XX Communicator

Opportunity for Artists - part 1

2012-01-24T22:03:00.000-08:00

CALL TO ARTISTS
Submit Your Original Artwork for the 2012 National Latino Congreso

Entries due February 12, 2012!

Since 2006, the National Latino Congreso has brought together Latinos from all walks of life-From grassroots community members to national elected officials- to create a united Latino Agenda on a variety of issues. For the 2012 NLC, the Conveners will choose from original artwork entries that capture the principles of the National Latino Congreso.

The chosen artwork will be published on all promotional materials for 2012 NLC gatherings, including the NLC website, the Official NLC 2012 Program Book, as well as 2012 mailing and correspondence.

Artists whose artwork is selected will receive a cash prize of $200 and international recognition.

Guidelines for Submissions:
. Color or black-and-white artwork in JPG or PDF format preferred;
. Each submission must be sent with the artist's name, telephone and email address;
. Entries must be submitted no later than February 12, 2012 by 11:59pm PST (Pacific Standard Time). (No exceptions) Email submissions to info@nalacc.org.

The winner will be announced on February 14, 2012.

Buena Suerte!

Opportunity for Artists - part 2

2012-01-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

There is an opportunity to submit a portfolio for review by Nickelodeon between February 6th and February 17th, 2012, in preparation for applying for a Nickelodeon Artist Fellowship.

What is the Nickelodeon Artist Fellowship?

"Developed to broaden Nickelodeon's outreach efforts, the Nickelodeon Artist Fellowship is designed to nurture the development of emerging and diverse artists for positions within the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, while supporting their growth as creative visionaries."

More info here.

Born September 3rd, 1937

2011-12-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

I love my Daddy, born Aristeo Gomez, but known as "Ted Gomez" over the years. Born and raised in west Texas, in the Stamford-Anson region near Abilene. They were pretty poor--it was during the Depression, after all, that he was born--but things got even rougher when his mother (Dominga) left her husband (Jesus) and all the young kids to go chasing after another life, maybe another man--as I've heard. As the second-oldest child, Daddy had to quit school (after 6th grade) to stay home and help Jesus with work in the pastures (Daddy drove a tractor at the age of 12) and raising his siblings (Wendell, Paul, Adela, Lorenza, Stella, Ray, Martin, and Wally). He was gentle and creative, I imagine, because he certainly was by the time he got to raise me, my brother Ted, and sister Miranda. As a father, he was consistently very attentive, nurturing, and patient.

We heard that he once caught a baby raccoon (or two?) and gave it to his sisters for a pet. And for Christmas, all Jesus was able to provide was a paper sack with peanuts and maybe an orange or apple in it.

By the time Daddy was in his early 20s, he was a seasoned hard worker, enough so to have saved earnings to buy himself a new car. He dressed in the coolest threads, Levis and sports shirts and penny loafers. Or in a Western style, cowboy boots and snap-button Western shirt, again with the Levi jeans. And always, the well-coifed hair, with the help of the ever-present Three Flowers Brilliantine styling gel. (To this day, Mama says that whenever she has a chance to take a whiff of Three Flowers it reminds her of Daddy.) Daddy was definitely something to look at. Which is why I often refer to him--when describing him to my friends--as the "Mexican or Chicano James Dean." I really hope that he was happy and had great adventures in the years after he was done raising his siblings and before he had a family of his own.

Love you forever, Daddy.

My daddy as Buddha

2011-12-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Some of us are lucky enough to be able to look back on our fathers as "heroic" but I'll go a bit further and add that, for over a decade now, I've also thought of him as a "Buddha." Strong but silent, patient and enduring, and always kind and helpful. In this early picture, taken in the 1960s, he looks to me like the James West character of the tv series "Wild, Wild West." But instead of a gun-slinging Secret Service agent, Daddy was a ranch hand and field worker who could do everything from shearing sheep and branding and herding cattle to picking cotton and other agricultural products. Because he loved cars, he became a self-taught auto mechanic and he worked on all of our cars--especially near inspection time.

He and Mama loved to dance and she tells us that together they once won a jitterbug dance contest. If only I could have seen that. She and Daddy would sometimes travel to the Mexican town of Acuna to see the bullfights, and to go dancing. The photos we've saved from those trips show a quite stylish couple, looking glamorous and happy. My parents truly loved and cared for one another. I would say that Mama is still in love with him--even after two decades of him being gone. That's enduring love.

21 years ago today: December 12, 1990

2011-12-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Daddy wrote me one letter after I left for college in Maryland. It was the first time I'd been so far from the family on my own for more than a weekend away. It's a precious letter, which I'll keep for rereading for the rest of my life. In it, Daddy wrote how quiet the household was without me and how, when he arrived home from his night job--and i wasn't there doing my homework or up to greet him--that is when he missed me most of all.

There are many many things that could be written about Daddy: what i have heard about his life before my birth and what i remember about him from his years as my father. Those complete and detailed accounts will come in time. For today, suffice to say: he was an amazing man and father, husband and sibling. He left us way too soon, way too young.

On December 12th, 1981--on Virgen de Guadalupe Day--he was overtaken by a brain tumor that had probably been a sinister invader growing since before i'd left for my first semester at college. The next day, December 13th, i received a fateful call from Texas that Daddy was going to have emergency surgery to remove the just-detected tumor, but not soon enough to save the vision in his left eye. Things went on a sometimes-nightmarish freefall from there for Daddy. (He was diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes and eventually lost complete eyesight in his right eye, becoming completely blind.)

These changes affected the entire family, of course, and imposed hardships too painful to detail even decades after their occurrence. But i must mention that the Virgen de Guadalupe has figured quite significantly in our family as well. It was on her celebration day (December 12th, 1981) that Daddy was diagnosed to have the brain tumor. It was on Virgen de Guadalupe day that he passed quietly away (December 12th, 1990) after almost ten long years of illness and neglect. Gone but never forgetton, as they say.

So, once again, another Virgen de Guadalupe day to commemorate and remember. It's been twenty-one years without Daddy as i first knew and loved him. But our relationship is stronger than ever, existing on another, more ethereal and spiritual, plane, which sometimes manifests in the most mysterious and miraculous ways. I'll leave those details and explanations for a future date.

Rest in eternal peace, Daddy. And thank you for the gentle surprises and welcomed gifts that you continue to bestow upon me. I love you forever.

It's so cool to have a mom who digs poetry.

2011-11-15T22:37:00.000-08:00

It's so cool to have a mom who digs poetry. And it's so cool that she will call you up, day or night, when something related to poets or poetry comes up on tv or the radio (never the internet, cuz she's just not there yet) and she knows that you'll probably appreciate it too. For the last few years, she's even started assuming that I'll know the poet she's watching or listening to. "Tammy," she'll say over the phone in one of these calls, "she's saying some of her poetry, and it's on Channel 13 (the PBS affiliate here in the Dallas market), and you probably know her." Truthfully, I often do. The poet network is vast, but tight. We need each other, cuz, in reality, poets appreciate other poets more than anybody else will.

So last week, when mom was watching the Latin Grammys on television, I was surprised to get a phone call from her. She was practically in tears, well, she had already cried them, but I could detect the hangover of her weeping as she spoke. "Can you see if you can get the Grammys on the internet at your house?" she asked. "It's so beautiful, with the orchestra and a young man, he looks like some of your friends--his head shaved and he has tattoos--he's reciting poetry, and I just started crying, it was so beautiful..."

Extremely touched by her caring to share, I immediately went online and tried to hook into a livestream of the broadcast, but to no avail. Telling my mom that it was probably a rapper (and it turned out to be the lead vocalist for Calle 13), I assured her that if the segment was as powerful as she made it out to be, it would probably go viral online as a video on YouTube or whatever. Sure enough, today I got an email on the Historia list-serv that directed me to the link for exactly that Latin Grammys performance. I clicked, I watched, I wept. It was beautiful. Just like mom said. After the second viewing, I decided to phone her and let her know I'd seen the spot and that it'd already gotten over 80,000 views. Nothing that excellent goes unnoticed by the internetters. But I'm proud of my mom for noticing on her own, no thumbs-up needed.

Hey, it wasn't a spam email! I really won!!

2011-11-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I end up on a site that intrigues me with a cool link to a cooler click that directs me further to another click, link, or site. I spend quite a lot of time doing this, actually. And calling it "research." Or "inspiration." The other day, it was a direct arrow pointing to "win a book." It was a Justin Chin (Bay Area writer/poet) book that was being given away; all I had to do was say I wanted it, leave a comment, and provide an email address. Easy enough, harmless really. And I really like Justin's work, have even met him and bought a cool book from him after some flattering banter. Oh, I think I also had him come on my radio show back in Austin. He didn't literally come, I have to add, but he showed up and read some of his work, and made us laugh.

Well, anyway, I opened my yahoo email up today and found that there was a message in my inbox with a Subject Line that read: "You've won!!" Wondering how the spam filter managed to let that one get through, I yawned and clicked it open. Well, hot dawg. I really actually won! So the UPS truck will be dropping by sometime this week. And I'll actually be delivered something inspirational by Justin Chin to distract me from more research and other online contests which, ultimately, keep me from doing my own important writing. But seriously, a Justin Chin book is full of important writing. Can't wait.

Blazing all chambers, my heart is supple, radiant. (an intention for 9-11-11)

2011-09-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

On September 10, 2001, I prepared to go to bed with a particular trepidation that soured my mood, making me tense and worried. I reached for my rose quartz crystal, an angular specimen rough and unpolished, that I had purchased at a shop in Basalt, Colorado. The proprietress of the shop had been instrumental in this purchase for she had said it was the stone that could best help me open my heart chakra, to enhance my instinct towards love and understanding. I'd had that stone for 10 years.

So that night, the 10th of September, 2001, I decided to make a simple intention for myself. I laid back upon the bed and placed the crystal over my heart chakra, breathing quietly and trying to quell my troubled mind. What worried me was this: I had not spoken with my ex-novio in 364 days and the next day, September 11th, 2001, would mark a one-year anniversary of silence between us. Of course, I both marveled at and regretted this astute observation. Why would I have chosen to remember this unpleasant historical marker, and how doomed did I need to feel, realizing that the next day might bring uncomfortable distress, unsatiated longing, and sorrowful tears?

With the chakra in place, I began a slow and deliberate mantra that went something like this: You will not spend tomorrow crying about this. You will allow love to flow through your heart chakra, there will be no blockage of love due to pain, regret, sadness, or anger. Keep your heart chakra open, and continue to feel, continue to love. Your heart is so much more capable than you realize, and you must forgive, accept, and move on in an eternal rhythm--love. Love. Just love.

I must have fallen asleep with this, because there was restfulness in my body. Until, until the next morning when there was a sharp, urgent knocking on my front door. Rising quickly, I found my mother in tears on the front steps, urging me to turn the television on. She sobbed loudly, while nervously repeating, "We've been attacked. We've been attacked." Everything after those words became a blur of incredulity, dismay, shock, and dread. I saw the video feeds, the live reports, the ongoing and incessant pundit analysis, the broadcast of national chaos. I turned to the internet for more information, updates from friends, poignant poems recently penned, and horrifying photo images. The events of that day so consumed me that it wasn't until after 5pm, while driving around in a stunned stupor with my friend Carol, that I realized I hadn't eaten at all.

And then, a day or two beyond that, after the post-911 world had found its feet and asserted its profoundly-changed character on the history of humanity, I realized that I hadn't thought about my broken heart, my ex-novio, and the last phone conversation we had ever shared. In fact, he was completely pre-empted on September 11th, 2001, and I cried no tears for him. My rose quartz crystal intention had worked. I'd gotten what I'd asked for. I went to bed on September 10th, hoping to banish suffering from my heart. And woke instead to a changed reality, a profound historical moment, and an utterly unfathomable new challenge for my heart and the hearts of all people.

Tonight, I have my rose quartz crystal next to me, as I prepare for a night's sleep. A new and different anniversary will be marked tomorrow. My crystal stone is small, fits easily in the palm of my hand. But I wish it to be powerful enough to soothe your heart, your mind tomorrow. Tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow. I want us to move on, move forward, with heart chakras open, inspired by clarity of thought and unfettered by denial or enmity. If we must cry, then let us cry to release the tension, let go the sorrow. But let us not be stuck in a misery that prevents advancement towards unity and peace.

As my friend and fellow poet, Richard Loranger, wrote in a message from Brooklyn that fateful September of 2001, "Let us all practice utmost discernment and kindness in all our actions."

Wishing you a beautiful restful night and a day and future of growth, wisdom, and love.

A Special Visitation

2011-09-07T20:58:00.001-07:00

A bright orange and brown butterfly flitted close by as I worked outside this evening. At one point, it flew up to my ear, and its beating wings sounded shockingly loud--stunning me for a few seconds. A minute later, it landed on the top end of the rake I was using, and so I spoke to it. Already, I had the strongest feeling that it was the spirit of Rigoberta Menchu's mother come to direct me to action. As it kept its place on the rake handle, pulsing its wings open and closed, open then closed, I asked it: "What is it that you want me to do? Tell me what it is I should do." All I could conclude is that she wants me to protect her daughter, that I am to help her be safe.

NPM 2011 - Poem 1 of 30

2011-04-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Awaiting a squall of sound,
tremor of words, these distant
fingers begin typing, aware of
the Times New Roman time-keeper
hastening my thoughts--and my worry.

"...after 25 minutes of inactivity."

Famous last prompt for soon to be written
infamous first lines--of poetry.

And so this begins.

Copyright 2011 Tammy Melody Gomez

Let's make this project happen!

2011-02-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

SHE: BIKE/SPOKE/LOVE by FW bicyclist and writer Tammy Gomez is going to AUSTIN for performances along the hike/bike trail in the Spring of 2012.

And Tammy is doing the dollar holla – raising funds now. And YOU CAN HELP!

CLICK HERE for more info and to MAKE A PLEDGE. It's easy!

If you make a pledge of $5, 20, $50, $100, $400, you’ll not only be part of an amazing project, but you’ll get some cool perks for pledges $20 and up. Like getting your name/company listed on the bikespokelove.com website as a funder or “Big Wheel.”

“'Extreme' production fascinates with variety”
-Mark Lowry (FW Star-Telegram theater critic)

“It's extreme in that it involves bicycles, of various sizes and shapes, with the actors riding them around a small stage, close to the audience. But it's also extreme in how it fascinates with a variety of performance styles. It's modeled after hip-hop theater, using spoken word (the 'If I Hit It' passage was the best verbal moment), showboating (there's a bicycle stunt dude) and a turntablist (DJ SOL*LOS). There's also multimedia, live music and agitprop (the line about how we're 'choking on auto exhaust and government deceit' sums it up best). One thing's for sure, you'll probably never see anything else like it.”

(Photo credit: Shannon Atkinson)

For pledge forms (so you can donate by check), email Tammy: sound_culture(at)hotmail.com or reach her at 817.924.9188. THANKS!!!!

Listen to my story on NPR's "The Story" tonight, Jan. 31st, 2011

2011-01-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

JUST found out that my interview for "The Story" radio program is going to be broadcast on National Public Radio TONIGHT!!!

(In the DFW metroplex, that means you can hear it on KERA 90.1 FM - 9pm)! ~
WOW, that's fast. We just recorded last Tuesday! ~ Check it out!

