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First of all, let me just get the confession out of the way. Yes, I watch American Idol. I blame my friend Rachel for getting me hooked, but I’ve thought long and hard before writing this entry about what it is about the mostly insipid reality show that appeals to me (and how I can justify it to you and to myself). I came to realize that it makes total sense that I enjoy it. I mean, yes, it’s about the contestants’ singing talent, but more than that, it’s about their stories. As a writer I am a hoarder of stories, I will get into deep conversations with a stranger online at the supermarket and leave having gathered a bit of their tale, a glimpse of their life (maybe I’m closer to a story vampire). Well, American Idol is about watching and rooting for the people you get attached to and hissing at the ones that annoy the shit out of you. It’s about learning their stories, bit by bit every week, and feeling you know them. And this past week I have gotten very attached to the first Boricua to make it to the top twelve (or this year, thirteen), Jorge Nuñez. But along with my attachment I’m also very concerned about the beginnings of what I see as the show’s Charo-ization of him.
If you aren’t familiar with the history, during the marathonish Hollywood week the judges told Jorge he should work on getting rid of his accent. That was bad enough; I for one was relieved to hear a slight (very slight) accent in his singing voice after years of Ricky Martins and Robi Rosas who have no discernible accents while singing in English. But then the poor guy works with a dialect coach, does a beautiful job of singing Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” and Simon says he should sing with his accent because it makes him different. ¡Ay Dios mío! But the worst part was yet to come…
After Simon’s 180 degree turn, Paula Abdul tells Jorge to speak so they can hear his accent as if he were a performing poodle or something. Not that anyone would say that Paula Abdul is the brightest bulb in the batch, but it sure raised my hackles. As my jaw fell to my chest I was reminded of Charo. A stretch, I know, but hear me out.
Charo is a comic footnote in the annals of American television. Forever known as the cuchi-cuchi woman from Laugh-In or The Love Boat, the curvy Spaniard was ghettoized before the term even existed. Most people don’t even realize she is one of the finest Flamenco guitar players in the world (she studied with Segovia). Yes, some of it was her own doing (marrying bandleader Xavier Cugat who was three times her age and her wild stage persona didn’t help her any), but it was the mockery of her accented English that molded the stereotypical celebrity she was to become. After this week it really hit home that we haven’t come very far from those debased 1970s variety shows. Especially when we are subjected to the other Puerto Rican contestant—the unbearably annoying, born-to-be-on-a-telenovela, Tatiana Del Toro—who in her wild card round/last ditch effort suddenly developed an accent since it seemed to work for Jorge.
Over the past few weeks we’ve gotten a glimpse into Jorge’s story. We know he auditioned because his recently deceased great-grandfather wanted him to. We know he has put his study of law on hold to take this journey. And we know he is inordinately proud of his isla. In other words, many of us have already gotten attached to him. I for one would like to see Jorge Nuñez succeed in American Idol. Do I think he’s going to win? No, but I do think he has a stab at lasting a few weeks and building a career for himself. He is a lovely, open-hearted young man who I fear could be manipulated and molded by the music industry machine, an age-old and clichéd story, but one that happens every day to us Latinos. I know, I know, I’m getting melodramatic, but if you watched his eyes fill when he was voted into the top thirteen you undoubtedly feel as protective of him as I do.
So Jorge, take some advice from this Latina, story vampire who is older and hopefully wiser: sing proudly with your accent and dance however the music moves you. And do me a personal favor, the next time Paula asks you to speak so she can hear your accent, ask her to speak so we can all mock her ignorance. Oh wait, that already happens every week.
When my mother reached age 82, it was time for us to make different living arrangements for her. The family had moved out of state and she lived alone since her husband’s death several years earlier. Her health and security began to worry us all, requiring closer and closer attention than was possible with occasional visits and phone calls.
My two sisters and I always assumed that when the time came she would live with one of us three daughters. We even imagined shipping her around so as to always have her in perfect weather, a snow bird splitting her time with the different families. However, when faced with the actual move, she insisted on living on her own with elder care support. Because she had the means and was still fiercely independent, she opted to make her new home in an assisted living facility.
A recent study of core Latino culture, styles and values found that most Latino families bring their aged family members home, whether or not they're able to care for themselves. According to the researchers, traditional Latino families find it natural to integrate multiple generations into the household. The study made me wonder if we were doing the right thing.
