Author: Trujillo, Carla Mari
Publisher: Curbstone Press
ISBN: 1-880684-94-2.

Subject: Fiction

In What Night Brings the smart and courageous young protagonist, Marci Cruz, prays for two things each night: first, that her dad disappears and second, that God turns her into a boy. Faith is a big issue for Marci throughout the book. She prays hard, speaks with the nuns often for help to understand what God wants her to do and looks up words in the dictionary to help explain what the adults are talking about. She asks questions from everyone, which eventually gets her into trouble with everyone. A few of the many great things about Marci are that she never stops asking questions and never once does she give up. With the love of her sister and her Uncle Tommy, Marci keeps going. Marci is a fighter. You never quit cheering for her through the story.

The issue of her loving girls is as natural to Marci as reading. The focus on the fact that she likes girls is the same as in any other book about how girls think about boys. This is a refreshing and thought provoking way to handle the subject. There is no explanation nor shame connected to the thoughts. They just are.

The big question in Marci’s life is about her mother. Their father cheats on their mother and beats on the two sisters. Yet their mother refuses to acknowledge any of this. She believes in what her husband tells her. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Marci and her sister spy on their father and take pictures of him with the other woman to hold for the appropriate time, which of course…well, you read the book.

The story is told from the voice of Marci in a droning intonation. Marci describes beatings as casually as she describes happy moments. Neither holds much promise. This could have been a depressing book except for Marci’s belief that she deserved better and her ability to fight and think. Marci and her sister write their grandmother for help and keep hidden the money their grandmother sends them to take the bus to be with her.

There is some new literature out now that claims that the usual “Fight or Flee” reaction to fear is from the male’s perspective. From a female’s perspective, women tend to group together and share. Marci had her sister with her during the beatings, and had her Uncle Tommy to believe her and knew that she could turn to her grandmother for back up. Did these factors make the difference for Marci? Read the book and you decide.

One thing you will agree on is that Marci is a delight and every child needs to ask as many questions as Marci did. Even if that means getting the nuns mad at you.

Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, & My Mother
Rita Maria Magdaleno. RitainAZ@aol.com

Camino del Sol Series  101 pp. / 6 1/8 x 9 / 2003

Paper (0-8165-2258-8) $15.95

Contact: Ann Wendland, Publicity Manager, 520-621-3920

Ability to Work with: At-Risk Students, Gifted Students, Senior Citizens

Language Proficiency: Spanish                                                                  

Home to Latinos are as diverse as our heritages. Under “Race” in a questionnaire, where is this “Year of the Latino Author” writer included? She calls herself a child of two cultures.

Rita Maria Magdaleno was born near Dachau in Augsbury, Germany, shortly after World War II to a German war bride mother and a Mexican American GI. (“She fell in love / with your wide smile / & thick black hair, / glint of a gold tooth / like a star or a broken / promise you still carry.”) Her family moved to Arizona in 1947, and Rita was raised with her father’s traditions. She grew up in south Phoenix, embraced by a large circle of familia, including seven tias who always liked her poems and stories. She believes that writing is an important way to connect with family and community. More than ever, she believes that writing is a tangible reminder of our roots and identity. “Poems and stories connect us to the communal heart,” she says.

This memoir in poetry, recalling Magdaleno’s return to the land of her birth, is an intertwining of personal and public history bridging continents and cultures, war and peace, in search of family secrets. Her poems recall a mother “Marlene Dietrich pretty, / her smoky voice / & those wide Aryan / eyes that promised / never to lie.” A war bride who named her child after a Hollywood movie star even before casting eyes on America. A caring woman who made her daughter realize that “it is always the small gestures which make us human.”

Magdaleno’s poems also recall the horror of the war from an unusual perspective. Reflecting on an uncle in the Gestapo and on nearby victims of Nazi atrocities, they offer a new, intimate view of the Holocaust—and of today’s reunified Germany—and show that the consequences of events played out half a century ago continue to resonate with the children of that era.

For Rita Magdaleno, healing involves reclaiming the difficult emotions associated with history as she progresses from elegy to reconciliation. With patience, courage, and abiding love, she turns to mother and to Motherland to show us that this healing comes in many forms.

Rita Maria Magdaleno received her M.A. in English and American Literature at the University of Texas at El Paso.  She has served as Visiting Writer and Lecturer in Chicano Poetry at the University of Augsburg in 1995 and 2002, and as Visiting Writer at the University of Bamberg, Germany, in 1995 and 2002.

She teaches as a poet in the schools for the Arizona Commission on the Arts and teaches autobiographical writing at the U of A Extended University, Writing Works Center. April 1999, she was awarded an International Artist’s Exchange and conducted children’s writing workshops for the Union of Community Museums, Oaxaca, Mexico. Magdaleno has received a Fiction Fellowship from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She has been a Writing Fellow at Millay Colony for the Arts (New York), The Ucross Foundation (Wyoming), and the Vermont Studio Center.

She learned the craft of writing as a graduate student at the University of Texas at El Paso. Also, she continues to learn about writing through her work as instructor for the Writing Works Center, U of A Extended University–where she teaches journal writing, memoir, & photo-narrative writing–and her work with children through ArtsReach in Tucson.

She connects deeply with students who are exploring their identity, a sense of self in the world. Her students write family stories, photo-narratives, self-portraits, and “name poems.” She works especially well with middle and high school students–ESL, Bilingual, and incarcerated youth.

Her recent poetry appears in Floricanto, Si! A Collection of Latina Poetry (Penguin USA), and Fever Dreams: Contemporary Arizona Poetry (University of Arizona).

“A striking collection of poetry, one that rewards repeated readings. . . . With lyrical language and a fearless heart, Magdaleno probes her (and our) past, and we are the wiser for it. This book complicates our views of ethnicity, of cultural identity, of our nation’s history.” —John Bradley

“I am moved by the reach, the pitch and intensity of Magdaleno’s poetics. . . . A welcome set of new directions.” —Juan Felipe Herrera

“Rita Magdaleno—of ‘mixed blood’ that her SS uncle ‘would have spilled without hesitation’—writes narratives and lyrics of integrity, honesty and tenderness, where the personal, historical and political are seamlessly engaged. This is a poetry of passion, compassion, astounding imagery and riveting emotional courage.” —Laure-Anne Bosselaar

Rita Maria Magdaleno

Guanabee Meets Irete Lazo, Author Of The Accidental Santera

By Daniel Mauser

DEATH AT SOLSTICE by Lucha Corpi

BronzeWord Latino Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Nov 30     Richard    Unloaded  http://www.un-loaded.com

Dec 1       Mayra Calvani  Latino Book Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner

Dec 2       Terri        Behind Brown Eyes        http://right2write.blogspot.com/

Dec 3       Lara Rios  Julia Amante        http://juliaamante.blogspot.com

Dec 4       Anna        The Sol Within        http://www.thesolwithinanna.blogspot.com

Dec 7       Misa         Chasing Heroes        http://chasingheroes.com

Dec 8       Monie       Reading With Monie        http://www.readingwithmonie.com

Dec 9       Carol        Book-lover carol      http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com

Dec 10     Tasha      Heidenkind’s Hideaway http://heidenkind.blogspot.com/

Dec 11     Nilki Musings   http://Nilkibenitez.blogspot.com

Book description:

Lucha Corpi’s new book, fourth in a series, has captured fans on both coast. Join us on the book tour that will reveal secrets about her writing process and learn how her mysterious PI came to be. This lady is amazing. From reading Greek tragedies to writing mysteries, Lucha Corpi’s life is as intriguing as her PI’s tangled adventures. Haven’t read Corpi? Then start with her first book in the series all the way through to this book for a ride of thrills.