And if you won't be near a radio tonight, you can listen to the show online at 9pm,
streaming live via the KERA 90.1 website at:

http://www.kera.org/audio/

Also--You can listen to the archived podcast of my segment w/ host Dick Gordon:

http://thestory.org/

Let me know what you think - Gracias for listening!

Hanging out with Green Tara for New Year's Eve

2011-01-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

I spent the evening last night with the Green Tara.

What I mean is that my friend Shara and I participated in an all-night New Year's Eve meditation retreat at the Kadampa Meditation Center in Arlington, Texas. It was both the first time for us to visit this Buddhist center and the first time for us to try doing a spiritual retreat to ring in the new year.

The focus for the retreat was the Green Tara, the Buddhist symbol of universal compassion and empathic practice. So, Shara and I arrived at the Center just in time for the potluck celebration meal, which had followed the first chanting/meditation session. Not to worry, there were many more such sessions to come, scheduled at 3-4 hour intervals. We had been (according to an email invite I'd received) encouraged to bring sleeping bags so that we might nap in between the sessions. And we did just that.

After eating, we washed our dishes in the communal kitchen and chatted with a few acquaintances that happened to be there for the first time as well. We removed our shoes (a Center requirement) before entering the sanctuary, which was a spacious bright room with plush white carpet and comfy cushioned chairs. I took advantage of the ample space in the back area to stretch my aching neck and shoulders, and soon noticed a guy over to my right doing some yoga work too. It was very quiet and peaceful, though the sound of laughter would break out regularly, as folks of the community chatted in the dining area and outside vestibule.

It soon came to be obvious when the 11pm chant/meditation session was to begin. Shara and I had been apprised as to the procedure of the sessions by a friendly practitioner named Tom. While others chanted and sang the prayers from memory,
the apparent newbies such as myself read directly from the booklet provided for use. I found my mouth getting drier and drier, as the lines we sang were rapid and wordy, in English peppered with Sanskrit and Tibetan words. Staring at the beautiful array of deity statues and ornamentations, and the offering table covered with lit candles, I felt content to bring in the new year in a humble, introspective fashion rather than in the loud, smoky din of a bar or music venue. (Last year, I spent the entire new year's eve night alone, sicker than ever, watching almost the entire BBC mini-series adapted from a Charles Dickens novel.)

By 1am, the chanting was done and the Geshe (teacher) called out "Happy New Year," which prompted everyone to stand and share New Year's hugs and greetings. My friends Be and D'Zyne stepped over to chat and embrace; it was wonderful to see them here--also as first-timers to this Center.

Folks began laying their blankets and sleeping bags along the back wall and also near the front of the sanctuary, and the lights were soon dimmed for this sleep break. Shara and I went out to the car to retrieve our sleeping things and soon joined the others, bedded down for a few hours until the next chanting session, which was to start at 3am.

A gentle whispered wake-up call was issued near my head. "We start in 10 minutes," spoke one of the community members. I roused myself, feeling my mouth all chalky inside, wishing that I'd remembered to bring a toothbrush. In a beautiful wordless choreography, all the once-sleeping people were now up, lighting candles, turning up the sanctuary lights, and finding theirs seats on the floor or on the ample-seated chairs. Shara kindly brought over two blankets, so we could each cover our shivering legs.

Once the session at 3am began, my mind stopped drifting and became attuned to the communal intention, as well as my specific and personal goals. To be clear-minded (not merely sober, but also keenly aware) and thoughtful, with a dedication to rouse what needs to be roused, but to tame, regulate, and simmer the sorrows, doubts, and worries that distract. It was a tough session, staying awake to repeat prayers in a melodic chant, and my thirst seemed a huge obstacle to getting through this experience. But I've been thirsty before, and obstacles are usually temporary, so I plowed through, sometimes merely whispering occasional words rather than forcing myself to keep up forcefully strong. For inspiration, I let my eyes wander over the visage of the Tara statue. Her outstretched right leg, the mudra (spiritual gesture) formed by her fingers, and the shiny headdress on her slightly-bowed head.

Such practice brings out hope in me--a hope to somehow emulate and radiate the characteristics and internal features of spiritual strength and engaged Buddhistic persona. My striving is gentle, as I realize I am not perfect and that I don't have to be "done" or transcendent today.

I am just grateful that I have successfully turned the corner to a new year and will work intentionally to use every day of the next 365 that I might be blessed to live to accomplish good works for the benefit of all and for the betterment of my internal self.

Before the 6am session started, Shara and I rolled up our sleeping bags and blankets, put on our shoes, and headed out into the dawn and into 2011. Searching for pancakes and coffee, having found a most beautiful serenity at the Kadampa Center, lit on the inside.

Tammy Gomez, Fort Worth artist, needs you.

2010-12-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

Time to give an artist the support she needs to launch a new project. Check out my proposal video, and pledge what you can today.

$20, 40, how 'bout $200? I'm offering perks for every donor pledge level. Get in on this, amigos y amigas!

It's amazing how the thread of connections can take an artist from point A to point B, and then, fortuitously, to point P(ossibility).

I was nominated for one of those now coveted $50,000 USA Artists Grants in 2008: close but no cigar. Somehow, however, I've stayed in the USA memory bank, because I just got invited in early November 2010 by USA to be an inaugural artist on their USA Projects website. This website intends to facilitate the creation of a national online community of U.S. artists, where funders and followers can both financially support and stay abreast of the work by national award-winning artists from all artistic disciplines.

I'm honored to have been selected for this opportunity and now need the help of folks who have known of my work, have ever been in my audiences, and/or have collaborated with me on any of my projects. What I need is for folks to visit my online Project Profile, click on the "SUPPORT Or Learn More" button and make your financial pledge.

You can pledge as little as $20 and as much as $400, and there are thank-you perks that I'll be sharing with you if you do. For a $20 donation pledge, I'll have your name (unless you want to remain anonymous) added to the official She: Bike/Spoke/Love website as a funder or "Big Wheel." The perks get bigger the more you pledge, and please don't delay. My deadline to reach the $8,200 funding goal is March 1, 2011.

For more information, comment below or simply email me at sound_culture(at)hotmail.com.

Thanks for your support!

My new show: PALABRA: The Written Word, Spoken --- opens tonight, Dec. 3, 2010!

2010-12-03T09:30:00.001-08:00

19 poems, prose pieces, excerpt from a prison memoir, and scene from a play--each interpreted and dramatized for the stage by 8 talented performers who themselves are unique writers and musicians, dancers and actors. Two shows only: Friday and Saturday, December 3rd and December 4th, at the Rose Marine Theater, 1440 N. Main, Fort Worth, Texas. For more info, call the box office/theater at 817.624.8333.
(Or visit director Tammy Gomez' Facebook page: Tammy Melody Gomez.)

PALABRA: The Written Word, Spoken (La palabra escrita, hablada)
Viernes 3 y sábado 4 de diciembre @ 7:30 pm

Una noche de poesía latina nos presenta la palabra escrita de poetas hispanos.
Acompáñanos en esta producción especial en la que participan actores, bailarines y músicos interpretando piezas escritas por poetas de España, Latinoamérica y Estados Unidos.

Dirigido por Tammy Gomez. Evento Bilingüe.
Admisión General $15. Estudiantes y Adultos Mayores $10.
Para boletos o mas informacion llame al Teatro Rose Marine al 817-624-8333.
Tambien pueden comprar su boletos en linea www.rosemarinetheater.com.

Encore presentation of my one-woman show "Saliendo Abierta" on Sunday, July 11th at 7pm - FW, TX

2010-07-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

[Please click on this flyer/poster image to see it in a bigger format.]

By special request, I am going to--once again--be sharing my story about being trapped in my bedroom closet for two and a half days. It's a dramatic stage work, with digital projected images and a live musical score (performed by Ramsey Sprague). I hope you'll want to come witness this encore performance.

Several women who are members of the Westside Unitarian Universalist Church--in my neighborhood--attended a performance of SALIENDO ABIERTA in May and immediately invited me to present this work to their congregation-at-large.

I'm very honored to see that my work touches people in ways that inspire and uplift. Also, it is very important that my performances reach people who may not be conventional theater-goers.

There's additional background info on the evolution of this work in this FW Weekly profile article by Jimmy Fowler that was published back in May.

You can also check out this video excerpt from SALIENDO ABIERTA, via YouTube:

If you can attend on Sunday--great! If you have previous plans or can't attend for other reasons, please help spread the word anyway!

Thanks so much for your love and support.

Wanted: Senior Reporter/Blogger on Immigration Policy

2010-06-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Job Opening for Information Blogger

Full job description available by request at careers@americanpublicmedia. org

This position is part of NPR's Argo initiative.

Position: Sr. Reporter/Blogger, Immigration
Description: This is a grant-funded position running through Dec. 31, 2011.

Overview:
The Journalist-Blogger leading the site will be charged w/ building a dedicated online following around coverage of immigration policy & issues affecting southern California communities that are "emerging" into a greater role in society: immigrants & their children & grandchildren. The position requires that the Journalist-Blogger become the area's most authoritative voice on the issue.

- Guides coverage of the emerging communities/ immigration beat & comprehensively executes a broad variety of assignments.

- Produces several posts daily for new blog covering emerging communities & immigration in Los Angeles.

- Writes about the day's news & curates related materials from elsewhere online in an informal, conversational style.

- Cultivates sources, identifies important trends in immigration & immigrant communities, & collects & verifies information through a variety of online & offline channels.

- Initiate PIJ involvement, including meetings & other stand-alone online projects & data-driven applications

Requirements:

-Bachelor's degree & 7-10 years journalism exp in traditional media & a minimum of 5 years hands-on exp in online media

- First-rate writer & communicator w/ the ability to lead a blog on emerging communities & immigration in Los Angeles.

- Ability to deliver substantive reports, including breaking news, in a wide variety of media formats (audio slideshows, photo journalism, video reports) & on deadline

- Understanding of social media universe.

- Excellent language skills, including writing, editing, & proofreading

- Strong Photoshop skills, a good photojournalistic sense & deep familiarity w/ HTML & Web publishing tools

- The successful candidate should also be able to provide "live" radio reports & two-ways on the topic of immigration & emerging communities for use on the air

Full job description available by request at careers@americanpub licmedia. org

Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Southern California Public Radio - Pasadena, CA
Opened On: 04/13/2010
Salary Range: $62094.00 - $93141.00

My latest show - "Saliendo Abierta" - opens next week, May 14-15, in Fort Worth

2010-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is my most personal performance work yet, and now I will finally get to present it in my current hometown--Fort Worth. At the beautiful Rose Marine Theater.

I've been invited to present "Saliendo Abierta" (Emerging Open) as part of the Artes de la Rosa 2010 Film and Theater Festival, and I get to perform this work FOUR TIMES on two consecutive weekends in May (Fridays and Saturdays, May 14-15, 21-22).

I'm really hoping that all my close friends and family, longtime colleagues and collaborators come out to see this work. It's quite a quiet piece, and really shows some inner dimensions that you might have never seen me reveal about myself.

Oh--important to note: this is not a big and flashy "Lion King" or anything remotely like that. Best to keep small children and infants at home during this one.

[Please click on the flyer below to see a larger version in a new window.]

We will be hosting a CLOSING NIGHT reception/pachanga IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING the final performance on Saturday, May 22nd.

Please help spread the word! Gracias.

Other Arts presents "Other Texas Music Festival" at the FW Community Arts Center this wk-end

2010-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

I rarely perform spoken word/music sets here in the 817, so this is a great opportunity to check out the project I've got going with my comrade and artistic colleague, Ramsey Sprague (aka The Shortest Distance). We're on the bill for tonight at this, the inaugural outing of Herb Levy's "Other Texas Music" Festival. That's TONIGHT, FRIDAY, APRIL 30th, at 8:30pm. 10 bucks cover. Get there early, for better parking options.

Ramsey will be playing guitar and his looping station, which should make for some cool layering effects to accompany my vocal production work (fancy term for spoken word/singing). Because I just got back to Tejas from DC/Maryland on Wednesday, we haven't had a chance to rehearse, which means our set will be raw, experimental, and astoundingly fresh. Ha. See you there, my friends.

Oh---I cannot forgot to unequivocally state that I am familiar with, and (in some cases) have performed alongside many of the musicians who are in this Festival and they are bonafide badasses. Paul Unger, stellar bass player. Max Oepen, great drum chops, particularly in the jazz style. (I used to be in a project with Paul and Max, around 2005. We played the Bath House Cultural Center, and a few other places.) Tamitha and Chris Curiel--of SWIRV--are great friends and longtime collaborators in theater and music events. I've jammed with the Hentai Improvisational Orchestra (HIO, for short) boys, and had alot of fun mouthing off to their sound wildness. And David Bithell--UNT music prof--he's really out there (for north Texas); I got to see/hear his set at the Out of the Loop Festival in Addison last month.

It's a measly 15 bucks for both nights' worth of music, mayhem, aural madness. That's a steal of a deal. (Herb Levy puts on a very good show, as producer of Other Arts.) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Una Oracion Por Juarez - FW, TX - Sunday, March 28th, 3-5pm

2010-03-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hope y'all can make it. Spread the word, por favor. For more info: 817.924.9188.

We commemorate the women of Juarez (the disappeared, raped, and murdered) and their surviving friends and family members who continue to demand justice in the face of apathy and corruption.

Call for Proposals: Hispanic History of Texas Project

2010-03-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

THE HISPANIC HISTORY OF TEXAS PROJECT

Research Grants - Call for Proposals

The Hispanic History of Texas Project recovers, preserves, disseminates and studies documents related to the participation in and contributions of Hispanics to the history of Texas. With funding from The Houston Endowment, the project is pleased to offer support for research in this field.

Scholars and advanced graduate students are encouraged to apply for a stipend of up to $4,500 for research work in one of the following areas:

· Identification, location, recovery and/or study of Hispanic texts documents, books, periodicals, archives, photos, etc. produced before 1960 and relating to the over-all project mission.

· Bibliographic indexing and cataloging of data.

· Study of recovered Hispanic primary documents, manuscripts, publications, or other source(s).

· Identification, evaluation, acquisition, classification and preservation of archival materials in private, public and/or institutional collections that meet the aforementioned criteria.

Deadline: April 1, 2010 (extended from March 1st, 2010)

For applications and guidelines, download them here.

Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project
University of Houston
256 Cullen Performance Hall
Houston, TX 77204-2006
Tel: 713-743-3128
Fax: 713-743-3142
E-mail: Carolina@central.uh.edu

Join us on Sunday, Feb. 14th - benefit party!

2010-02-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

This event will help support our annual PALABRAZOS Spoken Word Festival, the only one of its kind in North Texas. It promises to be alot of fun, and people like Natasha Carrizosa, Shannon Atkinson, Angelique, Cesar Hernandez, and Cristina Snoke are going to be unveiling some surprises for us there. Hope to see you!! And please spread the word...

Scholarships for "minority" museum professionals - apply now

2010-01-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

[Thanks to Beto Calderon, UNT-Denton History professor and Ivette Ray, museum curator, for the following anuncio.]

