Saturday, March 31, 2012

Television Writers Program

National Latino Media Council/National Hispanic Media Coalition Television Writers Program


Fall 2012

The National Latino Media Council (NLMC)/National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) Television Writers Program is for those writers who can write at least one half-hour comedy or one-hour dramatic television script in English within a five-week period of time. The program will take place in Burbank, CA from October 12, 2012 to November 16, 2012. Each selected participant is expected to complete at least one script by the end of the five-week session, which will then be read by network executives. Those writers whose scripts show promise will be interviewed and mentored by the network executives with the objective of placing them on a show. A stipend of $250 per week will be given to each participant. Flight, housing, and meals will be provided.

The NLMC/NHMC 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 the 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 and guided by former NBC V.P of Script Development, Geoff Harris. The workshop is conducted in Burbank, CA and a total of 10 writers are recruited nationwide from established network of NHMC chapters, other non-profit agencies, schools, universities, guilds and media organizations. The goal is that the writers garner the skills necessary to obtain employment in the industry. The NLMC/NHMC Writers Program was created in accordance to NHMC's mission to improve the image of American Latinos as portrayed by the media and increase the number of American Latinos employed in all facets of the media industry. The program directly responds to the lack of diverse writers in primetime network TV with the idea that if there are more diverse writers present at the writer's table, more diversity will be reflected on TV.

Application packages must be submitted by August 13, 2012 and selected program participants will be announced September 17, 2012. Writing samples must be in English and television scripts are preferred. We accept any type of writing sample including books, plays, pilots, specs, etc. Please note that writing teams are ineligible. The deadline for submissions is August 13, 2012. Scripts will be evaluated and program participants announced on September 17, 2012.


Timeline:
Submission Period: March 26, 2012 - August 13, 2012
Participants Announced: September 17, 2012
Program: October 13-November 16

For submissions to be considered, the following materials must be submitted:
Program Application (2 copies)
Resume/Bio (2 copies)

Writing Sample (2 hard copies and 2 CD* copies each with the writing sample saved in PDF format)*Instead of CD copies, applicants can submit 2 USB flash drives each with the writing sample saved in PDF format.

Statement of Interest:Why you want to write for television (2 copies)
Writer's Agreement (2 copies)
Waiver of Liability (2 copies)
Medical Form (2 copies)
ABC Notarized Release Form (The original notarized form and a copy)
NBC Release Form (2 copies)

Checklist
Submissions must be post marked by August 13 and sent to:

Nilda Muhr
National Latino Media Council
55 S. Grand Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105

*All materials must be submitted together and at the same time. Any application packet with missing materials will automatically be disqualified.

*Unfortunately due to a small number of judges and lack of resources, NHMC will not be able to provide feedback on any writing samples that are submitted and not accepted into the program.

FAQ

For more information please contact Nilda Muhr at nmuhr@nhmc.org









Marta Garcia

National Hispanic Media Coalition, Inc.

mgarcia@nhmc.org

www.nhmc.org





Friday, March 30, 2012

Tafolla Named San Antonio Poet Laureate

Mayor Castro announces nationally renowned author Carmen Tafolla as

San Antonio’s inaugural Poet Laureate


On April 3, 2012, San Antonio will become the first major city in Texas to appoint a Poet Laureate. Mayor Juli�n Castro will formally announce nationally renowned author and poet Carmen Tafolla as the Poet Laureate in keeping with the SA2020 goal of turning San Antonio into “a brainpower community that is the liveliest city in the nation.” The initiative applies to the Arts & Culture as well as Education vision areas. The honorary position was created to promote the literary arts and literacy within the community as well as foster a greater appreciation of the poetic arts through the reading and writing of poetry. The Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term and will commit to a minimum of three City sponsored and selected public appearances for each year of service. The Mayor’s announcement and reception will take place on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at City Council Chambers in the Municipal Plaza Building, 114 W. Commerce St. The event is free and open to the public.

"I can think of no one more worthy of this honor than Carmen Tafolla. She's not only an accomplished poet and educator; she is a homegrown talent who embodies the power and poignancy of art in our community. I am proud to call her San Antonio's first Poet Laureate," Mayor Juli�n Castro responded to the determination by the Poet Laureate selection committee. The announcement follows the Mayor’s State of the City address where he called for San Antonians to “be bold and invest in the city’s future” through education, early childhood education in particular.

