"Cover Up" in Paperback Released

I heard that Michele Martinez's book "Cover Up" was being released this week in paperback. If you recall, I gave the book a positive review when it was published earlier this year in hardback form.

I was visiting Barnes and Noble earlier today when I decided to look up the book to see if the art cover changed from the hardback edition. It did, and the paperback edition looks quite attractive with gold being a predominant color. I opened the book and on the very first page I was pleased to see that the publisher used a quote of mine from the review! Unfortunately (for me!), my name wasn't used (I guess "The San Antonio Express-News" carries more weight!!!) but it was still very motivating to see!

Yes, I bought a copy and have placed it on my book shelf with other books that I hope to save for as long as possible!

Tomorrow, Steve Bennett will release his choices for the top books of 2007 in the San Antonio Express-News and I'm eager to see what they are and if I reviewed any of them!

Congratulations Lupe Gonzalez!

Here is some wonderful news! Lupe Gonzalez, a Founding Member of the Society Of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio, and current Vice President, has just published her first book through Wild Rose Press! The book is available immediately as an e-book, and will be available in traditional book format during Summer 2008.

Lupe, I know I speak on behalf of the Society when I say we are so proud of you!

Here's a note from SLHW President Emeritus Ruben Soto that echos my sentiments exactly:

Congratulations to our San Antonio writer Lupe Gonzalez, whose first published novel is now available in the link below! Lupe is one of the founding members of The Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio and has also been a member of the Romance Writers of America. Please help support her by buying her book online and sending her your own feedback.

Ruben Soto,
The Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of Miami

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=668&zenid=55e9c18f53139104464f384e0a5d2915

Write a Novel in January

Founding member and Society Vice President Lupe Gonzalez is spearheading a group of members who plan on writing a 50,000 novel in thirty days by writing an average of 7 pages a day beginning January 1.

The group plans to meet on a weekly basis during January to offer each other encouragement and to motivate each other and maybe even help each other during any possible writers block that may pop up! The purpose of the meetings will not be to critique each others work. The group's goal is "just to write."

If you're interested in being a part of the group, please post a response here or send Lupe (or me) an email so that you can be included in meetings and future blog updates. Good Luck!

Top Books for 2007

In case Santa and his elves keep me away from the computer tomorrow: Merry Christmas!

Here are a couple of "Best" lists that refer to books published in 2007. The one from LatinoStories.com is one that I helped with the selection process. The other list is from the McAllen Monitor.

The Monitor's list isn't entirely made up of Hispanic authors, but it does mention some good books by Hispanic writers living in the Valley.

I'm looking forward to reading Steve Bennett's list in the San Antonio Express-News!

Feliz Navidad!

Latino/Hispanic Bookstores

One of the benefits of getting the holidays off is that I get to catch up on my readings. First, I'm shocked that I have managed to neglect so much reading at the time when it was "news," but I'm happy that knowledge is ageless.

Here's an interesting article I read regarding the closing of a couple of Latino bookstores in Manhattan. While they still have some Latino bookstores operating in the city, their numbers are dwindling.

With the closing of Valenzuela's Latino Bookstore, does anyone know of any bookstore in San Antonio dedicated to Latino/Hispanic literature?

Christmas Photo

Thanks to Society Vice President Lupe Gonzalez for this photo collage of our Dinner Monday Night!

Jose Caraballo in "Paradoja"

Congratulations to Jose Caraballo, who has been published in "Paradoja." Please click on his name below to view his Spanish poetry:

Paradoja, revista de poesía
les desea una feliz navidad
y próspero año nuevo.

Agradecemos a los poetas y poetisas
que enviaron sus colaboraciones
para el presente número 12.

En este número participan:

Natalie Sève
Jorge Etcheverry
Miguel Donoso Gutiérrez
Eduardo Fariña Poveda
Eugenia Khedayán
Daniel Julio Toro Zamora
Dionisio López Cabral
José Caraballo
Gerson Gómez
José Pablo Quevedo
Martha Carolina Dávila
Liliana Alemán

***

COMENTARIOS:
Leopoldo Minaya: Sobre la poesía de José Alejandro Peña
José Alejandro Peña: Sobre "El Calendario de la Eternidad, de Patricio Armando Sánchez"
***

http://www.paradoja.org/

Paradoja es una publicación de la
Sociedad Internacional de Escritores (SIE)

Editores:
OBSIDIANA PRESS
124 Meadow Drive,
Scott Depot,
WV 25560 —USA.—
www.obsidianapress.net

Paradoja, revista de poesía
www.paradoja.org

***
Obsidiana Press
www.OPlibros.com

A Shadow to Call Her Own

Jacqueline Mendez presents...A Shadow to Call Her Own

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

• An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical abuse
• One-third of female homicides that are reported to police are killed by an intimate partner
• One in every 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, with females, ages 20-24, being at the greatest risk for intimate partner violence

Domestic violence is one of the most chronically under-reported crimes in the country. Please pass this story along to anyone you know; it may be purchased at www.amazon.com/shorts for .49 cents. Ten percent of profits go to assist battered women and children. Thank you for your support.

