"Chicano writers from El Paso are the most progressive, open-minded, far-reaching, and inclusive writers of them all."

Octavio Romano

Saturday, July 31, 2010

EL PASO WRITER UPDATES - Paredes, Rechy, Mora, Ray Gonzalez, Cleofas Calleros, Saenz, Romo, Gilb




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EL PASO WRITER UPDATES

Blog Updates

It's been a while since we updated you on the El Paso writers, so we have a lot to talk about.



She also posted a neat post on a new book about English-language writing in Mexico: Sol: English Writing in Mexico, Edited by Eva Hunder



On C.M. Mayo's Maximilian and Carlota Blog she has a post about the "Maximilian Diamond": Click here.

This past Wed, Karen Benke guested on the Madame Mayo Blog with some writing advice: Guest-Blogger Karen Benke: 5 Writers on What it Takes to be a Creative Writer

Yesterday, Mayo posted some more "blog noted." Check them out.

I saw Daniel Chacon posted to his Chacon in El Chuco Blog about spending the summer in El Paso: "Sasha and I decided to stay in El Paso for the summer, here on the writer’s block. We had never done this before, at least not the entire summer, and we soon found that anyone who says there’s nothing to do in El Paso hasn’t been paying attention." READ MORE

Rafael Jesus Gonzalez has put several post out since we last updated you. One was on his inclusion in New Poets of the American West. We let you know last week that Sheryl Luna was included in that anthology, we so it Rafael. Check out the post. He posted two La Llorona themed poems, click here. His last post was about SB 1070: re SB1070 and all that shit.

Cinco Puntos Press put out two post, one a forgotten post that was suppose to be posted after the 2010 Book Exposition of America: Opps! A Forgotten Post: After the BEA and another on the Pulitzer Prize winning book Tinkers: Tinkers: The Book that refused to Disappear.

Check out the El Paso Media Buzz for Billy Ray Cyrus' faux pas at this concert at Fort Bliss: Cyrus broke hearts at Ft. Bliss.

 

Paredes in Texas; City of Night reviews; Pat Mora visit

 

Raymund Paredes was in two stories of late, A and M approves $3.3 billion budget. I think we posted this before, but the Texas Tribune has an interview with Paredes: Raymund Paredes: The TT Interview. Also, Paredes says, "All we're trying to do by the year 2015 is to get to parity with college-going rates in the 10 largest states. That's all," Raymund Paredes told the A&M System Board of Regents during the body's regularly scheduled meeting Friday. "Our aspiration in this initial effort is to become average." This quote is from the theeagle.com: READ MORE.

Some reviews of City of Night by John Rechy can be found at this link: http://hi0.org/city-of-night-on-sale/

You can see some photos from a recent visit by Pat Mora to an elementary school at the Jones Elementary School website

 

Ray Gonzalez poem;  Cleofas Calleros; Ben Saenz on a roll

 

Ray Gonzalez has his poem "You shall Serve" published on the Emprise Review website:

Pablo Neruda fled Chile on horseback,
going into exile to see how the snow peaks

got in the way of Federico García
Lorca’s ascent to heaven.

READ MORE

The El Paso Times published an old Cleofas Calleros column concerning "controversy" of women wearing bloomers in El Paso: Click here to read the story.

Ben Saenz was featured as on of two poets in the Austin American-Statesman article:

Two poets of Southwestern alienation:Review of 'The Book of What Remains' by Benjamin Alire Saenz and 'Burn Lake' by Carrie Fountain.   

"Sáenz confronts history head-on. His raw dialectic explores a peculiar American schizophrenia, internalized as a form of well-being. The Southwest is a particularly apt location to explore this split identity. It promises openness, freedom and liberation from the burdens of history, but its other side is continuing repression. Sáenz's poetics expose this schism at every turn." READ MORE.

 

Christine Granados; Octavio Solis; Abelardo

 I feel like we posted this abstract by Christine Granados before, but if not, here it is again. We came across those abstract on MUSE: "Project MUSE - American Book Review - Romance for Men Project MUSE Journals American Book Review Volume 31, Number 2, January/February 2010 Romance for Men American Book Review Volume 31, Number 2, January/February 2010 E-ISSN: 2153-4578 Print ISSN: 0149-9408 DOI: 10.1353/abr.0.0068 Romance for Men Christine GranadosTexas A&M University I believe that the novel is a blueprint into a writer's soul. Anyone who has ever attempted to write one knows how much of the author is embedded into its sentences and structure. When I read what I consider to be a bad book, I notice that..." MORE INFO. 

Octavio Solis will be included in an evening of readings of experimental plays by six Latino playwrights -- "San Francisco's cutting-edge Cutting Ball Theater continues to celebrate its 10th season of critically acclaimed stagework with VANGUARDIA. This one-night only event will be held Saturday, August 7 at 8pm at the Cutting Ball Theater in Residence at EXIT on Taylor. "With Vanguardia, Cutting Ball is reaching out to the Latino/Latina theater community," said Associate Artistic Director Paige Rogers. "The six playwrights involved are spectacularly talented and their scenes give us a flavor of their particular experimental voice."

"Spanish for "avant garde," VANGUARDIA features an evening of readings of experimental plays by six Latino playwrights: Kristoffer Diaz, Marisela Treviño Orta, Octavio Solis, Caridad Svich, Enrique Urueta, and Karen Zacarias." READ MORE.



Here is a news blurp on the recent unveiling of Emanuel Martinez' painting of Lalo and Lola Delgado which was presented to UTEP. Check it out. 

Romo on Border Violence; Gilb



David Romo, author of Ringside Seat to Revolution, was quoted in a story by the BBC on violence on the border: US border violence: Myth or reality?

The BBC says, "Mr Romo (David Romo) says that during times of economic distress, the border and the immigrants who cross it are used as scapegoats. He believes history is repeating itself, and politicians are using the same rhetoric they have for decades." READ MORE.


Dagoberto Gilb was quoted in the Newark Advocate regarding writer William Zink. Click here for full story.

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