Las Mujeres on Texas Matters

From Janie Alonso:

I was curious to see if the stories from the Mujeres were on Texas Matters and Yes they are. For a listen go to

www.tpr.org/programs/texasmatters.html

Scroll down toward the middle of the page and download the show. Show #483, November 27, 2009 MP3 Download

A Remembrance of the Holidays

The holidays are a time of stories. There is the divine story of the birth of Jesus and the almost infinite volume of personal stories from each of our families. There’s the story of the magic of Christmas seen a child’s eyes, then told many years later after that child became an adult. We at Texas Matters are pausing to listen to those stories and we encourage you to tell your stories to your loved ones.

Segment 1: Benavides - Laredo Christmas Story

Segment 2: The Mujeres writers group in San Antonio share their childhood holiday stories. The Mujeres have just published their third anthology including stories of family and faith.

"Feliz Navidad: Christmas en La Calle Matamoros"

"White Christmas in South Texas" by Belza Elia Ramos

"Hard Candy People" by Janie Alonso

"Why?" by Maria Gabriela Madrid

"Christmas Games" by Edna Kitchen

Hope you enjoy.
Janie Alonso

Poets Read in Memory of Vassar Miller

Tuesday evening, Dec. 1, 7 p.m.

Viva! Books
8407 Broadway (just inside Loop 410)
San Antonio, TX 78209826-1143

Poetry readings in remembrance of beloved Texas poet
Vassar Miller, 1924-1998

Poets Naomi Shihab Nye, Bryce Milligan and Robert Bonazzi will be the guest poets for this evening of remembrance.

A Letter from Rose Contreras

A letter from Rose Contreras, Owner/Executive Editor of Onda Books:

Dear Mr. Bosquez,

I want to pass on to you and to the members of SLHW two articles that were recently published about Onda Books. I continue to seek new manuscripts for Onda Books. The links to the online versions of the articles are below, and I have also added a link to the scan of the print article that appeared in CONEXION magazine. I am wondering if you could please pass these articles along to the SLHW members?

Houston Examiner.com Article: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner~y2009m11d23-Interview-with-Rose-Contreras-founder-of-Onda-Books

San Antonio E-N's CONEXION Magazine Article: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sacultura/Online_book_publisher_Onda_Books_showcases_Latino_talent.html

Scan of the CONEXION article: http://www.ondabooks.com/onda_press.html

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Rose Contreras, Owner/Executive Editor
Onda Books: The First Home of Latino eLiterature
(210) 888-3275; www.ondabooks.com

Literary Gatherings and Venues

From James Stewart:

San Antonio Texas

Mondays (Open Mike)
La Tazza, 15060 San Pedro, 8:00pm, Host Dr Waldazo, 210-494-TAZA, www.drmoons.com


Mondays (Second Monday of the Month)
Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers, Barnes and Noble, Loop 410 and San Pedro,
7:00 pm They have an open Membership, They have features (Local and National) More Info contact vincent_bosquez@yahoo.com

Tuesday November 24 (Special Event Slam)
On the Half Shell, 202 Navarro Street, South Texas Holiday Slam Showdown. Slam Poets from across the state compete, 9:30 pm, contact Anthony the Poet, anthonythepoet@gmail.com

Tuesdays (Open Mike and Workshop)
High Wire Art Gallery, 326 West Josephine, Jazz Poets Society, Host Eduardo Garza, Workshop at 6:00 pm, Open Mike at 7:00 pm, eduardo_cavazos_garza@yahoo.com

Tuesdays (Open MIke)
Barnes and Noble, Loop 410 and San Pedro (Access Road on the North Side of Loop 410), Sun Poets Society, 7:00 pm Host Rod Stryker, rodcarlosstryker@yahoo.com

Tuesdays (Open Mike Second Tuesdays Of the Month
San Antonio Main Library, Downtown San Antonio on Main Street, "Caliente" Poetry Host Gabriel Anthony Garza, 7:00 pm

