Friday, October 31, 2008

NaNoWriMo

Saturday, November 1, is the start of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

What is NaNoWriMo? The answer comes from the NaNoWriMo website:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

RX Healing Art Wrokshops

The following message is sent on behalf of Dr. Kellen Kee McIntyre

Dear Friends of Bihl Haus Arts,

If you missed this terrific story by Dan Goddard in the Express last Wednesday about our current exhibit "Rx Art:Take your medicine," not not worry! Just click on this link:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/Medical_professionals_find_benefits_in_expressing_themselves_creatively.html


Or search Bihl Haus on MySanAntonio.com

There is still one more fantastic RX Healing Art Workshops at Bihl Haus Arts. To learn more about it or to make your reservation, please go to: www.RxArtSA.org.

We hope to see you this weekend or next. This very special exhibit closes on Nov. 1st at 4 pm.

Kellen

Kellen Kee McIntyre, PhD
Executive Director
Bihl Haus Arts
P.O. Box 100806
2803 Fredericksburg Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 383-9723 (cell)
(210) 732-3502 (off)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Halloween at Cafe Latino

Halloween at
Café Latino

Café Latino will be celebrating Halloween,
so come on by, dress up and have some fun.

The Music will be provided by

Family Bones

Cafe Latino is located at 2911 N. St. Mary's Street
(Across the Street from Tycoon Flatts)

For More Information Call
Jim Stewart
(210) 291-4012

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

NHMC Note

Greetings,

I wanted to share with you a note Ruben received regarding the National Hispanic Media Coalition's Scriptwriting Search. As the letter writer notes, if you wrote and didn't get selected don't get discouraged! Read the recommended books and try again next year!

------------------------------

Hi Ruben

The competition was much stronger this year and we had more writers applying than ever before. Please tell your writers to not get discouraged and apply again next year. I highly recommend for your writers to read the following books: "The Sitcom Career Hand Book" by Mary Lou Belli (ISBN-13: 9780823028740) and "Writing the TV Drama Series" by Pamela Douglas (ISBN-13: 9781932907346). Both of these books are given to the participants of this year's program and are recommended by the VPs of Talent Development for ABC and NBC.

Best Regards,

Acasia Flores

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Lupe's Book Signing Next Saturday!

Please join Lupe at her first book signing next Monday!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Members at Egyptian Bash


Greetings everyone,


I wanted to share with you a photo sent to me by fellow Society member Maria Gabriela (Gaby) Madrid. Seems like Gaby and another Society member, Martha Curcio, attended an Egyptian Bash costume party at the Art Museum.


From left to right: Martha Curcio, Gaby and a friend.


Meet Irete Lazo


If you're looking for something to do today, please head over to The Twig Book Store at 1 p.m. to see Irete Lazo give a book reading and discussion on her new book "The Accidental Santera."

Friday, October 24, 2008

NHMC Writers Program Selectees

National Latino Media Council
Fall 2008 Television Writers Program
NHMC congratulates this year’s program participants:

Gina Monreal
Zoila Galeano
Emilia Serrano
Dolores Briseño
Jeronimo Arellano
Liliana Ramirez
Anisa Yardimoglu
Danny Tolli
Mark Valadez
Robert Sudduth
Marcos Luevanos

About the Writers ProgramNHMC’s Television Writers Program is an intensive Scriptwriters Workshop to prepare and place Latinos in writing jobs for the major television networks. This project is modeled after our previously successful Hispanic Film Project.
The Television Scriptwriters Workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the format, characters and storyline structure of specific shows that are currently on the air. This five-week, total immersion workshop is mentored/guided by a former NBC VP of Script Development, Geoff Harris.
The workshop is conducted in Burbank, CA and a total of 10 writers are recruited nationwide from our established network of NHMC chapters, other non-profits agencies, schools, universities, writers, guilds and professional, media organizations. The expectation is that several of our writers will be employed in the industry.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Congratulations, Jose

Fellow member Jose Caraballo has just received some wonderful news from Readers Digest! He recently submitted a poem to the 77th Readers Digest writing competition and was awarded an honorable mention and a letter of commendation.

The letter mentioned there were 17,000 enteries.

