Tuesday, September 30, 2008

TODAY is a good day to thank the beautiful people in my life--it's my birthday!

275 Reasons to Celebrate

1. Margie Gomez
2. Aristeo Gomez (QEPD)
3. Miranda Gomez
4. Ted Gomez
5. Breanna Herrera
6. Cecilia Epstein
7. Michelle Krupkin
8. Denise Douce
9. Debbie Reighn
10. David Kendall
11. Kendra Bochner
12. Liz Belile
13. Lorna Dee Cervantes
14. Patrisia Gonzalez
15. Roberto Rodriguez
16. Richard Loranger
17. Cecilia Gonzalez
18. Donna Hoffman
19. Ginger Webb (John too!)
20. Elaine Wolff
21. Ari Chagoya
22. Chandra Washington
23. Ernest Garcia
24. Sheelah Murthy
25. Patricia Greene
26. Rose Imperato
27. Nicholas Schriber
28. Rene Renteria
29. Raul R. Salinas
30. Radames Ortiz
31. Ray Santisteban
32. Tonantzin Canestaro-Garcia
33. Teresa Taylor
34. Diana Garcia
35. Allyson Lipkin
36. Irma Andrade
37. Andrea “Gaia” Melendez
38. Lydia Armendariz
39 Enrique Cabrera
40. Cesar Hernandez (Dulce too!)
41. BC Harrison
42. Jennifer Cardenas
43. Tamara Ford (Stan too!)
44. Frieda Werden
45. Julia Apodaca (Dani too!)
46. Lourdes Perez
47. Annette D’armata
48. Amanda Plaisance
49. Emily Kenyon
50. Brackin Firecracker
51. Aida Salazar (John too!)
52. Claudia Martinez
53. Maria Elena Fernandez
54. Diana Delgado
55. Cheri Popoff
56. Rod Lindsey
57. Mark Gee
58. Dave Haller
59. Danny Solis
60. Robert Karimi
61. Lisa Gill
62. Sarah West
63. Darryl Cropper
64. Astrid Zometa
65. Leticia Llinares Hernandez
66. Richard Ray Whitman
67. Kathianne Osborne
68. Tony Gilchriest
69. Mitch Rayes
70. Kenn Rodriguez
71. Mary Mier (Ron too!)
72. Eugene Jaceldo (and the other bros. Jaceldo)
73. Mariposa
74. SXIP
75. Andrew Baron
76. Sheila Contreras
77. Kamala Platt
78. Zeek Kruzich
79. Jordan Green
80. Teresa Marrero
81. Carol Pankratz
82. Kim DeLozier
83. Crystal Dozier
84. Greg Johnson
85. Rose Ann Meredith
86. Shani Abell
87. Jason Eklund
88. Kathy & Dani O’Brien
89. Kat Thornton (Ken too!)
90. Lisa Feather Wheeler
91. Violet Ramirez & family
92. Raul Avila
93. Clebo Rainey (Naomi too!)
94. Ricardo Garza
95. Gerald Youngblood
96. Da’Shade Moonbeam
97. Zell Miller
98. Rich Perin
99. Vicki Grise
100. Ana Sisnett
101. Bronmin Shumway (Kirk too!)
102. Chris & Tamitha Curiel
103. Karen X
104. Kelsie Torres Pelham (Derek too!)
105. Mitch Torres Parker (Bysshe too!)
106. Gabriela Lomonaco
107. Claudia Acosta
108. Natasha Carrizosa
109. Wendy Vestal
110. Devin Adams (QEPD)
111. Linda Curcio
112. ir’ene lara silva
113. Moises Silva
114. Diana Puma
115. Linus Strekfus
116. Andrea Griemel
117. Eduardo Garza
118. Irma Mayorga
119. Sandra Cisneros
120. Lisa Suarez
121. Rosie Gonzalez
122. Robert Tatum
123. Amalia Ortiz
124. Amelia Montes
125. Marisela Barrera
126. Laura Varela
127. Jane Madrigal
128. Rene Valdez
129. Jackie Cuevas (Jen too!)
130. Tony Diaz
131. Maria Limon
132. Anel Flores
133. Vicente Lozano
134. Anthony Flores
135. Anthony Douglas
136. AJ Houston
137. Gracey Tune
138. Will Richey