Wednesdays (First and Third Wednesdays of the Month)
This Venue will be closed for the Holidays and will resume in February
Barnes and Noble, Loop 410 and Ingram, (Access Road on West Side of Loop 410 between Bandera Road and Ingram Road), Workshop at 6:00 pm (Host Tom E), Open Mike 7:00 pm, Feature 8:00 pm, Hosts Jim Brandenberg and Josie Mixon,

Thursdays (Open Mike -Feature 4th Thursday of the Month)
Barnes and Noble Northwood, Hwy 218 and Loop 1604, (Inside Loop 1604 on the East Side of Hwy 218) Awake the Sleeping Poet, Feature 7:00 pm Open Mike 8:00 pm, Host Floyd Lamrouex lamrouex@sbcglobal.net 210-656

Thursday (Workshop)
Barnes and Noble, Loop 41 and San Pedro (North side of loop 410 on access road between San Pedro and Jones Maltsberger) 7:00 pm

Saturdays (Open Mike-Art-Music - Second Saturday fo the Month)
Gallista Art Gallery, 1913 South Flores, The Second Saturday Celebration, Poetry starts at 7:00 pm Host Tom E, plus Art and Music and refreshments.Tom E 210-682-7793 or Joe Lopez 210-861-3646

Pecan Grove Press Update

From Pecan Grove Press:

Subject: Pushcart Prize Nominees from Pecan Grove Press

Dear friends of Pecan Grove Press,

I usually do not submit poems for the Pushcart Prize because most of the poems published in our books have been previously published in literary magazines. For the same reason, I don't like seeing "selected poems by...." winning Pulitzer, National Book Awards, and other prizes. But many of the poems published in our books have not appeared in literary reviews; so, this year, I have decided to submit some of those stunningly good poems.

This was an incredibly difficult selection chore (because I would not have published any book without poems that I cared for deeply). And to winnow from all the pages of the many collections of poems we publish each year means that I have undoubtedly made a mistake somewhere! At any rate, I have just mailed off my nominations for poems/poets for the Pushcart Prize for 2009. Each poet nominated had a new book or chapbook from Pecan Grove Press during 2009.

I set one rule for myself: if a poem had been previously published in a literary review that submitted Pushcart nominees, I would not select that poem. So, all the poems nominated are original to the Pecan Grove Press book in which they appeared. I could quite easily have made a mistake or the poem may have been published after I received the acknowledgments page.

The Pecan Grove Press nominees (not in rank order):
“The Color of the Flowers, the Color of the Sky” by Helen Frost
[from as if a dry wind]

“Premature Migration” by Phoebe Reeves
[from The Lobes and Petals of the Inanimate]

The Bridge Above the Clouds”by Nick Carbo
[from Chinese, Japanese, What Are These?]

“When Marcy Told Me” by Francine Witte
[from First Rain (winner of the National Chapbook Competition)]

“By the Time the Sun Had Shrunk” by Marian Haddad
[from POEtry and PrOsE (a celebration of EA Poe's 200th birthday)]

“Newsbrat Hookey” by Robin Kemp
[from This Pagan Heaven]

My thanks again to all of you for your support of Pecan Grove Press,
H. Palmer Hall,
editor and publisher

Laredo Losing Major Bookstore

Here's an interesting article from the San Antonio Express-News on Laredo losing its major bookstore. The article also addresses the soon to be closed bookstore in San Antonio's South Park Mall.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Laredoans_issue_bookstore_pleas.html

Saturday's SAPA Meeting

San Antonio Poets' Association (SAPA)Meeting
Saturday, November 21, at 2 p.m.

Special Guest Speaker: Danielle Griffin

Danielle was born in Chicago in 1970. Betty and Harvey Griffin raised their firstborn with love, discipline, and a strong sense of self.

Danielle began her military career while still in high school in 1987 in the US Army Reserves. She attended the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1989. During college, she continued service in the reserves at the U.S. Army hospital in Tucson. In 1994 she began her active duty career assigned to Fort Hood. She was later commissioned in 1997 and served five years in Germany. In 2002 she was reassigned to Fort Sam Houston.