Review of Death at Solstice

A great mini-review in LIBRARY JOURNAL just came in: Corpi, Lucha. Death at Solstice: A Gloria Damasco Mystery. Arte Publico. 2009. c.240p. ISBN 978-1-55885-547-2

In her fourth outing (after Black Widow’s Wardrobe), Chicana sleuth Gloria Damasco has no idea that the road to finding stolen jewelry in the wine country of California’s Shenandoah Valley will lead to murder, kidnapping, and great danger. Verdict Corpi has constructed a twisting story line that confounds her intelligent detective and the reader at every turn. This will please readers looking for a fast-paced tale with a Hispanic cultural background.

Series of Book by Lucha Corpi

#1 Corpi, Lucha, Cactus blood : a mystery novel Houston, Tex.: Arte Público Press, c1995.

#2 Corpi, Lucha, Black widow’s wardrobe Houston, TX : Arte Público Press, 1999.

#3 Corpi, Lucha, Crimson moon : a Brown Angel mystery Houston, Tex. : Arte Público Press, c2004 Civil rights movements

Author’s Bio

For Lucha Corpi, art has always meant activism. As a woman, a Hispanic, an immigrant and a mother, she has always found herself breaking down barriers in both life and literature.

        Corpi was born in 1945 in Jáltipan, Veracruz, Mexico, a small tropical village on the Gulf of Mexico into a community that fostered creativity, performances and an appreciation for music, poetry and storytelling.

        In 1964, she married and moved with her husband to Berkeley, California, a city in the throes of the students’ Free Speech Movement, which ignited the most turbulent decade in the history of the University of California-Berkley campus. It also coincided with the inception of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement in the southwestern United States.

        Following an emotionally devastating divorce in 1970, Corpi found herself alone and in pain, with no family except her young son and very few friends. She turned to writing simply to get hold of her feelings, to face her contradictions and keep chaos at bay.

        Her initial writing forays led to the exploration of poetry in Spanish as an outlet for her creativity. In 1970, she received a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship for poems later included in Palabras de mediodia / Noon Words (Fuego de Aztlán Publications, 1980; bilingual edition Arte Público Press, 2001). Her first collection of poems appeared in Fireflight: Three Latin American Poets (Oyes, 1976), and a third poetry collection followed: Variaciones sobre una tempestad / Variations on a Storm (Third Woman Press, 1990).

        During that same decade, Corpi resumed her university studies, which had been interrupted by her marriage and supporting her husband while he studied. The UC-Berkeley campus provided an excellent forum for her political activism. Among other pursuits, Corpi was one of five founding members of the Aztlán Cultural, an arts service organization that years later would merge with Centro Chicano de Escritores (Chicano Writers Center). She also joined the Comité Popular Educativo de la Raza, an organization of parents, students and teachers in Oakland that sought to establish bilingual child care centers and other programs in the city’s unified school district.

        After her first collection of poetry appeared, Corpi experienced a long and personally worrisome poetic silence. To ease the tension, she turned to prose, penning several award-winning short stories. In 1984, she wrote her first story in English and her first English-language novel, Delia’s Song, was published by Arte Público Press in 1989.

        In 1990, Corpi was twice honored: she was awarded a Creative Arts Fellowship in fiction by the City of Oakland, and she was named poet laureate at Indian University Northwest.

        The publication of Eulogy for a Brown Angel: A Mystery Novel (Arte Público Press, 1992) was the culmination of a life-long dream. The novel won the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award and the Multicultural Publishers Exchange Best Book of Fiction. Corpi’s second mystery novel featuring Chicana detective Gloria Damasco is Cactus Blood (Arte Público Press, 1995), which was reissued in paperback in 2009. Black Widow’s Wardrobe (Arte Público Press, 1999) and Death at Solstice (Arte Público Press, 2009) are the two most recent editions to The Gloria Damasco Series. In between the publication of these works of fiction, she compiled and edited Máscaras (Third Woman Press, 1997), a collection of essays on writing by prominent Chicana and Latina authors.

Fans can also turn to Corpi’s first mystery novel in a new series, Crimson Moon: A Brown Angel Mystery (Arte Público Press, 2004). Weaving the student movements at Berkeley, a serial rapist within the government’s ranks, a militant Chicano brown power group in Denver, and even the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, Corpi has once again penned an intriguing thriller that revisits one of the most disturbing chapters for the American psyche: the civil rights struggles and student revolts during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In addition to poetry and mystery novels, Lucha Corpi also writes for children. In 1997, she published her first bilingual picture book, Where Fireflies Dance / Ahí, donde bailan las luciérnagas (Children’s Book Press), and The Triple Banana Split Boy / El niño goloso (Arte Público Press) was published in 2009.

Corpi holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from UC-Berkley and an M.A. in World and Comparative Literature from San Francisco State University. A tenured teacher in the Oakland Public Schools Neighborhood Centers Program for 30 years, she retired in 2005.

Interviews about TANTALIZE

Tantalizing tidbits abound as Cynthia dishes on writing, gothic lit, favorite things and her latest novel.

What sort of things do you like to do in your free time?

I’m a great fan of museums—especially natural history museums. I’m rather entranced by dinosaurs and Ice Age Mammals. I also love to go to superhero movies and botanical gardens and out for sashimi. My favorite shows right now are “Monk” and “Bones.” I read about 100 comic books a week, and I have an amazing group of writer friends with whom I get together regularly.
—Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith of “Tantalize”
from the Columbia County Rural Library District of Dayton, Washington.

What tip do you have for those interested in writing horror?

“If it’s horror-fantasy, make sure you have “earned your ghost” or other monster.
“From a literary perspective, it’s not enough to take a realistic character and just slap a set of teeth (or claws) on her. Instead, consider how the specific mythology tradition has developed in books over generations. Decide what your contribution will be, and then make your approach to the fantasy element pay off in terms of character, theme, and plot.”
—Cynthia Leitich Smith on Writing Horror/Fantasy:
a Poised at the Edge Author Interview from Hello Ma’am.

Question:

If you could pick one or two songs to represent your book, what would they be?
“Bad Moon Rising” Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Red Red Wine” UB 40
“I Want to Be Evil” Eartha Kitt
—Author Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith
from Jaden Nation at the underground[unrest].
http://undergroundunrest.com/blog/2008/author-interview-cynthia-leitich-smith/
http://undergroundunrest.com/blog/about/

What makes Tantalize unique?

“Probably my most remarked-upon twist on the tradition is that the story largely revolves around Sanguini’s, a fictional a vampire-themed restaurant set here in Austin, Texas.
“As an older teen, I’d waited tables in restaurants to help pay for college tuition and expenses, and I loved how each was a stage for drama — complete with thematic décor, menu, costumes/uniforms, music, and more.”
—Books That “Suck” Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smithfrom The Compulsive Reader.

