On the Passing of Alfredo Arteaga

Chicano poet and essayist, Alfred Arteaga, has passed away. Alfred was an extraordinary multi-lingual poet, often writing poems through in English, Spanish, French, German and Nahua. He was the author of several books of poetry (Cantos, Red, Love in the Time of Aftershocks) and of cultural studies (Chicano Poetics and An Other Tongue). His latest book of poetry, Frozen Accident, came out in fall 2006 from Tia Chucha's Press. He was Professor of Chicano Studies at UC Berkeley, an institution he somehow managed to survive as a poet and a human being. He remains online at alfredarteaga.com.

And from Juan Felipe Herrera, this note says more than I could possibly hope to:

Lisita,

Another great hermano, poeta, literary critic pioneer has passed away. A swashbuckling, handsome, mind wrestler and heart igniter, Alfred, Xicano Apollinaire, pioneer, clarinet-voiced, a word-painter, and logos-creator, so humble and so strong at the same time, one of the Bay Area Latino Literary Renaissance giants --

ahh, those sweet years. Gracias Alfred for your palabras, your love giving, you good spirit smile, may light, blessing falls upon you in your new path of peace

tu carnal Juan Felipe

raulrsalinas, luis omar salinas and now, Alfred Arteaga - three pillars, three blazes of sun


Lisa Alvarado

Luis Omar Salinas: Casting a Giant Shadow

in the greenrooom with Alurista is Luis Omar Salinas

I received an email this morning from Juan Felipe Herrera: "Yesterday, in Sanger, Califas, we lost another great carnal, hermano and singer of the heart. He was ill for some time....."

The body of the living word is now diminished by the passing of Luis Omar Salinas...

Going North
(for my grandfather)

Those streets in my youth
hilarious and angry,
cobblestoned by Mestizos,
fresh fruit
and dancing beggars.
Gone are the soldiers
and the nuns.
My Portuguese friends
have gone North.
The school girls
have ripened
overnight.
I hum Spanish tunes
waiting for the bus
in Fresno.
These avenues
I watch
carefree
young, open collared
like my grandfather
who died in a dream
going North.


 

Gracias, Luis....

A postscript....This ran in today's Fresno Bee

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/634870.html

Lisa Alvarado