In 2004, as a Captain, Danielle was chosen to deploy to Baghdad. She was assigned as the battalion personnel officer servicing 439 military personnel, civilians, and Iraqi local nationals working with the battalion. She returned to the states in march 2005.

After serving over 12 years of active duty, Danielle resigned her commission in May of 2006 to continue her education. She is now a graduate of Trinity University with a Maters of Science in Healthcare Administration.

Danielle's first book of poetry is entitled: Of Love & War, Notes from the Heart of a Soldier.

See you at SAPA this Saturday, 2:00 p.m.!

PALABRA, Issue 5 Now Available

Friends & Colegas & Writers & Readers:

¡Presente! PALABRA número cinco a su servicio. Now in release and ready for your reading pleasure and exploration, Issue 5 of PALABRA A Magazine of Chicano & Latino Literary Art features work by the late Andrés Montoya, Rane Arroyo, Sandra M. Castillo, Harrison Fletcher, Fred Arroyo, Gloria Enedina Alvarez, Stephen D. Gutiérrez and Alicita Rodríguez.

Also included is work by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhrán, Carmen Calatayud, John Chávez, Carribean Fragoza, Casey Fuller, Jennifer Givhan, Holly Iglesias, Santiago Lopez, enriqueta luissi, Miguel Murphy, Melinda Palacio, Paul Pedroza, Ruben Quesada, Octavio Quintanilla, Juan Manual Sánchez, Eugenia Toledo-Keyser and Carolyne Wright.

Copies of Issue 5 can be purchased via the website: www.palabralitmag.com

Poetry at Ingram Barnes and Noble

From Josie Mixon:

Please join us for a wonderful evening of poetry at Barnes & Noble at Ingram Festival, Wednesday, November 18. Please join Tom E at 6 p.m., for a round table poetry workshop followed by open mic at 7 p.m. Bring your poems or read one of your favorites by your favorite poet. Our featured guest, Grisel Acosta will present at 8 p.m.

Wendy Barker Reading at The Twig

From Wendy Barker:

Dear, dear Friends,

This is utterly slimy self-promotion, but---(!!)--as many of you know, my novel in prose poems, Nothing Between Us, is due out this month from Del Sol Press. The wonderful folks at The Twig are hosting a reading-signing for the book on Saturday, December 5, from 2-4. It would be great if some of you could drop by--the reading will probably begin around 2:30.

The prose poems--or flash fiction pieces--are set in the late sixties, and are based on my experiences in Berkely while teaching ninth-graders (not that much older than the students myself), during the time the school district had just become racially "integrated." I'm afraid, however, I must warn you--the book is not G-rated.

Again, apologies for such blatant advertising!

All good wishes to you,

Wendy

Poetry in San Antonio

A collection of events by James Stewart:

San Antonio

Notice
2nd Verse at the Blue Room, has been shut down. They are looking for a new venue and hope to be up and running again Soon! If you know of a venue please contact Andrea at Vocab81@gmail.com

Mondays
(The Society of Latino and Hispanics of San Antonio meet 2nd Monday of the Month)
Barnes and Noble Loop 410 and San Pedro, 7:00 pm Host Vincent Bosquez, They Have an open membership. They have featured writers, authors and people from the world, contact vincent_bosquez@yahoo.com

Mondays (Open Mike)
La Tazza, 15060 San Pedro (Brook Hollow area) 210-494-TAZA host Dr Waldazo 8:00 pm www.drmoons.com

Tuesdays (Open Mike and Workshop)
High Wire Art Gallery, 326 West Josephine, Jazz Poet Society, Workshop at 6:00 followed by Open Mike at 7:00 pm Host Eduardo Garza, eduardo_cavazos_garza@yahoo.com

Tuiesdays (Open Mike)
Barnes and Noble, Loop 410 and San Pedro, (North Side of the Loop), Sun Poets Society, Host Rod Stryker rodcarlosstryker@yahoo.com