The City’s Office of Cultural Affairs received 21 nominations representing 15 local poets. The selection committee was comprised of poetsfrom around the country: Francisco Aragon (San Francisco, CA), Catherine Bowman (Indiana), Cyrus Cassells (Texas), and Valerie Martinez (New Mexico). The application process opened in November 2011 and nominations were accepted until January 18, 2012. The committee review process took approximately six weeks.

Tafolla’s goal as Poet Laureate, she believes, is to bring the joy of literature into the daily lives of the people of this great pueblo, and to empower the expression of their own poetic voices in our young and old alike. She believes strongly that a multicultural dual-language education is one of the greatest gifts we can provide our children, and that effective family literacy is heavily dependent on the availability of stories and literature to which people can relate culturally and realistically. “Literacy and literature cannot be realistically separated if we hope to have an impact on all of our residents,” says Tafolla. “Powerful stories that reflect our reality reverberate inside us, and give us meaning. Literature cannot afford to be elitist or disconnected from the community.”

Her first solo collection of poetry, Curandera, was published in 1983, and gleaned her recognition as a master of “code-switching,” the art of alternating between formal and colloquial Spanish and English, as a literary technique. She has been called “a world class writer” by Alex Haley, and a “pioneer of Chicana literature” by Ana Castillo. Tafolla has published five books of poetry, including the award-winning Sonnets to Human Beings, translated into German in 1992, Spanish in 1994, and Bengali in 2006; the most recent collection, Rebozos, will be published in September 2012.

One of her most-loved children’s books is That’s Not Fair! Emma Tenayuca’s Struggle for Justice / No es Justo! La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia, which tells the true and inspiring story of pecan shellers in the 1920s and 1930s in San Antoniostruggling for better pay and working conditions and the young woman who became a hero for the cause. Other children’s books, including What Can you DO with a Paleta? and What Can you DO with a Rebozo?, have won the prestigious Americas Award, presented to Tafolla in 2010 at the Library of Congress, the Charlotte Zolotow, for outstanding picture book writing, and two American Library Association (ALA) Notable Children’s Books. Her latest children’s book, Fiesta Babies, was named one of the Top Ten Best Books for Babies by the Fred Rogers Corporation. These only represent a sampling of her awards.

“Truly, she reaches all segments of the population, from the academic literary experts to the kindergarteners,” Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte enthusiastically stated in her nomination letter for Dr. Carmen Tafolla, who serves as Writer-in-Residence for Children’s, Youth & Transformative Literature in the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies under the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Texas as San Antonio. “I congratulate San Antonio for having a responsible government that supports the arts because it promotes our great city as a great place to live and raise families,” Van de Putte continued.


###
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Heather Eichling
Public Information Officer
Office of Cultural Affairs
City of San Antonio
210.207.6960 office
heather.eichling@sanantonio.gov









Thursday, March 29, 2012

Book Review: Eisenhower


I hope you enjoy my book review of "Eisenhower in War and Peace."

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bihl Haus: Fantastic Voyage

Join us for the opening reception of Lucia LaVilla-Havelin’s “FANTASTIC VOYAGE” on Saturday, March 24th, 5:30 to 8:30 pm, which will be, well, fantastic! Bundled, knotted, woven fibers of all kinds and embroidered fabrics bind together with found materials to form bizarre structures adapted from medical and scientific sources.

Lucia eschews literal interpretation, however, for more fanciful creations oddly familiar and sometimes even creepy—the stuff of campy 60s sci-fi film props, thus the title of the show. Works like Under My Skin are inspired by microscopic images of the internal workings of the human body—intestines, tracheae, nerve fibers, lymph nodes. Others, like the embroidered and beaded Biospheres series, make use of electron microscopic images, based on things as diverse as corn tissue, angelfish ovaries and cynobacteria.

This official CAM event transforms Bihl Haus Arts into a jewelbox setting for Lucia's elegant and finely detailed creations on duponi silks and linens mixed with wire mesh studded with seed pearls, glass beads, and semi-precious stones that dazzle the eye and stimulate the desire to know the unknown. A brilliant show!

