LETRAS LATINAS SALON: Recap, Photos

Poets&Writers, several years ago, published a thumbnail sketch about a poetry reading series that took place in a small flat in San Francisco. The description sounded pretty cool: a regular engaged audience---a good crowd because the reduced space didn't require hoards of people to produce a "good crowd." Poets near and far clamored to read in the series because of the reputation it had garnered. Food and drink always flowed freely, the ambiance was relaxed, intimate. For years the series, whose name I don't remember, floated in the back of my mind.

Last year in New York I ran into Victor Hernández Cruz in the poetry section of the Strand. We chatted briefly, and then went for coffee. He asked me how long I was in town. I was leaving the next day. "Lástima," he said: in a couple of nights he would be giving a reading at Quincy Troupe's place in Harlem. The way he described it brought to mind that reading series in San Francisco I'd read about in P&W. There was an invitation-type flyer privately distributed; those who received it knew ahead of time they were being asked to donate $20 or so; in exchange, attendandees would get two of Cruz's books, plenty of food and drink, and a singular evening of poetry and dialogue with a distinguished poet at Quincy Troupe's ample flat in Harlem which, I'm told, is a sort of museum in itself for all the art hanging on its walls. Attendance at these Troupe-hosted "salons" were said to average between 30 and 40. I briefly considered re-booking my train back to DC and stay an extra couple of days to attend. I didn't, in the end, but it got me thinking....

When I knew, quite some time ago, that I'd be spending the month of November in Santa Fe, NM I thought about a "salon"/"open house"/benefit reading for Letras Latinas. Santa Fe somehow seemed like a place to give it a shot. But where? Thanks to fellow Macondista Margo Chavez's generosity, we had a place. Actually, it was Michelle Otero who suggested Margo's home. Michelle lives in Albuquerque and had agreed to be one of the readers. Gabe Gomez, who lives in Santa Fe, agreed to be the other. The bonus was Esteban Rael and Henry Rael, respectively---thanks to, once again, Michelle Otero. Esteban is a videographer, and Henry a photographer. Between the two of them, the evening would be visually documented. A date was set: Saturday, November 8, 2008.

The concept was straightforward. Gabe and Michelle would be representing Letras Latinas in their capacities as: winner of the 2006 Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize (Gabe); Momotombo Press author (Michelle); and recipient of the first Letras Latinas Residency Fellowship (Michelle). I would MC the event and introduce them, as well as say a bit about these three Letras Latinas initiatives. Gabe would bring a few copies of The Outer Bands (University of Notre Dame Press) to distribute. Michelle would bring Malinche's Daughter (Momotombo Press). I would bring other Momotombo Press titles, as well as Letras Latinas brochures. On the e-flyer that was sent out ahead of time a suggested dontation ($20 - $50) was stipulated so people knew what they were agreeing to, but mostly this inaugural Letras Latinas Salon was to enjoy Margo's home, its views, the the live prose, the live poetry, the food, the wine---in short, each other's company. I didn't want to make fundraising the sole focus, though I did want to get the word out about Letras Latinas to a new audience and underscore that Letras Latinas' various programs could not survive without the generosity of mostly modest private donors, and a few bigger ones. It's the nature of this beast we call the Arts. And it is true that Letras Latinas is in the middle of its annual year-end appeal/campaign.

The evening went from 5 - 8 PM with two brief (15 minutes) readings at 6 PM and 7PM, respectively, where both Michelle and Gabe read. So some guests, who couldn't stay the whole evening, caught the first reading, while others, who arrived later, caught the second one. Most caught them both. Esteban shot a video of both readings, along with a brief interview about Letras Latinas; and both Esteban and Henry took photos, of which the ones below are a selection.

Afterwards, I asked the readers what they thought, and they both loved the experience of reading in such an intimate and attractive setting. The informal feedback afterwards from those in attendance was unequivocal. Letras Latinas will indeed explore making this an annual event, whether it be in Santa Fe, San Francisco, Washington D.C. or elsewhere. But one thing was clear: it couldn't have been possible without Margo Chavez's hospitality and welcoming guests. Gracias, gracias, gracias.