Tuesdays (Open Mike- Second Tuesday of the Month)
The San Antonio Main Library, Downtown San Antonio on Mail Street, Host Gabriel Anthony Garza, 7:00 pm Caliente Poetry

Tuesdays (Open Mike- Slam Poetry)(21 years of age)
On the Half Shell, 202 Navarro Street, Host Anthony the Poet, 10:30 Pm, www.Onthehalfshell.net

Wednesdays (1st and 3rd Wednesday of the Month-Open Mike-Workshop)
Barnes and Noble, Loop 410 and Ingram (On access road by Ingram Park Mall), Workshop 6:00 pm Hosted by Tom E followed at 7:00 pm Open Mike hosted by Josie Mixon and Jim Brandenberg followed by featured guest 8:00 pm

Thursdays (Workshop-Second Thursday of the Month)
Barnes and Noble, Loop 410 and San Pedro (North side of Loop 410) 7:00 pm

Thursdays (4th Thursday of the month-Open Mike)
Barnes and Noble Northwood, Hwy 281 and Loop 1604 (Inside Loop 1604 on the east side of Hwy 1604) Awake the Sleeping Poet, Feature at 7:00 pm followed by open mike at 8:00 pm host Floyd Lamrouex, lamrouex@sbcglobal.net 210-656-3131

Saturdays (Second Saturday of the Month-Open Mike)
Gallista Art Gallery , 1913 South Flores, The Second Saturday Celebration, Art, Poetry hosted by Tom E at 7:00 pm, music and refreshments, Tom E 210-682-7793 or Joe Lopez 210-861-3646

Free Genealogy Workshop

Palo Alto College Hosts Sons of the Republic of Texas


The Alamo Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas is sponsoring a free

genealogy/membership workshop on Saturday, November 21, 2009. Hosted by Dr.

Rafael Castillo, the workshop will be held from 10:00AM to Noon in the Student Center

Building of Palo Alto College, 1400 W. Villaret Blvd.

Representatives of the Alamo Chapter, SRT, the Ruiz-Herrera Cemetery Association,

and the DRT will be there to assist attendees in learning more about the organizations,

and genealogical documents required to complete their membership applications.

For numbers planning, please email Bob Benavides at rmbtex@hotmail.com to indicate

your interest in attending. Driving directions and campus map will be returned, or call

Ken Pfeiffer at (210) 684-4034. All are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

# # #

Guadalupe Dance Company Presents Historias y Recuerdos

Guadalupe Dance Company Presents Historias y Recuerdos
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center presents its annual presentation of “Historias y Recuerdos,” an original dance project featuring the Guadalupe Dance Company Nov. 19 - 22, 2009 in the historic Guadalupe Theater at 1301 Guadalupe Street in San Antonio, Texas. “Historias y Recuerdos” incorporates traditional Mexican dance and music framed by a video backdrop of San Antonio stories.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday - Saturday, Nov. 19 – 21 with a 3 p.m. Sunday matinee Nov. 22. Tickets are $10 and $8. GCAC members and a guest receive free tickets to opening night. Please call 210-271-3151 for information, or visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org. This unique combination of oral histories, traditional dance and modern technology creates a theatrical experience for audiences of all ages.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1980 to preserve, promote and develop the arts and culture of the Chicano/Latino/Native American peoples for all ages and backgrounds through public and educational programming in six disciplines: dance, literature, media arts, theater arts, visual arts and music. For more information, visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org.

The Current State of Publishing

From Bryce Milligan:

Hi y'all, I have a short essay in the current issue of publishingperspectives.com regarding the current state of publishing, especially as seen from the literary press perspective. Hope you get a chance to check it out.