What’s the future of the Vampire in literature…doomed or saved?

“The vampire is (to work in the title of my next book) Eternal (Candlewick, 2009). The fashions of his/her depiction will vary over time, but the traditionally suggested themes of sensuality, selfishness, endless youth, being both in-and outside the world, redemption (or lack thereof), the mysterious/dangerous/foreign ‘other,’ and an existence outside the rules… These are themes that—for better and worse—endure.”
—Cynthia Leitich Smith on Fantasy, YA, and Vampires
from Writers Interviewing Writers.

Quote:

“I adore losing myself in a novel. I have this theory that once you’ve hit your third or fourth draft, all the answers to story questions are already hinted at somewhere in the manuscript. Your unconscious mind knows what it’s doing. You just have to trust yourself and your characters. I go into a deeply intuitive state, and somehow the map I’ve integrated begins to show itself.”
Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
by Sarah Aronson at Through the Tollbooth.
http://community.livejournal.com/thru_the_booth/11902.html

Quote:>/h3>
“Horror is a wonderful metaphor for adolescence. You’re a shape-shifter in your changing body. Your raging hormones are the beast within. You’re transforming…but into what?”
—Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Tantalizing Talk from Marta Acosta.
http://martaacosta.blogspot.com/2007/10/cynthia-leitich-smiths-tantalizing-talk.html

Quote:

“When I began writing, I took the typical advice: write what you know. For me that meant stories of small-town people from the mid-to-southwest, including Native families.


“As I’ve grown as I writer, I’ve begun to branch out and take more chances. Like Quincie, I live in Austin and have a history of working in a restaurant and am independent and ambitious. So, a lot of me can be found in her story, too.”
—Interview – Cynthia Leitich Smith from Darque Reviews.
http://darquereviews.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-cynthia-leitich-smith.html

Quote:

“I think that gothic fantasy works well as analogy. It prepares us for the horrors that we face in reality. Take for example, Tantalize, which is in part the story of a vampire who doesn’t want to be one. Boil it down, and that’s a drinking problem.”
—Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
by Elle Wolterbeek from the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (International Reading Association)
(scroll to pages 81 to 84 (pg. 7 to 10 of the PDF file)
http://www.reading.org/Library/Retrieve.cfm?D=10.1598/JAAL.51.1.8&F=JAAL-51-1-Blasingame.pdf

Quote:

“I do this drastic thing… that freaks out my graduate students. When I’m finished with the first draft, I print it, read it once, throw away the hard copy, delete the file, and delete trash. Knowing as I go in that the draft is for my eyes only, that I’m not committed to it, frees me up to experiment. It gives me an opportunity to explore the characters and their world. I figure the best, strongest aspects of the character and story will survive when I write the second first draft.”
—Interview with http://fdreview.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-5-with-cynthia-leitich-smith.html”>Cynthia Leitich Smith from the Faerie Drink Review.
Fresh Voices of YA: Cynthia Leitich Smith Interview from Book Chic (Aug. 14, 2007).
Seven Impossible Interviews Before Breakfast #34: The Kidlitosphere’s Sweetheart, Cynthia Leitich Smith (June 25, 2007).
http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=741

Quote:

“From the beginning, I was very aware of the power of the conversation between books.”
—Going Goth: An Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
from Suite101.com.
http://teenfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/ya_author_cynthia_leitich_smith

Question:

Q: if you could live inside any TV show in the world, what would it be and why?
A: “Fantasy Island” (1978-1985) because I want to be Mr. Roarke when I grow up.
—
http://zeisgeist.livejournal.com/665574.html
Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith:
a Girlfriends Cyber Circuit interview by Lara M. Zeises.
http://zeisgeist.livejournal.com/665574.html

Question:

Q: What’s your favorite… line from a movie?
“I never drink…wine.” — Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula.”
—Shop Talk Tuesday with Cynthia Leitich Smith
from Laura Bowers at Writing Without the Reins.
http://laurabowers.net/news-and-reviews/shop-talk-tuesday-with-cynthia-leitich-smith

Quote:

“…The title …was the only one I considered and came from one of the first lasting lines I wrote. Quincie says, ‘Call me werecurious, but if my mission was to arouse the boy with the beast within, I’d have to tantalize his monster.’”
—Chatting with Cynthia Leitich Smith
from Hello Ma’am.
http://mango-firefly.livejournal.com/3173.html

On writing as a career:

“Writing fiction seemed a tremendous indulgence against great odds. It was something I’d do someday. But it slowly occurred to me that many people ’someday’ their way through their entire lives. The only way to make dreams a reality is to commit to them fully.”
—Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
at Alma Fullerton’s site.
http://www.almafullerton.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page20.html

On making the leap into gothic fantasy writing:

“Beginning writers always are told “write what you know.” But there’s another bit of golden advice: write what you love to read.”
—Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
at Not Your Mother’s Book Club.
http://community.livejournal.com/notyourmothers/50304.html

On what this latest book is about:

“Let’s just say it’s a genre bender, offering gothic fantasy, suspense, mystery, romance, and humor with a serving of blood-and-tongue sausages on the side.”
—Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
at the YA Authors Café.
http://yaauthorscafe.blogspot.com/2007/02/tantalize-by-cynthia-leitich-smith.html

Question:

Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m diving into a revision of ETERNAL, which is set in the same universe as TANTALIZE. It goes deeper into the heart of the universe.
Quincie and even her hybrid werewolf best friend Kieran are largely on the outskirts of their world. Plus, she’s not the most reliable first person narrator.
ETERNAL will bring readers to a center point of the fantasy structure.
—Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
by Debbi Michiko Florence.
http://www.debbimichikoflorence.com/author_interviews/2007/CynthiaLeitichSmith07.html

A writing tip:

“Write at least one scene from the point of view of your antagonist.”
—What’s Fresh with Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Tantalize
by Kelly Para at YA Fresh.
http://yafresh.blogspot.com/2007/06/whats-fresh-with-cynthia-leitich-smiths.html

One reason I enjoy to promote Caridad so much is that fact that you read her books and think, “Hmm, she’s one of the ‘those’ Hot Latinas.” Then you see a picture of her and all your images are shattered. Doesn’t she look like a PTA mom? She probably is. She is definitely a fantastic writer. Read below to learn more about her and make a date to hear her on this BlogTalkRadio interview.

What Would You Ask Caridad Piñeiro?
Posted by: “valeriemrusso” valerie.russo@hbgusa.com

Grand Central Publishing and Forever invites you to a live interview with Caridad Piñeiro, author of Sins of the Flesh on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 3:00 PM ET:


Join us as we interview Caridad Pineiro, author of SINS OF THE FLESH. We’ll talk about her latest book, the first book she ever wrote, and all the great things in between. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Caridad Piñeiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project: write a book for a class lending library. Her love of writing continued through high school, college and law school. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, her passion for the written word led to a determination to publish and share the stories she loved with others.


In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, she is the author of more than twenty novels and novellas. Caridad hopes to continue to share her stories with readers all over the world for years to come. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista.


Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ 646-378-0039.


Listen-in or chat on the Grand Central Publishing channel on BlogTalkRadio – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ grandcentralpub/2009/10/29/Interview- w-Caridad-Pineiro-author-of-SINS-OF-THE-

If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@ hbgusa.com or if you would like to receive a copy of the book, email anna.balasi@ hbgusa.com


Visit http://www.caridad. com/ for more information

Caridad Pineiro, author of SINS OF THE FLESH

Dear Santa,
I only want one thing for Christmas.