This question will face more and more Latino homes in the years ahead. Statistically, the older Latino population is among the fastest growing groups in the nation. The Census Bureau estimates that, by 2020, Latinos age 65 and older will represent nearly 15% of the Latino population. Most will revert to living with family for cultural, socio-economic and practical reasons. And, given the current economy, this trend may increase as more elders find themselves without resources outside of the family.
The importance of family in the Latino culture is paramount. Like many European family values, Latinos hold family at the core of existence. One of the main characteristics of Latino families is collectivism, a psychosocial tendency to view the needs of the family above the individual needs of any of its members. Often leading to sacrifices of the individual, this can be an opportunity as well as a challenge, particularly where the aged are concerned.
Living with family can boost an elder’s sense of purpose, particularly if they are contributing to the wellbeing of the household, caring for children, assisting with household activities, being consulted on matters of the family. This healthy interdependence among the different generations is a powerful testament to the senior person’s value.
On the other hand, many elders need special care, which can strain the household physically, emotionally and economically. Preparation and open discussion of these issues can make the decision less traumatic and the transition more successful for all.
The deciding factor for my mother was the fact that she had heart problems and having medical support available any time of day or night was comforting to her. Fortunately, her resources and independent personality made this a reasonable option.
However, about one in 12 elderly Latinos has no health insurance, so they lack access to quality health care and may be unfamiliar with services available to them. Navigating social services and community resources can be daunting, particularly to an elderly and possibly ill person. Some are uncomfortable in medical environments and intimidated by the system, leaving them with inadequate service or support.
Language can be another barrier as many elderly Latinos are not fully fluent in English and may not be able to advocate for themselves with health care providers. In addition, medical terms are technical and confusing, further challenging the patient who is embarrassed to admit that they don’t understand.
Another significant concern is that over 21% of Latinos aged 65 or older are diabetic. Besides issues of proper medical treatment and management of food-nutrition-exercise programs, future lifestyle issues are a grave matter. Sustaining a quality of life may depend on the family’s commitment to creating and implementing a regular program of strength training and flexibility management, balance and healthy activities.
Some family situations are better suited to caring for an elder than others. Other caregiving concerns center on the individual medical needs of the elder family member. Is there a process to manage medications? Are the caregivers healthy? Will there be need for additional support if care is given in the home?
Caregiving requires additional focus on organization, particularly where elders are concerned. Multiple medications, doctors, insurance and Medicare administration require attention and often involve appeals and reviews. Having a system of management is essential.
Besides the additional work, there is great advantage to bringing elders into the nuclear family. Traditional Latino families strongly identify with the extended family and feel loyal to the members as a group. This is an important value to pass on to younger generations.
Elders also bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, culture and heritage, stories and soul. Listening and supporting them is a gift to everyone involved.
And, each person in the family becomes better when all are treated with dignity, a value often forgotten in our fast-paced lives.
Did we make the right decision to support our mother and her independent life? We think so. But we never take for granted that it is our honor to share the most vulnerable time of her life with her.
What ever your choice, when you look back on the decision from a later point in time, know that you chose thoughtfully the best option for your elder and the best decision for your family. And ultimately, know in you heart that you did the best that you could. __________________________
Annette Leal Mattern held numerous corporate leadership positions where she championed development of minorities for upper management. She received the National Women of Color Technology Award for Enlightenment for her diversity achievements and was recognized by Latina Style and Vice President Gore as one of the most influential Latinas in American business. In 2000, she left her corporate work to devote herself to women's cancer causes. Her book, Outside The Lines of love, life, and cancer, helps people cope with the disease. Annette serves on the board of directors of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and founded the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Arizona, for which she serves as president. Annette also writes for http://www.empowher.com.
Thank you, Annette Leal Mattern, for filling in the past four weeks. Her health-oriented articles were informative and timely; I appreciate that she shared her observations and advice with La Bloga's readers. Hey, RudyG - did you see what she had to say about smoking?
I've been doing a lot of reading and a bit of writing - not as much writing as I should but that's always the case. I hope to soon have some good news about future publications; stay tuned, as they say. One reading project I took up is to read John Updike'sRabbit novels, in order. Years ago I read Rabbit Redux - Updike's recent passing got me to thinking that this might be a good time to catch up on all four Rabbit books. I have to say that Rabbit, Run was a tough book for me to get into but now that I am finally finding a handle on Rabbit's puzzling personality, at least as much as I can in 90 pages, the book is reading quicker. I'm a very slow reader so this particular project could take me months. Where does Updike stand these days in the pantheon of twentieth century North American writers? Is he regarded as having more substance than John O'Hara or more staying power and diversity than John Cheever, but not on the same level as F. Scott Fitzgerald? Or is the jury still out?