139. Zack Prince
140. Melissa Kane
141. Ruben Salazar
142. Jose Vargas
143. Ronald Shannon Jackson
144. Rajendra Narendra
145. Geetha Patil
146. Andrea Gonzalez
147. Bryce Milligan
148. Tim Cloward
149. Jennifer Hill
150. Lori Thomson
151. Junanne Peck
152. Kendall McCook (Ginny too!)
153. Kell Robertson
154. Marcos Flores (Sadanid too!)
155. Dagoberto Gilb
156. Shawn Truitt
157. Arleen Polite
158. Akwasi Evans
159. Mary Krenek
160. Doug Zachary
161. Carl Webb
162. Firesong
163. P.O. W. (Poet on Watch)
164. Peter Ortiz
165. Nailah Sankofa
166. Eva Lindsey
167. R.V. Adams
168. Valerie Bridgman-Davis
169. Phil West
170. Tchiya Amet
171. Torrence Gettrell
172. Pat Payne
173. Logan Phillips
174. Liliana Valenzuela
175. Shermakaye Bass
176. Luis Tames
177. Ben Olguin
178. Anita Pantin
179. Sherry Milam
180. Victoria Zapata Klein
181. Randy Koch
182. Sashua Muniz (where are you?)
183. David Moorman
184. Amanda Winters
185. Hillary Thomas
186. Debbie Ursini
187. Viola Valdez
188. Angelique (Jason too!)
189. Yvonne Duque
190. Natalia Dominguez
191. Rupert Gloria
192. Patricia Urbina (Donald too!)
193. Lupe Mendez
194. Yolanda Reyes
195. Alvaro Rios
196. Marco Iniguez (Brenda too!)
197. Manolo Callahan (Monica too!)
198. Rodney Garza (Dava too!)
199. Eli & Maria (the entire Madmedia crew)
200. Haldun Morgan
201. Jose Ruben de Leon
202. Pilar Rodriguez
203. Laney Yarber
204. Mav McNabb
205. Zoe Pardee
206. Judy Gordon
207. Christina Byrnes
208. m.m. harris
209. Machete
210. J.P. Markarian
211. Cri Rivera
212. Ramsey Sprague
213. Sahai
214. Gren
215. Rachella Parks Washington
216. Vik Bahl
217. Matt Stringer
218. Samira
219. Susan Libby
220. Mary Porter
221. Vicky Meek
222. Babs & Lama Tamang
223. Janne Bryan
224. Martha Whitehouse
225. Diane Wood
226. Karen Foley
227. John Singleton
228. Octavio Solis
229. W. Joe Hoppe
230. Norma Cantu
231. Heriberto G
232. Luis J. Rodriguez
233. Kazuko (where are you?)
234. Nadja Hamilton
235. Sylvia Orozco
236. Herlinda Zamora
237. Sonia Santana (Tom too!)
238. Robyn Medina Winnett
239. JoAnne Reyes-Boitel
240. Maria Solano
241. Clint Niosi
242. Rachel Loera
243. Nathan Kite
244. “big” Jerry of Tesuque Village Market
245. Lupe Cedillos
246. Lee Daniel
247. Rick Linklater
248. Bill Daniel
249. Emily (from Headlands Center for the Arts)
250. Ron (from UNL-Nebraska)
251. Quincy Miller
252. Emmet Campos
253. Isabella Russell-Ides
254. Al Santangelo (where are you?)
255. Vicki Monks
256. Joe Dale
257. Paul S. Flores
258. Marc Pinate
259. Brecht Andersch
260. Levi Romero
261. Pasha Allsup (QEPD)
262. David Zamora Casas
263. Sandra & Victor Payan
264. Francisco Aragon
265. Ken Hunt (QEPD)
266. She: Bike/Spoke/Love cast & crew
267. Dunya Dianne McPherson
268. Beatriz Terrazas
269. Michael “MD” Meyer (QEPD)
270. Rodrigo Pessoa
271. Layne Calabro
272. Lorenzo Thomas (QEPD)
273. Oscar Escalante
274. Michael Nye (Naomi too!)
275. Charles Dreyfus (Lila too!)


