Chicanonautica: Further Thoughts on Judging Extra-Fiction

by Ernest Hogan

Once again I judged the finalists of Somos en escrito: The Online Latino Literary Magazine’s Extra-FictionContest. It is an honor to be have been chosen to do it for the first two years. Makes me feel like some kinda chingón.

I took the job seriously. And it wasn’t easy. The competition was tight, as it should be.

Also, my decisions may be controversial, as they should be. We are Chicano/Lantio/x. Our very existence in controversial.

I gave first place to El Parbulito by Gloria Delgado. A story that digs into our past, and is based on a true story. Some may argue that it is not “extra-fiction,” but dammit, it’s more fantastic, not to mention just plain weirder, than a lot of the deliberate science fiction and fantasy stories I’ve read last year. And a prime example of the wonder can be found in La Cultura.

Second place A Story of the Fourth Crusade by Rosa Martha Villarreal is about Hispanic, not Latino/x, culture. But the volatile mix of cultures and wars of the Iberian Peninsula, and the reach of the Spanish Armada are integral to Latinidad. A lot of the things we think of as puro Mexicano are actually from Spain. And Spain is non-Anglo, and the gateway to Africa, and the Middle East. The author also references Borges in an introductory note.

Hmm. Do 21st century vatos read Borges? “Me and Jorge Luis were cruising the Boulevard . . .”

When Corn People Wage War by Tania Romero, the third place story (actually the first chapter of a novel) time trips, bringing in Mayan myths (or should I say realities?) percolating into the present. Once of the great Latino Lit themes. It stands on its own, and promises to go on to some interesting places. I’d like to read the novel when it’s finished.

My Many Faces by Venetia Sjogren provides a snapshot of a Latinx identity crisis, and Nous Somme Dans Une Texte by David Vela presents a Latinx in Paris, a fish out of water, as are we all. The both deserve their honorable mentions.

Another finalist,Wayward Angel of the Desolate Streets by JR Sanchez, is gritty cyberpunk with plausible cannabis products that I expect to see on sale soon. Not bad, but cyberpunk is getting old. 1984 was a long time ago. There’s still a market and audience for it--my novels still sell.

And most of the winners were women. No names were on the copies of the stories that I read. No bias there.

I congratulate the winners, including Writer of Promise Gerard Martinez, and to all those who entered. I salute you. To be a writer you first have to write (amazing how many people don’t get that far), submit you work for publication, and after the inevitable rejections, keep doing until you do get published, and keep doing that . . . well, forever.

It ain’t easy, but there’s something satisfying about getting published, and after a few decades having a career that.

I know, it’s the story of my life.

Ernest Hogan’s novels, High Aztech, Smoking Mirror Blues, and Cortez on Jupiter had a spike in Kindle sales during Halloween/Día de los Muertos/Dead Daze weekend.

Border-patrolling us. Fabulist fiction contest. Hard SF contest. L.A. latino sci-fi workshops.

Border Patrol Nation

Most U.S. citizens tend to think stopping undocumented workers at the border is a good thing that won't affect them. They should check out Todd Miller's new book about what militarization has done to the Land of the Free. It's entitled Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Homeland Security and here's some facts from it.

"The U.S. borders have long been Constitution-free zones where more or less anything goes, including warrantless searches of various sorts. In the twenty-first century, however, the border itself, north as well as south, has not only been increasingly up-armored, but redefined as a 100-mile-wide strip around the country.

"Our “borders” now cover an expanse in which nearly 200 million Americans, or two-thirds of the U.S. population, live. Included are nine of the 10 largest metropolitan areas. If you live in Florida, Maine, or Michigan, for example, no matter how far inland you may be, you are “on the border.” You can be stopped, interrogated, and searched “on an everyday basis with absolutely no suspicion of wrongdoing.”

Read a review of the book.

See a bigger No Constitution map.

Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Chapbook Contest

I own a copy of a previous winner, In A Town Called Mundomuerto, and love the magical realist writing of author Randall Silvis. Anyway, the submission period for this contest doesn't begin until August, but this posting will give you speculative fiction writers time to get manuscripts prepared. There is a reading fee.

