have understood
our existence
better
than we.



Columbus through tiny eyes
by Tom Sheldon

sister Marie taught us about an Italian sailor
who shaved every day and carried a bible
he brought us pork n beans
warm blankets n fry bread
he brought farmers and soldiers
and discovered us
bringing Original sin and horses n dogs too
all on ships sent to aid the white man’s domination of Mother earth...
Is it entirely appropriate that this most auspicious day, be a day of mourning, ashes and weeping.


bios
ALGO DE TI by Avotcja
The Fence by Sharon Elliott
Dual Citizenship by Tara Evonne Trudell
Second Story by Andrea Mauk
Columbus through tiny eyes by Tom Sheldon

Avotcja (pronounced Avacha) is a card carrying New York born Music fanatic/sound junkie & popular Bay Area Radio DeeJay & member of the award winning group Avotcja & Modúpue. She’s a lifelong Musician/Writer/Educator/Storyteller & is on a shamelessly Spirit driven melodic mission to heal herself. Avotcja talks to the Trees & listens to the Wind against the concrete & when they answer it usually winds up in a Poem or Short Story.
Website: www.Avotcja.org Email: mailto:LaVerdadMusical@yahoo.com

Born and raised in Seattle, Sharon Elliott has written since childhood. Four years in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua and Ecuador laid the foundation for her activism. As an initiated Lukumi priest, she has learned about her ancestral Scottish history, reinforcing her belief that borders are created by men, enforcing them is simply wrong.

Andrea García Mauk grew up in Arizona, where both the immense beauty and harsh realities of living in the desert shaped her artistic soul. She calls Los Angeles home, but has also lived in Chicago, New York and Boston. She has worked in the music industry, and on various film and television productions. She writes short fiction, poetry, original screenplays and adaptations, and is currently finishing two novels. Her writing and artwork has been published and viewed in a variety of places such as on The Late, Late Show with Tom Snyder; The Journal of School Psychologists and Victorian Homes Magazine. Both her poetry and artwork have won awards. Several of her poems and a memoir are included in the 2011 anthology, Our Spirit, Our Reality, and her poetry is featured in the 2012 Mujeres de Maiz “‘Zine.” She is also a moderator of Diving Deeper, an online workshop for writers, and has written extensively about music, especially jazz, while working in the entertainment industry. Her production company, Dancing Horse Media Group, is currently in pre-production of her independent film, “Beautiful Dreamer,” based on her original screenplay and manuscript, and along with her partners, is producing a unique cookbook that blends healthful recipes with poetry and prose.