Kellen

P.S. Please save the date for a very special reading by poets Roberto Bonazzi and Jim LaVilla-Havelin on Thursday, April 19th at 7 pm.

Kellen Kee McIntyre, PhD
Executive Director
Bihl Haus Arts
http://www.bihlhausarts.org/
210-383-9723


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

OLLU Book Fair

Colegas:


I wanted to extend a special invitation to you to join us on Saturday, March 24 at OLLU for our first Book Fair, in conjunction with our 9th annual Center for Mexican American Studies and Research conference. As you know, we are hosting a Latina Leadership panel (at Thiry Auditorium) on that same date, co-sponsored by MALCS-SA.

The Book Fair will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 Saturday morning at the UWAC Building, across from Thiry Auditorium. We are seeking to draw local residents, particularly area youth and young adults. The Fair is co-hosted by the SAPL and REFORMA (La Estrella de Tejas, San Antonio Chapter) and both organizations will be giving away books to attendees.

We invite you to bring copies of your books for signing and reading excerpts. We will have an open reading session, though we have a few students and alumni who have offered to read their published and/or unpublished works. The Latina Leadership panel will follow this event (10:30 - 11:45). If you think of others who might be interested, please share this invitation with them as well. Thank you for considering this invitation (and late notice ).

Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns.

Teresita

Teresita E. Aguilar, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Mexican American Studies and Research
Our Lady of the Lake University
Moye 110
411 SW 24th St.
San Antonio, TX. 78207
(210)-431-4148

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Monday, March 19, 2012

Master Accordionist at Trinity

Master Accordionist to Perform in Concert at Trinity University


Posted on 03/07/2012 by Mary Anthony

SAN ANTONIO – Master accordionist Eva Ybarra and music scholar Juan Tejeda will visit Trinity University as part of Trinity University’s Legends of Texas Border Music Series. Tejeda, an instructor at Palo Alto College, will present “Xicanismo and Tejano/Conjunto Music: Local Music, Global Identity, and Vision” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, in the Ruth Taylor Recital Hall. That evening, Ybarra will be accompanied by her conjunto group in concert at 7:30 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium. Both events are free and open to the public; tickets or reservations are not required.

Before teaching at Palo Alto College, Tejeda taught bicultural studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has written and lectured on the history and socio-cultural significance and importance of Tejano and conjunto music. He is also the founder of the Tejano Conjunto Festival.

Ybarra teaches her style of music at two colleges in San Antonio and performs locally with her mariachi and conjunto groups. She has toured in Washington, Canada, New York City, and performed at the San Antonio Conjunto Festival for the last 15 years. She has received numerous recognitions and awards throughout the years, most recently with her induction into the 2010 Conjunto Hall of Fame in San Benito, Texas. Her style and music complexity compares to Esteban Jordan, Paulino Bernal, and Oscar Hernandez.

For more information on the Legends of Texas Border Music Series, contact Mary Anthony at 210-999-8441.



Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Grito de Mujer

RSVP: pgortari@unam.mx



ESTACIONAMIENTO GRATUITO A PARTIR DE LAS 6 PM
EN LOS PARQUÍMETROS DE LA CALLE CÉSAR CHAVEZ (ANTES DURANGO)
RECEPCIÓN DESPUÉS DEL EVENTO



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Awaken the Sleeping Poet

Awaken the Sleeping Poet at the Twig


Leticia Austria, and Toni Falls

Tomorrow night, March 13th, see you there!
The Twig Book Shop is the premiere poetry place in San Antonio.
Located at 200 E. Grayson, Ste. 124, San Antonio, TX in the revitalized historic Pearl Brewery.

Bring yourself; bring a friend; bring a poem!
See you Tuesday, March 13th, 2012! 7 p.m.

Host:
Floyd L. Lamrouex
lamrouex@sbcglobal.net
(210) 656-3131







Monday, March 12, 2012

Tonight's Meeting Cancelled

Monday March 12, 2012


Today's meeting for SHLWSA at Barnes and Noble has been cancelled.

Due to Spring Break and a conflict with our scheduled guest, today's meeting for the Society

of Hispanic and Latino Writers of San Antonio has been cancelled.

We look forward to seeing you in April for Cinco Minutos With You!

