THIS Sat, July 11, 7:30p: Words with a Purpose

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RIP Michael Jackson

Click on the link for "Never Can Say Goodbye" with a foto montage of the MJ I hung on my wall, danced and sang with, and kissed. This is the MJ I miss. RIP MJ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbv-5h_oXZw

My 15 Minutes of Fame

If you're on Facebook, click on the link to see a video of me reading my poem "The Summer Before 9th Grade": http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=94360047867

Following is a link to a tape of me being interviewed by Suzanne Lummis on KPFK in May 2009. (It's kid friendly.) Gail Wronsky is inteviewed the first 30 minutes. It's well worth the listen--she's a sublime poet and fun--but if you want to get to my interview, click on the thin blue line between the screen and the buttons and set it at 30 mins:
http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/m3u.php?mp3fil=20819

Here's another format:
http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/mp3/kpfk_090513_120030poetscafe.MP3

And here's a link to a photo I appeared in in the LA Times in June 2009: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-east31-2009may31,0,5763567.story

VIVA Poetry! Lummis Day Library Series

VIVA POETRY! 2009 Lummis Day Library Series

Join the poetry festivities leading up to LUMMIS DAY, the annual celebration of Northeast LA named for Charles Fletcher Lummis the influential early Los Angeles writer, adventurer, and advocate of the culture of the Southwest.

VIVA POETRY! -- READINGS
Saturday, May 2, 2-4 pm, Brendan Constantine will read with guest poets Mary Fitzpatrick and Juwanza Dumisani at the Cypress Park Branch Library, 1150 Cypress Avenue, Los Angeles, (323) 224-0039.

Saturday, May 9, 2-4 pm, liz gonzález will read with guest poets Rachelle Cruz and Cece Peri at Arroyo Seco Branch Library, 6145 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, (323) 255-0537.

VIVA POETRY! -- FREE WORKSHOP
On Saturday, May 16, 2-4 pm, there will be a FREE poetry workshop led by Brendan Constantine and liz gonzález at Eagle Rock Branch, 5027 Caspar Avenue, Los Angeles, (323) 258-8078.

VIVA POETRY! WRAP-UP OPEN READING
Saturday, May 23, 2-4 pm, an open reading will be facilitated by liz gonzález and Brendan Constantine at Braun Research Library at the Southwest Museum, 234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles. Come share your poems. Sign up at 1:30 pm to read. All are welcome!

The Library Series will culminate in the gala poetry reading that serves as the opening event of the LUMMIS DAY FESTIVAL, Sunday, June 7, at Lummis Home, 200 E. Avenue 43, 10:30 am - noon. Program information for Lummis Day can be found at www.lummisday. org.

Brendan Constantine' s first official full-length collection entitled "Letters To Guns" is has just been published by Red Hen Press. The Poetry Super Highway called it "the most anticipated first book by a Los Angeles based author since `The Big Sleep'."Known for his dreamy abstraction and the emotional ferocity of his work both on the page and on the stage, Constantine has helped to shape the poetry scenes of Southern California. "Letters To Guns" follows the publication of six chapbooks by local small presses in both Los Angeles County and Orange County, several of which are still available from the author, or can be found at the Beyond Baroque collection in Venice Beach.

liz gonzález, a fourth generation Southern California native, earned her M.F.A. in English and Creative Writing at Mills College in 1999 and currently lives and writes in Long Beach, California.liz's poetry, fiction and memoirs have appeared in journals and periodicals such as BorderSenses, Cooweescoowe, Heliotrope, Luna, Brújula/Compass, Cider Press Review, The San Francisco Chronicle, and New Delta Review, and in anthologies such as Women on the Edge: Writing from Los Angeles, So Luminous the Wildflowers: An Anthology of California Poets, and Grand Passion: The Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond. She is the author of the limited edition chapbook "Beneath Bone," published by Manifest Press.She is a member of the Macondo Writing Workshop, a master-level workshop founded by Sandra Cisneros. And she teaches writing at Long Beach City College, literature at local universities, and creative writing at community centers, in private workshops, and through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. liz gonzález was a featured reader at last year's Lummis Day Festival.

Mike the Poet: LA Times article/interview

Mike is a love. You haven't really experienced LA until you've watched him perform his wise and celebratory poems about LA:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mikethepoet30-2009jan30,0,3203407.story

Write Girl Bold Ink Awards

Last night I went to Write Girl's Bold Ink Awards, where local, established women writers were honored, with my friend and workshop partner Erika Ayon, who is a current PEN Emerging Voices Fellow and brilliant writer herself. http://penusa.org/go/voices/section/emerging-voices/

The night was fun and sparkling with inspiration. Below are the writers who were honored. (Unfortunately Carolyn See couldn't be there.)