From the Omnidawn website:

The winner of the annual Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Chapbook Competition receives a $1,000 prize, publication of their chapbook with full-color cover, 100 copies, and display advertising and publicity. Fabulist Fiction includes magic realism and literary forms of fantasy, science fiction, horror, fable, and myth. Stories can be primarily realistic, with elements of non-realism, or primarily, or entirely non-realistic.

Open to all writers. All stories must be original, in English, and unpublished. 5,000 to 12,000 words, consisting of either one story or multiple stories. Online entries must be received between Aug. 1 and Oct. 22, 2014. Reading fee $18. We expect to publish the winning chapbook in August of 2015. 

About Omnidawn: "Since 2001, we publish writing that opens us anew to the myriad ways that language may bring new light, new awareness to us.
We began Omnidawn because of our belief that lively, culturally pertinent, emotionally and intellectually engaging literature can be of great value, and we wanted to participate in the dissemination of such work. We believe our society needs small presses so that widely diverse ideas and points-of-view are easily accessible to everyone.”

Click to get reminders and on their mailing list. 

Click for all the info and the postal and online submission procedures.

Issues Science Fiction Contest

If you're more into writing "hard" sci-fi, here's a contest with a $1500 honorarium and only requires one-page about what you would write! No reading fee.

"Authors should submit a précis or brief treatment (no more than 250 words) of a science fiction story idea that explores themes in science, technology, and society. Submissions must be received by June 1, 2014.

"Stories should fall into one of the following five theme areas: Big data / artificial intelligence / brain science; Education / jobs / future of the economy; Defense / security / privacy / freedom; Biomedicine / genetics / health / future of the human; Future of scientific research / automation of research & discovery. IST will select up to five semi-finalists for each category. Authors will have 3 months to submit their story, between 2,500 and 5,000 words. Winning stories will be published in IST, and authors awarded a $1,500 honorarium. Read all the details."

Issues in Science and Technology (IST), a quarterly journal that explores the intersections of science, technology, society, and policy. The editors of IST believe science fiction (SF) can help to bring key challenges and dilemmas in science and technology to an influential readership in new and compelling ways. Scientists, engineers, researchers, and policymakers often only see small pieces of an issue. SF writers can imagine entire worlds. By fully thinking through how today’s critical issues will play out, science fiction inspires, cautions, and guides those shaping our future. Throughout 2015, IST will publish one SF story per issue, on topics of broad societal interest.

Denver Museo's children's summer camp

Find out about the camp and how you can help.

Latino Science Fiction Explored

And if you haven't heard yet, I'll be in L.A. next week and hope to meet and talk with everyone who can attend. This is a precedent-setting gathering of 6 Latino sci-fi authors! What could happen? Quién sabe, pero vamos a ver.

The Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies Program at University of California, Riverside will host “A Day of Latino Science Fiction” next Wednesday, April 30, to be held in the Interdisciplinary Symposium Room (INTS 1113). Free and open to the public.

The morning author panel will feature 1. Mario Acevedo, author of the bestselling Felix Gomez detective-vampire series (The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, chosen by Barnes & Noble as one of the best Paranormal Fantasy Novels of the Decade, and finalist in the Colorado Book Awards and the International Latino Book Awards.

2. Science-fiction and cyberpunk novelist Ernesto Hogan (Cortez on Jupiter); the co-authors of Lunar Braceros 2125-2148, 3. Rosaura Sánchez and 4. Beatrice Pita. The afternoon panel features writer and director 5. Jesús Treviño (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Babylon 5 and the book The Fabulous Sinkhole); and Michael Sedano, La Bloga Latino lit blogger; as well as Ph.D. candidates Danny Valencia, Rubén Mendoza and Paris Brown.

6. I'll be there talking about my alternate-world fantasy novel The Closet of Discarded Dreams (and about sci-fi stories) that took honorable mention in the International Latino Book Awards’ Fantasy/Sci-Fi, last year.

Come and find out about getting your spec lit published, the market for Latino sci-fi, the state of Latino spec lit and what the future might hold for our obras. It should be a chingón time, and we hope you come to add your voice and opinions. Check the details, especially about parking.