Meanwhile ...
NEW BOOKS FROM ARTE PUBLICO (Taken from the Spring 2009 Catalog)
In Sonora, a group of immigrants circles around a coyote, Leonardo Cerda, who will—for a price—lead them across the treacherous desert to the United States. Fearful that Cerda may be one of those who will collect their money up front and then leave them stranded to die, the travelers ultimately are forced to put their trust in him and begin the dangerous crossing to a new life. Afraid even of each other, they initially avoid eye contact or conversation. But as the three-day passage across the blistering landscape progresses, the fight to survive the grueling trip ensures that their lives—and deaths—are linked forever.
While trudging along, placing one exhausted foot in front of the other, the travelers each remember their lives and the reasons they have been forced to abandon their land, homes and loved ones. Among the immigrants is Menda Fuentes, a salvadoreña, the only member of her family to survive a massacre during her country’s civil war. Then there is Julio Escalante and his young grandson Manuelito, who pay the full fee even though they plan to go only halfway. By their side is Encarnación Padilla, an ancient indigenous woman who has survived ostracism and her involvement in the Zapatista uprising. Next to her walk Nicanor and Borrego Osuna, two brothers who suffer the ultimate indignity just to make it to the United States. Finally, there is Armando Guerrero, shifty, suspicious-looking, and clearly different from the rest because of his fancy clothes as well as the mysterious bag to which he clings.
In addition to confronting their own internal demons, they must also face the dangers that they encounter on the trail: poisonous snakes, debilitating dehydration and exhaustion, and a ferocious sandstorm that tears the group apart. This riveting novel explores the lives behind the news stories and confirms Limón’s status as one of the country’s premiere Latinas writing about issues that affect us all.
This anthology of searing poetry and prose collects the famed Nuyorican's writings from the past 35 years
"Don’t believe the deadly game,"Miguel Algarin warns the elderly black Puerto Rican sitting in a park in Old San Juan, "of Northern cities paved with gold and plenty / don’t believe the fetching dream / of life improvement in New York / the only thing you’ll find in Boston / is a soft leather shoe up your ass."
In this affecting collection of poetry and prose, Nuyorican poet Miguel Algarin crafts beautifully angry, sad pieces about injustice and loss. While warning his compatriots about the unreality of the American Dream, he acknowledges that "we are the pistons that / move the roughage through Uncle / Sam’s intestines, we keep the flow / of New York happening / we are its muscles."
Algarin’s poems covering his long career give voice to the disenfranchised—the junkie, the HIV inflicted, the poverty stricken—and survival is a recurring theme. In the essay "Nuyorican Language," which was originally published in 1975, he argues that for the New York Puerto Rican, there are three survival possibilities: to work hard for little money all your life and remain in eternal debt; to live life by taking risks of all types, including killing, cheating and stealing; and to create alternative behavioral habits. The Nuyorican poet, he says, must create a new language, "A new day needs a new language or else the day becomes a repetition of yesterday."
While many of the poems focus on the Puerto Rican experience in New York, others touch on universal experiences such as the death of friends and the ephemeral nature of life. "So what if you’re dead, / I’m here, you’re gone, / and I’m left alone / to watch how time betrays, / and we die slow / so very slow." And he turns his sharp gaze on events around the world, including the fights between England and Argentina for the Falkland Islands, Israel and Palestine for the Holy Land.
With an introduction by Ernesto Quiñonez, author of the acclaimed novel Bodega Dreams, this collection takes the reader through an intimate, autobiographical journey of one of the country’s leading Nuyorican writers and intellectuals.
Of course I have to mention this anthology - again. And expect more from me dealing with this book and the contributors - I'm lining up at least one intriguing interview and hope to have more to share. For now, here's a complete list of the authors: Mario Acevedo, Lucha Corpi, Sarah Cortez, Carolina García-Aguilera, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Carlos Hernandez, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Bertha Jackson, John Lantigua, Art Muñoz, R. Narvaez, L.M. Quinn, A.E. Roman, Manuel Ramos, S. Ramos O'Briant, Steven Torres, Sergio Troncoso.