About a year ago, after a night-time shift at the library, I sat down to relax with a bottle of Heinecken and started a list of all the good friends and companions and colleagues who've stuck with me and supported me & encouraged me & partied with me & created with me through the decades of my life.

I started this list as a sort of meditation, to remind myself of the wonderful gift of friendship that I have had with so many amazing people. Today, on my birthday (9/30), I am feeling so blessed and lucky to have had all of you in my life.

With many of these folks: I've traveled or hiked or biked; shared tables & conversation until the wee hours of the morning; collaborated and performed on stages from Madison to San Francisco; distilled life's lessons and exchanged recipes for survival; and corresponded via chapbooks, mixtapes, cd demos, long philosophical emails, and cut-up collages. I have spent the night in the homes of 74 of you folks, indulging in your amazing libraries of music and literature, and having curious adventures in your hood.

When I broke my left foot in February, some of you mailed me care packages (Jen and Jackie--thanks!); brought over home-cooked meals and wine (Kat & Ken--thanks!); carried me to and from work when I couldn't drive (Ramsey, Lila, Dani O--thanks!).

When I emerged from my 2.5 day bedroom closet ordeal in May, many of you emailed and phoned me with messages of concern, love, and disbelief. (I'm still sorting through the impact of that closeted experience--stay tuned for a book, movie, or stage show about this...definitely)

So, on this anniversay day of my birth, I want to say that I love you for caring, and I thank you for being my friend, colleague, and companion. You are my tribe.

And finally, cuz I AM a POET--a short poem:


FOR YOU HAIKU


friend power is strong

i have no need for candle

you have lit my path



LOVE AND PEACE to all, Tammy

Monday, September 29, 2008

Mama Calendar 2009: call for submissions

[Carl Webb passed this along via myspace; reply directly or send submissions to Coleen Murphy in NOLA at the address given below.]

Mama Calendar 2009: call for submissions

people, mothers, fathers, partners, kids, friends & allies, the mama calendar is what it is because of your words, pictures, dreams, visions, rants, raves, recipes, recipes for revolution.
send me your best stuff, by October 30, to the mama calendar

coleen murphy
PO box 741655
new orleans, LA
70174

coleen@bust.com

calendars will be available on November 15, 2008, in person at the New Orleans Bookfair and via email & the US mail for $12 a piece, payable by check, cash, money order or paypal.


advance orders are what make the calendar project possible. ask about wholesale pricing for orders of ten or more.





the mama calendar
is a community building-consciousness raising resource by, of, about and for progressive, feminist, activist mothers and their families, friends & allies everywhere. it is a celebration and a call to action, a thing of beauty to last the year. edited by coleen murphy, the calendar features photos of mamas, babies, children, dads, and friends, as well as a guide to mama-made zines, alternative parenting resources, recipes, recipes for revolution, great dates in radical mama herstory, and the work of numerous artist/activist/mamas.
recent editions have featured ayun halliday, victoria law, laurel dykstra, sonja smith, trula breckenridge and heather cushman-dowdee, among others.


http://www. myspace. com/mamacalendar

Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Spirited Woman video contest - submit by September 30th!

Susan Miller (astrologyzone.com) is promoting a video competition for women and the deadline for submissions is quickly approaching. A 2-minutes max video must be uploaded to YouTube by September 30th (Tuesday) to meet the deadline.