Start polishing your stories, and contact Santiago Daydi-Tolson if you want to participate.

Have a great Spring Break!

Bertha Jacobson



Sunday, March 11, 2012

Meet Guadalupe Garcia McCall at SCBWI Meeting

Join award-winning author, teacher, and literacy advocate, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, for a glimpse into the future of the American youth readership and the ever-growing need for cultural diversity in the themes and characters of children’s literature.


McCall will be speaking at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) meeting on:

Saturday, March 17, 2012
10 a.m.
Barnes & Noble
San Pedro Crossing
321 Northwest Loop 410, #104
San Antonio, TX 78216
210-342-2386

McCall received the prestigious 2012 American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Award for her debut young adult novel, Under the Mesquite. Her book was also a 2012 William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist. She will follow her presentation with a book signing.

Lupe Ruiz-Flores Website: http://www.luperuiz-flores.com/  Blog: www.luperuiz-flores.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Librotraficante Caravan

The following message is from Dr. Keta Miranda, director of Mexican American Studies at UTSA:

dear students, grads and supporters of MAS,


As Arizona suspended Ethnic Studies (HB 2281), Tucson Unified School District removed or confiscated books from libraries and classrooms. Officially, 50 books have been listed and artwork, posters and teaching materials have been removed from classrooms.

The Librotraficante Caravan will travel from Houston, Texas, to Tucson, Ariz., carrying many of the contraband books, and creating networks of Underground Libraries. The Librotraficante Caravan made up of writers, educators, and students who want to preserve freedom of speech will be in San Antonio, Tuesday, March 13 (during spring break).

Siempre,
dr. marie “keta” miranda
director, mexican american studies

Tuesday, March 13

10 am - Noon: Latino Cultural Caucus: SA School Board Review RSVP culturalcaucus2016@librotraficante.com

1 pm - 4 PM: Teach In for 100 Teachers rsvp ultimateclass@librotraficante.com

7 PM: Librotraficante Banned Book Bash:

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

1300 Guadalupe Street, San Antonio, Tx 787207

With: Lorna Dee Cervantes,

Sandra Cisneros, Luis Alberto Urrea, Carmen Tafolla,

Xavier Garza, John Phillip Santos, Anthony The Poet, Tony Diaz-El Librotraficante,

Zelene Suchilt, Viktoria Valenzuela, more to come.




The caravan is intended to:

1.Raise awareness of the prohibition of the Mexican American Studies Program and the removal of books from classrooms.

2.Promote banned authors and their contributions to American Literature.

3.Celebrate diversity. Children of the American Dream must unite to preserve the civil rights of all Americans.

4.Create a network of resources for art, literature and activism.

Specific outcomes:

1.Underground Libraries: Librotraficantes will donate copies of the banned books a local nonprofit in Houston, San Antonio, Albuquerque and Tucson. These sites will not only be given copies of the banned titles, but from now on, all multicultural authors are encouraged to mail copies of their books to these sites when they are published, so that our community will always have access to our literature.

2.Teach-ins and a Supplanted Book List: Workshops that include free curriculum guides with literary excerpts and lesson plans that can be used in class and immediately applied to other works.

3.Network of Librotraficantes across the country: This is a case of new media saving the classic media of books. Had Arizona done this ten years ago, we most likely would not have heard about it until it had impacted a second generation of youth. However, because of new technologies and the network of writers and activists who are communicating on multimedia platforms, we were not only able to hear about Arizona’s actions, but to also utilize new media tools to organize some classic activist strategies to respond - from now on!





Saturday, March 03, 2012

San Antonio Romance Authors Meeting

The next San Antonio Romance Authors meeting will take place on Saturday, March 24th, at the Parman Library, 20735 Wilderness Oak, San Antonio, Texas [(210) 207-2703]. Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Special guest will be romance author Louisa Edwards, who has united her lifelong passions for romance novels and cooking by writing contemporary romances full of smokin’ hot chefs, smart and independent women, and original recipes. Among her books are Can’t Stand the Heat (2009) and Too Hot to Touch (2011). To learn more about her: http://www.louisaedwards.com/ .


For an added bonus, we’re having a special book sale. Writing craft books and romance novels will be in abundance and for sale at $1 each. Bring a friend and lots of dollar bills!