NALAC awarded over $143,000 to 22 Latino artists and 17 Latino arts and culture organizations for the 2008-2009 cycle of the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA). The NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA), is the only national arts fund specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations in the United States. READ MORE
The 2008-2009 NFA Grantees Are:
Artists: Brent Beltrán, Anna De Orbegoso, Nicolas Dumit Estevez, Nicole Elmer, Michael John Garces, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Sandra Guardado, Eren McGinnis, Esau Melendez, Abinadi Meza, Elisha Miranda, Michelle Ortiz, Sandra Pena Sarmiento, Laura Perez, Marlene Ramirez Cancio, Omar G. Ramirez, Ruben Salazar, Minerva Tapia, Juana Valdes, Vito Jesus Valdez, and Elio Villafranca
Organizations: Arte, Inc., Association of Hispanic Arts, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Calpulli Mexican Dance Co., Conjunto Heritage Taller, El Centro Su Teatro, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Fiesta DC, La Casa de la Raza, MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, The Providence Latin American Film Festival, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Serie Project, Talento Bilingüe de Houston, Taller Puertorriqueño, Inc., Teatro IATI, and Teatro Vision.
JAILBAIT ZOMBIES INVADE THE TATTERED COVER
Mario Acevedo reads from and signs his latest Felix Gomez novel, Jailbait Zombie, on March 9, 2009, at 7:30 PM at the Colfax Avenue Tattered Cover, Denver. Acevedo is a former infantry and aviation officer, engineer, art teacher to incarcerated felons, and the bestselling author of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, and The Undead Kama Sutra. In Jailbait Zombie (HarperCollins) vampire detective Gomez coming face-to-face with the worst sort of undead. To stop a ravenous army of zombies, the detective must team up with a precocious teen with clairvoyant powers whose cooperation comes at a price: she won't help unless Felix makes her a vampire - if the zombies don't get her first.
Mario's continuing signing schedule so far is:
The Paranormal Bender Tour with fantasy authors Mario Acevedo, Caitlin Kittredge, Mark Henry, and Cherie Priest:
Clark County Library, Jewel Box Theater Las Vegas, NV March 11, 2009. 7 PM ....................... Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, CA March 13, 2009. 7 PM ....................... Dark Delicacies Burbank, CA March 14, 2009. 2 PM ....................... Borderlands Books San Francisco, CA March 15, 2009. 7 PM ....................... Powell's Books Beaverton, OR March 16, 2009. 7 PM
To get you in the right mood for an evening with Mario here's his animated trailer for his new book featuring motorcycle-riding Legos, directed and animated by EmilianoAcevedo.
The National Museum of Mexican Art, In Collaboration with Various Texas OrganizationsPresentsThe 2009 Texas Sor Juana Festival
A Tribute to Mexican WomenAustin • Dallas • Fort Worth • Houston • San AntonioMarch – May 2009The National Museum of Mexican Art, in collaboration with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), Museo Alameda, Arte Público Press, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA), The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), Talento Bilingüe de Houston (TBH) and various women’s organizations will host the 2009 Texas Sor Juana Festival, A Tribute to Mexican Women.
The Sor Juana Festival returns to Texas to celebrate its 3rd anniversary. This year, the NMMA is proud to announce the expansion of the Festival to include our new partners: Artes de la Rosa in Fort Worth, Children’s Museum of Houston, Discovery Green in Houston, Latino Cultural Center in Dallas and Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin. The Sor Juana Festival has become the largest Latino performing arts festival in the country.
Currently, the festival is divided into two seasons: March through May in Texas and April through June in Chicago/Milwaukee with plans of further expansion into other cities.The Sor Juana Festival is a multidisciplinary festival that honors one of Mexico’s greatest writers, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century Mexican nun who valued the education of women.
Sor Juana was a celebrated playwright, mathematician and poet in her own time and considered to be the first feminist of the Americas. Through this unique festival, we celebrate the legacy of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and pay tribute to the rich artistic accomplishments of Mexican women from Mexico and the United States.
The festival includes: culinary arts, dance, film, literature, music, theater, and visual arts and takes place at different venues throughout the Texas cities of Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, Texas.
This year’s Sor Juana Festival is going to be the largest and most diverse to date. NMMA is thrilled to be working with such dedicated and distinguished cultural institutions throughout Texas, that share our vision of recognizing the many contributions that Mexican/Mexican American women have made to the arts, our community and our lives.