All you do is videotape yourself answering the following question: "Why are YOU a Spirited Woman?"

Short and sweet is what they want. Shoot on a cell phone with video capabilities if that's all you have to work with. You don't need any special equipment. Be spontaneous and speak from your heart!

All video entries which meet the stated criteria will be posted on The Spirited Woman website, so everyone can enjoy them.  

When you enter the Spirited Woman contest, your privacy will be protected. Your name will never be sold or given away, and you will not receive unwanted emails.

To find out how to become a contestant, go to the video contest link on THE SPIRITED WOMAN website.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Women writers: deadline approaches for 2009 Gift of Freedom Award

Gift of Freedom - The Award | A Room Of Her Own - A Foundation For Women Artists and Writers

Application Deadline - October 31, 2008

From the A ROOM OF HER OWN website: The biennial $50,000 Gift of Freedom award was created according to Virginia Woolf’s tenet that a woman must have a room of her own if she is to write.” That’s why multiple, smaller awards are not given: “Give her just a little bit, and she’s right back where she was a year from now,” says Darlene Chandler Bassett.

AROHO selects award recipients who not only demonstrate their talent, but also their motivation. These women must have solid creative goals and a specific project to accomplish during the two-year term of the grant. They should be able to show a track record of commitment to their art in addition to substantial efforts to be self-sufficient. In determining a recipient, we also consider the potential impact of the artist’s or writer’s proposed work on the broader community. We support women with a social, as well as an artistic vision.

Grant winners agree to a “moral” contract requiring them to commit to a specific goal resulting in a finished work. They receive mentorship and support throughout the grant period, and as a result give back to A Room of Her Own Foundation by going on to mentor successive Gift of Freedom recipients.
_________________________________________________
Don't postpone starting the application process; it's pretty extensive.
Good luck, women writers!

9 FREE events in DFW for you! Engage/participate/change!

ONE:

CITY TOUR FOR SOLAR
Solar energy demonstration. 10am-2pm Thursday (TODAY!)
Fort Worth Water Gardens, 1502 Commerce St, FW. Free.
415-994-1097.

TWO:

EDUCATOR EVENING IN THE FW CULTURAL DISTRICT
4-7pm Thursday (TODAY!)
FREE - no reservation required.

Be sure to come out on Thursday, September 25, from 4-7 p.m for a fun-filled evening as the Cultural District opens its doors to educators. No reservation required.

-Explore ideas for using primary sources to support TEKS
-View current exhibitions & preview upcoming exhibitions
-Network with colleagues & enjoy light refreshments
-Learn about programs for teachers & students
-Receive free resources for your classroom

Participating museums: Amon Carter Museum, National Archives & Records Administration Southwest Region (NARA), Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Texas Civil War Museum, Kimbell Art Museum, Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, National Cowboys of Color Museum & Hall of Fame, Tour & Visitor Center, Bureau of Engraving & Printing-Western Currency Facility, Fort Worth Zoo, National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, and the Sid Richardson Museum.

(Lori Thompson of the Fire House Gallery goes to this annually and has picked up some great free resources--giveaways, for
instance, from the Kimbell Museum gift shop...)

THREE:

Activate yourself, speak out against urban gas drilling dangers! Meet folks who work hard for our community, without the $$ and prestige of elected officials who work against our community.



WHAT: Just say, "WHOA!!" MORATORIUM RALLY!

PURPOSE: Calling for a ONE YEAR MORATORIUM on the City of Ft. Worth issuing any new gas drilling permits or any pipeline activity/placement until the City of Ft. Worth has a master plan and Gas Drilling Ordinance which specifically addresses the issues of public safety, environmental, property rights, and adheres to current zoning regulations. Ft. Worth is a Home Rule City, and the City Council has the power and authority to enact such an Ordinance to protect our citizens.