Multicultural Initiatives Scholarship (MIC): The Texas Association of Museums is offering a limited number of full scholarships for the 2010 Annual Meeting to be awarded to minority professionals currently working in Texas museums. Applicants must be early-career and/or new to the Texas museum profession. These scholarships will include meeting registration, one workshop, one luncheon, one breakfast, and an evening event. The scholarship recipient(s) will be responsible for his or her travel, lodging, and incidental costs. Following the meeting the recipient(s) will be asked to write an article for the MIC blog, offering observations on the state of diversity in the museum profession and/or their observations on diversity based on the annual meeting. To apply, send a resume, references, and a one-page letter stating reasons for applying for the scholarship to admin@texasmuseums.org. Deadline for applying is January 29, 2010.

Multicultural Initiatives Committee (MIC) GLBT scholarship:
The MIC is offering a $250 scholarship for a GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual) museum professional to attend the 2010 TAM Annual Meeting. Applicants must be early-career and/or have never attended a TAM annual meeting before. Following the meeting, the recipient will be asked to write an article for the MIC blog (texasmic.blogspot.com) offering observations about state of GLBT issues within the museum community and/or field. To apply, send a resume, references, and a one page letter stating reasons for applying to Ivette Ray, MIC Chair, to Ivette.ray@fortworthgov.org. Deadline for applying is January 29, 2010. (Funds for this scholarship have been generously provided by Wallace Saage.)

I'm a guest performer for the MAD SWIRL spoken word event at Absinthe Lounge in Dallas

2009-12-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

That's tomorrow, Wednesday, December 2nd. Kicks off at 8pm.

SWIRVE--Tamitha on voice, Chris on trumpet and effects pedals, Gerard on drums--have invited me to be a guest poet performer with them tomorrow. I haven't sat in with these folks in about a year, and they are so much fun to play with. I'm hoping for a big crowd, despite the cold weather, as it's pretty rare that I get to spend an evening in Dallas doing spoken word.

Absinthe Lounge --- fun performance-friendly spot at Southside on Lamar in Dallas
MAD SWIRL --- a monthly open mic and performance melee in the best possible sensessss..

FREE and FREEING!!!! Join us, y'all.

GROUND WAVES art/djs/comunidad today in Diamond Hill 11/28/09 'til 8pm

2009-11-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

Today! FREE! All Ages!

No bad moods, big sells, proprietary attitude.

It's ALL good vibes cuz it's a PAIN FREE production. Big ups to Mike and Mercedes for coordinating this event.

Hope to see y'all there: 3509 Oscar Street -- Mapsco 48-V -- in the field behind the Dixie Heights Baptist Church

I was selected to perform at the Out of the Loop Fringe Fest next year

2009-11-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Forgot to mention that my application and proposal to present my one-woman show "Saliendo Abierta" was selected for the Out of the Loop Fringe (Performing Arts) Festival in Addison, Texas. The Festival takes place in March 2010, and my performance will be presented on the mainstage on the evening of Sunday, March 14, 2010. Save the Date!

Looking over the Out of the Loop website, I see that some wonderful performers and shows will also be featured during the 2-week span of the Festival. Check it out.

I'm hoping to tour "Saliendo Abierta" to other venues and festivals, possibly even on the Eastern seaboard, in the coming year. (My undergrad alma mater, Goucher College, in Towson, Maryland, has invited me to speak on a panel about literature and poetry next April for the 125th anniversary its founding.) Also, my friend and colega, Claudia Acosta, has tentatively invited me to take my show to New York City for a monthly performance series she is spearheading called "Culture Shock: a melting pot of raw arts." So many possibilities. I hope the planets configure to make good on the promise and the plan.

The glass ornament i painted for the State Capitol holiday tree

2009-11-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the holiday ornament that Lon Burnam's office gave me to decorate for the Lone Star Celebration Tree, which will be displayed in the State Capitol through the beginning of January 2010.

Photo credit: Four Hearts Photography

Thanks to the O'Briens (Danny and Kathy) for giving of their time to photograph the ornament before I delivered it to Lon Burnam.

To achieve the smoky color effect on the ornament, I poured silver, black, and white acrylic paints into the small opening at the top and swirled the colors around to mix them together for a marbleizing finish. I also used a pipe cleaner to spread the color evenly. Afterwards, I used a permanent paint marker to write the following poem on the exterior of the ornament:

sleeping panther rise
remove the smokescreen from our eyes
no more gas drill lies

I think this ornament will aptly represent what's on some of our minds lately here in the District 90 sector of the Metroplex.

Chi Kung is making me move some energy - creative impulse is surging now

2009-11-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

I am in a burst of creativity now, and feel boosted by the Chi Kung (!) and Tai Chi class i am taking on Thursdays at the Acupuncture Wellness Center located right in my 'hood--Fairmount of Fort Worth, which even has its own website.

The instructor, Martha Fiddes, is so great to focus on the Chi Kung, which has been my favorite internal martial art so far in life. (I took a coupla classes in the 1990s in Austin, and somehow felt i couldn't afford to stick with it. Now I know I cannot
afford to NOT stick with it.)

We are breathing into our internal organs and practicing the Sun form of Tai Chi which is so elegant and beautiful to me.
It's considered the most "flowing" form.

More relaxed in my body and ready to focus on some new writing, I've started on a collection of poems about the border (Texas-Mexico border as well as the borders within) and hope to have them finished by next week. For a competition deadline.

I am not now as socially-available as before, but am choosing to enjoy my new focuses (foci) at home. Have been marbleizing glass holiday ornaments, a new experiment and expression for me. I was brought to this because of a request by the folks at the offices of State Rep. Lon Burnam. They gave me the task of decorating a large transparent glass orb which, when I've finished with it, will be mailed to Austin and hung on a holiday tree in the State Capitol. How's that for a poet who doesn't do much visual art?

Will show the results when I'm finished working on it.

Sometimes family just has to come first...

2009-11-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

...which is why i spent a coupla weeks putting together this new photo blog for my nephew, who just turned one year old today. Channel 4 News' daily morning show has a feature wherein photos of children (5 years and younger) can be emailed in for brief broadcast on the kid's birthday. I emailed in a jpg of Lucas and it was shown on the telly twice this a.m.! While the photos were being displayed, there was a technical problem that happened right when Lucas' picture was on the screen, and so it was "stuck" for all to see for at least 30 seconds. Pretty funny.

Happy First Birthday, baby Lucas!

Dia de los muertos - commemorated around the U.S.

2009-10-31T11:20:00.001-07:00

All you have to do to get an idea of how prevalent and culturally-relevant that celebrations of Day of the Dead have become on this side of the border is visit the NALAC website. Click on October's special Dia de los Muertos newsletter/calendar and check out the multitude of events, gallery shows, and performances scheduled for this special commemoration of the dead.

Here in FW on Friday evening, the Dia de Los Muertos event at the Rose Marine Theater/Gallery/plaza drew an estimated 400 attendees and participants. That's awesome. Today (Sunday, Nov. 1st), the Arts Fifth Avenue homegrown community arts space in the historic Fairmount neighborhood of Fort Worth will host its annual Day of the Dead shindig (featuring tamale-making, papel picado workshop, live adolescent mariachis from JP Elder Middle School), and more).

Also today in Dallas, the LCC (Latino Cultural Center) will host their Dia de Los Muertos pachanga with visual art, ofrendas (tribute altars for the dead), and two performances by the wonderful Teatro Flor Candela of the stage adaptation of the classic Mexican story "Guajolote hasta la muerte" - based on the movie "Macario". I saw the Flor Candela show at TCU this past Wednesday, and though there were some technical snags, I thought the work (less than one hour in length) was delightfully visual and engaging. The costumes, choreography, and acting were a big attraction for me, specifically. Great casting choices, Patricia (Urbina--the artistic director of Teatro Flor Candela). Oh, I also love love loved the tiny shiny calaca string puppet--with red hair! The two performances at the LCC are at 5pm and 7pm. The LCC is located at 2600 Live Oak in Dallas - just a little east of downtown.

Whatever you do, don't forget to enjoy LIFE as you never deny the eventuality of change, transition, and the ultimate step towards death.

Hope to see you out & about today and tomorrow (All Saints' Day and All Souls" Day) for DDLM 2009 festivities!

San Antonio oral history project: Stories of the Uninsured

2009-10-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Writers In Communities, a program of GEMINI INK seeks Stories of the Uninsured

from the latest Gemini Ink e-newsletter:
"According to the American Medical Association, 46 million Americans are uninsured due to the high costs of insurance, or have limited access to health plans and benefits for various reasons including being self-employed, between jobs, or having a pre-existing medical condition. It’s essential that we document our stories for history’s sake, for future generations, for ourselves."

The Writers In Communities program of Gemini Ink wants you to share your story about how not having health insurance has affected your life and well-being. Send a brief narrative of your experience to:

wic@geminiink.org

or

mail it to their offices at

513 S. Presa, San Antonio, TX 78205 (ATTN: WIC).

Twenty stories will be recorded and transcribed in this oral history project between Gemini Ink and Methodist Healthcare Ministries.

(No deadline was mentioned in any materials I came across about this, but figure that interested folks should submit their narratives sooner than later.)

ADDENDUM: As per the comment below, Gemini Ink plans to interview people throughout the month of November 2009. Again, please contact the Writers in Communities program at wic@geminiink.org if you are interested in participating. Thank you.

Today is the deadline for proposals for 2010 Out of the Loop Fringe Fest - Dallas

2009-10-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

This almost bypassed my attention; download the app via the Water Tower Theatre website asap -- postmark deadline is today!

"They fear us because we are not afraid."

2009-09-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Honduran women stand up in resistance to military forces which oppress the people, abuse the women.

[Thanks to Frieda Werden for sharing this link via Facebook. Kudos to the women of FIRE--Feminist International Radio Endeavour!]

Eulogy for Grace: an appreciation-in-progress

2009-09-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

THANKS and MUCH APPRECIATION for all the generous expressions of love, sympathy, and kindness that have been extended to me via Facebook, Myspace, phone calls, email, and person-to-person moments. Without you, my beautiful tribe and family of friends, I would be nowhere and nothing...
____________________

Quite suddenly, I lost my young little Grace,
a cat who chose me about five years ago. It was
one unmemorable day that she showed up at my front door,
eager and trusting--
with one ear partly clipped to show that she'd been
a recipient of the "catch, neuter, release" program
of the neighborhood association. We took to one
another with the greatest of ease.

She grew to be very memorable.

She was smart and full of vitality, and today
she is gone. The vet said that she died of
an allergic reaction, which made her throat close
and she could not breathe.

I am devastated.

I truly valued this little animal friend who showed
such an affinity for my homebody writer lifestyle,
and didn't seem to like it when I had to leave for
appointments. Indeed, she had recently started brave
attempts at following me to the bus stop as I rushed to
work.

I had just bought a collar/harness for her in hopes of
working with her comfort level to be able to someday
take long walks together. And take her to Spiral Diner
or another street cafe nearby.

A brilliant, fun cat, she took to tree- and roof-climbing
as well as sidewalk rolling with equal gusto. I admired
her keen insights and instincts; cats have these in general,
I know. But Grace was particularly dog-like, coming to
me when I called and even bringing her little puffball
toys to my feet--in exchange for Whisker Lickin treats.

I could go on, but you get the idea. She was very special
to me, and I am going to revere and miss her forever.

Sometimes Grace would squint her eyes as she lay in bed,
seemingly wanting to ask: "It's way past midnight and you're
still on that computer. Can't you at least dim the lights?"
One night, I got up from the desk and gently placed my
sunglasses over her eyes. She seemed to appreciate that.

Thanks for listening, dear friends and family.
Thoughts of our kinship are helping to keep me comforted.

Love,

Tammy

Extra note:

As i recall, these are the pet names/nicknames i used for Grace in all the time we were together:

Grace - Kitty - Pookety - Ani (short for Animal) - Ahn-i-mahl - Kitty of the City (pronounced "kittay of the citay") -
Autonomy Cat - Pookety of the City -
and Sunshine Cat (when i would find her, mostly in the mornings, luxuriating in the patches of sunlight beaming through
the eastside windows onto the floor)

Goodbye and good life, Grace (Sept. 14, 2009)

2009-09-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

My heart is broken...

How i've labored since i was 15 years old

2009-09-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

However you commemorate Labor Day, I hope that you consider the protesting, stalwart activists who made sure that legislative and institutional changes were made to ensure and protect laborers in this country--young and old, male and female, white and otherwise. Cheers for labor unionists, labor organizers, and we the workers ourselves. More protections and considerations need to be brought to eventuality in terms of our comrades and counterparts from and in other countries. And lastly, I would ask that we remember that when we purchase goods manufactured by the hands of exploited laborers we are supporting bad/unfair/often illegal labor practices. Let's do the better thing, as often as we can.

And now, a list. I thought it would be--here on Labor Day 2009--an interesting exercise to list all the jobs i could remember ever having worked. So here it is, from my fast-food inaugural work experience to my current job. For what it was worth...

Wendy's - Fort Worth - front counter, food prep, dining room cleaning, drive-up window

General Cinema - Seminary South Theater - Fort Worth - concessions, ticket sale, popcorn maker

Texas Grain & Feed Association - Fort Worth - general office assistant

Minyard's Grocery Store - Fort Worth - bakery clerk

Black-Eyed Pea Restaurant - Fort Worth - waitress/host

Goucher College - Towson, Maryland - Office of Public Relations - work-study position

Gander's Restaurant - downtown Baltimore - waitress

Southwestern Petroleum Co. - Fort Worth - clerk/typist, data entry

Union Equity Cooperative Grain Exchange - Fort Worth - general office assistant, data entry

Goucher College - Towson, Maryland - Office of Dance-Movement Therapy - work-study position

University of Texas-Austin - Journalism Department - phone survey - data collection

University of Texas-Austin - General Libraries - Administrative office - receptionist/office clerk

University of Texas-Austin - University Inter-scholastic League (UIL) - Administrative office - assistant to three directors

Tarrant County Mental Health Mental Retardation Services - mental health therapist tech and manager of three-quarter-way facility for chronically mentally ill adults

Boys and Girls Club - Eastside branch, Fort Worth - Cultural Enrichment Director

Chinese restaurant - downtown Fort Worth

Warehouse - Boulder, Colorado - shipping/receiving assistant

Frying Pan - Basalt, Colorado - waitress (one day only)

Live-in nanny on Buttermilk Mountain - Aspen, Colorado - cooking, cleaning, childcare, food shopping

Poetry consultant (for musician Jimmy Ibbotsen) - Aspen, Colorado - one-shot thing

Tesuque Village Market - Tesuque, New Mexico - cashier/waitress

Tia's Tex-Mex restaurant - Fort Worth - waitress

Nokoa-The Observer - African-American Progressive weekly newspaper - Austin, TX - office assistant, reporter

Boys and Girls Club - Montopolis (adjacent to Austin) - summer instructor

University of Texas-Austin - Natural Fibers Research & Information Center - research assistant

Website development consultant - Fort Worth

Booker T. Sparks Performing Arts Program - Fort Worth - afterschool arts educator

University of North Texas Health Science Center - Lewis Medical Library - Fort Worth - library assistant

Latin Arts Association (Artes de la Rosa) - Fort Worth - afterschool arts educator

Veterans for Peace - 2005 National Convention - Irving, Texas - convention coordinator

Fort Worth Independent School District - substitute teacher - middle school and high school levels

(Plus various temp job assignments through temporary employment agencies
and
commissioned art assignments (performing, teaching, mentoring youth, and writing)
and
paid artist residencies in Nebraska, California, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Texas.)