Write Girl is a non-profit organization in LA that mentors inner city teen girls in writing, with great results. 100% of the girls graduate from high school and many go on to college. I encourage you to consider supporting them any way you can. http://www.writegirl.org/

A few highlights:
-Poet Wanda Coleman's performance of a few poems, including some from the most recent Write Girl Anthology Listen to Me
-Journalist Sonja Nazario's description of her realization that she wanted to be a journalist when she found out that the blood in a Buenos Aires street belonged to journalists who were killed for telling the truth, and of her experiences/adventures in researching stories.
-Gigi Levangie Grazer's poetic description of the experience of writing and what it can do to a person. She had a great line about how writing a sentence is like holding an ice cube in the palm of your hand. (I'm not doing it justice.)

Wanda Coleman, Poet (Jazz and Twelve O'Clock Tales: New Stories)
Jennifer Crittenden, Screenwriter (The New Adventures of Old Christine, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld)
Naomi Foner, Screenwriter (Bee Season, Running on Empty)
Gigi Levangie, Novelist/Screenwriter (The Starter Wife, Maneater)
Sonja Nazario, Journalist (Enrique's Journey, Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Gina Prince-Bythewood, Screenwriter/Director (The Secret Life of Bees, Love & Basketball)Carolyn See, Novelist (There Will Never Be Another You, Making a Literary Life)
Diane Warren, Grammy-winning songwriter ("Because You Loved Me," "How Do I Live...")

I'm Back

It's been so long since I've posted here, I don't even know if anyone's bothering to check out my blog anymore, but I've a lot to share, so I'll post in case anyone might be lurking and will benefit from the info.

First, I just found out about this fab ChicaLit Club fiesta in San Antonio in July: http://chicalitclub.blogspot.com/

I'm thinking about going, but unless some extra cash comes my way, I probably won't. As it is, I might have to miss the Macondo Workshop this year because I want to travel to new places and can't afford both.

BTW, if you're interested in going to the Macondo Workshop and haven't been, you don't have to be nominated anymore. They started an open application process this year. Check out the site for more info:
http://www.macondoworkshop.org/programs_workshop.html

Back to the ChicaLit Club. I just found out some sad news about fabulosa author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, the creator of the club. She has serious heart trouble. I hope she finds the help she needs and doesn't have to move back to Cuba. Our health system here sucks! Even Oprah, with all her money and resources, had trouble getting the right care. (See how I meander?) For more info, see AVR's blog: http://alisavaldesrodriguez.blogspot.com/

The Write Girl Bold Ink Awards are happening this week. Write Girl is a non-profit organization in LA that mentors inner city teen girls in writing (and more), with great results. Most of the girls go on to college. I encourage you to support them by volunteering and/or donating. The award event, which I'm attending, is to raise funds and honor some awesome female writers and artists, is this Thursday night:
http://www.writegirl.org/boldinkawards2009/index.html

My friend, fellow Macondista, and poet extraordinaire Alicia Vogl Saenz is facilitating a workshop series at the end of this month and beginning of next month. It looks very inspiring and soul centering, and it's affordable! I'm going to check one out:

Writing from the Root: An Exploration of Contemplative Writing
with Alicia Vogl Saenz & Debra Dysart
Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles
963 Colorado BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90041
323-255-5472

January 28, February 4, February 11 /7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Donation: $40 for the series or $15 per class.
For more information or to register:http://www.la.shambhala.org/program_details.php?id=19882&cid=208

I'm going to be conducting a workshop and giving a reading with Brendan Constantine in May as part of the Lummis Day 2009 program. I'll keep you posted or check out their site: http://www.lummisday.org/
Brendan's site: http://www.brendanconstantine.com/

And because it's so important to share health info. since many health care providers don't get the word out and many can't afford health care...I found an inexpensive herbal supplement that almost completely alleviates my hot flashes and sleepless nights (I know, I'm too young to be going through the change, huh? ;-) I happened upon it at Vitamin Shoppe as a procress of elimination--cheap and with ingredients my research showed were beneficial. Recently, when I looked for a bargain online, I found that many women have written excellent reviews on the product, so it might work for you, too: "Hot Flash" by Source Naturals. Amazon.com sells it at a great price: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GFSVMS

And if you're going through perimenopause and suffering from floods and PMS, I highly recommend progesterone cream. I just realized that the cream I used was also a Source Naturals product. The cream really helped me back then.

All for now! Let's make this hope & change real! Let's put us back in US!