Tertulia Tonight!

Tonight is the night!

If you have signed up to attend our Society's annual Tertulia, please don't forget that it is tonight at Mamacita's Restaurant, 8030 IH 10 West, at 7 pm!

If you would like to participate, there will be a gift exchange of a book (English or Spanish)!

Don't forget to share poems, stories, anecdotes and secrets!!!

See you there!

Cinco Minutos with You

Here are all the wonderful Society members who read to us Monday Evening during our 4th Annual Holiday Reading Extravaganza "Cinco Minutos with You." From left to right, they are: Belza Ramos, Mary Lou Barrera, Jose Caraballo, Sandy Garcia, Andres Cshias, Martha Curcio, Robert Garcia, Gaby Madrid, Jackie Mendez and Bertha Jacobson.

Not pictured is Sonnia Campos.

First Short Story Contest Winners

It is my pleasure to announce the winners of the Society's FIRST Short Story Contest (Left to Right):

1st Place Mary Lou Barrera

2nd Place Martha Curcio

3rd Place Robert Garcia

4th Place Bertha Jacobson

5th Place Lupe Gonzalez

Congratulations to all the winners and THANK YOU to everyone who entered the contest!!

SLHW Meeting Tonight

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone tonight at the 4th Annual Holiday Reading Extravaganza--Cinco Minutos with You! It will be at the Barnes and Noble, San Pedro Crossing at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and anyone and everyone is invited to attend!

If you haven't been able to attend any meetings lately, I urge you to attend tonight's meeting in order to engage in an end-of-year fellowship event as we listen to some emerging writers share with us up to 5 minutes of their works in progress.

Plus, I will also be announcing the very first winners of our Short Story Contest!

Here is some information on officers for the upcoming year:

Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio
Officers
2008

President Vincent Bosquez
President Emeritus Ruben Soto
Vice-President Lupe Gonzalez
Secretary Lisa Esparza
Scheduler Sandra Garcia
Hospitality Maria Gabriela Madrid
Spanish Group Liaison Martha Curcio

Leadership Team 2008: (Includes above officers) Robert Garcia, Andre Cshias and Bertha Jacobson.

Permanent De Facto Leadership Team: Ruben Soto (Founding Member); Vincent Bosquez (FM), Lupe Gonzalez (FM), Gil Dominguez (FM), Martha Curcio, Becky Gomez, Dr. Santiago Daydi-Tolson.

Honorary Chairperson 2008 To Be Announced January 2008
Honorary Chairperson 2007 (In Memoriam ) Trinidad Sanchez Jr.
Honorary Chairperson 2006 Trinidad Sanchez Jr.
Honorary Chairperson 2005 Cynthia Leal Massey

Ruta Maya Tonight!

From Anel Flores:

I hope you have a chance to make it out to Rutamaya, on the intersection of Martin and Soledad tonight, Friday, Dec. 7th at 7pm. We will begin with a little taste of Musica, move into the words from the "Encuentros de Mujeres" writing project, and other authors. Later, at 10:30 we will have Azul sharing her magic, and for the all nighters, Heather Go Psycho. This is the first of many projects I hope we do in San Antonio, and I hope to hear from more Mujeres who didn't get a chance to be a part of this one, for the next one! PAZ Y AMOR, ANEL

Note from Vince: Some of you may wonder why I have given this event so much attention; it's because several of our members will be reading at this event and Martha Curcio will also have some art on display! I am proud of all of you who have grown so much with your writing!

Young Pegasus Poetry Awards

From the San Antonio Public Library Website:

Attention all young poets age 3 through 18 who live or attend school in Bexar County! The San Antonio Public Library seeks entries for the 2008 Young Pegasus Poetry Awards Competition!

Submit entries to any San Antonio Public Library location between September 15 and December 15, 2007. Selected poems will be published in the 2008 Young Pegasus Poetry Anthology. All selected poets will be recognized at an awards ceremony.