Es todo, hoy,

RudyG

Kids' latino bks; Lit agents; Banned Bk; killer rap!; soldiers; novel subs

Articles posted here on diversity and privilege in publishing have generated much discussion at LinkedIn and elsewhere; apparently, I have not reached some people. But I don't intend to; I intend to provide info and some light analysis of latino authors, stories and characters in American lit. You can read more today.

  

From a NYTimes article last year by Jessica Kourkounis entitled, For Young Latino Readers, an Image Is Missing

"Mario, 8, has noticed something about these and many of the other books he encounters in his classroom: most of the main characters are white. “I see a lot of people that don’t have a lot of color.”

[Don't you just love this kid?]

"Books commonly read by elementary school children include the Junie B. Jones, Cam Jansen, Judy Moody, Stink and Big Nate series, all of which feature a white protagonist. An occasional African-American, Asian or Hispanic character may pop up in a supporting role, but these books depict a predominantly white, suburban milieu.

"A review of 250 book series aimed at second to fourth graders and found just two that featured a Latino main character.

"The Cooperative Children’s Book Center, which compiles statistics about the race of authors and characters in children’s books published each year, found that in 2011, just over 3 percent of the 3,400 books reviewed were written by or about Latinos, a proportion that has not changed much in a decade.

"Houghton Mifflin, which publishes reading textbooks, allocates exactly 18.6 percent of its content to works featuring Latino characters. The company says that percentage reflects student demographics.

Apparently, some people do understand the need to diversify their imprints. More. Faster. Read the entire article.

Literary agents and diversity

Last week, Jason Low of Lee and Low Books posted Literary Agents Discuss the Diversity Gap in Publishing. Below are extracts of interviews.

Adriana Domínguez, agent at Full Circle Literary: "Proportionally, our agency represents more authors of color than most others. We welcome diverse points of view, and see that diversity represented in our client list. I have personally felt for a very long time that there are simply not enough illustrators of color in the marketplace. I am usually very enthusiastic when I receive a query from a talented author/illustrator of color—I wish we received more of those!

Adriana Dominguez

"We always hear from educators, librarians and even parents that there are not enough books written by and about children of color. I think one of the obstacles is that the world of publishing has not quite caught up with this market’s potential. Part of this is due to a lack of diversity in publishing itself.

"We are past a time where we 'explain' who we are via the foods we eat, the holidays we celebrate, etc., and into an era where we simply tell our stories, just like everyone else does. Why not? Why do our books have to be perceived as “different” and be unnaturally separated from the rest of children’s books?

Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary: The question of the author’s ethnicity doesn’t enter my mind—unless the subject relates to race, in which case I’ll wonder if the author will have the life experience that can provide a genuine insider’s point-of-view. I would estimate that perhaps 10–15% of my submissions are from people of color.

[Check Red Fox's website about submissions.]

Lori Nowicki from Painted Words literary agency and Mira Reisberg of Hummingbird Literary: "We have a particular sweet spot for authors and illustrators of color. I think we need to have a kind of self-aware affirmative action in publishing where people of color are mentored, if need be, so we can have more books by and about people of color.

"We want kids of color to see themselves reflected as inspiring protagonists and as book creators themselves. Although authors and illustrators of any race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnic background are invited to submit to Hummingbird Literary, I am offering additional assistance for authors and illustrators of color who need it, and scholarships for them at Picture Book Academy.

Go here to read all the interviews.

Banned books back in Tucson schools

This month, L.A. Times' Hector Tobar describes how "Camiliano 'Cam' Juarez knocked on more than 37,000 doors in his fight to bring certain books and ideas back into the classrooms of Tucson." In the article, Fighting to end Tucson 'ban' on books, Latino activist wins, Tobar describes how, in November 2012, Juarez won election to the governing board of the Tucson schools, where Rodolfo Acuña's Occupied America, Chicano!; The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement; 500 Years of Chicano History and four others had been banned as part of a course that was deemed illegal by the State Legislature,”

Read Tobar's entire article.

La música, la política, la Calle 13!