Volunteer positions - the following list is about 15% complete
(Women as volunteers contribute most of the world's unpaid labor, which is not considered as part of the gdp (gross domestic product).

St. Andrew's Catholic Church - Fort Worth - youth lector, liturgical performing artist/director
ACLU - Fort Worth - student intern
Texas Civil Liberties Project - Austin, TX - free legal clinic - administrative assistant
The Other Screen - founder/director and coordinator of this monthly independent film/video series in 1980s Fort Worth
Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (and organic farm) - Basalt, Colorado - intern
KO.OP (91.7 FM) Radio - Austin, TX - producer/programmer, outreach coordinator, and elected member of the Community Board

My Life According to Martin Espada (a fun literary exercise or total waste of time, depending...)

2009-09-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

My Life According to [fill in the name of a poet you like)

Thanks to Sesshu Foster for the following meme. And to Lorna Dee Cervantes whose inspired answers, using Pablo Neruda poem titles, totally made me want to try this. Spread it around!

Using only POEM titles from ONE POET, answer these questions. Pass it on to 12 (or a million) people you like. You can't use the poet I used. Do not repeat a title. Repost as "My Life According to (POET)."

[I decided on Martin Espada, who was my favorite poet in the late 1990s, because I own about 6 of his books--hence more poem titles from which to choose. Also, i liked so many titles that i listed more than one--at times. That's just me...]

MY LIFE ACCORDING TO MARTIN ESPADA
_______________

Are you a male or female?

"The River Will Not Testify"
"Blackballed by the Rainbow Girls"
"Watch Me Swing"

Describe yourself:

"The Toolmaker Unemployed"
"Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper"

How do you feel?

"Job Search Got Us Down"

Describe where you currently live:

"Where the Disappeared Would Dance"
"From an Island You Cannot Name"

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

"Transient Hotel Sky at the Hour of Sleep"
"Latin Night at the Pawnshop"

Your favorite form of transportation:

"Sleeping on the Bus"

What's the weather like?

"Ashes and Donuts"
"Rain Delay: Toledo Mud Hens, July 8, 1994"

Favorite time of day:

"When Songs Become Water"
"Cada Puerco Tiene Su Sabado"

Your relationships:

"I Apologize for Giving You Poison Ivy (by Smacking You in the Eye with the Crayfish at the End of My Fishing Line)"

Your fear:

"The New Bathroom Policy at English High School"
"Tires Stacked in the Hallways of Civilization"
"The Chota and the Patron"
"Tiburon"
"Rednecks"
"Thieves of Light"

What is the best advice you have to give?

"Sing in the Voice of a God Even Atheists Can Hear"
"We Live by What We See at Night"

If you could change your name, you would change it to:

"Beloved Spic"
"Transient Hotel Werewolf"

My soul's present condition:

"Preciosa Like a Last Cup of Coffee"

A Woman's World - pictorial mosaic

2009-09-04T11:05:00.001-07:00

[Thanks to Tamitha Curiel for suggesting this link. Enjoy!]

"A Woman's World" - Readers submitted photographs that illustrate the theme of women's empowerment.

In accordance with this theme, the NYT is also promoting an online competition that helps put a spotlight on projects and agencies/groups that empower women across the world. For more info, go here. Contest deadline is September 23rd, by the way.

Coming up this Saturday, August 29th afternoon in Fort Worth

2009-08-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

[please click on flyer to see larger version]

Coming up next Saturday, August 29th - free workshop for women

2009-08-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

[for no-squint viewing, click on the flyer]

Let me know if you need more info!
Please spread the word. Ages 17 and up.

50 years ago today: a classic is born ==> "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis

2009-08-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

45:08 (minutes, seconds) of smoldering genius.

i just want to eat my fist, i am so blown away by this amazing music...i'm gonna lay back and listen to this on audiocassette* tonight, sipping on chilled savignon blanc.

here's one blurb about the album via MOG.COM:

"Kind of Blue was both a radical stylistic experiment and an album parents could put on after dinner without waking the kids. It's a manifesto, a meeting of musical minds, and it's moved millions of copies to remain the bestselling jazz record of all time. Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue," released in August 1959, featured what might be the finest group in jazz history; it virtually founded a new musical style -- called modalism -- but it also marked the beginning of the end of the genre's mass popularity."

more info on Miles and "Kind of Blue"here and here.

lastly, i want to challenge all of you to consider my idea that this nation needs to update its national anthem to reflect the changing times and tenor. twenty years ago, on the 30th anniversary of the release of "Kind of Blue", i suggested that one song off that legendary lp--"All Blues"--would be an amazing choice for national anthem. a soulful instrumental (no lyrics) to play at Olympics award ceremonies, on national holidays, and for other honoring ceremonial purposes.

and, oh yeah, i know that Miles had a history of abusive behavior with Cicely Tyson, but i'm knowingly choosing to give props to the music--but certainly not that aspect of the man.

* the very audiocassette i carried w/ me in the Sony Walkman while bouncing around on the streets of Oaxaca, Oaxaca, in 1990. i cannot now ever hear this album without having flashbacks to those amazing weeks in Mexico.

After the "Reign" parade on Wednesday, August 12th

2009-08-13T10:32:00.001-07:00

Over 200 women, children, and men marched silently from the Tarrant County Convention Center to the old Courthouse, straight down Main Street during the noon hour yesterday, August 12th. Permits and arrangements were successfully secured so that no automobile traffic was allowed on this route of the pedestrian parade. Donning red-and-white umbrellas emblazoned with the catchphrase of the march, the procession cast a striking image for downtown workers who stopped to watch. At the end of the march route, a 30- or so minute rally took place on the east steps of the Courthouse, featuring women leaders Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks and Fort Worth Commission on Women chair Marcy Paul, among others. All spoke vociferously about the various factors that lead to high infant mortality rates in the eastside of Fort Worth.

Kim Parish Perkins, executive director of the D/FW Birthing Project--the beneficiary of a $1,000 check raised at the march/rally--emphasized the prevalence of health disparities in communities of color. Mincing no words, Perkins pubicly called out obstetricians who prioritize their time "out on the golf course and seeing private patients" while treating their lower-income and minority patients as merely "birth canals." Perkins finished off her eyebrow-raising speech with the presentation of a $1,000 scholarship award to a young woman who has been served by the D/FW Birthing Project. Pregnant at the age of 12 and living in foster care, this woman received the services and mentorship of a "SisterFriend" and is now a high school graduate, postured for a college education.

State Senator Wendy Davis appeared towards the end of the rally to remind us of Mark Perry's recent ill-advised veto of state legislation which would have allocated federal dollars to the CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program). With a tone of consternation, Davis announced that "80,000 more children would have been served" by this legislation.

You can, at least for the moment, read the Star-Telegram article ("Tarrant County's infant mortality is high despite efforts") about the Stop the Reign march and rally here.

An excerpt from the article:

"The infant mortality rate for blacks in the [Tarrant] county is 14.4, more than twice that of whites (5.6) and Hispanics (6.0).
Programs such as the Fort Worth/Dallas Birthing Project, established in 1997, have helped by providing services such as SisterFriend, which matches volunteers with pregnant girls."

A few of the rally speakers referred to the need for increased "pre-conception care" for young women, which I found interesting. I'll be looking into what exactly is meant by this in the health services community.

(And, yes, if you're wondering, I participated in the march. Check me out in the front page photo of today's Star-Telegram.)

Stop the "Reign of Infant Mortality" and Save our Children - FW march and rally on Wed., August 12th

2009-08-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know Fort Worth has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country? Come find out more and support concerned citizen-activists in a public event.

Join up for a "Silent March of Awareness" along Main Street in downtown Fort Worth.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
12 noon - 1pm

Begins at entrance to Fort Worth Convention Center on Main Street, and ends with a rally on the steps of the Old Courthouse.

Make sure YOU and YOUR organization are represented. (Spend your lunch break for a worthy cause.)

1,000 women will march with 1,000 red umbrellas the full length of downtown Main Street in Fort Worth in order to heighten awareness of the serious issue of infant mortality in our community.

The Fort Worth Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the City of Fort Worth Commission for Women, and the Fort Worth Junior League have partnered together to sponsor this march to educate our community on the issues surrounding
infant mortality.

The Hispanic Healthcare Professionals Association (HISPA) will be participating in the march as well.

Please meet at 11:30 am on Main Street in front of the convention center. Wear white & red to show your support.
Red umbrellas, for use in the march, will be available at the gathering point for $5 apiece. The proceeds benefit the Fort Worth/Dallas Birthing Project

FMI: stopthereign@yahoo.com

Help Andrea get to art school in Chicago - benefit @ Club Mint in FW

2009-08-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 6, 2009
Club Mint in West FW - 7pm to late

This is a benefit for Andrea Gonzalez, a local painter who has been granted admission to one of the most prestigious art institutes in the United States. Help a young woman's dream come true.

"I believe through art we have the power to make a positive impact in our community." - Andrea Gonzalez

NEW WORKS FROM AN EMERGING FORT WORTH VISUAL ARTIST

introducing Andrea's Art School Benefit
a fundraising event / art exhibit & sale
to help my homegirl get to the Art Institute of Chicago

Thursday, August 6th
Club Mint 6865-A Green Oaks Road
Fort Worth, TX 76116

Viewing of art from 7pm to 10pm
Live performances: Tammy Gomez / Dielex Kemposed

I wrote six sentences for SIX SENTENCES

2009-08-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Back in 2000-01, I decided to try my hand at writing sudden fiction, also known as flash fiction. By using the clock on my computer desktop as a stopwatch, I timed my freewrites to 3 minutes max. Though this was a purely self-imposed exercise in trying to generate fresh prose writing, I abided by some hard fast rules. I didn't allow myself to "cheat" by bringing to the page any pre-considered characters, locations, or plot lines. And I had to stop right at three minutes. Wow, what a jumpstart for my brain this practice proved to be. I found that I could do no more than 5 sessions back-to-back, because the pressure of continuous conjuring and composing to a strict deadline took me to a higher plane, and made me light-headed like when I practice my throat singing.

Well now, fast-forward to 2009, and here am I, submitting six sentences of fiction writing to a delightful blog entitled "Six Sentences". After reading about three weeks of previously-accepted entries, I decided to take a poke at this myself, and my first submission was accepted for posting today. Take a look at what I submitted, as well as other writings--leave comments if you like.

(The text above was completed in 10 sentences and about 20 minutes...)

Radio's Latino USA to look at Latina/Chicana writers - today, Sunday 8/2, at 5:30pm

2009-08-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

KERA 90.1 FM has seen fit to schedule the broadcast of "Latino USA", a 30-minute syndicated program produced at UT-Austin, at a much more opportune time. Sundays 5:30pm. This week, la Barbara (Barbara Renaud Gonzalez) sent an email anuncio to let us know that Chicana writers are going to be the focus on this week's episode. Barbara herself will be featured in interviews, as will Sandra Cisneros and Josefina Lopez. I'll be tuning in; "sheck" it out.

From Barbara's email:

"Got the word from Latino USA today! "Books & Women" is a special feature to be aired on LatinoUSA's weekly program this Friday. It includes an interview/reading with Sandra Cisneros, Josefa Lopez, and me. Hope you like it."

Josefina's just released her debut novel, HUNGRY WOMAN IN PARIS. She is probably best-known as the playwright who brought us "Real Women Have Curves." Barbara's GOLONDRINA, WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME? is a novel that she had to leave Dallas (so she has told me) to finish writing. And Sandra, oh gosh, how does one begin? Sandra is the ever-busy, awards-laden and Chicago-raised poeta and novelist who has kicked open the door for burgeoning and future writers such as myself.

Adelante, mujeres de literatura en los Estados Unidos. Let's be inspired by our fellow Chicana sisters and keep focused on our own emerging literary voices.

Egypt got moved...

2009-08-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

...from one place to another.

upcoming coming up

2009-07-29T21:19:00.001-07:00

Been busy with some educational focuses, grassroots-style. Submitted an app to NALAC (National Association of Latino Arts & Culture) and it was breezy-easy; I'm getting better at this grants application process. This time, decided to propose a project I've been wanting to launch for a coupla years: a spoken word choir--voicestra is how I might've referred to it in my narrative text except for the fact that ole Bobby McFerrin has nabbed the term for the name of his performance ensemble.

Here's the 50-word project summary: "I will direct the Sound Culture Spoken Word C.H.O.I.R., a performance ensemble comprised of emerging writers and underserved (marginalized) youth in Fort Worth. This C.H.O.I.R. (Cultivating Harmony with Our Insightful Rhymes) will perform my original poems--in chorus style, accented by music and digital projections--in showcases throughout Texas."

I am hopeful that this project will receive funding, and I'll certainly need to hustle up other sources of support in this community to really make this happen. I am excited for the possibilities of working with underserved youth again--it's been awhile and I have to say, I do have some skills when it comes to teaching and directing young people.

Wish me luck, write a check, whatever. You'll be hearing more about this from me in the coming months.

++++++++++

The other grassroots education thing I'm working on involves a few other cool women, and we're collectively dubbed "Sisters of the Southside" (thanks Lindsey!). What is up? Well, we're putting together a street-level self-defense without violence workshop for women ages 17 and up. It's titled "Self-Defense, Yo!" and the focus of this workshop is on becoming more conscious of the subtle ways in which our behaviors/body language/clothing/etc. somehow give off an implicit "here i am, come take me" message, as misconstrued by would-be perps and pervs. Women and girls want and need to know how to rebuff and resist in ways that don't involve physical confrontation.

Our first workshop is now scheduled!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th
1 to 4pm

Ella Mae Shamblee Public Library - Evans Street (just north of E. Rosedale)
Free and open to women 17 years and up

Light refreshments will be offered.
PAIN FREE Society, a fresh design company, will also be in the house.

Save the date - spread the word!!

SELF-DEFENSE, YO! - SATURDAY, AUGUST 29th

About tonight's MINDSHARE

2009-07-29T20:41:00.001-07:00

Getting to the MINDSHARE was relatively easy by local bus service--basically, you get to the stop when it's due to arrive--but it sure was a pain having to wait for half an hour (probably longer) to catch the #4 home, and I was definitely on the verge of just calling a cab. But the bus finally showed, and I felt this super-endurance bravado, which when I get it, I have an automatic urge to splurge. Like on a call liquor beverage at the Chatroom. But I resisted, and walked straight home, once I disembarked from the bus. And had an ice cold bottled Shock Top in front of the computer. But I do digress...

The MINDSHARE is what I want to tell about. I got there right on time for the scheduled 30 minutes of chewing and chatting, and there was a sizeable finger food spread set up--which was nice. Fruit, tiny sandwiches, tea, and veggies for me. I greeted a few women I recognized in the friendly crowd, including Lucy from La Panorama, Marcy Paul from the YWCA's Racial Justice program, and of course, Hispanic Women's Network of Texas - Fort Worth chapter prez, Christina Elbitar (who also co-owns Chadra's Mezza Grill). The panel discussion got started right on time, with an effusive introduction by Pat Alva-Green, followed by a brief recitation of the "rules" of the session--time limits for panel speakers, dismissal of formal titles in favor of just using the women's first names "since we're like a family."