Thursday: Sept.
25, 2008
5:00 p.m.
- begin gathering
5:30 p.m.
- 6:30 pm - MORATORIUM RALLY
(Rally held prior to the City of Ft.
Worth's "Let's Talk" event)


WHERE: On public property in front of the Will Rogers Memorial Center Auditorium:
3401 W. Lancaster Avenue - Ft.
Worth

BRING: 1.
Posters, Banners, signs
2.
Cameras - Video & Digital
3.
Friends, Family and Neighbors!

For more information please go to:
www. fw-CREDO. com




FOUR:

Share your IDEAS & DREAMS in this CITY-WIDE conversation!

“LET’S TALK FORT WORTH”
JUEVES 25 DE SEPTIEMBRE - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, 25TH
(TONIGHT!) 6:30pm
Will Rogers Memorial Center Auditorium

Get more info here or dial up the TalkLine at 817.392.2008 (leave yr comments here if you cannot attend).


FIVE:

Friday, September 26, 2008 (TOMORROW!)
 
In observance of Hispanic Heritage month, the Postal Service will host a special stamp unveiling ceremony on Friday, September 26, 2008 at 2PM at the beautiful Dallas Latino Cultural Center.  The program will feature guest speaker Otis Gray and a performance by the DFW Latin Jazz All Stars that will bring the stamp to life!   

Refreshments will be served.  Commemorative items & Latin Jazz stamps will be available for sale before and after the ceremony. 

What:           Latin Jazz Stamp Ceremony
When:           Friday, September 26, 2008, 2PM-3PM
Where:  Latino Cultural Center
                2600 Live Oak St.
                Dallas, TX  75204

The stamp unveiling ceremony is free and open to the public.  Please RSVP for reserve seating. 
Contact: Martina M. Jubera at 972.393.6185 for more info.

SIX:

Friday, September 26th @ 6:30pm (TOMORROW!)

The first Presidential Debate is this Friday.  The Tarrant Obama Campaign is organizing a watch party at the Rahr Brewery
(701 Galveston Ave., Fort Worth, TX  76104), starting at 6:30 pm.  U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Rick Noriega will be at this family-friendly event and food will be available at cost.  
 
You may have heard the John McCain is trying to call off the debate. Even if this is to happen the Obama Campaign folks would still love for you to come down, socialize with your neighbors, and meet the next U.S. Senator from Texas.

RAHR BREWERY, FREE ADMISSION, FRIDAY @ 6:30PM.


SEVEN:
 
Saturday, September 27th @ 9am - Election Campaigning

Saturday morning, the Tarrant County Democratic Party is organizing a mega-walk of District 90, they will be serving breakfast at their office (3004 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, TX  76107) at 9:00 a.m., training will begin at 9:15 a.m., and when you are done walking, you can meet back at the office for a catered lunch.  

Free breakfast/lunch. Meet other Obama supporters in FW.


EIGHT:

ALL DAY, Saturday, September 27th, in the Museum District!

Free admission to most museums AND free performances and scheduled activities for children and adults.

More info here.

(As part of the DAY IN THE DISTRICT festivities, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, will present a morning program
for only 5 bucks--evening show tickets are $15)

Dancing Beyond Borders - by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Saturday, September 27th
W.E. Scott Theater, Fort Worth, TX
** student matinee at 10:15am for only 5 bucks **


NINE:

HEAVY HITTERS art exhibit
Opening: Saturday, September 27, 2008, 8pm-Midnight

F6 GALLERY

F6 Gallery is back after a hot and humid summer off, with a new show (one night only!) called the Heavy Hitters art exhibition.
Artists are showing what they’ve got, back in the ring!