-- Bryce Milligan
Publisher, Wings Press
www.wingspress.com

Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe

The Louis J. Blume Library of St. Mary’s University and Pecan Grove Press will be hosting a celebration commemorating the 200th birthday of American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe on Thursday, November 12th, from 4:30 – 6:00 in the afternoon. The art exhibit for the month will include work by community artists that is inspired by Poe’s work and a book called POEtry and PrOsE that includes poems and stories by various poets and writers from around the country. Some of the artists will be there to talk about their work and a reading from the book by some of the writers featured will begin at 5 p.m. Everyone is invited. Do join us: Louis J. Blume Library, St. Mary’s University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228, from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Ruben Soto's new book

Editorial Voces de Hoy (vocesdehoyeditora@yahoo.es) te envía esta noticia desde Globedia.com:

Título:Un libro que engrandece a los latinos en Estados Unidos
Descripción de la noticia:Rubén Soto pone a la venta su libro: Univision, un hogar lejos del hogar
Leer noticia »

Para leer y comentar la noticia pincha aquí. Editorial Voces de Hoy desde Globedia.com
Globedia lo hacemos todos. Globedia somos todos.Gracias por participar en Globedia.

Second Saturday

From Lisa Esparza:

ATTENTION FELLOW WRITERS and ARTISTS:

Phillip Lobo (a friend of mine) has begun a new event titled Second Saturday. It is to take place this coming Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (There will be no event for December and it is still tentative for January.)

It will be located at 7075 Bandera Road (Greywolf Gallery/formerly Alexander's fine art) (In the same parking lot as the Pizza Hut)

The event is a display/sale of artwork by various artists. He is also looking for writers to read their works in time slots of up to 8 minutes.

Artist and writer participation is free. Entrance fee for all others is $1 at the door.

If you are a WRITER and are interested in reading your work, please submit the work you plan on reading to the following e-mail address: LONGHORNWOLF@HOTMAIL.COM

(If you would like to sell your work as well, please let that be known in the e-mail so that you can be contacted regarding a fee schedule)

If you are an ARTIST and are interested in participating, please submit (to LONGHORNWOLF@HOTMAIL.COM ) up to six pictures of the pieces you want considered. Only up to three will be selected. Please list the dimensions of the pieces along with each photograph.

The artwork must be painting, sculpture, or photography. NO arts and crafts. The house will get 15% of the sale price.

Attire for the event should be evening wear/dressy. Please no casual dress.

Please pass this on.
Thanks,
Lisa

Reyna Grande in San Antonio

Reyna Grande

--all the way from LA!

Guest Author

Monthly Meeting

Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio

Monday, Nov. 9

7:30 p.m.

Barnes and Noble, San Pedro Crossing

FREE and open to the public!

Recent Release: Dancing with Butterflies

Reyna Grande is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Across A Hundred Mountains (Atria 2006), for which she received an American Book Award (2007) and El Premio Aztlan Literary Award (2006).

Literary El Paso

From Diana Lopez, author of "Confetti Girl"

I just wanted to let you know that my dear friend, Christine Granados, will be at the Twig on Saturday along with Pat Little Dog. They are promoting a new anthology called Literary El Paso.


From The Twig website:

Time: Saturday, November 7, 4 p.m.

Location: The Twig Book Shop

Title of Event: Literary El Paso

Marcia Hatfield Daudistel, Editor, Marian Haddad, Christine Granados, Pat LittleDog, Contributors, Literary El Paso

El Paso del Norte - place of hope, wonder, shifting winds, culture and tradition, this fortuitous confluence of sky and land, nations and people - has been the inspiration and lifeblood of the writers in this invaluable and powerful anthology. It is my great honor to be part of this living river of words." - Denise Chavez, author of Loving Pedro Infante

Forensic Expert Visits with SARA

FORENSIC EXPERT VISITS WITH SARA

Join San Antonio Romance Authors Wednesday, November 18, for our monthly meeting featuring Forensic Expert, Meghan Ryan. Meghan will lecture about, "The ABC’s of the ME’s." Meeting place is Ming Court Restaurant @ The Vineyard, 1205 N Loop 1604 W #230. SARA business meeting starts @ 6:30 p.m., presentation will began @ 7pm. Visit www.sararwa.net for more details.