You know I have been working very hard at researching and posting. I’ve been a good girl. Well, I do tend to cuss and scream at the computer when it takes half a day for one page to download, and I have to reboot the computer every two hours because all the memory is gone already. And that’s with me empting the history and cookies every hour. I’m growing very frustrated with the machine.

I was hoping you could put in a good word for me and spread the news that if everyone could find it in their heart to send me $1, one dollar, that I might be able to afford my Christmas wish. I’ve included a picture and a URL of the exact model I want.

I need a computer that is fast and able to work with several Internet web pages open at the same time. I’m really bad sometimes and can have up to ten Internet pages open at the same time. With my computer being so slow, I’ve learned to control myself and only open two or three at a time, and even then the computer doesn’t like that.

I don’t know if PayPal (widget on sidebar –>) will take only a dollar so I’ve included my snail addy, but then you know where I live anyway.
814 Peabody
San Antonio, TX 78211

Santa, I hope you can help me. I can’t do it without your help. See what I want:

Dell – Inspiron Desktop with Intel® Pentium® Processor
Model: I545S-1476N | SKU: 9532428
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9532428&type=product&id=1218120174747

Ain’t it pretty. It only cost $500.

The guy that helped me get my last computer says it’s fast for what I need. If you know of another computer that’s faster in the same price range, then send that one instead or at least let me know about it. Ok?

Thanks you Santa and be safe on your travels this December.

Thank you to those who donated:
10-23-09 Richard Yniguez, famous movie start
10-23-09 Victor Manuel Ramos, famous journalist in Orlanda
10-28-09 famous anonymous person
11-03-09 Sandra Little, famous librarian
11-09-09 Mayra Calvani, famous Latino Book Examiner

11-23-09 Elianne Ramos, famous marketing strategist
_________________________________________________________________

Being a Chicana Writer

Chicana Writer. Two words that can stand alone or when united can be fireworks on paper — a celebration.

Writer. An octopus of a word.

With one arm, I am single-head-of-household. I have to remember to set something aside for the car registration in March and the taxes in April. I have to fix the plumbing and watch for sales to buy boxes of light bulbs and make sure we never run out of detergent.

With another arm, I am the single parent of two fabulous, handsome, obnoxious sons. I have to rejoice in their victories, commiserate in their losses, encourage them out of their failures, and cheerlead them into a higher self-esteem and a sense of their powerful selves. Also have their wisdom teeth removed with no health insurance. And fill their bottomless stomachs with half the grocery store.

With the working arm, I am an employee who types other people’s manuscripts with perfect margins, researches other peoples’ ideas, and support their progress while I wake up at four every morning to write for two hours. From this employment, I gain a paycheck, which enables me, minimally, to keep the house I have to continuously maintain and support the sons I have to constantly consider.

With another arm, I use the time split off from my writing for my friendships with women — lending my shoulder, bending their ear, and in moments of complete abandonment, meeting with them to play. As for male companionship, I have about five spare minutes in a couple of months — if I could find a male who does not get threatened by the fact I can change the insides of a toilet and the oil in the car as well as he can. But I’m horny and I’m looking.

With the additional arm, there is the time I have chipped out for myself to listen quietly for the wisdom that is the source of my well being — my inner voice.

Chicana. A scorpion of a word.

On one leg, some may think my light skin earns me the prizes — food, shelter, and life free from harassment. Regardless of how I look on the outside, I am still one of “them,” and every step upward closes the window of opportunity taken for granted by so many.

On the other leg, I have to support the brown world and the white world, and I can never fully satisfy either group. Losing the fluency of my language is a symptom of my oppression. I was raised to assimilate.

On the third leg, when I write as a Chicana, I ask, who am I? Where do I fit in? I have never met a migrant farmworker. I have never picked in a fruit field. I never lived in a house with a dirt floor. I never went hungry as a child. I always had nice clothes. I was taught being light-skinned made me better than others. I grew up middle-class. I cannot romanticize my race’s poverty.

On the important leg, I portray my people with dignity and respect, the way I saw them as I grew up. I write about a Chicana who lives in a nice home, with a husband who does not drink, womanize, or beat her, and the editor asks me, “Who is my audience?”

“Chicanos,” he informs me, “can’t read and don’t have money to buy books.”

On the wobbly leg, I am told I betray the Chicana experience by writing about people who own their homes on the good side of town. I am targeted as unfaithful to my Raza because my writing contains no magic realism. Will Chicanos label me a coconut–brown on the outside, white on the inside? Will the white publishers allow me in the door?

My experience is that “they” invite you into their schools and let you play with their children, but exclude you from the power decisions. I write about the hidden messages I received as a child that as a Mexicana I would be a good servant, but anything more was impossible.

I write about a ceiling lowered on me for no other reason than being born into my family. It is a ceiling other people define for me and get angry when I resist it. It is a ceiling that can come at me from both colors.

Yet I write. My writing gives me purpose.

My courage is the ink flowing from my pen. With the squiggly lines I scratch onto a blank page, I contribute, I destroy, I encourage, I defend, and I keep myself alive.

With my writing, I can contribute. With my writing, I reach others, all colors, and share information to make things clearer and easier between us. With my writing, I become who I really am.

A Chicana Writer.

Should we be talking?

http://tinyurl.com/detfwk

There is something that has begun to happen with such regularity that it has become something that we don’t talk about but maybe we should. Jo Ann Carreon- Reyes (She is Teatro Vivo, Business Director and my lovely wife), Marisa Limon (company member of Teatro Vivo and Aztlan Folkdance) and Karinna Perez (company member of Teatro Vivo and Latino Comedy Project) need to take credit for this. They have nurtured a relationship with our three groups that lead to cross advertising for one another. We carry ads for their shows in our programs, on our emails and our websites. They do they same. We encourage our audiences to see each other’s shows.

What? Three Latino groups working in such good cooperation? Well, there is about to be a fourth, Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklorico de Texas has been invited to also put notices in our programs for their events. Which will include a collaboration with Teatro Vivo in the fall of 2010.

We have begun conversations to coordinate calendars a little more to avoid what occurs every now and then, two shows running concurrently. It would be very difficult to make all our shows happen on totally different weeks, but we can at least open a week or two apart and give each other’s shows a boost in our programs, emails and websites.

To me this points us in a direction that is not new and every now and then comes around at the right moment. And now might just be that moment. With the city already announcing that cuts will be coming for arts funding (which to me always translates into “the groups that are trying to reach those underserved audiences will be cut”), we need a “strength in numbers” approach. The idea is to form a group of Latino arts groups and individual artists. Yes, yes, it has been done before, but one element that is present now that perhaps wasn’t there in the past is “maturity” and knowledge that we are not fighting over the same enchilada anymore. Our audiences have expanded greatly and they are diverse. We have discovered our own art forms, and they are all unique.

It is no coincidence that the Opera, the Ballet, Symphony and Zachary Scott are courting the influential Latinos to be on their boards. And it is no coincidence that those Latinos are accepting. Our small groups cannot compete with the social status that those groups guarantee. I mean let’s face it. If Teatro Vivo has a good run, in three weeks we may bring in 1500 people for one of our shows. The Opera on one night can bring in 2400 at the new Dell Theater. So when will Teatro Vivo be able to compete with that? Maybe someday.