The artists are: Jeremy Gabriel, Hatziel Flores, Ray Albarez, Kerrie Conover, David Yubeta, Kate Stipp, Jill O’brien,
Jessica Greene, Angel Martinez, Pete a.s.k., Ucron i.c., Minus i.c., Jeremy Joel, Francisco Moreno, Benjamin Purvis,
Adrian Venegas, David Martinez, Eddie Mendiola, Athena Hardison, Jace Hudson, Evita Cortez, Katie Nixon, Levi Leddy,
Orlando Ramos, Smike, Beau Ethridge, Jon Ramon, Brandy Powell, Ethan Klenk, Gregory P. Rodriguez, and Andrea Gonzales.

This mixed media show includes sculpture, photography, painting, graffiti murals, installation works, and printmaking.

Music at the show will be provided by DJ S.O.I, DJ Vomit, and DJ Hazardous Beats.

info@f6gallery.com -- (Best Gallery - Critic's Choice - FW Weekly Best of 2008)



See you soon & around.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Today's gig at Tarrant County College - South Campus - in FW

I arrived at about 9:55am for a 10am scheduled appearance on-campus at the "Student Living Room" at TCC-South. Fortunately, the students didn't actually come in until 10:15am, so I had some time to prep the dvds, digital projector, my notes. The first session drew about 120 students (and some faculty members). Right off the bat, a student had questions about my "male chivalry" poem; this is a piece that leaves some people scratching their heads, which is cool. A little discussion about it ensued, and it tapered off when I made a joke about men eyeing women's asses when they hold the door open for them (and how men's motivations are not always gentlemenly, no matter the honor of the gesture). Showed both clips from "She: Bike/Spoke/Love" and the Ray Santisteban video adaptation of my "On Language" poem. The students positively responded to these with applause and laughter. After that session, I was approached by a number of students who asked where I "hang out" and how they could be in touch with me. (Hopefully, a few of you have found me here on myspace...) I really enjoyed meeting a very earnest student named Danielle who told that she plays guitar. Also, visual artist Jeremy shared a few ph.numbers with me for possible collaborative purposes. He's going to be at the big F6 Gallery "Heavy Hitters" show this weekend with some new art, and I mentioned that I already have plans to be there. I love seeing new connections forming with cool folks, fresh faces with stuff to share.

The second session was smaller, maybe about 80 students attended. I was a bit more alert (I'm not a morning person) and lively in this presentation, performing a coupla my "slam-type" poems for the crowd. A young woman asked me if I could freestyle, and I sidestepped that one by singing a melody that came to me in a dream--a melody that might be the chorus for a hiphop number. I kept encouraging the students to get involved in the community beyond the campus, to get out and experience culture (of any kind), and to learn their world with curious mindsets.

The administrative staff who coordinated my visit seemed very appreciative of what I had to offer the students this morning, and have invited me back to TCC-South for a future roundtable or symposium on race relations. I look forward to that event, and hope to forge a longlasting relationship with that academic institution.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Pulitzer Prize writer Junot Diaz in Dallas on Sunday, Sept. 14th

My huge literary crush, JUNOT DIAZ--the papi' chulo of letras Dominicanas--is coming to Dallas next weekend. Go see him w/ me!!




JUNOT DIAZ started out, in the 1990s, publishing short stories here and there (New Yorker, Paris Review), and then in 1997 his first short story collection DROWN (which i love!) was published by Riverhead/Penguin to great acclaim. DROWN was sold for translational rights to over fifteen countries, was a national bestseller, and was nominated for Quality Paperback Book Club's "New Voices" award in 1997.

Diaz was the only writer chosen by Newsweek as one of the 10 "New Faces of 1996." In 1999, the New Yorker named him one of the top “20 Writers for the 21st Century.”

After all the DROWN acclaim and hoopla, he practically disappeared from the universe--but actually he was busy teaching (at MIT, no less) and writing what we anticipated would be his first novel.

And guess what?

For eleven years he held us off with bated breath (ours not his), until the point--2007--when he published his finally completed FIRST novel--which is titled THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO--and then what happens to this writer with a charmed life?