And then the women got down. The testimonials and commentaries were frank, but still socially appropriate--no mean name-calling or slurring in this setting. The HWNT ladies are too gracious for that. But it did seem that the mostly-female audience counted on ex-mayor pro tem (but still on the FW Council) Kathleen Hicks to bring out the edge in the dialogue, and she did. Thank god for that. Otherwise, it might have been a long, dull presentation. It just takes the presence of one surefire truthteller to up the ante for the others at the table, because that's just what happened. Inspirational and advocacy-oriented, but never adversarial or prissy trite, this first-time MINDSHARE allowed women in power suits to speak their powerful minds--forthrightly and sisterly.

CHOICE QUOTES--

From Kathleeen Hicks (who announced that she will be joining the Board of Trustees for Texas Wesleyan U later this year):

"Sometimes it seems that leaders [in Fort Worth] think there are twenty men who run it all."
"The bathrooms in the pre-council chambers are just for men."

From Mary Lou Martinez, the first Hispanic appointee to the Castleberry ISD Board of Trustees:

"Fort Worth is still very much a 'good ole boy' town."

MINDSHARE, a public dialogue sponsored by HWNT, tonight @ 6pm in FW

2009-07-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

[This event has been coordinated by the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas (HWNT)--Fort Worth chapter. Thanks to Layne for the heads-up.]

HISPANIC WOMEN’S NETWORK OF TEXAS HOSTS FORUM TO DISCUSS SOTOMAYOR AND CURRENT SOCIAL ISSUES
Fort Worth Chapter Brings Together Councilperson Kathleen Hicks and Honorable Judge Jo Ann Reyes for Panel

HWNT MINDSHARE
Empowering Leaders through Experience

Moderated dialogue led by Dr. Valerie Martinez-Eber, co-author of “Politicas: Latina Public Officials in Texas”

July 29, 2009
Texas Wesleyan University
1201 Wesleyan Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76105-1536
6:00 p.m.

What motivates women to serve their communities?
How does the recent nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor affect our nation? In light of Sotomayor’s historic nomination as the first Latina for the U.S. Supreme Court, they will discuss how this affects women at the local level. We’ve gathered a forum of passionate female role models to break open a dialogue of social issues concerning women today. Our panelists have served or are currently serving as a public official or board member and have agreed to openly share their experience as leaders. Men and women are welcome to join the discussion in a safe, trustworthy environment where we can explore our community, and strengthen our understanding of those that serve us.

The HWNT Mindshare Forum panelists in attendance:
• Mary Lou Martinez, Secretary Board Trustee for Castleberry Independent School District (CISD)
• Honorable Judge Jo Ann Reyes
• Councilperson Kathleen Hicks - District 8
• Dr. Camille Rodriguez, former Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) board member
• Mayor Dorothy Ortiz, Hall of Cool, TX

WHEN: Wednesday July 29, 2009 -- 6:00 PM

WHERE: Texas Wesleyan University – Louella Baker Martin Pavilion, 1112 Wesleyan St. Fort Worth, TX 76105

WHY: “HWNT advocates for the advancement of Latinas in the public, corporate and civic arena. We are truly proud to see a ‘wise Latina’ as a nominee for one of the highest political sectors in the U.S.” said Christina Elbitar, president of HWNT-FW. “Sotomayor is a shining example of the American dream and a role model to younger Latinas.

About HWNT
HWNT is the largest Hispanic-based women's organization in the State of Texas and is recognized as one of the Top 10 Latina organizations in the country by Latino Leaders magazine in 2009. Since 1987, the organization has served the Texas community by sponsoring programs which reflect the group’s vision and impacts the lives of HWNT members. For more information about HWNT and upcoming events, visit www.HWNT.org/fortworth.

The Metroplex is poppin'

2009-07-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Starting later this evening is a Puerto Rican-flavored cultural event. I'm sure the music is gonna be great!

Saturday, July 25, 2009
Asociacion Boricua de Dallas, Inc.
Cultural Activity

6:30pm - 9pm

Latino Cultural Center
2600 Live Oak @ Good Latimer
Dallas, Texas 75204

Special Performance by: Bomba y Plena by Danza Cultura/Latin Mix

FREE ADMISSION!!

For more info.: cnoemisanchez@yahoo.com
______________________________________________________

ALSO:

There's an all-day YOUTH-oriented arts fest, with graf writers, mural painters, hiphop mc's, slam poets, and more. All day at the Rose Marine Theater, in the outdoor plaza. Check it out--today, Saturday, July 25th, FREE.

1440 N. Main. St., Fort Worth, TX

July 25th--Dallas--for world premiere of "Crystal City 1969"

2009-07-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

Crystal City 1969---Auditions!!!

Preliminary auditions for Crystal City 1969 will take place Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Park Cities Yoga studio (5934 Royal Lane, Suite 252, 75230).

Participants are asked to bring a prepared monologue (2 minutes or less), a head-shot photo, and a performance resume or typed list of experience. No experience necessary to audition. Please arrive dressed to move. No high heels, hard-sole shoes, dresses, skirts or slacks.

Cara Mia Theatre Co. is looking for actors of all ages, from 11-years old and older, to play roles of students, parents, teachers, and general community of south Texas farm town, Crystal City in 1969. Latino, non-Latino, bilingual, English-only, Spanish-only, young, adolescent, old, middle-aged, less-than-middle-aged, short, tall, skinny, gordito/a, moreno/a, guero/a ...

WE WELCOME ALL WITH OPEN ARMS TO OUR THEATRE COMPANY SO PLEASE AUDITION!

Contact Raul Treviño at (469) 438-0692 or ritayraul@gmail.com, or contact David Lozano at dvdlzn75@gmail.com to sign up for an audition or to inquire about play.

Network ya Artwork - again at the NEW Melody Shop on Race St. in FW

2009-07-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

i love this scene: Network yr Artwork @ The NEW Melody Shop

o, i went to the last "Network" and got my ears refreshened. Arlington's Imaginary Friends is awesome. first-time empanada-maker, Neeky D, blew me away with her homestyle foodstuffs. buena gente, young creative crowd that don't refer to themselves as "creatives"....huh?

Let the Music Move Your Soul 3 - Saturday, July 25th - SE Fort Worth

2009-07-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

WHERE: Echo Lake Park, Ft. Worth, TX. Take the RIPY STREET exit, off of I-35 W.
Follow signs for Echo Lake Park/Community Center.

WHAT UP: FREE, ALL AGE EVENT. FREE FOOD. 2on2 CommanDOS Battle. 1on1 BBoy/BGirl.
1on1 Popping. CASH PRIZES!

More info here!

Get out there and shake it - open and free to the public - family-friendly.

Let The Music Move Your Soul 3!! JULY 25th 2009!!

2009-07-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Queer LiberAction is a Dallas-based, but currently VERY Fort Worth-active, group that is not afraid to be out and outspoken. Kick that kowtow(n) into action, yo!

AND--everyone please save the date (JULY 31st) for the teach-in scheduled to take place in the TCU area. Learn and live. Highly recommended.

*******************

From: Queer Liberaction ..
Subject: Queer LiberAction News - Direct Action Gets the Goods
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 7:48 PM

Direct Action Gets the Goods

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and other city officials know very well that stall tactics drive away interest. Ultimately all that is left of important stories such as the harassment and intimidation used at the Rainbow Lounge become whispers in the middle of the night. Moncrief et al knew the city of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department were wrong and acted under the assumption that GLBT North Texans were going to sit passively by and accept direction from our political betters. Queer LiberAction members stood up and proudly said that violence against our people will never again becomes whispers in the middle of the night.

Mayor Moncrief made an apology after being requested to do so by members of Queer LiberAction. Because he found himself in yet another politically awkward corner, the mayor has subsequently and shamefully rescinded his apology.

The agenda was ultimately restructured so that the issue regarding the raid at the Rainbow Lounge could be heard sooner.

TABC administrator Alan Steen has apologized for his officers committing “clear violations”, the Fort Worth TABC sergeant has resigned and the commission as a whole now seems eager to work openly with the GLBT community.

All this comes after weeks of street protest and agitation, culminating in the finest celebration of our freedom of speech by taking our grievances as an oppressed people to our elected officials. If there hadn’t been so much noise, history could have well repeated itself by allowing our anger to turn into whispers in the middle of the night.

Check out the Dallas Voice article where Queer Liberaction founder, Blake Wilkinson, stands up for the group’s direct action tactics. You can find the article here.

If you haven’t been to QL’s website recently you’ll want to pay a visit. All the photos, video, media links and even a new blog are now up on Queer LiberAction’s site, www.queerliberaction.org

Coming Events

Milk box
Saturday, July 25
Houston and 3rd St
Sundance Square – FW
7:00 PM

Queer Liberaction is set to take its Milk Box to Sundance Square in the heart of downtown Fort Worth this coming Saturday, July 25th at 7:00 PM. Topics sure to ring out over QL’s megaphone will primarily focus on the Rainbow Lounge raid and ensuing debacle in the city of Fort Worth but conversation is open to all. Those that were at the Rainbow Lounge raid are expected to speak on the events they witnessed.

Ambassadors and leaders from the Queer community will be setting up Queer Liberaction's Milk box outside of the gayborhood as a way to engage the public in a discussion on GLBT equality. Named in honor of Harvey Milk, our public free speech event is a fun and engaging way which encourages dialog regarding homophobia and the civil rights denied to GLBT people. Join Queer Liberaction as we stand up and speak OUT to our neighbors about how discrimination affects us all.

Ft Worth QL Meeting
Wednesday, July 29
Starbucks at 404 Houston St in FW
7:00 PM

We are very please to introduce Joe Remsik, the new Queer LiberAction Leader of Community Development in Fort Worth. This new position is part of a drive to foster visible, direct action GLBT activism in Fort Worth. We will hold meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month, with an introductory meeting taking place on July 29th. Meetings will begin at 7:00 in the evening at the Starbucks located at 404 Houston St in Fort Worth.

Joe says that he’s “very excited to help foster the GLBT civil rights movement here in Fort Worth. I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday, July 29th as we begin to write a new chapter in GLBT history right here in North Texas.”

QL still holds meetings on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at Buli Café, 3908 Cedar Springs. We will have a meeting this Wednesday, July 22 beginning at 7:00 in the evening.

Queer LiberAction Teach-in
Friday, July 31
Location by TCU – TBA
7:00 PM

One of the major issues regarding the raid at the Rainbow Lounge is how the city and public officials have responded. We in the GLBT community have been angered by many of the statements of Fort Worth Chief of Police Jeff Halstead and Mayor Mike Moncrief, to name a couple offenders.

How is Mayor Moncrief supposed to stand up for our GLBT community if he isn’t even able to utter the words “Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender” in public?!? This, on top of Jeff Halstead playing the “gay panic” defense by suggesting that Chad Gibson was sent to the hospital for a week after “groping” an officer is so 1969. There is no room for homophobia in Fort Worth in 2009. A city where a GLBT community proudly stands up for itself and doesn’t tolerate homophobia is the new Fort Worth way!

On Friday, July 31 Queer LiberAction along with Spectrum, the Gay Straight Alliance at SMU, will host a public teach-in regarding homophobia and heterosexism and the consequences of it. Statements from Mayor Mike Moncrief, Chief of Police Jeff Halstead and other city officials will be enlarged and displayed for all to see. Speakers will address the public to illustrate how the LGBT community is upset by many of the remarks made by our public officials.

Witnesses of the Rainbow Lounge raid, religious and political leaders of the LGBT North Texas community will be teachers for a day as they address the damaging effects of homophobia and heterosexism.

Come and give your two cents on how you feel the City of Fort Worth has responded to the Rainbow Lounge raid crisis! This event is a hybrid between a Milk box and public education, in its most literal sense. Come and let your voice be heard and speak OUT against homophobia and heterosexism!

Queer LiberAction
lgbtliberaction@gmail.com
www.queerliberaction.org

FDA to get tobacco regulation authority...

2009-07-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

[Lori S, who works for the American Cancer Society, sent along the following news several weeks ago, and I forgot to post this then. Thanks, Lori.]

In an historic vote, the U.S. Senate today passed a bill that would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of tobacco products. Tobacco is virtually the only consumable product that is unregulated, and it is a product that when used as directed kills. One-third of cancer deaths in the U.S. are attributed to tobacco use. Research also shows that 3,500 children pick up their first cigarette each day and 1,000 will become addicted. The American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), have long pushed for this lifesaving legislation, joining more than 1,000 public health and faith-based organizations who support the bill. The House of Representatives has already passed similar legislation. Congress will now reconcile the two bills and send a final version to the President, who has already committed to signing it.

Oh, Banksy, do you have a brother who can live and work in Fort Worth?

2009-07-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Breanna, my niece, is rockin'

2009-07-02T23:36:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of and happy for my little niece, that girl who's all of 15--round the corner from 16. She just got her first-ever payroll check today and that is a major milestone for a family member in our tribe.

We've all been pullin for her, all her life, and maybe even before she was born.

Back in late May or so, Grandma saw something in the newspaper about summer jobs for teens, 14 and up, a by-product of the "Obama stimulus package" opportunities abounding right now. Grandma told little B, and right away B's mom took her to library and B filled out her online app. Meeting, orientation, and other bureaucratic processes later--she's got a job through the Tarrant County Workforce Solution's "Youth in the 21st Century" program. At a church, doing a theater project.

Because B had taken advantage of some cool opportunities with the Rose Marine Theater and with her tia Tammy, she had some "theater experience" credentials to add to her job app. So, she got hooked up with a theater production, and we all assumed--B included--that she would be doing lights or some tech assistant tasks. Oh, no. This girl got her a gig performing ONstage, with professional (Jubilee Theatre) performers involved, and together they will be presenting LIVE at the Scott Theatre (!!) in early August. (B did reveal that 100 teens were hired to be involved with this production...)

Apparently, the show title, theme(s), and other details are a big secret to be kept from the public--til the opening night, of course. Which makes me all the more curious and intrigued. B is keeping it cool with the Jubilee folks whom she knows know me; she thinks it best not to drop my name and just earn/learn her way on her own cred (credibility and credentials).

So, with the first paycheck in hand, my little B is a "professional performer" in the 817. I couldn't be prouder and happier for her.

Hey--I'll let you know the performance date(s) and more specifics as I get them myself.

Support the LGBT community in FW - Call for Justice in the Case of the Rainbow Lounge Raid on Sunday, June 28th

2009-06-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's all over the local (DFW, TX) news--radio, television, print--and apparently, even various national media news outlets covered this in front-end broadcast segments. The newest gay bar in town, the Rainbow Lounge, is located less than a 5-minute drive from my home, and was recently the site of a now-controversial raid by FWPD and TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) that has sent a Lounge patron to John Peter Smith Hospital with a serious head injury.

Q Cinema founder Todd Camp, present during the raid, was compelled to take action and so has created a Facebook group, "Rainbow Lounge Raid", which in less than three days time has attracted over 4,000 members.