There is no entry fee, just a deadline for entries.For complete rules, call (210) 207-2621 or go to: http://www.sanantonio.gov/library/events/pegasus/

Friday's Rutamaya Event

Naomi Shihab Nye Book Signing

The following note is sent by Poet Naomi Shihab Nye:

No response required -- but I'm spreading the word about the annual event the wonderful Kathleen Sommers store (2417 North Main at Woodlawn) invites me to participate in --

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6
5-8 p.m.

BOOK SIGNING for my little new book of prose -- I'LL ASK YOU THREE TIMES, ARE YOU OKAY? TALES OF DRIVING & BEING DRIVEN plus brief readings from my father's recent DOES THE LAND REMEMBER ME? A MEMOIR OF PALESTINE

Dear friend Jan Jarboe Russell will provide Middle Eastern refreshments.

No one is obliged to buy a book! It's not awkward if you don't!

However, you might find some great gifts for the special people on your list in the rest of the store! We always have a nice time in that beautiful place and feel free to drop in and out.
naomi

Friday's Rutamaya Event

The following message is from Anel Flores:

Estimad@s, Several years ago I exhibited a painting in a Segundo de Febrero art exposition. Out of the 60 artists exhibiting, Adriana Garcia and I were the only women in the show. Honest! I have the postcard to prove it! And, during these last ten years of exhibiting throughout the country obvious sexism radiates. Beyond sexism, the politics of who you know, when you knew them, how you knew them, what you knew about them or what you did/didn't do with them often interferes in the curator's decision to invite you to exhibit.

In fact, just browsing yesterday's Weekender proves this. And more recently (last month) I was told I couldn't exhibit my work by a curator in a local art space, because my involvement with the space would prove "Conflict of Interest;" only to find the curator exhibited five of his own paintings in the show. Isn't that conflict of interest?

At the beginning of this year a few mujeres and I were talking about these issues and how the lack of open space for artists to exhibit is an epidemic throughout our community. I decided to take on the responsibility of facilitating, not curating, an art exhibit for mujeres to do their thang! I secured a spot at Rutamaya coffee shop and after a few date changes and many conversations with mujeres over coffee, email, at parties, in a grocery store lines, classrooms and many other spaces, the Exhibit began to take shape. All I did was have the dream, facilitate the conversations, sign women up, send out about a trillion emails . . . . .and voila we are having our exhibit this upcoming Friday.

I invited one woman, they invited another, suddenly a sister wanted to be in it, a student, an employee, a teacher, coworker and on and on. Authors, singers, Mariachis, and performers started coming from every direction also. What started as something I thought would be small has now turned into 32 visual artists, 5 performers/musicians and 12 writers to share their words. ALL MUJERES! Let me take a deep breath! Exciting, right!?

I hope you have a chance to make it out to Rutamaya, on the intersection of Martin and Soledad, Friday, Dec. 7th at 7pm. We will begin with a little taste of Musica, move into the words from the "Encuentros de Mujeres" writing project, and other authors. Later, at 10:30 we will have Azul sharing her magic, and for the all nighters, Heather Go Psycho. This is the first of many projects I hope we do in San Antonio, and I hope to hear from more Mujeres who didn't get a chance to be a part of this one, for the next one! PAZ Y AMOR, ANEL

Writer's Digest Poetry Awards

Thanks to Jackie for this notice:

Writer's Digest Poetry Awards
We're pleased to announce the only Writer's Digest competition exclusively for poets! Regardless of style—rhyming, free verse, haiku and more—if your poems are 32 lines or fewer, we want them all.
Entry Deadline: Thursday, December 20, 2007.

For more information, go to: http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/poetry/

January Guest Speaker

Thanks to Mary Harder and Sandra Garcia for scheduling our guest author for January 2008. It will be Rebeca Chapa, a columnist at the San Antonio Express-News,

Here is her bio that can be found in the MySanAntonio.com website:

Rebeca Chapa is an editorial writer and columnist with the San Antonio Express-News. Prior to that role, she was the newspaper's political writer covering elections, campaigns and politicians. Before returning to her hometown as a reporter in 2002, Rebeca worked on the state desk of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, traveling around Texas and bringing stories home to North Texas readers. She began her journalism career in 1997 at the Austin American-Statesman. Rebeca is a native of San Antonio and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Her bachelor's degree in Social Anthropology from Harvard University may explain her love for international travel. Her jaunts include Turkey, India, Nepal, Cuba, Peru, Kenya and the Indonesian island of Bali.

Cinco Minutos with You

Just wanted to make sure that everyone remembers that the 4th annual "Cinco Minutos with You" Holiday Reading Extravaganza will be held Monday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble, San Pedro Crossing.

While all the spots have been taken for this event, I hope everyone shows up to hear some good, creative writing from fellow co-members and to hear who were the winners for our first writing competition.