He gets the freakin' PULITZER for his first novel!!!!

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO has gone on to win the National Book Critics Circle award for fiction and has
also been optioned by Miramax Films.

Here's more info on the reading/interview, which is being taped for KERA radio broadcast.

Lastly, here are links to a great interview Junot did with BOOKSLUT in 07; an extensive bio; and a really dope article on the political angles of the novel.

C'mon bookwormy literatontos, join me on Sunday, September 14th at the DMA (Dallas Museum of Art) from 2-4pm!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Call to action - Women Say No Palin


[The following call to action came to me via Liliana Valenzuela, writer and translator.]

"We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce--on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate--that has a real possibility of becoming fact.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet.

We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms.Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from.

*First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.*

*Therefore, we invite you to compose a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation. Email it to us at: womensaynopalin@gmail.com. *

Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence. We will post your responses on a blog called 'Women Against Sarah Palin,' which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience--the greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.

Thank you for your time and action.

*VIVA!*

Sincerely,


Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston
New York, NY
womensaynopalin@gmail.com


***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!* If you send this to 20 women in the next hour, you could be blessed with a country that takes your concerns seriously. Stranger things have happened."

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Hispanic Heritage Month performances @ TCC-South Campus


I’m featuring twice at TCC-South Campus this month, so come check me out or tell a friend who might be a TCC-South Campus student or faculty member.

I'm one of the featured performers at the Hispanic Heritage Month kick-off celebration on Wednesday, September 10th, which goes from 11am to 1pm. Free & open to the public. Also featuring performances by Latin Express and Velocity Dance Company. Thanks to Ramsey Sprague for playing guitar as part of my poetry set.

September 10th - Wednesday - my first gig at TCC this month

I'll return to TCC-South Campus on Monday, September 22nd for a poetry performance intensive in the "Student Living Room" from 10am-12noon.

September 22nd - Monday - my second gig at TCC this month

Spread the word!

Monday, September 08, 2008

2009 Texas Poetry Calendar poets - tomorrow at Benbrook Public Library

[This was passed along by Susan Vogel Taylor, the pompom girl for local readings by local poets. Poetry Calendar co-editors Cindy Huyser and Scott Wiggerman will be coming in from Austin to co-host this event. I've worked with both Cindy and Scott--back in the 90s in Austin--and they are great people as well as dedicated hard-working poets. Recommended.]

** The 2nd Tuesday Poetry Series is proud to present readings from the 2009 Texas Poetry Calendar **

7 p.m. - Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Benbrook Public Library - 1065 Mercedes, Benbrook, TX 76126
Phone: 817.249.6632

Go to www.benbrooklibrary.org for directions.

The 2009 Texas Poetry Calendar is now in its eleventh year of publication. Scott Wiggerman and David Meischen, co-owners and publishers of Dos Gatos Press, have been publishing the Calendar for the past four years. Dos Gatos is a small non-profit press "dedicated to the promotion of Texas poetry and poets."

Cindy Huyser and Scott Wiggerman edited the Calendar, and will host Tuesday night's reading.

Featured Poets:

Alan Gann, of Plano, teaches creative writing workshops in at-risk schools and sexuality education at his local Unitarian Universalist church. A long-time member of the Dallas Poets Community, he is one of the readers for their literary journal, Illya's Honey. His poetry has been published in such journals as Borderlands and the Red River Review, and he has work forthcoming in Sentence, Main Street Rag, and Trillium.

Michelle Hartman, of Euless, has had poems published in Illya's Honey, Red River Review, Sojourn, decant, and the anthology The Weight of Addition, and has a poem forthcoming in Concho River Review.

J. Paul Holcomb, the "Poet from Double Oak," has written two books of poetry: Looking for Love in the Telecom Corridor, which won the Edwin Eakin Memorial Book Award in 2004, and Love, or Something Like It, which won the 1997 Lucidity Chapbook Award. He is a past president of the Poetry Society of Texas and of the Fort Worth Poetry Society. He has published widely, including in New Texas, Windhover, DFW Poetry Review, the Concho River Review, and the Journal of Poetry Therapy.