At tonight's community policing forum, local residents spoke out against what is increasingly being labeled "excessive force" and "homophobia" on the part of the arresting officers at the Rainbow Lounge on early Sunday morning. Police Chief Jeff Halstead so far seems to be doing the right thing: promising an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the arrests and urging witnesses to step forward and offer their testimony. Of course, many folks in the LGBT community--and their allies--are alarmed by what this bodes for the future, given the historical (hysterical) homophobia of Texans in general and that of Texas law enforcement officers in specific. Because of this, local activists are mobilizing quickly to build solidarity networks and to organize public demonstrations of support for the Rainbow Lounge, its patrons, and those who suffered at the hands of the FWPD on that fateful Sunday morning.

Some folks are even calling on nationally-syndicated sex columnist Dan Savage to make a trip to Cowtown for an appearance at an upcoming protest rally...

*************************************************

UPCOMING EVENTS: NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION!

July 1 - Wednesday - evening candlelight vigil in front of the Rainbow Lounge - 8pm - 651 S. Jennings
July 5 - Sunday - "Milk Box" speak-out at Sundance Square, downtown FW - 7pm - Houston & 3rd Streets
July 12 - Sunday - LGBT North Texas Rally - Tarrant County Courthouse - 7pm - 100 E. Weatherford

*************************************************

More information, via the Equality Texas blog.

More information, via Queer Liberaction:

From: Queer Liberaction
Subject: The Rainbow Lounge Raids - Stonewall 2009
To: lgbtliberaction@gmail.com
Date: Monday, June 29, 2009, 6:00 PM

THE RAINBOW LOUNGE RAID – "STONEWALL 2009"

This past Sunday, June 28th was the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellions, the moment which sparked our civil rights movement. At Stonewall we were indignant and outraged. With this anger we got energized, got creative and got organized and stood up to society to proclaim that we are not going to be treated like any less than the human beings that we are.

Forty years on, GLBT people are still being harassed and brutalized within their own bars and clubs. At about 1:00 AM on the exact anniversary of Stonewall, the Fort Worth Police, along with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), raided the Rainbow Lounge. A patty wagon along with several police cars were parked outside as the police entered with plastic handcuffs ready to make arrests.

The Fort Worth Police are claiming that arrests were made for public intoxication. You can’t get drunk at a bar in Texas anymore? The police are also claiming that customers made “sexually explicit movements toward the police supervisor” and that other officers were “groped'.

Customers from the Rainbow Lounge have a sharply different account of the events. First hand accounts indicate that this raid was a clear-cut case of police brutality and harassment. These sorts of vile intimidation techniques must not be allowed to pass without angry condemnation from the North Texas LGBT community.

While there is still uncertainty as to the exact number of arrests made, those who were present at the Rainbow Lounge that evening are reporting that about fifteen people were arrested.

Violence was used to such an extent that a Rainbow Lounge customer, Chad Gibson, is still in the ICU suffering from internal hemorrhaging on the brain. His condition is reported to be worsening. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chad and the Gibson family.

Please visit the Dallas Voice Instant Tea blog for a more complete story and for the latest developments. (I recommend hitting the refresh button every few hours, at least for the next week or so...)

LGBT North Texas will rally again at the Tarrant County Courthouse on Sunday, July 12 at 7:00 PM. If in the next two weeks there is city-wide condemnation of the Rainbow Lounge Raid then the rally will then be one to congratulate the city on their swift and sharp action. On the other hand, if first hand reports still contradict the official story, if arresting officers are not seriously disciplined, if the officer responsible for Chad Gibson’s brain hemorrhage is still an active member of the Fort Worth Police Department, if apologies are not issued by the mayor, Mike Moncrief, and the Fort Worth Police Chief, Jeffery Halstead then the tone of the rally will adequately express the indignation from our community regarding the City of Fort Worth’s less than aggressive response to homophobia and police brutality.

Rainbow Lounge Raid Rally
Tarrant County Courthouse
100 E Weatherford
Sunday, July 12
7:00 PM

SPEAK YOUR MIND!

Chuck Potter and Todd Camp were both at the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, June 28, when it was raided by Fort Worth police officers and agents with the TABC. Seven people were arrested and one man remains hospitalized with a serious head injury that may require surgery as a result of the raid — which by the way, happened on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion.

Potter, Camp and many others were outraged by what has been described as the officers' brutality during the raid, and by what appeared to many as nothing more than an effort to harass management, staff and patrons at the newly-opened nightclub. Potter and Camp organized rallies on Sunday that drew as many as 200 people to the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse to protest the raid.

Now Chuck Potter and Todd Camp are coming to Dallas Voice's monthly "Freedom of Speech Night" on Tuesday, June 30, to talk about what happened. We want you to come, too, to get information and to give your opinion.

Come on out and exercise your freedom of speech!

Tuesday, June 30
8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Buzzbrews Kitchen
4334 Lemmon Avenue

MILK BOX – RAINBOW LOUNGE RAID

In response to the raid at the Rainbow Lounge, Queer Liberaction is set to take its Milk box to Sundance Square in the heart of downtown Fort Worth this coming Sunday, July 5th at 7:00 PM. Those that were at the Rainbow Lounge Raid will speak on the events they witnessed.

Ambassadors and leaders from the Queer community will be setting up Queer Liberaction's Milk box outside of the gayborhood as a way to engage the public in a discussion on GLBT equality. Named in honor of Harvey Milk, our public free speech event is a fun and engaging way which encourages dialog regarding homophobia and the civil rights denied to GLBT people. Join Queer Liberaction as we stand up and speak OUT to our neighbors about how discrimination affects us all.

Milk box
Sundance Square in Fort Worth
Houston & 3rd St.
Sunday, July 5
7:00 PM

All the information coming out regarding the Rainbow Lounge Raid is all very new and a single consistent story has been difficult to establish. Please keep checking Queer Liberaction’s website for the latest steps we will be taking in the coming weeks.

Queer Liberaction
lgbtliberaction@gmail.com

"Howl" - a live theater adaptation of a poem- at the Hip Pocket Theater in FW

2009-06-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Allen Ginsberg's book-length seminal poem "Howl" has been adapted by Johnny Simon of the Hip Pocket Theater in Fort Worth. I'm going to see and hear it tonight. I've been told the performance runs a brief 45 minutes. "Howl" was written 50 years ago, and apparently still speaks volumes about the state of our society--I'll let you know my first impressions later this week.

I've also been reading that producer Christine Vachon (one of my living cinematic heroes) has been working on a narrative film which focuses on the drama and controversy that surrounded Ginsberg (and a few other Beat poets) in NYC. Titled "Kill Your Darlings", this film has been generating alot of buzz, though it's not slated to be released later this summer or in the fall. A biopic, also based on Ginsberg's "Howl" is forthcoming in 2010.

Check out some related images here, here, here, and here.

One online pundit suggested that Jemaine, of hot indie band-of-the-moment Flight of the Conchords, woulda made a great onscreen "Ginzy"--as many of us affectionately called Ginsberg over the years.

Do Dance, Do Music--in Dallas, Saturday, June 13th

2009-06-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

The city of Dallas will be host to two exciting fests in one day. First, there will be a 6-hour TangoThon at the Latino Cultural Center. Afterwards, the Dallas Symphony Latino Festival will commence at the Meyerson Symphony Center, in the downtown museum district. Both events are FREE and open to the public! Details follow.

SABOR A TANGO
Presents
THE 7TH ANNUAL TangoTHON

SPONSORED BY Latino Cultural Center and Target

(Argentine Tango Classes for FREE. ALL classes are geared toward beginners.)

Saturday June 13th, 2009
11am - 5pm

Location: Latino Cultural Center - 2600 Live Oak St. - Dallas, Texas 75204
(The Latino Cultural Center is located just east of downtown Dallas.)

Registration for the Free Classes is Highly recommended.

How to Register:
Send an e-mail to dancing@evolutiontango.com with the following information:
Subject: TangoTHON 2009
First and Last Name of all the participants
Class # (you can take one, tw,o or all three classes)

Class #1 - 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.– Intro to Argentine Tango taught by George and Jairelbhi Furlong

Class #2- 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. - Intro to Argentine Tango taught by Karen & Larry Hallman

Class #3- 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. –Intro to Argentine Tango taught by Reese Fuentez & Gail Horne

2:30pm to 3:00pm – Performances by Tango Instructors

3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Open Practica (This is the time to practice what you have learned in the classes)

NEW THIS YEAR: There will be a Tango Performance in between classes by Tango Students

If you have any questions, please call: 469.939.4120 or email at dancing@evolutiontango.com.

[Thank you, Jairelbhi Furlong, for sending along this tango fest invitation.]

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Dallas Symphony Latino Festival 2009

Saturday, June 13, 2009
7:30pm -- FREE and open to the public

Meyerson Symphony Center - in the downtown Dallas museum district - Dallas, TX

Admittance will be on a first-come , first-served basis. Please arrive 45 minutes early to ensure seating.
Vouchers can be obtained by calling: 214.692.0203

GNO - live tonight - presented by WordSpace in Dallas

2009-06-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

[Thanks to Adrienne Cox Trammell of WordSpace for the following announcement.]

WORDSPACE of Dallas, Texas, will present veteran slam poet John E. Doom aka GNO, tonight, June 12th, at Cafe Madrid in Dallas.

Date: Friday, June 12
Time: 10:00 p.m. to midnight
Place: Cafe Madrid - Bishop Arts District - 408 N. Bishop - Dallas, TX

I've known GNO for over ten years, and he always, quite capably, delivers a fun and riveting performance poetry set. He's worked solo, and he's also been on several slam poetry teams representing Dallas at the National Poetry Slam competitions over the past 12 or so years. I also booked his threesome, OIL (Ordained in Lyrics), which performed to thunderous ovations at the Texas Book Festival under the Poetry Tent (which I curated and hosted for seven years). OIL is one of the best spoken word performance ensembles I've ever heard in the great state of Texas. The first time I witnessed this trio, performing well-orchestrated group pieces with the flavor of jazz, was at Mojo's Coffeehouse in Austin during South by Southwest. OIL slicked me down and fried me deep--wow. For now, it appears that GNO is doing a solo routine for his public appearances. No worries, this man can definitely entertain on his own. Highly recommended.

More info at wordspacetexas@yahoo.com

My personal Nepal anniversary

2009-06-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

This week, this precise week, marks the 10th year anniversary of my FIRST (yes, someday i WILL return) journey to and in Nepal. I long-ago started a blog which was designed to depict at least a few of my experiences and impressions while there in the summer of 1999. So, you can go there if you want to read more details about that. For here and now, let's just enjoy these two images and some elevation stats. Yeah, I trekked up to see Everest, and yes, it rocked my world.

Uhm, some folks got me to do an interview for an August 1999 edition of the Sandhiya Times (a Nepal Bhasa-language daily that's distributed in Kathmandu). Pretty unexpected thing to happen to a Chicana from Tejas, que no?

Kathmandu, 4500 ft. elevation

Lukla, 9380 ft. elevation

(Oh, that's right: I flew into Lukla, at the "most dangerous airport in the world". Glad I didn't know this back then. You gotta watch the embedded video footage of a SAFE landing into Lukla on this site. No wonder all the passengers and flight personnel break into excited (and relieved) applause whenever this plane lands in one piece..)

Namche Bazaar, 11,300 ft. elevation

Khumjung 12,400 ft. elevation

Tengboche 12,670 ft. elevation

Pangboche 12,800 ft. elevation

Who's Counting?

2009-06-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

[Thanks to Lionheart, who identifies as a "Nerd for Word," for the following news and links.]

"check this out. the english language will be getting its millioneth [sic] word very sooooooon."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/09/million.words/index.html

http://www.languagemonitor.com/

1. This
2. is
3. very
4. fascinating
5. especially
6. to
7. folks
8. who
9. enjoy
10. playing
11. with
12. words

I'm performing at tonight's Spoken Word Salon @ Christopher Walker in FW

2009-06-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

There is going to be a special edition event at the Christopher Walker Salon tonight, Saturday, June 6th, from 6-9pm. Apparently, one of the owners at Christopher Walker is a poetry/spoken word aficionado and has spearheaded this first-time Spoken Word Salon--which will feature various "speaking" artists, including some mc's (rappers). I'll be on the mic too, starting sometime between 7:30pm and 8:30pm. Doing about a 15-20 minute set.

Wine/fruit/spoken word/camaraderie with creatives/Los Vaqueros tex-mex-----sounds good to me.

10 dollars at the door.

817.207.9898 to rsvp or for more info.

6-7pm wine reception
7-8:30pm performances
8:30pm more food, catered by Los Vaqueros Restaurant

Christopher Walker Salon
3065 Greene Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76109

What's in your camelbak?

2009-06-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

The one and only time i ever participated in a foot race (it was a 10k), i was about 18 years old. Near the finish line, the organizers had set up barrels and barrels filled with ice-cold cans (the 8 oz. size) of Budweiser. As the legal drinking age at the time was 18, I swigged a couple cans of Bud--ahhh. Quite refreshing, if not actually hydrating.

Back to the garden(ing).

2009-06-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I fret that I am spending (my all-too-precious) time doing the wrong things. I often double up by listening to some interesting radio (KERA's Think or This American Life or Radio 360) as I move to and fro cleaning, arranging, blogging, cooking, cat-bonding, etc. Today, I decided--with utmost intent--to push everything aside so that I could finally make fresh herb bundles to share with neighbors and friends who live in my very walkable neighborhood. It was a gorgeous sunny day, with a mild cool breeze blowing, and so I knew that a walk could do me some good. As I listened to Middle Eastern students and young professionals interpret and analyze President Obama's recent speech in Cairo, I carefully arranged and tied together short cuttings of fresh rosemary and oregano from my garden. It was a little bit of a fight that I had to wage, within my mind, to keep myself from labeling this activity as frivolous and dashing back to the internet for online browsing, researching, bulletin posting, whatever, whatever. Seems that, more and more, it becomes harder to justify spending time OFF-line. This concerns me greatly. And so, I am trying to liberate myself from the cyber-hood by doing things that really matter. Er, because they deal with actual matter. Hence, I have been gardening (i.e., growing things in dirt, specifically in the dirt around my house). So far, I have the following new little lovelies soaking up sun (and water) and stretching up, millimeter by millimeter, every day--much to my delight and unwavering fascination: basil, cabbage (c'mon, little guy, you can do it!), onion, carrots, collard greens (from seed, mind you), chili peppers, squash, pole beans, mint, and parsley. I am so protective of my little growing project that I cannot imagine the pain I am likely to inflict on anyone caught trying to heist my garden edibles.

I wanna say some words about my experience of the ABC network special "Earth 2100", which I caught on the telly this past Tuesday. But all I can manage to share about this right now is that 1) the info and narrative of this program was very sobering; 2) I'm glad i've been living my "economic downturn" lifestyle for over 15 years already; and 3) we really need to grow a solid mentality and practice of living the aphorism that "we're all in this together."

If you want some fresh-cut rosemary or oregano, just let me know. I'll be happy to share the harvest.

Recommended reading

Peak-Oil Prophet James Howard Kunstler on Food, Fuel and Why He Became an Almost Vegan

* By Kerry Trueman
Alternet, May 7, 2009
Straight to the Source

I grew up in Woodland Hills, Calif., a nominally pastoral, petrocentric Los Angeles suburb, so peak oil prognosticator James Howard Kunstler's dim view of our car-crazed culture really resonates with me.