But with a coalition of Latino groups and individuals, we can begin to compete with them immediately. Roen Salina’s Aztlan performance at the Dell was wonderful and played to, in my estimation, 500 people. When we were at the Rollins Theatre also at the Long Center, we sold out the house for 6 performances (almost 1000 people in one week). They begin to add up don’t they? So for right now, let’s keep sharing our publicity and maybe we can share a beer or coffee and just begin to plant some seeds. After all gardening is one of my favorite things to do.

http://teatrovivoaustin.blogspot.com/2009/08/should-we-be-talking.html

Today Mayra visits Chasing Heroes on her Latino Virtual Book Tour
http://chasingheroes.com/

Audio Interviews and the Shy Writer

 Audio interviews are in rising popularity as a tool of book promotion among authors. After all, all you need are a phone, a witty personality, and a talent for public speaking. The first one is easy–everybody has a phone these days. The second is a gift you may be born with if you’re lucky. The third is a skill that can be learned, improved and perfected with the right tools.


Since there aren’t magical drugs on how to become more witty (sorry, you’re stuck with those genes), in this article I’ll be focusing on how to help authors improve their chances to succeed at audio interviews.


The prospect of doing an audio interview is a source of stress, anxiety and even panic for many authors–especially the shy ones. Let’s face it, many things could go wrong. A technical problem might arise or the author might freeze at a question and start stuttering. Most often the problems are technical, or the interviewer is faced with an author who talks very little or is unable to stop talking.


To beat the odds, there are practical steps an author can take.


Andrea Sisco of Armchair Interviews (www.ArmchairInterviews.com) offers the following advice:

* Be prepared. Ask the interviewer what types of questions are likely to be asked.


*Practice: Have a friend interview you (to avoid the ummm, ahs, silences). It’s an art form and I learned this early on when I worked in tv and as my husband is a professional speaker.


*Have something to say: Tell us something unique about the book/story. If you’re able to use humor appropriately, do so (people love it).


*Don’t talk more than 90 seconds (in answering a question). In audio, people lose interest if you drone on and on. There needs to be a discussion between the author and interviewer, otherwise it’s a lecture.


* If there is a topic you don’t want to discuss, tell the interviewer, otherwise you could be caught on tape and not know what to do.


* Speak up. Audio’s are touchy (since you’re not in a sound studio). Also, make sure you turn off call waiting so we don’t hear beeps. Put the dog in another room (children also) and make sure the windows and doors are closed so we don’t hear outside noise that can be distracting.


* Have a pen/paper handy to make note of anything you think of that you want to discuss. Also take note of any directions given by the interviewer.


* Keep your voice well modulated. People don’t want to listen to someone that drones, sounds flat, etc.


* If you’re directed to call the interviewer (or receive a call) be there and be on time. Twice I’ve had no shows. They didn’t write the time/date down. You could lose an interview that way. It certainly isn’t professional.


Interviews with Armchair Interviews are fee-based and open to self-published authors, as well as those from small and big publishing houses.


Francine Silverman, who has her own Internet radio show, advices authors to practice in front of a mirror. “I have had some authors who do not contribute much – they wait until I ask a question. This makes it difficult for me since I can only formulate so many questions. Authors should practice talking about their books in front of a mirror and write down what they plan to say. If they are asked to provide questions beforehand, they have an idea what will be asked. Also, in my opinion, the best guests are those who promote their appearance to their mailing lists,” she says.


Francine’s radio show is called Marketing with Fran and is on Achieve Radio, www.achieveradio.com on Tuesdays, at 2 p.m., EST., and lasts one hour. “The shows are archived ten minutes after each show,” she adds, “and can be accessed by visiting the site and clicking “Hosts” on the left and scrolling down to my show. There is no charge to guests, who are mainly authors, publicists and publishers. Yes, I would say all authors are welcome, providing they are comfortable speaking and are cooperative in providing me with the tools I need for a good interview, i.e., a list of questions, copy of the book, bio.” If you’re interested, you may contact Francine at franalive@optonline.net, though she is booked through the end of December 2006.


More useful tips:

* Join a local speaker’s club.


* Listen to many audio interviews to have a clear idea of what is expected, paying special attention to the author’s voice, tempo, and manner in answering questions. One great show I’d love to recommend is Barbara DeMarco-Barret’s Writers On Writing (www.barbarademarcobarrett.com/writersonwriting/index.html) where she regularly interviews authors, agents, and editors.


Though it is difficult to measure the level of effectiveness audio interviews have in actually selling books, it is undeniable that any promotion is better that no promotion at all. I have gone straight to Amazon and purchased books after listening to audio interviews. One thing that is very important to increase effectiveness is to announce the interview beforehand to as many people as possible–friends, relatives, colleagues, clubs, online groups, lists, forums, etc.


Finally, don’t forget that audio interviews are like murders–the more you do them, the easier they get.

Today, Mayra visits Unloaded on her Latino Virtual Book Tour
http:// www.un-loaded.com

“Genre fiction” vs. “Literary fiction”

In the United States, most published fiction falls under two categories: “genre fiction” and “literary fiction.”


According to Ken Keegan, editor at Omnidawn Publishing, genre fiction, which accounts for about 90% of all fiction published, is often defined as “escapist,” usually follows a “winning” formula, and seldom has any lasting literary value. Literary fiction (also referred to as narrative fiction), which accounts for the remaining 10% of all fiction published, is primarily realistic and possesses more depth, characterization and lasting cultural impact.


But what happens to fiction that doesn’t fit into one of these categories? Novels like The Mists of Avalon, Brave New World, or Life of Pi, for instance–works that have unrealistic settings or plots and aren’t officially “literary,” yet have incredible depth and power?


As we all know, necessity is the mother of invention. Thus, in the Fall 2002 issue of Conjunctions, the literary journal from Bart College, a new term was coined: New Wave Fabulist. Put simply, New Wave Fabulist is non-realistic, literary fiction. You may also think of it as literary fiction with strong elements of horror, science fiction or fantasy.


Looking back, other terms have been used to describe this type of fiction: magic realism and speculative. Yet magic realism is chiefly associated with Latin American novelists like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose One Hundred Years of Solitude greatly exemplifies it. On the other hand, speculative fiction disregards literary quality, making it impossible to always represent serious works.


Omnidawn’s latest anthology, Paraspheres: Extending Beyond the Spheres of Literary and Genre Fiction, excellently illustrates New Wave Fabulist fiction.


The carefully crafted stories, fifty in all, combine elements of magic realism, the paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, mythology, fable, dream vision, even fairy tale, yet are serious literary works filled with symbolism and allegorical power, inviting the reader to ponder at their underlying meaning.


The authors, many of who have won prestigious prizes such as the Nebula, Hugo, Kafka, and National Book Awards, and who have published works in such renown publications as Ploughshares, Chicago Review, The American Life, The Literary Review, Pearl, Pleiades, The Berkeley Fiction Review, American Literary Review and Glimmer Train, among others, offer the reader an interesting array of styles, plots, settings and character studies.