One of Latin America’s most popular bands, the puertoriqueño group Calle 13 has won 2 Grammys and a record 19 Latin Grammy Awards. This week, they blew me out of mi silla with their free song, MultiViral. The song also features Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and the Palestinian singer Kamilya Jubran. It's a multilingual work, as well, in Spanish, English, Arabic and a bit of French.

René Pérez

"To create the lyrics, Calle 13 lead singer/songwriter René Pérez asked followers on Twitter to express their social justice concerns in a live brainstorming session with Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, if you can believe. That's why the song is free.

Pérez was interviewed this week. "I come from Puerto Rico, and we are a colony of the U.S." He also "tweeted out that he'd like to get a celebrity to donate a jet and he'd go pick up Edward Snowden and bring him to Latin America for asylum." [Love this dude.]

Watch the killer alternative rap video and download it for free.

You can also watch the interview in English or in Spanish, i.e., not translated.

They Were Soldiers

Before you encourage your kids or anyone to "find themselves" by enlisting in our government's wars, you could read They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America's Wars: The Untold Story by Ann Jones. [Reasonable priced at $10.] I've only read excerpts, but what I've read is:

Devastating.

Ann Jones: "The last time I saw American soldiers in Afghanistan, they were silent. Knocked out by gunfire and explosions that left them grievously injured, as well as drugs administered by medics in the field, they were carried from medevac helicopters into a base hospital to be plugged into machines that would measure how much life they had left to save. They were bloody. They were missing pieces of themselves. They were quiet."

This is not a nice book to read. It may make you cry. I was tempted to quote some of the most devastating and I'm not certain why I couldn't.  It should be read.

  

2014 Sandy Writing Contest

This contest is open to authors unpublished or published. There is a$35 entry fee. Deadline, February 10, 2014. Only 250 entries accepted. First place winners receive $60 and a certificate, second place, $35 and a certificate, and third place, $15 and a certificate.

Word limit: adult categories 90k-110k, children's 40k-60k, and YA 60k-100k words.

Categories: Romance, Mainstream Adult Fiction, Suspense / Thriller / Mystery, Fantasy / Science Fiction, Children's & YA.

This is a blind judged contest; judges will not know the identity of authors submitting. Judges are from HarperCollins, Atria, FinePrint Literary, Tom Doherty and Disney Hyperion. Go here for entry form.

Spec publisher expanding acquisitions

From Night Shade Books: "Start Publishing’s Meghan Kilduff is actively acquiring Night Shade titles for next year. I encourage everyone to reach out to her with new submissions."

Es todo, hoy,

RudyG

Raza climate change. Indio writing opp. Snowden award. Comic relief.

Climate change affects Raza más

When the next major summer heat wave hits East Los or other barrios, you'll want to remember Tony Barboza's July article on urban heat islands. He cites a new study of the effects of extreme heat waves on minorities--us brown ones, too.

Michael Sedano foto, East Los

The UC Berkeley study focused on neighborhoods with few shade trees and muchísimo street pavement, concrete and roofing. Microclimates that get a pinche 5–10º hotter during heat waves. Where latinos are 21% more likely to live than Anglos  (blacks, 52% more). The heat-absorbing barrios and ghettos. Call it racial-climate-change segregation.

As TonyB says, these "heat waves are expected to become more intense, frequent and long-lasting as cities heat up."

He also quotes, "The study recommends city planners plant more trees, paint highly reflective roofs, use pavement that absorbs less heat and consider racial and ethnic inequalities in decisions about adapting to a changing climate."

I disagree with the city planners. Raza, we gotta take what they suggest as our due. But stopping the sources that create climate heating would end the problem. Like: Stop Keystone XL Pipeline!  Or at least donate to the campaign. 

Go here to read all of TonyB's piece and leave him some chignón comment.

Imagining Indigenous Futurisms

From Cynthia Ward, comes this: Imagining Indigenous Futurisms is an annual writing contest that recognizes authors who wield science fiction as their weapon of choice in the pursuit of social justice. Such sci-fi writers focus on Indigenous futures. The contest offers a $1000 award and is run by Grace L. Dillon, editor of Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction (University of Arizona Press, 2012), and professor in the Indigenous Nations Studies program at Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.