Kunstler's relentless skewering of suburbia, and his penchant for apocalyptic predictions have landed him a reputation as a cranky Cassandra. But as Ben McGrath observed while strolling around Saratoga Springs with Kunstler for a recent New Yorker piece, "Far from the image of the stereotypical Chicken Little, he was more like an amiable town crier whom the citizenry regarded fondly, if a bit skeptically."

So, when a friend and I found ourselves headed to Kunstler's neck of the woods for a conference recently, we arranged to have dinner with Saratoga Springs' resident soothsayer. Contrary to his contrarian reputation, Kunstler proved to be an affable, upbeat guy.

We chatted about food, politics, urban planning, gardening and a dozen other topics, but I'm not much of a note-taker; I'd rather eat than tweet. So our dinner conversation was off the record, including, mercifully, his ribald remarks about Alice Waters and Martha Stewart, which decency should preclude me from even alluding to.

However, he graciously agreed to answer my questions via e-mail about his conversion from carnivore to (mostly) vegan and other foodish and fuelish topics.

Kerry Trueman: Let's get right to the meat of the matter -- or, rather, the lack thereof. You used to enjoy eating "lots of meat, duck fat, butter by the firkin." What made you decide to go more or less vegan in recent months? Was it hard to make the transition to a plant-based diet?

James Howard Kunstler: It was as simple as a trip to the doctor's office. My cholesterol and blood pressure were too high. I had to take some radical action. I've enjoyed the challenge of cooking with a very different range of ingredients. But I like cooking and am pretty good at it -- I worked in many restaurant kitchens when I was a starving bohemian -- and I figured a lot of things out.

For instance, that you can make stocks and sauces by braising onions and aromatics without oil or butter. The only thing I really miss is making really bravura dishes for company, like chicken pie with a butter-saturated crust, duck-and-sausage gumbo, brownies ... you get the picture. ... I'm still excited by the challenge of vegan (or nearly vegan -- I use skim milk) cookery.

There are some excellent cookbooks out there, by the way, like Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, The Accidental Vegan by Devra Gartenstein, and the Candle Cafe Cookbook by Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza.

KT: A study has just come out showing that although the French spend two hours eating each day -- roughly twice as long as we do -- they're among the slimmest of the 18 nations in the study. Americans were the fattest, with more than 1 in 3 Americans qualifying as obese. How would you explain this phenomenon? What compels Americans to eat so many of our meals in our cars?

JHK: Americans eat so many meals in cars because: 1) The infrastructure of daily life is engineered for extreme car dependency, and 2) because the paucity of decent quality public space and so-called third places (gathering places) for the working classes (and lower) -- and remember, it is the working classes and poor who are way disproportionately obese. The people portrayed in Vanity Fair magazine are not fat. I suspect that the amount of time Americans spend in their cars is roughly proportionate to the amount of time French people spend at the table.

Fast food is not a new phenomenon in the USA, however. Frances Trollope's sensational travel book of the 1830s, The Domestic Manners of the Americans dwells on the horrifying spectacle of our hotel dining rooms, where people bolted their food with disgusting manners. Americans have been in a tearing rush for 200 years.

KT: In The Long Emergency, published in 2005, you predicted with astounding accuracy how the subprime mortgage meltdown would unfold. Your latest novel, World Made By Hand, takes place in the near future after a massive flu outbreak that originated in Mexico. Um, what should we start worrying about next?

JHK: Worry about the "recovery" that never comes and the insidious collapse of our institutions and arrangements that will proceed from this. Worry about lost incomes and vocations that will never come back (e.g. marketing exec for Target, Inc.) and the need to find new ways to be useful to your fellow human beings (and incidentally perhaps earn a living). Worry about finding a community to live in that is cohesive enough to stave off anarchy at the local level. Worry about building the best garden you can and making good compost. Worry about how difficult it is to learn how to play a musical instrument at age 47.

KT: You recently wrote "there's no way we can continue the petro-agriculture system of farming and the Cheez Doodle and Pepsi Cola diet that it services. The public is absolutely zombified in the face of this problem -- perhaps a result of the diet itself." OK, so how will we stock our post-peak-oil pantries? Do we really need to start hoarding rice and beans?

JHK: Get some kind of a hand-cranked home grain mill. Personally, I think it is indeed a good idea to lay in a supply of beans, lentils, rice, oats, other grains and don't forget salt, boullion (soups can sustain us with any number of ingredients), dried onion flakes, spices (chilies and curries especially). Our just-in-time, three-day's-worth-of-inventory supermarket system is very susceptible to disruption. And we're very far from establishing workable local food networks in this country.

The fragility of petro-ag is being aggravated by the collapse of bank lending now. Farmers need borrowed money desperately. Capital is as important an "input" as methane-based fertilizers. I think we could see problems with food production and distribution anytime from here on.

KT: You're an avid gardener -- do you grow much of your own food? Do you worry that you'll have to guard your greens with a gun if our collapsing economy sends the mall rats outdoors to forage after the food courts run out of pretzel nuggets?

JHK: I don't grow any grains. I have successfully grown potatoes, but won't this year (I'm renting my current house and its accompanying property). This year, I'll be planting mostly leafy greens -- collards, kale, chard, lettuces, plus some peppers and tomatoes (pure frivolity). It is not hard to imagine that food theft will become a problem. The trouble, though, is that the sort of people liable to do the thieving are exactly those with the poorest skills in cooking. You have to know what to do with kale to make it worth stealing. It may be more like kitchen theft: "... what's that you got on the stove, pal?"

KT: You evidently enjoy cooking and entertaining. Who would your dream dinner guests be (limiting your guest list to those folks who are currently among the living)?

JHK: I have a pretty good revolving cast of characters among my friends locally who make regular visits to my table. This week, a farming couple who are renting 20 acres off a wealthy land-truster (and doing a great job of market gardening) are coming over, along with the Rolling Stone environmental reporter and his wife, who is writing a gardening book. I don't need no steenkin' outatown celebrities.

3 recommended events for this weekend in Fort Worth

2009-05-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Humanization 4tet--featuring Aaron and Stefan Gonzalez, Metroplex musicians who are also brothers--begins its U.S. tour this weekend here in the FW. Humanization 4tet's first release (on Clean Feed Records) won best Portuguese CD honors as selected by the biggest Portuguese jazz magazine, Jazz.PT, in 2008.

The Humanization 4tet is led by Lisbon guitarist Luis Lopes & features tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado. Lopes and Amado selected the Gonzalez brothers--sons of Dallas-based jazz virtuoso Dennis Gonzalez--to join them as the rhythm section to fill out this "freebop" quartet.

TONIGHT!
Friday, May 22 - Firehouse Gallery - Ft. Worth
4147 Meadowbrook Dr. - 76103 - 8 pm - $5

For more info, check out this compendium of reviews of the 4tet.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Saturday, May 23rd: Check out Jesse Sierra Hernandez' solo art exhibit opening at the Rose Marine Theater Gallery (Galeria de la Rosa), 1440 N. Main St., 5 minutes north of downtown FW. Jesse's exhibit, entitled En Una Manera Silenciosa, will surely draw a crowd of dedicated fans and friends.

I'll have to miss the opening, cuz I'm going to be in Tulsa, OK, for the premiere weekend screening of "Barking Water".

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Lindsey D sent word about a free film screening, sponsored by the local chapter of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World).
Never had heard of this doc before. Check it out.

Sunday, May 24th
1919 Hemphill, 5 minutes south of downtown FW.

"Barking Water" premiere in Tulsa, Oklahoma--where it was filmed

2009-05-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

"Self Portrait: Homeland Series" by Richard Ray Whitman, 1986, photo collage, mixed media
Richard Ray Whitman (the guy in the middle in the image above) is a friend who I met, quite serendipitously at a New Year's Eve party in OKC (Oklahoma City), back in 1999 when the last place I wanted to bring in the new year was in Austin. I called up fellow poet and wondering wanderer Kathianne O and told her to pick me up from the OKC airport around 10pm that night. She, not expecting this call, tried to beg off, saying that she was boring, had no friends and no food in the fridge. I told her that I didn't care, and that I was on my way nonetheless. When she picked me up from the airport, her entire mood had transformed: "there's a party happening at my house--i bought a buncha food and beer--and my Indian friends are coming over!" You never know when a random call to a distant friend can stir up a nice hot diggity. At Kathianne's later that night--and into the next morning--I got to meet and hang out with Richard Ray and his brother Joe Dale. We shared fresh poems, lotsa drink, and kindled a wonderful new friendship. I celebrate Richard Ray Whitman with this post, cuz he's the sort of quiet smoldering presence who defies description. He is a visual artist, poet, committed Yuchi Indian activist, and now--an actor. He is a caring, compassionate person whose gentle spirit can truly transform any room you find yourself sharing with him. I'll never forget the day last May (2008) when he led me to his special altar and lit some sweetgrass and gave me a special blessing mere weeks after I'd survived my closet ordeal. It was a highlight of my visit to Oklahoma City last year. Vicki, Richard Ray, me, Kathianne in OKC, May 2008 - photo credit: Bryan Parras

I cannot wait to see him on the big screen in his first starring role.

THE EVENT: Oklahoma Premiere of "Barking Water", Native Indian indie filmmaker Sterlin Harjo’s new film featuring Casey Camp-Horinek and Richard Ray Whitman.

The film got great reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and was screened at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York City on the opening night of the Native American Film and Video Festival in March. That was followed by screenings at the Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.

Now, it’s opening in Oklahoma. Circle Cinema in Tulsa will host the
Oklahoma premiere, from Friday, May 22nd through Thursday, May 28th.

Circle Cinema is located at 12 S. Lewis, Tulsa, OK
Phone at 918-585-3456 for more info.

Tickets will go on sale Thursday, May 21 by phone or online.

Additional links:
http://www.barkingwaterfilm.com/

http://filmlinc.org/ndnf/program/barkingwater.html

http://filmlinc.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/ndnf-winding-roads-and-lifes-complications-in-sterlin-harjos-barking-water/

http://www.nativenetworks.si.edu/eng/orange/barking_water.html

http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/barking_water

Spring Issue, YELLOW MEDICINE REVIEW - now released

2009-05-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like capping off an amazing afternoon of backyard gardening (also lit my firepit as it was actually cool enough outside to deal with that) with a great mail delivery. I received my contributor's copies of the latest issue of the
YELLOW MEDICINE REVIEW yesterday and put the huge yellow envelope aside 'til I was done in the backyard. Then, I took a quick bath, put on some fresh clothes, and walked--with envelope under my arm--to the Chatroom for a celebratory pint. It's my tradition to toast myself whenever a new publication credit comes to pass; typically, I've ended up at the thinks-it's-schmancy-but it's actually pretty laidback upstairs bar at the Worthington Hotel downtown. I once dragged a box of books and a box cutter up there, plopped down on a leatheresque settee and ordered a Bombay gin and tonic. Never mind trying to get a friend to join you; they're usually at work or otherwise occupied. And, what I've come to realize is that this celebration is really about you, the writer, and your book. Ain't no one else really gonna understand the import and necessity of unpacking the book from its delivery wrap with great anticipation, and the delicious feeling of first seeing the book design and cover art, and turning the book over and over in your hands--knowing that your own written words have contributed to its weight and value. Then, when you open the book to see where your poems have been placed, you marvel at how your work seems to hold its own settled in among poems written by people you have never heard of before. I try to read my poems with the eyes of a new reader, imagining what they might find or appreciate most in my words. All these gestures and rituals of welcoming a new book are a quite personal experience for the published writer. If you as friend or family member don't really understand but applaud me from afar, that's cool. Me and my new book will continue to celebrate over at the corner table, glistening with pride and good humor.

Get out, get active today - Monday, May 18th

2009-05-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

For some reason, tonight's a big night for community action and activism in the Metroplex. I might end up at the ACT meeting; I have met a few ACT organizers and they are very cool and creative problem-solvers, and so I want to learn more about their work in Tarrant County. But right after I post this, I'm dragging my boombox out to the backyard, and I'm turning into a gardening fiend for the next few hours. Bean pole plants are looking good. My collard seeds have sprouted!

++++++

TONIGHT!

ACT's (Allied Communities of Tarrant) general membership meets at 7 pm at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in the library tonight, Monday, May 18th. The address is 3717 Stadium Dr. (west of Granbury Road, in the Westcliff neighborhood).

Tonight's agenda includes final planning for Tuesday's education action (see below), updates on the ACT May 28 GALA, and work on JPS's new community clinic initiative and the beginning of immigration workshops. Nine ACT leaders met with legislators and participated in a press conference at the state capitol last week, and they will discuss progress on legislation around job training, TAKS testing, and children's health insurance.
______________

Tomorrow, TUESDAY, May 19th at 6:45 pm, parents, congregrations, pastors and principals will meet to determine the political will for challenging the status quo in schools. This includes

• challenging how schools treat parents
• how teachers and parents can be more effective together,
• how to challenge the geography of failing schools.

Please arrive at 6:45 pm at Beth Eden Baptist Church, 3208 Wilbarger St, Fort Worth. The leadership team and Education Coordinator Tara Perez have led listening sessions with hundreds of parents, and these stories will form the basis of a summer organizing strategy.

More information on ACT (Allied Communities of Tarrant):

Jose Aguilar - 817-443-4152 (cell) - joseaguilar_58@hotmail.com

Allied Communities of Tarrant - 817-921-2228 (phone) - alliedcommunities.org

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COMMUNITY POLICING FORUM

The Fort Worth Police Department will hold a police public awareness forum TONIGHT:

MONDAY, MAY 18th, 2009
7PM to 8PM
SHAMBLEE BRANCH LIBRARY (about 2 blocks east of I-35, minutes from Magnolia/Fairmount 'hoods)
1062 EVANS AVENUE

This forum will be conducted to:

- Build a better verbal dialogue between the community and the police department.
- Maintain a continuous working relationship and address the various concerns of the community.

In this meeting, community groups and residents will have the opportunity to hear about the latest projects and programs, ask questions and give feedback to numerous police officials.

Chief of police Jeff Halstead and other police department representatives will attend the forum.

Because you care about what happens in your neighborhood, please attend. For more information, please contact Office Sharron Neal at 817.392.4215.

Please invite your neighbors, your neighborhood watch groups, and your copwatch allies.

++++++

And, to close off the night, if you can get out to Denton---a benefit for the QUERENCIA COMMUNITY BIKE SHOP!

Doors open at 7pm

$7
$5 if you come by bike

8pm- Chris Flemons
9pm- The Slow Burners
10pm- Boxcar Bandits
11pm- Sara Jaffe

Bike sale, Bake Sale, Raffles, Bike Valet!!!

Help us buy some tools!

We are celebrating our recent approval of 501c3!!! We are officially a tax-exempt nonprofit organization!

http://qcbs.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/10x15qcbsbenefitwithtext.jpg

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GET OUTSIDE, GET ACTIVE, the weather's gorgeous so roll your car windows down & turn OFF the a/c !!!!

My cabbies

2009-05-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

The forthcoming issue of Yellow Medicine Review will be featuring three of my poems based generally on the theme of education, including one about my international cab drivers--they're immigrant men about 99% of the time--and we share fascinating conversations as they drive me to my destination. As we all know, "it's the journey, not the..." I learn so much from these men, as they are often well-educated with colorful histories which are encapsulated in six minutes (or so) of time talking together. I often--especially in the past three months--begin to feel a particular kinship with these men, as if these drivers are long-lost brothers who need to hurriedly catch me up on the lives they've been living.

