Brown and Proud

Intro to Chicano Studies Summer 2010

Metro CC has agreed to offer a Chicano Studies course again this summer. The class will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8:55 pm. I am very eager to teach this class again, mainly because it will be a little different than the previous classes. If you noticed, I have changed the title, from "Chicano Literature" to "Chicano Studies". The change was recommended to me by a fellow colleague who suggested I change the name to make it more inviting. I think she was absolutely right. People tend to get a little nervous with taking a class that has the word "literature" attached to it. With the new title, it also gives me a little more freedom to pursue other cultural aspects of Chicanos, such as their art and music. I will still incorporate a lot of literature, but will revamp the course to include art and music.

Make sure to sign up!!

Poetic Phoenix

It was another great weekend in Phoenix. The weather was beautiful, the food was great and top it off, my wife and I climbed the peak of Camelback Mountain. Had never done it and it was a lot tougher that I was expecting, but we made it to the top. We did however need a little persuasion about 3/4 the way up. At first it doesn't seem like a tough hike, but with the heat and the steep ridges, it really fatigues not only your body but also your mind. We made it to the top in about an hour or so. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same fate. There was a man who caught everyones attention as he kept screaming. Turns out, he took a wrong turn or something and was trapped between a small canyon of the mountain. When we first arrived, the rescue workers were already on their way, but it wasn't until the helicopter came and lowered a man from the rope that the gentleman finally calmed his nerves. To say the least, a helicopter was not what I was expecting to see at the top of the mountain.

It was a great weekend and the only thing missing was my wife coming back home with me. She still has a few more weeks and then she'll be back home!

During play rides to and from Phoenix I was able to fully indulge in the ecstasy Roberto Bolaño has created with his novel 2666. So far I have read the first two chapter (or books within the book). All I can say is that I'm continuing the book in my dreams and at times I really don't know if I read it or dreamt it. It is pretty trippy, but I like! ;-)

I recently sent submissions of poetry to 4 journals to see if anything bites. The journals are: Ninth Letter, Barrow Street, Palabra, and Epicenter. I chose these journals with the reasoning that these are some of the journals that featured poetry of some of the few new authors I've been reading. I have read some of these journals and have been very impressed with the poetry they feature. I'd especially like to featured in Palabra. I think that would be a good place to get exposure to other poets in the Latino community.

Received my copy of Heredities by J. Micheal Martinez. I'm excited so see what lurks behind the gorgeous cover. Such a cool cover!

And the sad news: The winner of the Andres Montoya Poetry Contest has been announced and sad to say the name doesn't start with an M or end in O. Dang it, guess I'll have to wait two more years for my crack at winning!

Latest Publication

After a long road-trip to Phoenix with my wife last weekend I received a wonderful surprise in the mail. I had received my contributors copy of "Ariel" from Triton College. There are numerous reasons why I was so excited to be published in this journal. First and foremost, as a aspiring poet, any publication for the most part is an accomplishment. After receiving rejection letter after rejection letter it is such a relief to know that someone out there recognizes your work and likes it enough to put it in their journal. Though this is not my first publication, this is definitely one that I am extra proud to be a part of. The editor, Paul Martinez Pompa, is the author of my favorite poetry book last year. His book titled, My Kill Adore Him, just blew me away. I loved it. After reading it from start to finish, I immediately re-read it, this time jotting notes in the margin. It it such an honor to have him pick my work to be included in his journal. Another reason that I am really excited about this publication is that I am among some great companions. Poets which I have heard great things about over the years. To name a few: Steve Cordova, Javier O. Huerta, Linda Rodriguez and J. Micheal Martinez. I really hope these poets enjoy my contribution to the journal. So as you can see, at the moment I'm floating around in poetry heaven! Lets hope I can continue to get recognized!

ps. The poems published were: Table Manners and Dubbed in English