  

4th Annual Science Fiction Writing Contest open to any [indio-descent] emerging writer with an interest in exploring Indigenous issues through the medium of science fiction.

Submit: One paragraph personal statement containing background and goals in sci-fi. A previously unpublished sci-fi writing sample up to 4,000 words.

By November 1, 2013

To: Professor Grace L. Dillon (Anishinaabe) dillong[ala]pdx.edu

Judged by acclaimed sci-fi, experimental, and horror writer Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet tribe).

You can read details and join Imagining Indigenous Futurisms on Facebook.

Gringo Finalist For European Human Rights Award

Edward Snowden is a finalist for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. He is maybe currently in Russia, with temporary asylum and is a U.S. fugitive charged with espionage. I guess Europe sees the world more like me than like Obama.

"The Sakharov Prize honors 'exceptional individuals who combat intolerance, fanaticism and oppression," [from their website]

"The surveillance of whole populations, rather than individuals, threatens to be the greatest human rights challenge of our time," Snowden said in a statement to the Parliament. The winner is announced on Oct. 10.

Go here to read details.

In San Antonio today:

Comic relief

 

If you don't know where your government is and it's still shut down, you might need a break from The Reign of Morons. 

You can go here and leave a comment or maybe add a cartoon of what else should be shut down, now that we're drifting leaderless.

I would add Gitmo, Congresspeoples' salaries and expense accounts, and ex-Presidents' pensions, but that's not enough.

Es todo, hoy,

RudyG

Writing opportunities

The information below comes by way of Latinidad®, Marcela Landress's website. These offers may require entry fees or other costs.
________

$25,000 POETRY PRIZE

Deadline: May 15
The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize offers $25,000 for an outstanding book of poems. For more information, click here.


SQUAW VALLEY

Application Deadline: May 10
The Community of Writers at Squaw Valley offers workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Faculty includes Dagoberto Gilb and Alex Espinoza, among others. For more information, click here.


$50,000 BOOK PRIZE

Deadline: May 1
The St. Francis College Literary Prize offers $50,000 to a mid-career writer for an outstanding 3rd to 5th book of published fiction. Self-published books as well as English translations are eligible. For more information, click here.


MACDOWELL COLONY

Deadline: April 15
The MacDowell Colony offers residencies to writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Past attendees include Oscar Hijuelos, Angie Cruz, and Alice Walker. For more information, click here.


CHICA LIT WORKSHOP

Start Date: April 14
Love novels like Dirty Girls Social Club and Waiting to Exhale? Have an idea for a novel of your own? Want a supportive writing community led by an author who has actually published chica lit with major publishing houses? This 8-week course is for you! For more information, click here.


LEGAL FICTION PRIZE

Deadline: April 8
The Harper Lee Prize will be given to fiction that best exemplifies the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. International and self-published entries are welcome. For more information, click here.


ANGER AND REVENGE CONTEST

Deadline: March 16
Creative Nonfiction will award $1000 for the best essay about anger and revenge, frustration and retribution, outrage and reprisal. For more information, click here.


SHORT STORY CONTEST

Deadline: March 15
A prize of $1000 and publication in Tusculum Review is given for a short story. For more information, click here.

- - - - - - -

To read more about Marcela Landress and for other writing information, click here.

oportunidades

CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR NAMIC WRITERS' WORKSHOP

As part of the ongoing effort to increase the representation of African American, Asian and Latino creative professionals in the communications industry, the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) is proud to announce its Fall 2009 Writers Workshop. Enter to be one of 20 writers of color selected to take part in an extraordinary 2-day intensive workshop, led by Carole Kirschner, veteran television executive and architect of the CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program.

The program includes:

professional evaluation of submitted material
one-on-one meeting with script analyst to review coverage
intensive day-long writing class taught by successful, working writers
overview of the business and self-marketing seminar
hands-on New Media training

Hone your craft. Learn how to translate your writing into on-line entertainment. Discover how to sell yourself and your projects.

Scheduled for October 5-6, the Workshop will be held at the American Management Association in New York City. The entry deadline is August 20, 2009.