Audiences will be amazed by the 2009 Texas Sor Juana Festival’s stellar line-up, which not only includes well established names such as: Vikki Carr, Girl in a Coma, Lila Downs, Eugenia León and Tania Libertad but also highlights local gems like: Gina Chavez, Graciela Limon, Norma Zenteno and Tammy Gomez while introducing artists from other parts of the country like Monica Palacios and Patti Vasquez.
"This festival is dedicated to the countless women in our lives and throughout history that were never able to live out their dream, a dream Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz fought for: a women’s right to education, to learn, to grow and live her dream. We hope this festival, in some ways, honors the dream they were never able to fulfill.” – Jorge Valdivia, Festival Director / Director of Performing Arts, NMMA.
On December 5th, 2006, the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum changed its name to the National Museum of Mexican Art in recognition of its 20th Anniversary and its status as the largest and leading Mexican cultural institution in the U.S. The Museum remains a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization.
The NMMA is the largest Latino Arts organization in the U.S. and the only Latino museum accredited by American Association of Museums. The NMMA presents Visual Arts Exhibitions, Performance Festivals, and Education Programs to more than 200,000 annually including 60,000 K-12 students. 90.5 FM Radio Arte is the Museum's youth-driven bilingual public radio station committed to advancing the voices of a multi-layered society through socially conscious journalism, media literacy, training and programming.
The Museum's hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is free. For information call 312-738-1503 or visit the NMMA's web site www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org1852 W. 19th StreetChicago, Illinois 60608
Zulema and the Witch Owl / Zulema y la Bruja Lechuza Written and illustrated by Xavier Garza.
ISBN 9781558855151 Published 31 May 2009 Bind Hardcover Pages 32 Price $ 15.95 Age Group 4-9
An entertaining bilingual picture book featuring a spooky character from Mexican-American folklore
Zulema Ortiz is the meanest little girl in the whole wide world. She doesn’t have any friends, animals run away from her in fear, and her mom doesn’t know what to do with her. But maybe, just maybe, her almost ninety-year-old Grandma Sabina does.
When Grandma Sabina comes to live with the family, the first thing Zulema says to her is, “You sure look old and ugly.” Grandma Sabina calmly warns her rude granddaughter about the Witch Owl who prowls the night looking for mean little children, but Zulema just laughs defiantly at such a preposterous story. Nothing scares her because she’s the meanest child in the world!
So when she gets into bed one night and something begins to tap at her window, Zulema isn’t afraid at first. She’s mad. “Nobody plays tricks on me. Only I can play tricks!” But as the noise at her window continues, the insolent little girl begins to lose her bravado. And when a huge owl with glowing red eyes smashes through the window and swoops into her room, Zulema is ready to agree to its demands—even if it means promising to be nice!
In this exciting story about the consequences of being mean to others, Zulema learns something about herself and possibly her grandmother too. The imagination of children ages 4-9 will soar with this fun, suspenseful story by acclaimed author and artist Xavier Garza, whose knack for storytelling and creating lively illustrations captures the spirit of naughty Zulema.
Triple Banana Split Boy, The / El niño goloso Written by Lucha Corpi. Illustrated by Lisa Fields.
ISBN 9781558855045 Published 31 May 2009 Bind Hardcover Pages 32 Price $ 15.95 Age Group 4-9
This bilingual picture book for children portrays one boy's struggles to overcome his insatiable sweet tooth
“How come you can have sweets and I can’t?” Enrique asks the hummingbirds as they flutter over the flowers in the garden. His craving for sugar is getting out of control, and his father has forbidden him to eat anything sweet. Enrique’s birthday is coming up and he won’t be allowed to help his grandma with her baking. It’s not fair!
Enrique’s cravings multiply by the minute. Even numbers in his math book start to look like yummy desserts. His life is over! The next day, though, he comes up with an ingenious plan to outwit his father.
Unfortunately, his mother soon catches on. But she has a plan of her own. On Mondays and Fridays only, after school, Enrique may have any dessert he likes, but none during the rest of the week. What a sweet deal!
On his first outing with his mother, Enrique orders a huge triple banana split, with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla scoops of ice cream, nuts, sprinkles and chocolate syrup. Later that night, Enrique’s stomach aches, and El Coco, a fearsome creature with a huge mouth and sticky hair, haunts his dreams.
Enrique’s mother wonders if he will ever learn to eat in moderation. Will he be able to bake with Grandma? And what about having a special treat on his birthday?