Ann Howells, of Carrollton, is the treasurer of the Dallas Poets Community and managing editor of its journal, Illya's Honey. She has been named a "distinguished poet of Dallas" by the Dallas Public Library, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and published one chapbook, Black Crow in Flight, available through Main Street Rag. Recent work has appeared in Barbaric Yawp, Plainsongs, and Sentence.

Marilyn Komechak, of Fort Worth, a finalist in the Living Room Theatre of Salado, is a writer in many fields. Her children's book, Paisano Pete, won Oklahoma Writers' Federation's "Best Juvenile Book." She co-authored a screenplay based on the book, which won first place in the OWFI's Script/Movie/TV division in 2007, as well as a first place in poetry.

Carolyn Thorman, of Houston, with degrees in Law and Anthropology, moved from West Virginia to Houston two years ago and now divides her time between homes in Clear Lake and Manilva, Spain. She has received grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and has taught fiction at the Writers Center in Washington, D.C. Her poetry has appeared in such journals as the Cincinnati Review, the Piedmont Literary Review, and Pittsburgh Magazine.

Sylvia R. Vaughn, of Plano, has a degree in journalism from SMU, and has worked as a reporter, editor, and news director for the Grand Prairie Daily News. Her poems have appeared in Illya's Honey and the Red River Review, and her poem "Communion" won first place in the Richardson Public Library's Poetry Competition in 2007. In addition, her play La Tamalada was produced in Fort Worth, and two others have had staged readings.


The Editors

Cindy Huyser is a poet, computer programmer, and former power plant operator. A native of Detroit, Michigan, she has lived in Austin, Texas, for most of her adult life. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Comstock Review, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Wild Plum, each of AIPF's Di-Verse-City anthologies, and Layers (Plain View Press, 1994).

Scott Wiggerman is the author of Vegetables and Other Relationships and editor of the Texas Poetry Calendar. His work has appeared in such journals as Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Poesia, Contemporary Sonnet, Visions International, Spillway, Sojourn, and the Paterson Literary Review; and books like The Weight of Addition and Poem, Revised. He has spent much of 2008 preparing and editing Big Land, Big Sky, Big Hair: Best of the Texas Poetry Calendar.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Vote now - Fort Worth Weekly BEST OF 2008 - survey online!



I just realized that my production of SHE: BIKE/SPOKE/LOVE can be nominated in the FORT WORTH WEEKLY'S BEST OF 2008
survey.

If you want to, you can write in/nominate this play as the best "Production Staged by Local Theater" in the CULTURE category.

(The previous BEST OF survey was taken BEFORE we premiered the play, so this would be the year to nominate it.)

Tell your friends to vote!! Spread the word!!

Be sure to vote in at least 15 categories. (That's one of the main rules.) For your convenience, here's the online ballot


The play was a SOUND CULTURE PRODUCTION, and it played at the SANDERS THEATRE. (in case you forgot the names...)

If you don't want to mess with this or think the Weekly's BEST OF bidness is total b.s., I won't have hard feelings...

...at least I don't think I will.

hehehehehe.

Dancing IS sustainable...

Dance, when you're broken open.
Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance, when you're perfectly free.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi (13th century poet)

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Palabrazos '08 archival footage of my poem "Quetzal Feathers"

Ole "Shaky Leg Sanchez" aka Cesar Hernandez just put up this clip from the footage he shot at the first annual Palabrazos festival, which happened in Fort Worth in early May. (I didn't post the planned afterglow report because about 40 hours after the festival ended, I accidentally locked myself in my bedroom closet for two and a half days. No lie. So, my reporting schedule got a bit thrown off, to say the least...)

Palabrazos '08