Click here for information on how to apply for the NAMIC FALL 2009 WRITERS’ WORKSHOP

About NAMIC

NAMIC is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises 2,000 professionals belonging to a network of 18 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. For more information, visit www.namic.com.

WRITING CONTESTS
A few doors to knock on (some have entry fees) --

PEN Center USA
Emerging Voices Fellowships
Emerging Voices is an intensive eight-month program for writers in the early stages of their literary careers. The program includes free classes at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program; one-on-one mentoring with a professional writer; Q&A evenings with professional writers, publishers, editors, and agents; Master classes by genre with a published PEN author; Day-long work shops on various elements of publishing; a $1,000 stipend. The program culminates with a public reading and reception. Emerging Voices focuses on writers from underserved communities, though selection is not based solely on economic need. Participants need not be published, but the program is directed toward poets and writers of fiction and creative nonfiction with clear ideas of what they hope to accomplish through their writing. There are no age restrictions.

Get all the details here. Deadline is August 14.

Writer's Digest 10th Annual Short Short Story Writing Competition
Deadline: December 1, 2009
Writer's Digest is looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant...but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer. Enter the 10th Annual Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win the $3000 First Prize! Click here to enter or for additional information.

Writer's Digest Pop Fiction Awards
Deadline: November 2, 2009
Writer's Digest is now accepting entries in the Pop Fiction Awards. Submit your entry for your chance to win $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books and the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

Five Categories:
Romance
Mystery/Crime Fiction
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Thriller/Suspense
Horror

Click here for additional information or to enter online.

Robert Frost Foundation
Poetry Award
A prize of $1,000 and an invitation to read the winning work at the Robert Frost Festival is given annually for a poem written in the spirit of Robert Frost. Submit up to three poems totaling no more than three pages with a $10 entry fee per poem by September 15. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines.

Robert Frost Foundation, Poetry Award, Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence Street, 3rd Floor, Lawrence, MA 01841. (978) 725-8828.
Mark Schorr, Executive Director.
frostfoundation@comcast.net
www.frostfoundation.org

Bear Deluxe Magazine
Doug Fir Fiction Award
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Bear Deluxe Magazine is given annually for a short story about the natural world, sense of place, or environmental issues. Jon Raymond will judge. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words with a $15 entry fee, which includes a copy of the prize issue, by September 8. Call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines. (See Recent Winners.)

Bear Deluxe Magazine, Doug Fir Fiction Award, P.O. Box 10342, Portland, OR 97296. (503) 242-1047. Jess Dolan, Senior Editor.
bear@orlo.org
www.orlo.org

The Bukowski Contest
Send your best Bukowski inspired, Bukowski-esque, or Bukowski worthy story. All usual Submission Guidelines apply. Include Bukowski Contest in the subject line of your e-mail. The deadline for submitting to this contest is September 30, 2009. Winners will be announced in the October 2009 issue of The Legendary and published in November 2009. Works that are not chosen as winners will still be considered for publication in future issues. First prize includes feature publication in The Legendary, Legendary stickers, and the four DVD course Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft, twenty-four lectures by Professor Brooks Landon of the University of Iowa, an English professor and Collegiate Fellow of that institution, as well as director of the Iowa General Education Literature Program. Learn more here.

AND ...
Fellow bloguero Daniel Olivas is the type of writer who makes his own opportunities - he's literally in dozens of places at once, talking or writing about writing and writers, and getting plenty of his own writing out there for readers. Check out a good interview with La Bloga's Monday Man at the Examiner, at this link.

This is the weekend for the Chicano Music Festival at Su Teatro's new digs, 215 S. Santa Fe, Denver. Go back to last Friday's post for a schedule of events. Always a good time.

I've been looking at cover art for my next book, another way to have a good time -- can't say too much yet, but it's suave, esé. Stay tuned for all the details.

I like to think that summer is only half-over - optimistic, I know (fall officially begins September 22.) It's been a good one, for sure. If you live in one of the latitudes where there are real seasons, may I suggest that before it's too late you take a book out in the sun, soak up rays and do some reading. Tanned and taught in one afternoon.

Later.