Workshops

From our Vice President, Lupe Gonzalez:

Self-Editing Workshop
Nov. 15-21

Want to perk up the pace of your prose?
Don’t know what to look for?
Contest judges getting you down?
Never learned the difference between POV and Show vs Tell?
Join two Roses of Roses Colored Glasses for the Self-Editing Workshop

Your Instructors: Layla Chase and Shayla Kersten
This workshop will help make your writing shine! Through the use of checklists, lectures and all new writing exercises, we give you tangible examples of what to look for and how to fix it. You'll get interactive assistance from editor and award-winning author, Layla Chase, and multi-published author Shayla Kersten.

Passive Vs Active voice, Power words & pumping up your sentences
Eliminating implied or unnecessary words
Gerunds, misplaced modifiers, dangling participles
POV and Show Vs Tell
Grammar & Punctuation Style

To enroll, send your $20 payment through Paypal from the workshop page on www.rosescoloredglasses.com.

Deadline for enrollment is Nov. 14th.

Testimonials
"... even more than the wonderful tips and checklist and exercises, this workshop taught us how to discipline ourselves, which I love. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"I did learn some of the little tidy ends which as a novice I didn't realize the importance of "don't does" in writing novels."
"Great workshop! I will be recommending it to my writer friends."

****Permission granted to distribute** ***

Linda Carroll-Bradd
~~Dreams of Gold in Lawmen & Outlaws anthology, June 09
~~Only For One Night, Lone Star Angel
~~One Last Time; Business is Blooming
~~Ten Fantasy Wishes; A Legend of Ireland
www.lindacarroll-bradd.com
www.thewildrosepress.com


Workshop: Writing the Blurb
given by multi-published sci-fi author, Masha Holl

*Workshop Starts November 8*
*Registration Open NOW*

*Blurbs! The hated word!*
Let me make it just another minor task.
One week.
Hands-on.
Certified for the faint of heart.

Where do you start? What do you include?
How can you squeeze a whole book into 50 words?

Let's work on it together!

/*One week, $10. Lots of Practice.*/

/Free Workshop Files to Download/

Visit http://ottercreations.mashaholl.com for more information

You can also click on the link below or copy and paste the URL into your web browser:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/webpage101/join

Follow the directions in the email you will receive.

Lupe M. Gonzalez
http://www.myspace.com/lesmora
Writing stories by and about Latinas and their lives and loves.
Released Sep 23, 2009 - A Love for Eternity, TWRP, Vintage Miniature Rose
Too Late For Romance? (Debut Book, Jun 2008, The Wild Rose Press)

National Novel Writing Month

From our Vice President, Lupe Gonzalez:

NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH

11/1 to 11/30/2009

It's not too late to join in.

For 30 days, put aside as much of your routine as you can and join the multitude of writers all over the world and WRITE YOUR STORY!

50,000 words for 30 days
1667 words per day, 7 pages per day – however you want to look at it to make it sound easier for you – or Doable.

The San Antonio area NaNoWriMo volunteers will organize write-ins during the month, at the Forum, at B/N, La Cantera and at the Quarry. Plus, they’ll also have opportunities to socialize – and unwind.

I’m joining in, some other writers I know are in. Are you?

For more info and to register: http://www.nanowrimo.org

Lupe M. Gonzalez
http://www.myspace.com/lesmora
Writing stories by and about Latinas and their lives and loves.
Released Sep 23, 2009 - A Love for Eternity, TWRP, Vintage Miniature Rose
Too Late For Romance? (Debut Book, Jun 2008, The Wild Rose Press)

PEN/Beyond Margins Awards

From Latinidad ® http://www.marcelalandres.com/

PEN/BEYOND MARGINS AWARDS
Deadline: December 14
$1000 is given to writers of color of fiction, literary nonfiction, biography/memoir, and other works of literary character. U.S. residency or citizenship is not required. For more information, visit: http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/280

Review: In the Sun's House

Here's my review of In the Sun's House, which appeared in yesterday's San Antonio Express-News