In “Skunk,” by Justin Courter, the reader takes a mesmerizing glimpse into the mind of a man who has a skunk fetish: “The first time I took skunk musk straight, the effects were overwhelming. I held Homer over my head, squeezed a full shot straight down my throat, and was aware of a burning sensation in my sinuses for an instant before I blacked out. I awoke on the ground, with little idea of how much time had passed. By overdosing the first few times I drank musk, I missed out on much of the experience. Measuring my dosage, I found I could administer myself just enough to induce a sense of euphoria without passing out. Instead of squeezing a full shot directly down my throat, I squeezed Homer over a glass and then used an eyedropper to obtain a single droplet I let fall to my tongue.” (421) Needless to say, the story stands as a metaphor for the protagonist’s dark childhood.


Contrasting with this morbidity is “The Tree,” by Noelle Sickels, which begins as a sweet fairy tale: “Long ago, in a land very far from here, there lived a prince and princess. They had a comfortable castle, which, by magic, stayed clean and in good repair.”(382) Not necessarily what you would call a beginning for a serious work of fiction, except this story turns out to be a serious allegory with a powerful message about gender roles.


Stories like “The Ice-Cream Vendor,” by Leena Krohn, have strong elements of science fiction in it, while others like “Third Initiation: A Gift From the Land of Dreams,” by Mary Mackey, combine dream vision and myth.


“The Town News,” also by Justin Courter, tells the paranormal story of a young man who is cursed with the “gift” of being able to visualize people’s future deaths as soon as he meets them. Poignant, beautifully written and filled with emotional intensity, this is one of the best stories in the anthology.


Many unforgettable images fill the pages of this book. The following is from “The Secret Paths of Rajan Khanna,” by Jeff Vandermeer. Notice how the language flows to create this haunting visual image: “…Rajan notices the boy off to the side, thrown clear, probably a pedestrian, and the way he sits under a newly planted tree, as if broken in on himself, a blotch of blood spreading across his side, and at first all Rajan can focus on is the spray of blood across the scattered snow, and the way the red, under the lights, doesn’t deepen but diffuses as it widens, until it’s pink and crystallized in the cold, and then just a shade deeper than the white.” (476)


In spite of the subject versatility among the stories, one thing ties them together–their authors’ faithfulness to the craft and a sharp, fresh imagination.


At the end of the book, Ken Keegan includes an intriguing and fascinating essay about New Wave Fabulist Fiction–its origins, history, and hopeful future.


Though the term is controversial, and most scholars will never accept a Fantasy or Science Fiction novel–no matter its depth or sociological impact–as “real” literature, one thing is for sure: New Wave Fabulist Fiction is a strong force to be reckoned with. Most importantly, it is a necessity for those gifted, consummate authors out there who give as much importance to the imagination as they give to the depth of thought and beauty of language.

Something to Declare, by Julia Alvarez

A Plume Book, 300 pp., $13.95, paperback
ISBN 0-452-28067-2

By Anjela Villarreal Ratliff

In her short introduction, Julia Alvarez states:


…this essay book is dedicated to you, my readers, who have asked me so many good questions and who have to know more than I have told you in my novels and poems.


She does tell us more, so much more…


Something to Declare sent my bilingual brain on an emotional spin amid amazing adventures. Alvarez’ delicious essays become meals set for Hispanic American literary tastebuds and anyone searching for an enriching experience.


One minute the reader nibbles on mangos, pastel de tamarindo, and engrudos (leftovers blended with milk in a mixer for a liquid meal); the next, it’s steak and potatoes; then to sopitas, chile and more mango. I went from tears to laughter as Alvarez took me back and forth, between the Dominican Republic to America. She held me in a cultural time warp as I read essays like, “Family Matters,” “A Genetics of Justice,” “So Much Depends,” and “Doña Aida, With Your Permission.” In her book, we visit the roads of her birth country – the Dominican Republic (in the time of Trujillo’s dictatorship) – and on to New York City, where her family fled – to escape possible persecution as a result of her father’s underground, anti-regime activities – when she was ten. Finally, we venture into states where she lived as an adult writer: Kentucky, Nebraska, and Vermont (where she now resides).


Back when her family, in exile, reestablished roots in New York City, Julia’s parallel self-identity began to evolve: español and English; Dominican Republic and America: two allegiances, much conflict, but a prospective gold mine for the future writer who would continue to simultaneously ride two “horses” bareback — with style, grace, and eventual expertise.


Throughout Something To Declare, we meet Alvarez’ family members and extensive extended family. In “Grandfather’s Blessing,” one can’t help but grow attached to the “gentleman” grandfather, who “…loved to recite bits of poetry…”; or Tía Rosa, in “Of Maids and Other Muses”— who “…studied to be a doctor…” and “…refused to work at catching a husband, … Instead, .. focused on her books and beautiful garden.”


In “So Much Depends,” Alvarez shares – almost in brotherhood – her great admiration for the poet William Carlos Williams, claiming: “As an adolescent immigrant, I, like Williams, wanted to be an American, period. “ This common dilemma of assimilation also visited Williams whose mother was Puerto Rican “with a Paris education”. Alvarez goes on to say that “It was only later that I came to find out that William Carlos Williams was – as would be termed today – ‘a Hispanic American writer’.” In the same essay, one detects some ambivalence in her dual roles as a Latina and an American writer:


… I get nervous when people ask me to define myself as a writer. I hear the cage of a definition close around me with its “Latino subject matter,” “Latino style,” Latino concerns.” …I shy away from simplistic choices… none of us serious writers of Latino origin want to be a flash in the literary pan. …We want our work to become part of the great body of all that has been thought and felt and written by writers of different cultures, languages, experience, classes, races.


Many of her twenty-four essays directly relate to her life as a writer, and as a Hispanic writer in particular. In “Have Typewriter, Will Travel,” she’s painfully honest in her admission:


…I was like other women of my generation: women who had grown up with mothers we could no longer use as models for the lives we were living. And so we stumbled ahead and invented ourselves….And behind the personal struggle of those years lies the lesson of immigration: that success is fickle, that a well-off life can suddenly turn into a life of struggle and uncertainty.


Included in this piece was her internal dilemma regarding advancing her writing degrees and maintaining her teaching profession, versus following her passion as a creative writer: “I…had debated and delayed going for a doctorate because I didn’t really want to be an academic, but a writer. “ Other essays about the writer life include “A Genetics of Justice,” where she comes to terms with having risked family abandonment after writing about semi-autobiographical and painful family experiences. When her mother read In the Time of the Butterflies — the novel Alvarez wrote based on the murder of the Mirabel sisters in the DR by members of the Trujillo regime – Alvarez’ mother sobbingly told her: “You put me back in those days. It was like I was reliving it all. I don’t care what happens to us! I’m so proud of you for writing this book.” In “Chasing the Butterflies,” Alvarez describes the often harsh struggles that went into the writing of that particular novel.


Something to Declare is a must-read for writers and readers of all backgrounds. By the end of this bilingual, bicultural American journey, you will feel that, should you ever have the honor of meeting Julia Alvarez, you would be able to address her as a kindred spirit.