Congratulations, Jose!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Children's Essay Contest--Scholastic

Jackson Hole, Wyoming is beautiful! It snowed this morning--truly a wonderful site to see!

I saw this notice in yesterday's USAToday:

Scholastic is sponsoring an essay contest for American children to attend a tea party with J.K. Rowling in Scotland in celebration of the launch of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Dec. 4. Contestants must have a valid U.S. passport and be between the ages of 8 to 17. They should write an essay of 200 words or less describing how they have helped others.

For more information, click HERE.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Diane Gonzales Bertrand Poetry

I'm not sure if you had a chance to read Diane Gonzales Bertrand's poem in yesterday's book section of the San Antonio Express-News. In case you didn't, please click HERE

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Jackie on Hangproud.com

Fellow Society member Jackie Mendez has been selected to become an expert blogger on Hangproud.com! To read Jackie's blog postings, please visit http://www.hangproud.com/Home/Blog.

Please take the opportunity to post your comments on her blog postings.

Friday, October 17, 2008

International Latino Book Award

From "Latino Literacy Now Insider"#15:

11th Annual International Latino Book Awards
May 28, 2009

Nominations continue to come in for next year's International Latino Book Awards (ILBA). This is easily the earliest we have ever received nominations. Judging from these early entries, it looks like there will be strong competition in all categories.

The 2009 ILBA to be held at the Javits Center in New York City on the afternoon of May 28. Each year the awards ceremony is held in conjunction with BookExpo America, the country's largest book publishing industry trade show.

Publishers, authors, publicists and all friends of literacy are invited to nominate their favorite books from 2008. There are 62 categories open for nominations: English and Spanish language categories covering everything from fiction to self-help to children's and young adults. Books must have been published in calendar year 2008 to be eligible. For the 2009 awards we are excited to announce the addition of four new categories, including Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation (A11 & A12), (B19 & B20), a general fiction category, Best Popular Fiction (C37 & C38), Best Gift Book (B19 & B20) and Best Graphic Novel (C47 & C48). Please consider all the categories carefully before deciding which ones best fit your submissions.

You will find nominating forms and instructions in both English and Spanish here. The nominating process lasts until March 13, when the books will be sent to our diverse panel of judges, but if you get your entries in prior to January 16 you are eligible for an "early bird" fee reduction.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Request for Submissions

The following message is from Society friend, Sarah Cortez, Writer/Editor

I am editing a book of unpublished short stories for Akashic Books out of Brooklyn. I need original fiction, 3,000-6,000 words (length is negotiable) . Due to contract specs a certain number of the authors must be Native American. The proposed title of the book will be "Indian Country Noir. Akashic has done many books in their Noir series and you may wish to look at the website for further info.


Here is the formal request:

An anthology of unpublished short stories of fiction will be released in 20 09 by Akashic Books. The title will be "Indian Country Noir" and we are seeking stories that take place in Indian Country, which includes Canada , Canadian Reserves, U.S Reservations, Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexican Indian land.& nbsp; Geographic location is important. These stories may be historical, l iterary, and/or crime fiction. Writers of First Nation ancestry are especi ally encouraged to submit pieces. Established authors will be included as well as emerging authors. Stories should be 3,000-6,000 words. Send you submission by email to indiancountryanthology@gmail.com. Please type your submis sion into a Word document with double spacing and all other standard manuscript formatting.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Irete Lazo


Please welcome Irete Lazo and congratulate her on the release of her new book THE ACCIDENTAL SANTERA.

(Please click on Lupe's Myspace link below to read her interview with Irete.)

Lupe M. Gonzalez
Writing stories by and about Latinas and their lives and loves.
Too Late For Romance? (Debut Book, Jun 2008 The Wild Rose Press)http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Monday, October 13, 2008

San Antonio Poets' Association

Juan Perez


This message forwarded by P.C. McKinnon:


San Antonio Poets' Association
Next Meeting:
Saturday, October 18 @ 2:00 p.m.


Featuring as guest reader:
Juan Perez
After a decade of military service, including the First Gulf War (1991), Juan Manuel Perez is now a public high school history teacher and author of six poetry chapbooks, including Dial H For Horror (2006), plus one full contemporary multi-culture poetry collection, Another Menudo Sunday (2007), and the soon to be published O¢ Dark Heaven, a full collection of dark poetry.