Here are some photos, which are roughly chronological:

Michelle Otero, Gabe Gomez, Margo Chavez, Francisco Aragón
on Margo's balcony deck just outside the living room

The talent

and more talent

The spread

The wine

The views

Guests begin to arrive

and eat

and eat

The program commences;
I introduce Michelle and say a few things
about Momotombo Press
and the Letras Latinas Residency Fellowship

Santa Fe Poet Laureate, Valerie Martínez, seated on the sofa
straight ahead, near the center

Michelle takes the stage

and reads

I introduce Gabe and say a few things
about the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize

Gabe takes the stage

and reads

Taking in some live literature

Joe Hayes, Santa Fe storyteller, chats with Michelle

Ray Ortiz, Santa Fe poet, judge,
and Notre Dame alum,
on the upper right

Jamie Figueroa & Margo Chavez

The second brief reading has concluded and I've invited Margo to step forward to express my thanks for her hospitality---both hers and her companion John's

Thanks again to Michelle and Gabe;
and Esteban and Henry for gifting these visuals.

Stay tuned for the video
and more....

In Praise of Partnerships--Old and NEW

Four years ago, on the Notre Dame campus, my boss asked me to sit in on a conference call by speaker phone. Afterwards, those of us present in his office weighed in on a possible partnership between the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) and a Spanish-language monthly in Chicago.

I’m speaking of contratiempo.

A week later contratiempo’s then Executive Director and associates drove to South Bend to tell us more about their journal. The partnership was sealed and, since then, in every issue, contratiempo translates into Spanish an ILS article from our department of research and publishes it. Our section is called, latinidad. The journal, which I would describe as multi-faceted and progressive, is broken up into various sections: editorial, dossier, the aforementioned latinidad, mirada cómplice, tiempo extra, tiempo de sobra, and a literary section: deshoras which, in one issue, published a selection of poems by Francisco X. Alarcón. I remember him specifically telling me he'd read, cover to cover, the issue in which he appeared. He was very impressed. Its circulation goes well beyond Chicago and, for that matter, the United States. Currently at the helm of contratiempo is Moira Pujols, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with at various events in Chicago.

With the Guild Complex, it was the same: I got a phone call, followed by a visit to South Bend from Executive Director, fiction writer and Macondista Ellen Wadey and current board president and poet Michael Puican. Over lunch we hammered out the details of our collaboration. PALABRA PURA was born. We will be launching season four the day after Barack Obama takes office.

But as coincidence would have it, the Guild Complex had also reached out to contratiempo and they, too, have helped promote PALABRA PURA in their pages and have helped the local curation committee by recommending Spanish-language poets in the Chicago area. In other words, the partnership between the Guild, Letras Latinas and contratiempo has been flourishing now for four years. My sources tell me that the Guild had a modest hand, behind the scenes, in helping spark the beginnings of a new partnership---one that merits our attention and support:

contratiempo and Poetry

Tomorrow, at Café Efebos in Pilsen in Chicago, contratiempo and Poetry magazine will be presenting a bilingual poetry program---a program featuring, to be sure, two PALABRA PURA alums: Jorge Frisancho, who will be reading the poems of the late Roberto Bolaño and Jorge Sánchez (who has a poem in the November issue of Poetry), who will reading his own work. So if you’re in Chicago, please consider checking this out; if you’re not and you know someone who is, encourage them. In short, spread the word.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Any literary partnerships out there worth knowing about?

FRANCISCO GOLDMAN in SANTA FE

The theme of College of Santa Fe's 2008-2009 lecture series is "Rebels, Reformers and Revolutionaries." Among the sponsors is the Santa Fe Reporter, which is responsible for making this year's lectures available as podcasts---here.

Tonight was the third of nine installments and it featured the Guatemalan-born writer Francisco Goldman, whose most recent book, The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?, had been on my radar, but little else. After tonight's presentation, that will change. His appearance, as reported by the series producer Carol Carpenter, was due to the efforts of one person--Flor de María Oliva, who met Goldman at a conference for Latino journalists a few years ago in Dallas and decided that she wanted to bring him to Santa Fe. Oliva is a community activist and Spanish-language editor in Santa Fe and did the honors of introducing him.