Lucha Corpi’s poetic prose is combined with Lisa Field’s enticing illustrations in this engaging story that will resonate with kids and their parents as they struggle to balance healthy eating habits with the natural desire for sweets.
Sunflowers / Girasoles Written by Gwendolyn Zepeda. Illustrated by Alisha Gambino.
ISBN 9781558852679 Published 31 May 2009 Bind Hardcover Pages 32 Price $ 15.95
This Charming bilingual picture book for children illustrates the simple joys of gardening and time spent with loved ones
“My name is Marisol. I’m seven years old. This spring, I helped my grandfather make a garden.”
First, Marisol and her grandfather had to prepare the ground. They pulled out the old plants and weeds. They mixed up all the dirt “to make it soft.”
Then it was time to plant the seeds. They planted seeds to grow the vegetables Mamá uses in soup—squash, onions, carrots, and cabbage. They planted seeds to grow the things she needs to make salsa—garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and chili peppers. They planted mint for Abuela’s tea. They planted watermelon seeds for Marisol and her brother. And for Grandad, they planted sunflower seeds because their “big black eyes with long yellow eyelashes” make him happy. And he likes to eat the seeds!
One day, Marisol’s grandfather gives her a small bag of sunflower seeds, but instead of eating them she plants them here and there—one in the corner of Mrs. Sosa’s yard, another in Mr. Binh’s yard. In fact, as she walks to school, she plants seeds in the corners of all the yards she passes. And she plants the last three seeds in the playground at school.
As the days pass, sometimes it’s rainy and sometimes it’s sunny. Finally, one bright day, Marisol’s sunflower surprise shines a bit of happiness all around.
The tender relationship between grandparent and grandchild is illuminated in this children’s book by author Gwendolyn Zepeda with warm illustrations by Alisha Gambino. Children ages 3-7 will sow and reap ideas of their own about ways to share a little joy, just as Marisol does with sunflowers.
NY: St. Martin's Griffin, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-312-34174-9 ISBN-10: 0-312-34174-1
Michael Sedano
Chicana literature rewards readers in so many ways. Arresting stories, superb writing, endearing characters, memorable literary experiences. But even with all the great "literary" work being produced by Chicanas writing fiction, one novel has yet to be written: the Great Chick Lit Novel.
For one thing, it'll be a wondrous challenge for a capable writer to break the boundaries of the standard chica novel, give us some genuine unrelieved heartbreak and solid, interesting writing to go along with cute characters, silver linings, and always happy endings.
But then, maybe that's too iconoclastic and such a work wouldn't be the literary confection that pleases certain readers looking for a fun, unchallenging novel as a respite from more serious tomes, or readers who prefer romance and comedy to other literatures.
For another thing, it would be interesting to see a Chicana writer attack the formula, since the best exemplars of Chica Lit has, so far, come from Cubana Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez and her sucias stories. Valdez writes effectively while introducing some heavy downer topics like eating disorders and adultery. Her diverse cast of Latinas includes brown, white, black women, who are Cubana, Boricua, Mexicana/Chicana.
There's no danger that Berta Platas' Lucky Chica is going to displease readers looking for an easily consumed novel that skirts around deadly serious issues in order to offer a wonderful respite from whatever. Moreover, there's precious little cultura to be seen in the book. A Spanish phrase here, un cafecito cubano there, black beans and rice for dinner; other than those elements, this is a bolillo of a novel.
What would you do if you won the big lottery prize? That's the premise of Platas' novel. Rather than moping around dreaming what if, Atlanta receptionist Rosie Caballero wins six hundred million dollars. Greedy readers might see trouble in store when Rosie wants to share equally with her abuela and her primo.
Abuela, a hotel housekeeper, does something unusual; she engages a lawyer friend to help the three of them organize their wealth. He gets them immediate access to cash then sets up their business and personal interests.
Each of the newly-rich characters spends excessively in the first flush of wealth. Rosie buys diamonds and a fur coat. Abuela gives five thousand dollars to a stranger with a sob story. Cheeto buys an ugly Hummer and throws gala parties.
Fame brings unpleasantness. The tabloids call Rosie the Trailer Park Diva or Diamond Rosie, and paparrazi intrude on their privacy. In Rosie's mind, the photos prove a conspiracy to make her look fat and like a hick. It doesn't help that she looks ridiculous in that fur coat.