Anjela Villarreal Ratliff
Austin, TX

Painful Remembrance…
by Angela Villarreal Ratliff

Sobbing silently, I tightly gripped my older sister’s hand as she led me down the long corridor of Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Indio, California. It was the late 1950’s, and at five years of age I was about to enter the frightening dimension of a new world: first grade. Since my birthdate was in November, and because my older siblings had taught me my numbers and English alphabet — so I could somewhat read a few simple words — I was able to skip kindergarten.


Depositing me at the first grade room, my sister quickly disappeared, scurrying on to her sixth grade classroom. Missing the warmth of Elodia’s hand, I nevertheless obeyed the teacher’s instructions to sit at my assigned desk. The cold wooden seat offered little comfort as I now longed for the arms and soothing voice of Mamá. “No tengas miedo, Angelita. Don’t be afraid, Angelita,” I could almost hear her whisper. Soundless tears soon dried on my sticky cheeks as I waited patiently for the next turn of events. The look on many of the other kids’ faces mirrored my own distress.


The teacher’s voice addressed her roomful of dazed children — all shades of white, brown, black. It didn’t take long before I realized that the sounds emanating from her mouth were from another world. It was not the Spanish that filled the walls of home where I grew up along with nine other siblings. Although a few of her words sounded a little familiar — like the English my older brothers and sisters often spoke at home — panic set in. For now, the storm of English sounds hitting my ears was a rain of darts, and I felt like such an unwelcome foreigner. I sat there — sweaty palms, racing heart, …and needing to go pee.

Mrs. Miller’s smile and blonde doughnut hair appeared friendly, but her vague speech was like vinegar to my ears. I could not just bolt out the door, like my feet were trying to make me do, so I scanned the room for a calming spot to gaze upon. I noticed a colorful bulletin board displaying a farm scene: large red barn, cutouts of farm animals, and a dungareed farmer on a green tractor who seemed to gaze down on me. Since I was from a family of migrant workers, who picked seasonal crops, the farm scene offered an odd sense of familiarity: reaching out across the unnatural cultural barrier I was experiencing. Somehow, I read the caption on the bulletin wall: LIFE ON THE FARM. I felt grateful for my summer instruction when Elodia insisted on teaching me my ABC’s. The vivid colors of the construction paper cutouts of the bulletin board calmed me. I grew accustomed to the four walls of the room — where I was to spend countless hours away from home; however, it would feel more like a sentence than a privilege.


In that long productive school year and ones that followed, I gradually became an excellent student. I’m not sure how long it took or even how it happened, but I acquired English in a forced sort of way — being that we were punished with a slap to the hand whenever we spoke Spanish in the classroom or school grounds. I recall two Mexican boys returning from the principal’s office sobbing loudly as they slid back to their seats. Corporal punishment was a regular practice at that time, and paddling was administered for continuously breaking the “no Spanish” rule. Forbidden to speak my home language, I understood the message: Spanish was not acceptable, and neither was I, if I chose to speak it.


A newfound feeling of shame towards Spanish and my Mexican culture made me eager to blend in with my Anglo peers. In an effort to be accepted by the dominant society, I complied with school rules. Then, determined to speak English only, I eventually forgot how to speak Spanish altogether as the school years progressed. By the time I graduated from high school I could no longer hold a clear conversation with either of my Spanish-speaking parents. My older brothers and sisters became translators for me and my three younger sisters (who were also losing their ability to speak Spanish). I acquired a mixed sense of pride and shame for being able to speak English without the accent that many of my Mexican American friends so shamefully and helplessly possessed. Back then, a spoken accent was erroneously linked to being a sign of low intelligence. It was an age when ‘English-only I.Q. Tests’ were regularly administered to students for placement and tracking. Those who failed to pass those tests were permanently labeled “retarded” in their cumulative file. When the word got around of their test failure, these children were cruelly teased by their peers. I was terrified of ever being labeled as mentally retarded; so I felt great pride in my speaking like an “American-born citizen” and sounding “smart” to my teachers, but ashamed for turning my back on my own people—really on a part of myself I would later find I could never deny.


It was not until many years later, as a college student at San Jose State University, that I came to the realization that being bilingual and bicultural were valuable assets. I applied for a minor in Mexican American Graduate Studies, a newly established college course of study. In an effort to regain my knowledge and understanding of my ethnic roots, I took Spanish courses to relearn my mother tongue, and delved into the study of Hispanic history and culture, trying to make up for lost time. Alas, the shame I had acquired over too many earlier years would not be easily erased. It took a long time for me to obtain a new sense of pride toward my ancestry and ethnicity, a pride that gradually replaced the hollow that had accompanied me far too long.


I became an elementary bilingual teacher, teaching the lower grades for fourteen years. During my career, I lost count of how often I recognized the confused look on faces of my non-English speaking students as they entered my classroom for the first time. Their dazed faces served to remind me of my own traumatic first day of school. Unlike my own fearful initial school days, my students always had the comfort of being able to hear and speak both Spanish and English in their classroom; and they were never shamed into denying or abandoning their home language or rich heritage.


(This essay first appeared in the 2001 Coyote Review e-anthology)
Anjela Villarreal Ratliff
Austin, Texas 78729

Today, Mayra is visiting Christina Rodriguez on her Latino Virtual Book Tour
http://christinaerodriguez.blogspot.com

A Closer Look at Literary Awards

Having read books which were ‘award’ winners, I really have to ask myself these questions. Sometimes the books have been great and justified the award. But in other instances the books have been poorly written. How did these books get picked up as winners? Is there a chance all works submitted were mediocre and the winner was simply the less mediocre among the rest? When I read ‘award-winning author’ these days, a little red flag goes up in my head. There are simply so many ‘award-winning’ authors out there, the term has certainly lost some of its strength.

Obviously, I’m not talking here about the National Book Award, Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, nor of the HUGO and Bram Stocker awards, but of those that are open to small POD presses like the EPPIE, Dream Realm Award, PRISM, IPPY, Foreword Book Award, among various others. The YPPY and Foreword awards seem to be the ones with more cachet.

As for sales, it seems awards sometimes help and sometimes don’t. I’ve heard of authors whose book sales increased, and from others who really didn’t see much difference. Having myself bought books based on an award, it’s fair to say that some readers may be impressed enough by it to make a purchase. Awards do help to put an author’s name out there among the readers and publishers and can be effective tools of book promotion when used in back cover blurbs, and other forms of advertising.

So what can organizations do about ensuring the credibility of their awards? For one thing, make sure that all writers judging the books are excellent writers–only these will be able to best discern the quality material from the mediocre. Every time a mediocre book is given an award, all those others good authors who have won the same award by writing quality books will suffer for it. It’s just like with POD presses. Those publishers who accept everything regardless of quality and disregard editing are the ones who give the rest of the POD presses a bad name, which is a real pity.

That said, I think an award is a good thing for authors. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. If you have the cash to spend (some contests have entry fees as high as $60-$70), it’s fun to participate and wait for the outcome. And if you win, it’ll do wonders to your ego, bring your name out there to the public and serve as a marvellous tool of promotion. It will also look damn nice on top of your mantelpiece, where you’ll be able to show it off to your obnoxious cousin Harold in one of those cozy family reunions.