Chacho's & my white Christmas in Idyllwild, So Cali

Reliable Fact-checking Sites

While I encourage everyone to vote, it is my hope that everyone makes an "informed" vote. With all the bogus stories about the candidates being posted on internet sites and e-mailed around the world, I wanted to let you know about reliable, objective sites where you can find facts:

Factcheck.org "is a creation of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania - an entity which does not accept donations from 'business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals.'"

Snopes.com is also a great site for fact checking any story, related to politics or not, in a chain e-mail.

Please forward this info. to anyone you think might benefit from it.

Poet, scholar, educator Alfred Arteaga has passed

Poet, scholar Alfred Arteaga passed on July 4 of a heart attack. I can't believe it. Que lastima.

Remembrance by Richard Rodriguez, photos by Harry Gamboa, Jr, and links to informative sites
http://www.harrygam boajr.com/ alist/arteaga. html

Book recommend

Slipstream, Leslie Larson's novel is a must read. It's one of those rare books you don't want to put down until you've finished the last sentence. To learn more about the novel and Leslie: http://www.leslielarson.com/index.html

APPLICATIONS FOR HEDGEBROOK BEING ACCEPTED

Spread the word! Applications for Hedgebrook now being accepted.

Applications for new residents are available on our website: www.hedgebrook.org

or by direct mail: Hedgebrook 2197 Millman Road Langley, WA 8260Anyone requesting an application by mail must send us a self-addressed #10 (business-sized) envelope, with $0.60 postage

DNA Project

My good friend visual artist Linda Parnell is collecting DNA for her next sculpture. It's a great project. I encourage you to participate. Here's the lowdown: The inspiration for this idea came in a dream while reading the myth of Psyche and Eros. "Psyches’ qualities were that of lightness, transparency and spirituality and it’s those qualities I concentrated on while looking for materials to work with for this new piece." For more info and photos, please check out her website at: http://www.dnaproject.org/

Sky, Soundscapes, East Los, & Poetry

Yesterday it hailed for about three minutes. Glorious hail splattered on the rooftops! So many shades of pink, gray and blue tinted the sky, it seemed as though someone above the clouds had dropped her pastels. We had a magnificent weather show.

From Sesshu Foster, man about East Los Angeles and beyond. (If you don’t know who these people are, check it out. You’ll be glad you learned about them.):

Check out a terrific piece by diane gamboa, as well as work by marisela norte, myself (fotos by arturo romo) and teto:

Sesshu:
http://www.kcet.org/explore-ca/california-stories/ritesofpassage/maps/timestudy.php

diane's punk photos and marisela's vex memories here:
http://www.kcet.org/explore-ca/california-stories/ritesofpassage/

others:
http://www.kcet.org/explore-ca/california-stories/ritesofpassage/maps/index.php

Scroll down the blog for an interview of Sesshu Foster discussing his new novel and more.

Meanderings of interest

Summer Poetry in Idyllwild. If you can't make it to the workshops, they have a great closing poetry event: www.idyllwildarts.org/summer/programs/adult_arts_center/summer_poetry/summer_poetry.html

SESSHU FOSTER'S Atomic Aztex is awarded 2nd annual Believer Book Award:http://www.believermag.com/issues/200603/?read=believer_book_award

SESSHU talks about his new novel Atomik Aztex and more in the Village Voice: http://www.villagevoice.com/books/0547,ehrenreich,70194,10.html

If you haven't seen Me, You, and Everyone We Know by MIRANDA JULY, I highly recommend it. You can find it at your local video rental store. There's not one predictable moment in the film.Miranda July is multi-talented. She's been published in some of the best lit journals! Check out her website: http://www.mirandajuly.com/

JULY collaborates with other artists on the LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE site: http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/index2.php

I've posted two responses to the assignments on Learning to Love You More:
http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/reports/11/gonzalez_liz.php

http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/reports/44/gonzalez_liz.php (I made a better collage and report for 44, but I accidentally sent this photo and report. Oh well.)

LA AREA LIT EVENTS & CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS. Socallitlist is run by the So Cal chapter of Poets & Writers. To subscribe: socallitlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

For LATINO SPECIFIC calls for submissions, events and otherwise. Their website has instructions for getting on their listserve: http://www.calacapress.com/cphome.html

LUIS RODRIGUEZ cultural cafe in Simi Valley (he's the author of Always Running). Ditto re: listserve http://www.tiachucha.com/

Intelligent, informative lit blog: http://www.moorishgirl.com/

CHICANO SPECIFIC blog: http://labloga.blogspot.com

Info about PEN Center Emerging Voices Fellowship: http://penusa.org/go/voices/

Latino Chapbook Contest: http://www.nd.edu/~latino/poetry_prize/andres_bio.htm