Juan, a Mexican-American, is also a member of the San Antonio Poet¢s Association and the Science Fiction Poetry Association, as well as, alumni to the great Chicano poet Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. He has also been a featured poet at some San Antonio poetry venues and enjoys reading his poetry at others even when he is not featured.

Juan has recently published his poetry in International Poetry Review, Illumen, Star*Line: Journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, The Poet Magazine, di-verse-city, Voices Along The River, The Dreamcatcher, Inkwell Echoes, The Palm¢s Leaf and Message Of The Muse.

He is currently revising a manuscript called W.U.I.: Written Under The Influence of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. and will be looking for a publisher soon. The comic book fanatic, science-fiction addict, and poetry lover lives in his hometown of La Pryor, Texas.

Horticulture Club Plant Sale

Horticulture Club Plant Sale
Thursday and Friday,
Oct. 16-17
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PAC Greenhouse
For more information,
please call Kirk Williams
(210) 486-3073

Friday, October 10, 2008

Patricia Cisneros Young


I just wanted to remind that the monthly meeting of the Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio will be on Monday, Oct. 13 at the Barnes and Noble, San Pedro Crossing at 7:30 p.m. This month's featured author is Patricia Cisneros Young, who is traveling from Brownsville at her own expense just to speak with us! I hope you can show your appreciation by attending this event.

Patricia Cisneros Young was born in Brownsville, Texas, a border city with strong ties to Matamoros, Mexico. Her parents are descendants of the original thirteen Spanish families who settled the area in 1749 and whose ancestors lived in the Nuevo Leon region of Mexico (New Spain) since the 1500s. Spanish land grants, on the North and South of the Rio Grande, were given to the author’s ancestors by the King of Spain. This, in itself, has nurtured the many stories passed down, generation after generation, of the turbulent region that has seen wars (the first battle of the Mexican-American War was fought at Palo Alto, and the last battle of the Civil War was fought at the Palmito Ranch that was owned by the author’s family) , hurricanes, Revolutions, Civil War, raids, discrimination, persecution, floods, disease, the old Texas Rangers, and other challenges that threatened the very survival of this family. Through it all, they have endured.

Cisneros Young, except for a short stay in Austin and San Marcos, has lived in Brownsville, Texas, all of her life. She is married to Bill Young and together they have two children, Dorothy Morgan and Clay Young. Her eldest son, Noah Drumright, is a Firefighter/Paramedic who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is the grandmother of three girls, Emma Sue, Sophia Gwen, and Natalie Kate Drumright.


After earning a Masters Degree in English, the author devotes her time to educating high school students at Rivera High School. Brownsville is located in one of the poorest counties in the United States; hence, the author is committed to helping widen the horizons of her students to the beauty of literature and the power of writing. She is passionate about empowering her students by helping them become better writers. “Writing is a way out for these young men and women,” she says, “They can define their lives and make sense of the many challenges that they face. Writing about themselves and the literature that they read helps them connect with the world of ideas. My job is to strengthen them and help them dream big dreams, dare to hope, and stop the cycle of poverty and ignorance that they live in by encouraging them to think for themselves, ask questions and challenge assumptions.” She does the same at the University of Texas at Brownsville, where she has been a member of the Adjunct Faculty since January of 2004.


Her first collection of short stories, “South Texas Tales: Stories My Father Told Me,” is a compilation of historical fiction that addresses universal themes. The stories are border stories of an America that is rarely seen by those outside its environs. The old families surround themselves with their poetry and legends to preserve their identity in an every changing landscape that is unstable due to the vicissitudes of politics and geography. Before the dams, even the Rio Grande fluctuated and changed what was America and what was Mexico. This greatly misunderstood part of America is given greater clarity by Cisneros Young. She is working on the second volume of the book and hopes to complete it by December of 2008.

