Your daily dose of Chicano poetry
"I write poems on walls that crumble and fall
I talk to shadows that sleep and go away crying.”
Luis Omar Salinas (1937–2008)
Call for Visual Art Entries: El Mundo Zurdo Art Exhibit
Call for Visual Art Entries: El Mundo Zurdo Art Exhibit
Exhibition: Friday, May 1, 2009 – TBA
Opening Reception: Sat. May 16, 2009
Location: Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
922 San Pedro, San Antonio, Texas, 78212
Deadline for entry submissions is Friday, April 17th, 2009
The Society for the Study of Gloria E. Anzaldúa (SSGA), Women’s Studies Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center is pleased to announce the first international conference and art exhibition on the work and life of Gloria E. Anzaldúa.
In “La Prieta,” Gloria Anzaldúa states that “by changing ourselves we change the world, that traveling El Mundo Zurdo path is the path of a two-way movement—a going deep into the world, a simultaneous recreation of the self and a reconstruction of society”.
Artists selected to participate in the El Mundo Zurdo exhibit are those whose work begins with the self, with their own identities, histories, experiences, and ways of relating to the world and who simultaneously “go deep into the world” with a vision for justice and social change.
We are seeking to house art that embraces the thoughts and questions that Anzaldúa opened up for us during her lifetime and that continue to inform and inspire us today on the fifth anniversary of her passing. The exhibit is an opportunity to continue these conversations and expand the space for dialogue within the broader community.
We welcome work that explores the following suggested concepts of Anzaldúa’s life and work:
Borderlands, Queer Identity, Sexuality, Education, International and Transfrontera Experience, Spirituality, Border Crossing, Meztizaje, Nepantla, “Mita’ y Mita’, Spiritual and Physical Wellness, The Geo-Physical Border, “Being a bridge”.
We are looking for artwork that is politically charged, aesthetically innovative, and that addresses one or more of the above-mentioned topics. Also of interest is work that depicts the intersection of these concepts through non-traditional art mediums, technology, music, creative writing, and new media.
We welcome artwork not normally displayed in a traditional gallery setting. There are no fees for entries. A committee will jury selections.
Please note the following timeline:
* Photographs of original works may be submitted digitally via e-mail or in print via snail mail. Original pieces may also be mailed or hand delivered. Deadline for entry submissions is Friday, April 17th, 2009. Please submit entries via:
-Snail Mail: Eric Cavazos 223 W. Norwood Ct., San Antonio, TX 78212
-Hand delivery: The Esperanza 922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 228-0202
-Email: etcavazos@yahoo.com
* Committee members will jury the exhibit at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center on Sat. April 18th.
* Notification of acceptance will be sent to artists via email or by phone on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009.
* The exhibit will be hung at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center by May 1, 2008.
* The opening night and reception will be held in conjunction with the opening night of the conference at the Esperanza peace and Justice Center on Sat., May 16, 2009.
For questions: email Eric Cavazos at etcavazos@yahoo.com or ecavaz4@neisd.net or Anel I. Flores at tequilanel@gmail.com
Esperanza of ‘Mango Street’ turns 25
Poets and writers share how Sandra Cisneros‘ House on Mango Street has left its mark on them at Steve Bennett’s book blog The Fine Print.
Homenaje al Pachuco
!Ese Loco…
cúrate!
Dig on what/
on what them dudes are saying,
VATO.
That you are (!ja-ja, que lucas!):
a non-goal oriented
alienated being,
sufriendo un “identity-crisis”,
rejecting conventional modes & mores.
!Me La Rayo
This is a great video of poet raulsalinas performing at a Tribute to Trinidad Sanchez at San Antonio’s Ruta Maya August 6, 2006 by filmmaker Victor Payan
“The incredible band includes Manny Castillo from Snowbyrd on Drums, Roland de la Cruz from the Mescaleros on Guitar and Eddy Hernandez from Sexto Sol on Bass.
raulrsalinas has three collections of poetry: Un Trip thru the Mind Jail y Otras Excursions (Editorial Pocho-Ché, 1980; Arte Público Press, 1999), East of the Freeway: Reflections de mi pueblo (Red Salmon Press, 1995), and Indio Trails: A Xicano Odyssey thru Indian Country (Wings Press, 2006). Recently, UT Press published a selected collection of his prison writings entitled raulrsalinas and the Jail Machine: My Weapon Is My Pen (edited by Louis Mendoza, 2006).