Enter the love interest, a studly action movie star. Because Brad is puro Hollywood, Rosie's intimidated, but she gets her man after a passionate tryst on a secluded Mexican beach. Then Rosie loses Brad to a hot young starlet. Worse, the lawyer skips the country with all their liquid assets.
Abuela strikes gold, however, when she gets engaged to a rich septuagenarian (not one of the young studs Rosie feared would prey on abuela's money). To help pull Rosie out of the doldrums, abuela invites Rosie to join her on an exclusive cruise ship island hopping in the Caribbean.
Rosie is kidnaped. By the lawyer. Brad happens to be on the island, come to beg Rosie's forgiveness for the starlet--which was a tabloid rumor anyhow. Rosie attacks her kidnapers, Brad jumps an unsaddled horse and chases down the jeep with Rosie. The crooked lawyer is arrested. Brad gives Rosie a huge diamond.
Happily ever.
There's no irony in Lucky Chica, the title nor the plot. Rosie wins the lottery, wins the movie star, sees the embezzler arrested, restores financial order to her family's life. That must be what good luck looks like.
But that's not all, folks. Good for Platas. Throughout the story, the paparrazi bedevil Rosie, to her enormous unhappiness. But Cheeto--he of the garish lifestyle and outlandish presence, if he weren't a primo he'd be a total jerk--the tabloids leave Cheeto in anonymous bliss, no photos no stories. The last paragraph of Lucky Chica explains why, proving Cheeto is, in fact, a total jerk and closing the book with one last morsel of fun.
Here is it March! What's that line about lions and lambs? And two weeks until the Ides. Time Marches on, indeed! See you next week.
mvs
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Corpi is the author of five novels written in English, four of which are mysteries featuring Brown Angel Investigations and Gloria Damasco, the first Chicana detective in American literature. Her novels include Delia's Song (1984), Eulogy for a Brown Angel (1992, 2002), which received the 1992 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award and the Multicultural Publisher's Exchange award for best fiction in 1992, Cactus Blood (1995), Black Widow's Wardrobe (1999) and Crimson Moon (2004).
Her poetry is collected in Variaciones sobre una tempestad / Variations on a Storm (1990) and Palabras de mediodia / Noon Words (2001), with English translations by Catherine Rodríguez Nieto. She also wrote the children's book Where Fireflies Dance / Ahí, donde bailan las luciérnagas (1997). The Triple Banana Split Boy / El nino goloso, her second children's book, will be published this month by Arte Publico Press. Corpi lives in Oakland, California, where she was a tenured teacher in the Oakland Public Schools Neighborhood Centers Program for thirty years.
Corpi will sign books after the reading, and books will be available for purchase. This event is co-sponsored by the UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o Studies, the “Bilingual Creative Writing: Mysteries with a Mission” class, and the CSRC. Parking is available in structure 2 and can be purchased for $9.00 at the kiosk located at Westholme Ave. and Hilgard Ave. For more information, visit the CSRC's website.
…examines the life of "mister longhair," a middle-aged, part-time library page, full-time wino, and eavesdropper. By "examines" I mean that Romero puts our eyes on him, doesn’t let him out of our sight---but in no way does he pass judgment. "Mister longhair’s" life, well, it is what it is. His life is slightly more interesting now that the old lady who owned the building died and her relatives started moving in, the latest being a woman "with a hole in her face where her missing teeth should have been" and her three kids. Kids are kids: they start fires, swing cats, and break bottles on the driveway. "Mister longhair" watches them, yells at them, listens to them when they plot his demise in the garage. To tell the truth, "mister longhair" gets a charge out of it.
[Photo: Danny Romero stands center stage (holding cup) with several other contributors to Latinos in Lotusland at a Cal State L.A. reading. Also featured in photo: Reyna Grande and Helena María Viramontes (sitting), me, Lisa Alvárez, and Melinda Palacio (from left to right, standing).]
◘ As La Bloga readers know, I had a wonderful time in Chicago last month attending the annual AWP conference. I saw old friends and made new ones. I was repeatedly impressed by the accomplishments of those who were in attendance. One such person is Richard T. Rodríguez. Richard is an Associate Professor of English and Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He received his B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley and his Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Richard's research, teaching, and writing are grounded in U.S. Latino/a cultural studies, with particular interests in literary and film studies, the visual arts, popular culture, critical theory, and gender/sexuality studies.