Cisneros Young is a recipient of the 2003-2004 Rotary Club of Brownsville’s “Rotarian of the Year” Award for Outstanding Community Service, a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club International, a member of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society, and inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Society International Scholastic Order of the Two-Year College, Alpha Mu Chapter in 2001. She is one of the founders of the Rotoract Club at the University of Texas at Brownsville and is presently active in community projects by sponsoring her students in the Interact Club at Rivera High School. She has fed the homeless at the Posada that feeds the poor at the Good Neighbor Settlement House and was a volunteer for nine years at one of the oldest nursing homes in Brownsville, The Mother of Perpetual Help Nursing Home, where she led a group of women who entertained the residents with Chalupa (Mexican Bingo) games and fiestas. Each resident would also receive a personal Christmas tree placed by their bedside that was lovingly decorated by each member of the group led by Cisneros Young, the Chairman of the Nursing Home Clinic, for nine years. She dedicates her time now to teaching, writing, gardening, and enjoying her family.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Texas Public Radio


T e x a s P u b l i c R a d i o

Invites you to tune in to hear a “live” debate on
the proposed revision of San Antonio city council and mayoral terms of office.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10th at NOON
on KSTX, 89.1 FM

Moderator:
Terry Gildea
KSTX “All Things Considered” host


Panelist:
Phil Hardberger
Mayor, City of San Antonio
In favor of extending term limits

Bob Martin
President, Homeowners Taxpayers Assn. of Bexar County
Opposing extension of term limits

Dr. Henry Flores
Professor of Political Science
St. Mary’s University

Jaime Castillo
San Antonio Express-News columnist


Questions and comments can be submitted via email at
termlimits@tpr.org


The program will be re-broadcast at 7 p.m. Friday, October 10th
on KSTX 89.1 FM

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

America Unida 2008

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 7:00 PM
INSTITUTO CULTURAL DE MEXICO AUDITORIUM
600 HEMISFAIR PLAZA
IF YOU BUY THE TICKETS FROM GABY, IT WILL BE $20.
LIMITED SEATING
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (210) 710-4983 or (210) 227-0130
Gaby: (210) 932-8454

ProArt Mission is Cultural Promotion and Education for the latino and world universal arts through diverse artistic programs that include folklore, dances, music, traditional songs, the visual arts, voice performance, theatre, and literature from Us, Spain, Mexico, Latin America and Countries of the world.

Join us in our adventure and cultural endeavor, become a ProArt Friend! and help us make a meaningful contribution to US diverse Community and for our generations to come.

ProArt is a non-profit organization

Monday, October 06, 2008

Maureen Smith

From our vice president, Lupe Gonzalez:

Please visit www.myspace.com/lemora and welcome Maureen Smith. She'll be giving away an autographed copy of her lastest book, SECRET AGENT SEDUCTION!

Thanks,
Lupe M. Gonzalez
http://www.freewebs.com/lesmora
http://www.myspace. com/lesmora
Writing stories by and about Latinas and their lives and loves.
Too Late For Romance? (Debut Book, Jun 2008 The Wild Rose Press)
http://www.thewildrosepress. com

Serena by Ron Rash


I received this book last week from the publisher. The plot was very intriguing, and it caused me to miss some of my favorite TV shows since I couldn't put it down!

It goes on sale tomorrow. I definitely recommend it!


SERENA
By Ron Rash
Publication Date: October 7, 2008
Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Hardcover / $24.95 / 371 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-147085-1

http://www.eccobooks.com/

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Sandra Rodriguez Barron


From SLHW Vice President Lupe Gonzalez:
My featured author on myspace.com/ lesmora is Sandra Rodriguez Barron. Please go and learn about this wonderful author.

Lupe M. Gonzalez
Writing stories by and about Latinas and their lives and loves.
Too Late For Romance? (Debut Book, Jun 2008 The Wild Rose Press)

Harlequin Novelist visits SARA

San Antonio Romance Authors present author Trish Milburn.