To learn more about raulrsalinas or to order his books or CDs, check out Resistencia Bookstore in Austin. web: http://www.resistenciabooks.com; email: revolu@swbell.net, ph. 512-416-8885.”
raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest
Deadline: May 1, 2009
The Red CalacArts Collective, Calaca Press and Red Salmon Arts seek submissions for the
raúlrsalinas
Guerrilla Chapbook
Poetry Contest
As a way to honor the late Xicanindio poet activist the Red CalacArts Collective, Calaca Press (San Diego, Califas) and Red Salmon Arts (Austin, Tejas) have teamed up to create the raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest. The Redz seek material from authors whose poetry best reflects the lifework and interests of raúlrsalinas, including Native and immigrant rights, the Chicano Movement, Black Power, prison struggles, political prisoners, Leonard Peltier, Mumia abu-Jamal, social movements, EZLN, Cuba, independence of Puerto Rico, the Beat writers, and of course jazz, amongst many other issues related to culture, human rights, community empowerment and social justice.
Raul was an inspiration for many. This effort is a way to keep that inspiration alive.
raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest
Submission Guidelines
The raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest seeks work by Chican@, Latin@ and Native poets between the ages of 18-35 who have not graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing, nor are currently enrolled in an MFA program. Poets also must not have a collection of poems published by a small or large press exceeding 64 pages. Self published books, being published in anthologies and/or on the internet is ok. Previously published work will be accepted only if author has full rights to work. Please indicate with submission wether work was previously published.
To enter the raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest authors must submit via email the following:
1) Ten poems written in caló, Spanglish, English o en español
2) A short essay describing your community work
3) A short bio in third person
4) Personal info: full name (and pen name if applicable), age, occupation, education, address, phone number, email, and website
Please send as 2 separate Microsoft Word files using Helvetica font size 12. One file with poems and the other with personal info, bio and essay.
Send to: redcalacarts@cox.net
Deadline: May 1, 2009
Contest results will be publicly announced by the end of June 2009.
The winner will be determined by a three judge panel including:
Louis G. Mendoza, Ph.D. – Editor of raúlrsalinas and the Jail Machine: My Weapon is My Pen
Rene Valdez – Executive Director of Red Salmon Arts
and
Brent E. Beltrán – Co-owner of Calaca Press and member of the Red CalacArts Collective
The judges will be looking for the following:
1) Well written poems whose themes and subject matter relate to the lifework and interests of raúlrsalinas
2) Creative use of language
3) Your community work
The chapbook will be edited by Cal A. Vera who will have final decision (with input from the author) on title, chapbook contents, layout, and cover art. All ten submitted pieces may or may not be used. The editor may ask for revisions or even for alternative poems prior to publication.
1000 copies of the chapbook will be printed. Winner will receive 100 copies. The chapbook will be approximately 40 pages (give or take four).
Winner must own publication rights to submitted work. Author retains all rights to poems after publication of chapbook.
Depending on budget constraints the contest winner will be flown to, and read at, two chapbook release readings (one in San Diego and the other in Austin) and receive an honorarium of $250 for each. Readings will be scheduled for September 2009.