After the Q & A, Carpenter stated: "In four years as the producer of this series, I've never heard such a great storyteller." It's true: if there was ever an author who, by his sheer talent as an engaging and poignant speaker, was his book's best marketing tool, Goldman may be him. The only baffling drawback to tonight's event is that his book wasn't available for purchase.

One of the most compelling and moving aspects of his comments was how he portrayed the heroic efforts of the unsung professionals who carried out this murder investigation under extreme and life-threatening circumstances. The New York Times review of the book offers a good snapshot. To learn more about Goldman's distinguished trajectory, have a peek---here.

An inspiring evening.

from The Guild: "Bring the love to Palabra Pura"

"A little more than one week ago, the election of Barak Obama changed history, and the images from Grant Park rewrote the world's perception of Chicago. Instead of rioting protestors, there were strangers standing arm in arm in awe. Instead of police batons, there were American flags waving with a new gusto. Instead of screams, there was singing and laughter and tears of joy. We knew this was in our hearts here in Chicago. We saw the first signs of it at the Immigration March. Sure, we have our differences. We're not going to lie about it. But when we understand the moment is bigger and more important than our differences, we know how to come together.

The Guild Complex has been working to bring people together through stories and poetry for nearly 20 years. (Yes, we celebrate 20 years in 2009). When we learn each other's stories and hear each other's poetry, we take one step closer in our understanding. One of our greatest successes has been our bilingual poetry series, Palabra Pura. The last reading for 2008 will be tonight. Come down to Pilsen and keep the Chicago love flowing.

PALABRA PURA
TONIGHT, Wednesday, November 12
7:30 pm, Free admission, All ages
Decima Musa, 1901 S. Loomis (Pilsen), Chicago

Come have dinner before the show. We'll be there.

Juan J. Morales was born in the U.S. to an Ecuadorian mother and a Puerto Rican father. He grew up hearing family stories that inspired much of the poems in Friday and the Year that Followed, his first collection of poetry, which was published by Bedbug Press. His poetry has appeared in Many Mountains Moving, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, PALABRA (forthcoming), Poet Lore, War, Literature, & the Arts, and other journals. He is the Director of Creative Writing and an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Liliana Bilbao was born in La Paz, Bolivia. A poet and teacher, she received her M.A. in Spanish Literature from Loyola University in Chicago. She published Offerings a book of poems in 2007. The Kiss of the Skin, a collection of black and white photographs combined with poems is in process of being published as well as a collection of postcards of Bolivia’s soul. Liliana is the coordinator of a literary tertulia, and teaches recitation of poetry. Students trained by her won first prize in their cluster, in a city wide contest of recitation of poetry in Spanish sponsored by the Department of Language of the Chicago Board of Education. In addition she devotes her time to creative writing, painting, and photography.

Have a great week,
The Guild"

URGENT & NECESSARY READING (thanks, O.B.)

HERE

LETRAS LATINAS en NUEVO MÉXICO

Gabriel Gomez

Michelle Otero

*
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Santa Fe, NM

LETRAS LATINAS
Open House/Benefit Reading
5 PM - 8 PM
*

Fellow Macondista Margo Chavez has graciously agreed to host what I hope will be a new Letras Latinas tradition: an annual "salon" in a private home---for the purpose of hearing live literature in a more intimate setting, in this case in a cool space in Santa Fe, NM.

This inaugural occasion is also going to serve as an opportunity to raise some money to help underwrite Letras Latinas' various projects and initiatives. We'll have a videographer and photographer on hand so we'll be able to share some images, moving and still, with readers of this blog, and use it---the video and photos---as an occasion to seek your collaboration, however modest, as well as help from the community-at-large.

Gabe and Michelle have agreed to give two brief readings during the course of the evening. They are also serving, in effect, as direct ambassadors of three Letras Latinas initiatives---those they been directly involved with:

Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize
Momotombo Press
Letras Latinas Residency Fellowship

We're entering uncharted waters. The least we expect is to eat, drink, hear some lit---in short: enjoy good company.