An author of young adult novels, and Harlequin Romance novels, her latest publication, A Firefighter in the Family, was released September 2008 by Harlequin American Romance. Join SARA for her presentation Wednesday, October 15 at Wah Kee Chinese Restaurant located at 18360 Blanco Rd (NE corner of Blanco Rd and 1604 behind Luby’s). Presentation starts at 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

A Poem by Jose Caraballo




Música en el camposanto

By Jose Caraballo
Camposanto lugar donde los grillos esclavos,
rompen las cadenas del silencio.
Motivadas las chicharras protestan
su servidumbre:
juntos rompen la morbosa soledad.
Llenan la noche con melodías y voces:
cementerio habitados por elfos y sílfides;
genios del aire que acompañan
el cortejo de mordidos acordes.
Una celosa luna embalsama la oscuridad.
Resucitan nardos enclavados en blancas lapidas;
las rojas amapolas llenan de bálsamos
el laberinto de laceradas cruces.
Póstumo homenaje a borrados nombres;
olvidados esqueletos ambarinos bailan,
al silbido de calaveras burlonas.
Faroles de olvidadas luciérnagas;
alumbran del camposanto, que por un instante
asume macabra belleza.
En el cementerio las almas celebran
soberbias su último otoño:
retan las puertas del infierno con orfeones,
póstumo tributo a cansados espíritus.
Quien alcanzara paz en el camposanto;
cuando las abiertas fosas vibran con mil acordes.


Melodies on hallowed ground

By Jose Caraballo

On that hallowed ground
is where enslaved crickets
break their chains of silence,
motivating the katydids,
who protesting their serfdom,
dissolve their bonds of ghoulish loneliness.
Voices of resident elves and sylphs
of the graveyardfill the night air with music,
floating genies that accompany the procession
to its rhythmic cadence.
A jealous moon embalms darkness,
awakening nards imbedded in white gravestones,
and the red poppies exude their balm
that fills the labyrinth of wounded crosses.
Paying posthumous homage
to names long erased,
forgotten yellowish skeletons dance
to the whistled tunes of jesting skulls
forgotten night lights with lightning bugs
illuminate the hallowed ground
filling it with a moment of funereal beauty.
The souls of the graveyard celebrate
with haughtiness their last Autumn season,
their choral ensemble challenging
at the very doors of Hell
the last gesture of tired souls,
desiring eternal peace in hallowed ground,
when the open graves resonate
with the sound of a thousand tunes in harmony.




Friday, October 03, 2008

M.J. Fredrick


Please welcome MJ Fredrick, author of WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, at http://www.myspace.%20com/lesmora

Leave a comment and be eligible to win a copy of her book.

Lupe M. Gonzalez
Writing stories by and about Latinas and their lives and loves.
Too Late For Romance? (Debut Book, Jun 2008 The Wild Rose Press)

Thursday, October 02, 2008

October Guest Speaker


Just a quick note to remind you that the monthly meeting of the Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio will be on Monday, Oct. 13 at the Barnes and Noble, San Pedro Crossing, featuring Patricia Cisneros Young at 7:30 p.m.!

Ms. Young is traveling from the border at her own expense to speak with us and I hope you will make a special trip--just like she's doing--to attend the meeting.

As you may recall, she is the author of "South Texas Tales: Stories My Father Told Me." I read the book and thoroughly enjoyed her descriptions of life in Brownsville and Mexico, along with the various characters she brought to life with vivid details and colloquialism.

I hope to see you at the meeting!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Spanish Group Meeting


Hola a todos,
Los invito a que asistan a nuestra próxima reunión del grupo de español el día Lunes seis de Octubre a las 7:00 pm en Barnes & Noble de De Zavala.

Asistieron a la junta anterior José Caraballo, Alejandro Rengifo, Ma. Gabriela Madrid, Berta Jacobson y Martha Curcio.

Después de compartir cada uno sus escritos, se hicieron varios ejercicios de escritura. Todos en silencio inspirados. Las ideas flotaban sobre una nube negra azul. Se escuchaban gotas de tinta salpicando al caer y el sonido del pincel convertido en pluma dibujando acuarela de letras sobre el papel. Las musas se hicieron presentes y así llevaron a casa un nuevo poema, o el próximo cuento corto y ¿Por que no? el inicio de una novela. ¡Felicidades compañeros!

Aquí envio una fotografía a ver que les inspira.
Recuerden, lo importante es ¡SOLTAR LA IMAGINACION Y A DISFRUTAR ESCRIBIENDO!

¡LOS ESPERAMOS EN LA JUNTA!

¡Escríbelo o se pierde!
Martha Curcio
La Sociedad de Escritores Latinos e Hispanos de San Antonio
http://slhwnotes.blogspot.com/