For more information on these awards:
IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Award): http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwards.php
Foreword Book Award (awarded by Foreword Magazine): http://www.forewordmagazine.com/awards/
PRISM (awarded by the Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal chapter of Romance Writers of America): www.romance-ffp.com
EPPIE (awarded by the EPIC, or the Electronically Published Internet Connection organization): www.epic-conference.com/eppie_awards.html
Dream Realm Award: www.dream-realm-awards.net/2006.html

Today, Mayra is visiting Efrain’s Corner on her Latino Virtual Book Tour
http://efrainortizjr.blogspot.com/

So… You Want to Start a Book Club?

Starting your own book club is a great way to share your love of books with other book lovers. Chances are many book lovers would love to start a club but simply don’t know how, or for some reason think it is difficult. Starting your own book club can be easy, inexpensive, fun, and rewarding. The main requirement? A passion for words!

Step One: Decide The Kind Of Club You Want

Book clubs come in all colors, shapes and sizes. The first thing you need to do to is decide what kind you want yours to be. So take out pen and paper, and start planning!

*Would you like a club where members discuss only fiction, or non-fiction as well? Would you like it to be specialized, handling a specific genre? Or you want your club to handle only classics? Or books written by a specific prolific author? Or perhaps only books which have been banned or won Nobel Prizes?

*Do you want your club to be big or small? Eight to twelve members is a good number, big enough for a variety of ideas and small enough to stay cozy.

*Do you want to keep the club between friends or recruit a diverse group of people? A diverse group may offer a more varied contribution to discussions, but do you really want strangers in your home?

*Do you want food to accompany book discussions, or only beverages? From my experience, food isn’t a good idea. People can’t concentrate well while chewing food. But it’s nice to have coffee or tea, especially if it’s a morning session. In fact, drinking hot beverages during discussion is an important part of the book club experience. Some hosts/hostesses serve wine if the discussions are held at night.

*Do you want to conduct the book discussions at your home, in a rotation basis at the other members’ homes, or outside at public places like libraries, bookshops, or restaurants? There are advantages and disadvantages either way. My favourite is a combination of both to keep the sessions fresh, lively and less routinely.

*How often do you want to meet? One month is a good idea. Less than this would be too often. People live hectic lives and members should have sufficient time to read the book comfortably. More than 6 weeks would make members too detached, and even prompt them to forget about the book until the last minute. Also, will you meet on weekends or weekdays?

*How long do you want each session to last? In general, two hours are enough time: The first 15 minutes for chatting, the next 1 ½ hours for the book discussion, and the last 15 minutes to wrap it up and chat some more.

Step Two: Name Your Club

I’m amazed at the number of book clubs out there that don’t have a name. Be original and inventive. Remember, this is your creation. A name gives it importance and legitimacy. Choose a name which suits the club. If your club will only handle vampire fiction, for example, The Transylvania Book Club would be a good name. Okay, maybe that’s not too original, but you get my drift.

Step Three: Recruit Members

Now that you know all about your book club and have given it a name, you can start recruiting members.

*If you want to keep it between friends, several emails or phone calls will do.

*If you want a diverse group with both friends and strangers, then put a few ads in several places where you know people would be interested to join, like local libraries, bookshops, your children’s school, or your church.

*Make your ad eye-catching, interesting, and professional. Include the name and some general info about your club.

Step Four: The First Meeting

Now that you have recruited the amount of members you wanted, you’re ready for the first meeting, which normally will take place at your home. Never take for granted the first meeting. It will set the standard for all subsequent ones.

Once the members have chatted a little, got their coffees and teas and settled comfortably in their chairs, you can begin discussing the rules with the members.

Remember to be flexible. A “dictator” attitude will turn members off instantly. Be enthusiastic. You want to strive for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

*Discuss with the members all the points covered earlier in “Decide The Kind Of Book Club You Want,” so they can have a clear idea of your book club.

*As leader, you get to make the first book suggestion. Simply bring a list of several books you would like the club to read and let them decide by majority one title. Be wise! The future of your club may well depend on the first book selected. You can print out some reviews about these books and read them to the group to spark their interest and help them decide.

*Decide as a group how the books will be chosen and subsequent meetings held.
-Ideally, each member should have a turn at suggesting books, being leader and hosting meetings.
-Will you purchase hardbacks or paperbacks?
-Who will order books and keep record of books selected, as well as keep record of rotations?
-Will books be selected in advance for the whole semester, or a meeting at a time? Selecting books in advance is generally more convenient.

*Remind members to be punctual, and, ideally, to turn their cell phones off during discussions. Needless to say, it is each member’s responsibility to read the whole book before each discussion.

*Make sure the “rules” are understood by all members and be prepared for questions.

*Reading is great, but reading critically is even better and will heighten the book club experience and add insight and depth to discussions. Offer the following suggestions to keep in mind when reading:
-Keep a pencil or highlighter in hand
-Look below the surface at underlying themes or ideas
-Is there anything unusual which gets your attention? Recurring images? Symbolism? Metaphors?
-Unusual plot devices?

*At the end, suggest they take out their agendas or planners so they can write down the date and place of their next meeting. This should be done at the end of each meeting.

Step Five: The Subsequent Meetings, The Discussion Sessions

You’ve finished the first meeting. Congratulations! You deserve a big hug. The worst is over and the best is yet to come.

If the first meeting was a success, chances are the subsequent ones will be, too. As host or hostess of the first book discussion, you will set the standard. Remember to conduct yourself warmly and enthusiastically. Though you may use index cards, it is always better to express your thoughts in your own words and not read from your notes. Trust me, this will put people to sleep. Always try to keep eye contact with the group. Begin by talking a bit about the author and how this particular book fits into his other body of work, or if it’s somehow related to his life.

Next get some general reactions:
-Did you enjoy it? Hate it? Was it entertaining? Boring? Exasperating? Did it grab you until the end? Was it a challenging, difficult read?

Once you have got some first reactions and “warmed up” the group, you can start going deeper:
-Were the characters believable? Stereotypical?
-What about the plot and pace?
-Did the book evoke any particular feeling? Anger? Frustration? Terror? Indifference?
-What’s unique about the story?
-Any recurring themes, images, symbols or metaphors?
-Any quote or passage which got your attention?
-Any similar works by other authors?
-Do you agree with the reviews written about this book?
If the book is non-fiction, you may want to discuss the following:
-Was the book helpful? Controversial? Informative?
-Was it objective or biased?
-Was the book persuasive enough to change your mind or stand on an issue?
-What was the author’s intention? Did he accomplish it?

Some Last Tips

*Several days before each meeting, send a quick reminder to all members with either email or a phone call.

*If you have small children and will need a baby-sitter during meetings, plan ahead.

*In all groups there will always be a couple of shy people. Encourage but don’t insist in making them talk if they don’t feel like it.

*If you have trouble coming up with a list of book suggestions, check book reviews on newspapers and online and print publications, or simply check titles on Amazon. Try not to stick only to bestsellers. There are wonderful gems out there from small presses, just waiting to be discovered.

*If you’re very serious about your book club, why not make some T-shirts or sweatshirts, mugs and caps with your club’s name—and even logo!—on them. This can be easily done at a print shop and members would share the cost. For a mystery club, for example, you could purchase deer hunter’s caps and smoking pipes, and have them personalized with the club’s name and/or logo. It’s fun and your club will get even more attention—specially if your meetings are held in a restaurant! The only limit is your imagination.

Good luck. Above everything else, enjoy!