More about raúlrsalinas and the judges:
raúlrsalinas, the author of the seminal Chicano experience poem, Un Trip Through the Mind Jail, was not only an accomplished poet but a dedicated community activist who gained a political consciousness while serving approximately 13 years inside some of America’s most notorious prisons (Huntsville, Soledad, and Leavenworth among others). While in prison at Marion he was befriended by Puerto Rican Nationalist Rafael Cancel Miranda (famed for an armed assault on congress on March 1, 1954 with fellow Nationalists including Lolita Lebron). Sr. Miranda was a major influence on Raúl’s lifework. Imprisoned during the early Chicano Movement years he was active in the prison rights struggles of that time. His book, raúlrsalinas and the Jail Machine: My Weapon is My Pen: Selected Writings by Raúl Salinas highlights his struggles and victories inside America’s prison system. Including winning a landmark prison rights case. After his release from prison in 1973 he dedicated his life to Chicano and Native American causes. He was a member of the Centro de la Raza in Seattle, the American Indian Movement, a cofounder of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee and various other progressive organizations dedicated to defending the rights and interests of all working class and colonized people. A true internationalist he was committed to supporting Puerto Rican independence, the Cuban Revolution, the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, the Zapatistas in Chiapas and the Bolivarian Process of Presidente Hugo Chavez Frias of Venezuela among many other struggles. After serving many years of forced exile in Washington state (where he helped defend Native American fishing rights), he eventually returned to his home in Austin, TX. Shortly thereafter he opened Resistencia Bookstore and Red Salmon Arts which became a cultural and political hub for East Austin’s Chicano community. Raúl authored four poetry collections Viaje/Trip (Hellcoal Press), East of the Freeway (Red Salmon Press), Un Trip Through The Mind Jail (Arte Público Press) and Indio Trails: A Xicano Odyssey through Indian Country (Wings Press) as well as three spoken word CDs Los Many Mundos of raúlrsalinas: Un Poetic Jazz Viaje con Friends (Calaca Press/Red Salmon Press), Beyond the BEATen Path (Red Salmon Press) and Red Arc: A call for liberation con salsa y cool with Fred Ho (Wings Press).
Louis G. Mendoza, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Chicano Studies at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include Chicana/o Literary and Cultural studies, U.S. immigration literature, prison literature, and oral histories. Dr. Mendoza is the editor or coeditor of four books including: Telling Tongues: A Latin@ Anthology on Language Experience (Red Salmon Press/Calaca Press, 2006) and raúlrsalinas and the Jail Machine: My Weapon is My Pen (University of Texas Press, 2006). He is currently working on two books related to his 2007 Journey Across Our America research project on U.S. Latina/o communities that he conducted while bicycling around the perimeter of the country.
Rene Valdez is the Executive Director of Red Salmon Arts and Resistencia Bookstore in Austin, Tejas. A long time protégé of raúlrsalinas, Mr. Valdez continues the work Raul started at Red Salmon and Resistencia.
Brent E. Beltrán aka Cal A. Vera is a spinal injury surviving, third generation pocho and Chicano Studies community college dropout who dishes out the word from Calacalandia in National City, Califas. Along with his super hero wife Chelo, and fellow Red CalacArts Collective member, he runs the maverick Chican@ publishing house Calaca Press. Lacking two tongues himself he has committed the last 10+ years of his life to publishing rebellious writers whose work dances somewhere between the ever shifting boundaries of Castellano and the King’s English. To date he has published/produced work by over 100 different authors and artists.
For more information on Red CalacArts, Calaca and Red Salmon:
Calaca Press
Red CalacArts Collective
P.O. Box 2309
National City, Califas 91951
(619) 434-9036 phone/fax
Calaca Press is a Chicano family-owned small publishing house dedicated to publishing and producing unknown, emerging, and established progressive Chicano and Latino voices. With a commitment to social justice and human rights Calaca Press strives to bring about change through the literary arts.
The Red CalacArts Collective, a project of Calaca Press, is a multidisciplinary arts and activist organization that focuses on creating, publishing, producing, and presenting Chicano, Latin American and indigenous related art focusing on issues dealing with human rights and social justice.
Red Salmon Arts
1801-A S. First St.
Austin, Tejas 78704
(512) 416-8885
Red Salmon Arts is dedicated to the development of emerging writers, the promotion of indigenous, Chicana/o, Latina/o literature, providing outlets and mechanisms for cultural exchange and sharing the retrieval of a people’s history with a commitment to social justice.
The raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest is supported in part by the Ford Foundation, JP Morgan Chase and Southwest Airlines through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts. For more info visit http://www.nalac.org.
The raúlrsalinas Guerrilla Chapbook Poetry Contest is a joint Red CalacArts Collective/Calaca Press/Red Salmon Arts onda.
c/s
Xican@ Poetry Daily 