In some cases, I have tracked their journeys, before even knowing them personally: A Nepali driver seemed to appreciate that I exhibited more than a passing awareness of the current political situation in Nepal. And, when my driver this past Wednesday told me that he'd been born in Cuba and hoped to travel there someday--his parents were from Sudan--I put two and two together and realized that this young man was of "diplomat family stock". He confirmed what I'd thought, telling me that his parents were only briefly based in Cuba, and thereafter returned to Sudan where this man was raised. He told me that he could not now return to Sudan, for he is a "wanted man" and I chimed in, "like one of those 'Lost Boys' of Sudan", to which he smiled--not every Fort Worthian is gonna have a clue, after all--and nodded, "yes I am like them."

There are many "lost boys" wandering our streets as taxicab drivers in the night. I hope that they at least occasionally meet other passengers who care to hear their stories and arrive, full stop, at heartening and enlightening conclusions together.

Sor Juana Festival - comes to Dallas on Saturday, May 16th

2009-05-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Latino Cultural Center of Dallas
in collaboration with the
National Museum of Mexican Art presents

The 2009 Sor Juana Festival
Saturday, May 16
4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

"The Sor Juana Festival is a multidisciplinary festival honoring one of Mexico's greatest writers, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th century Mexican nun who valued the education of women. In addition to the Latino Cultural Center, the National Museum of Mexican Art is collaborating with over 12 arts organizations across the nation - making the Sor Juana Festival the largest Latino performing arts festival in the country."

4pm - Film Screening
"Yo, la peor de todas" / I, The Worst of All
María Luisa Bemberg (1990) - Based on the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz,this film will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles.

6:30pm - Intermission

7pm - Special Musical Performance
Mezzo-soprano Silvia Paola Nuñez will perform traditional 17th century songs from Mexico's baroque era

7:30pm - "Sor Juana: A Life Defined"
The illustrious Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz comes to life in this theatrical performance filled with poetry, music and color. Performed by Teatro Flor Candela. Written and directed by Patricia Urbina.

8:30pm to 9:30pm - Reception

Where?
Latino Cultural Center
2600 Live Oak St., Dallas, TX 74204

Festival admission is free - open to all!

"En este montaje teatral disfrutaremos de poesía, danza, música y títeres. Apreciaremos la voz de la Décima Musa al asimilar las culturas prehispánicas, africanas y occidentales; la compleja relación con los poderes políticos y eclesiásticos; y la batalla apasionada que libró para defender el derecho de la mujer a cultivar el conocimiento en igualdad con el hombre y a expresar sus ideas con libertad."

follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/trappedNcloset

2009-05-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

i'm re-enacting my closet ordeal,
via twitter only. it's a 2.5 day finite experimental performance work.

don't worry, i'm not actually IN the closet physically, just a little bit emotionally, psychologically, and artistically.

one friend DID panic, thinking i was actually trapped (again), and drove over to check on me yesterday evening.
sorry, Lindsey.

another thing i'm doing to celebrate my 1-year anniversary of the struggle to carve a hole in the door to get out of the closet, is that i'm EATING and DRINKING as much as i want for 2.5 days. i'm having a cup of Wild Berry Zinger tea at the moment, whereas this time last year i was enjoying (barely) "essence of saliva."

be in the moment, wherever you are!

Festival Internacional de Poesia de Quetzaltenango - this wk. in Guatemala

2009-05-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

Ramsey, our friend studying Spanish in Guatemala, sent word about an international poetry festival taking place there all this week (May 9-15). He's gonna be checking it out, which I'm happy he's doing. For more info on the fest, click here.

And, to read his online travel notes--which are remarkably nuanced and detailed at times--check out
RAMSEY'S TRAVEL BLOG. I recommend the additional reading implements of a strong cup of coffee and a well-cushioned desk chair.

On the subject of traveling abroad and witnessing poetry festivals, I am reminded of my own three months spent--quite often--hanging out in Kathmandu with some of the contemporary Nepali "stars" of poetry. Once word got out that a poet from America was wandering their streets, many KTM literary scholars and poets invited me to teas, lunches, and some--at times--quite pompous literary events, the likes of which I'd never experienced before. (Imagine sitting in an un-air conditioned windowless lecture hall for five hours, watching dignitary after dignitary walk up to the podium for his 10-minute honoring ceremonial introduction--now this is before you even get to hear one poem. When an actual poet is introduced, his (though there are noted and recognized women poets and authors, the great majority are men) brief reading is preceded by hugely long sonorous commentaries by a panel of (who designates them as such, I never found out) critics. Torture, I tell you.{

However, one bold shining exception to all the pomp and pretension I experienced at Nepali literary events, was getting to spend quality time--in his home, no less--with the nationally-revered poet Megh Raj Manjul, known to most as simply 'Manjul." Ah, now the memories are really flooding in. Now I have to drop everything, maybe tonight, and find that old audio cassette which contains my brief interview with Manjul (circa August 1999), and, most importantly, the poems and song that he performed for me and my tape recorder. (Dang, I hate that my minidisc battery was spent by the time I got to meet Manjul...)

Until today, it hadn't even occurred to me that my Nepali literary comrade might have a web presence this century. I guess, because Nepal didn't even get digital pagers until the late 1990s, I didn't think that folks there would even be bothering with website development and html authoring. Oh well, more the surprise and pleasure for me now, as I am finding a cornucopia of sites that are feeding my current re-fascination with all things Nepal.

You can read more about Manjul, as one of the many Personalities of Literature from Nepal on the Spiny Babbler website. Spiny B is a veritable production house of activity for all things literary in Nepal. I myself own archival copies of the "Spiny Babbler", the English-language poetry journal founded by Nepali publisher/writer Pallav Ranjan. I suppose that the print journal was only the beginning for Pallav, as the online website now evidences.

As I keep browsing, I find more sites leading me to my past. Wow, even my former meditation teacher, Wayne Amtzis, is online! I remember doing walking meditation on his rooftop one humid Kathmandu afternoon, and meeting him for Buddhist teaching sessions at a study center every so often during my summer there. Wayne is also established, as expatriate from the U.S., as a writer and translator, having played an instrumental role in the publication of dozens and dozens of poems written in both Nepali and Nepal Bhasa (one of many ethnic languages) over the years. I think I'll send him an email, and start a reconnection in earnest with the living poets of that nation.

Here's to literary expression, anywhere--be it Guatemala or Nepal, Mexicio or the U.S.--and everywhere, and to all the contemporary writers who forge bonds beyond borders.

Fort Worth Cactus and Succulent Show--this wk-end at Ridgmar Mall

2009-05-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

I think i killed a cactus once, without even trying.
But am thinking of partially xeriscaping my front yard this year. The left half.
Succulents and hardy drought-resistant plants only. No more mowing, on that part of the yard.

Ain't gonna ever be any little kids playing tackle football in my yard anyway...thanks to Molly Fallis for the heads-up on this.

Fort Worth Cactus and Succulent Society is hosting its 26th annual Show and Sale at the Ridgmar Mall, 1-30 & Green Oaks Road, May 8, 9, 10, 2009. Open during regular mall hours. You can bring plants to be identified as there will be lots of pros there. Advice on care too.

Vote for your favorite plant while there.

Tides 2009 JBL Awards - Call for Nominations until May 22nd.

2009-05-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

Call for Nominations: Tides 2009 JBL Awards - recognizing individuals who advocate / organize for immigration reform

Tides 2009 JBL Awards - Call for Nominations

The 2009 JBL Awards will recognize two individuals who have advocated and organized for comprehensive immigration reform, worked to counter anti-immigrant policies and groups, and helped voices at the grassroots shape and influence the immigration debate at the national level. The award recipients will be honored with $10,000 each on September 7, 2009 at the Tides Momentum Conference in San Francisco.

Nominations are due on Friday, May 22nd 2009. Named after Jane Bagley Lehman, one of the founders of Tides and board chair until her death in 1988, these awards honor the life and legacy of this unconventional philanthropist whose insatiable curiosity was matched by her willingness to take risks. Jane was inspired by the approaches and strategies of grassroots advocates and organizers and their willingness to challenge traditional assumptions. She also cared deeply that the results of their efforts be translated into public policy.

Reforming Immigration Reform
In the absence of comprehensive reform, the U.S. immigration system continues to violate rights and perpetrate injustice. Under our current law and policy, undocumented workers are easily exploited by unscrupulous employers. Families, including those with U.S.-citizen children, are torn apart each day by immigration enforcement raids and deportations. And hundreds of thousands of immigrants sit in detention, often mistreated, malnourished and threatened, not knowing when they will see their families again.

In this hostile environment, a growing number of grassroots leaders have emerged to right the wrongs—and to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Human rights groups, elected officials, faith-based organizations, and activists from across the nation are stepping up to defend our nation’s commitment to unity, equality and opportunity.

They face a determined and vocal anti-immigrant minority, opposed to a path to legalization and, in some cases, even to safeguarding basic civil and human rights. At worst, these anti-immigrant forces have stoked a climate of hatred and fear, leading immigrants to go deeper into the shadows and withdraw further from community life.

The 2009 JBL Awards will honor grassroots advocates who are working to achieve immigration reform and working to counter restrictionist policies and groups. Eligible nominees are activists who are working at both a local and national level and collaborating with others to:

Raise awareness of the immigration debate and help educate people who are not yet aware of the issues.

Expose racist and xenophobic anti-immigrant work and inform the public of hate crimes.

Respond to anti-immigrant attacks and protect workers and families affected by raids.

Nominees will have supported local immigrant communities while elevating their work and the grassroots movement for comprehensive immigration reform to the national level. Nominees will have pushed to advance both moral and political arguments for planting real immigration reform firmly within the Obama administration's agenda.
Their work will also have called for immediate cessation to raids as well as reversal of draconian detention policies. (While the JBL Awards recognize the power of all of these roles in restoring justice to our immigration policies, any individual applicant will not have to have accomplished all of these roles.)

To learn more about the nomination process and more about the JBL Awards, please click here.

Deadline: email nominations no later than Friday, May 22nd 2009 to:
jblawards@tides.org.

Tides partners with philanthropists, foundations, activists, and organizations across the country and across the globe to promote economic justice, robust democratic processes, and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected.

Tides Foundation
The Presidio
P.O. Box 29903
San Francisco, CA 94129

Benefit for the INNOCENCE PROJECT - May 6th, Fort Worth

2009-05-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

[Thanks to Beverly Archibald for sending this along via email. Please spread the word to get folks out to hear opera singers, but, just as important, to learn more about the work of the INNOCENCE PROJECT. According to Beverly, this concert event has been organized by Dan Okulitch, lead actor and bass-baritone singer for the opera adaptation of "Dead Man Walking" (which was first a book by death penalty abolition advocate Sister Helen Prejean and later made into a Hollywood film starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon), which is now playing at Bass Hall, downtown Fort Worth. Highly recommended.]

What: a benefit concert for the Innocence Project.

When: Wednesday May 6th at 7pm

Where: Rose Marine Theater - 1440 N. Main St. in Fort Worth

Admission is free. Donations accepted.

This Friday, May 1st, at Embargo Bar downtown FW, Tejas

2009-04-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

mic + pOetry=SPOKEN WORD allowed-->PALABRAZOS 5/1/09

Da'Shade Moonbeam - an actual spoken word capoeirista, not a Manga character name...

Natasha Carrizosa - local long-tressed poet of romance and survival, with sabor del Caribe...

Mary Melisse Mier - ex-Caravan of Dreams Theater actress/director and now poet/playwright/director based in Santa Fe (once traveled on a Chinese junk--a ship, y'all--'round the world, performing classical theater works everywhere from Germany to Kathmandu..)...

Angelo Jaramillo - bard and theater performer, teen arts educator and published poet, also from Santa Fe...

Ernesto Abraham Garcia - San Antonio-based writer and emerging filmmaker, is in love with anarchy, netflix, and a baby boy named Samuel (his son)...

All of these folks AND a few others, AND their VIDEO POEMS,
will be presented to you, on Friday, May 1st, in our

2nd Annual PALABRAZOS festival of performance literature.

JOIN US ! BRING $$ FOR BOOKS, RAFFLE TICKETS, T-SHIRTS,
and mojitos/cervezas at the bar.

otherwise, this SHINDIGGITY is FREE of charge. o dollas admission.

love the poetry that unites us. spend a great evening w/ me...
and a few other talents of note.

[thanks to INOPE for the dope flyer design!]

2nd Annual PALABRAZOS Festival of Literary Performance - Friday, May 1st - FW, Tejas

2009-04-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

The upcoming PALABRAZOS Festival of Literary Performance
will be taking place this coming Friday, May 1st, 2009,
at Embargo Bar - 210 E. 8th Street - downtown Fort Worth.

Free and Open to the Public.

This is the SECOND annual PALABRAZOS, and we are no less excited this year to present some of the most compelling performing poets of Texas and beyond.

Natasha Carrizosa and Joaquin Zihuatanejo, both based in the DFW Metroplex, will kick off the Festival with their poignant and riveting tales of bicultural life and urban tribulations.

We will also be featuring two poets from Santa Fe, New Mexico: Mary Melisse Mier and Angelo Jaramillo. They are both theater artists, playwrights, and poets.

As well, we are excited to be hosting Da'Shade Moonbeam, an award-winning nationally-ranked slam poet and hiphop performing artist.

Three video poems, by artists from San Antonio and Santa Fe, will be screened as part of the Festival.

We hope you will join us in this exciting display of contemporary performance literature.

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD -- The event is free and open to the public.

*************

SPECIAL INVITATION!

In order to raise some needed funds to be able to produce
the PALABRAZOS Festival, we are hosting a benefit party
at

The Fox and Hound Pub and Grill
Upstairs Lounge
604 Main Street - downtown Fort Worth
6pm

on THIS COMING TUESDAY, April 28th!!

Come by for complimentary appetizers
and
the opportunity to hear about our
unique literary festival - the one and only
PALABRAZOS Festival of Literary Performance.

Your donations can help support a
grassroots project that encourages
literacy and showcases some of the
finest spoken word artists and
performing poets from Texas and beyond.

Join us this coming Tuesday, April 28th,
for our pre-festival fundraiser!!

Thank you very much for your kind consideration.

para palabras,

Thrills and chills in Austin, Texas this past weekend for Sor Juana Festival

2009-04-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Funky Finds Spring Fling

2009-04-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Event: Funky Finds Spring Fling
When: April 25, 2009 - 10am to 6pm
Where: Will Rogers Memorial Center,
3401 W. Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76107
Admission: FREE
Contacts: Jessica & Joe Dougherty
Email: springfling@funkyfinds.us
Website: http://www. funkyfinds. us/springfling. html

Description:

The Funky Finds Spring Fling is an indie craft fair that will showcase the work of over 90 artists, crafters & designers. Funky Finds focuses on promoting those who create funky handmade goods that appeal to a wide variety of shoppers. Participating vendors include those from the DFW Area, South Texas, Oklahoma & more. Our FREE family & pet-friendly event will allow consumers to experience the indie craft scene in Tarrant County. Your support of independent artisans is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your support!
Jessica & Joe Dougherty
http://funkyfinds. us/springfling

Free supper @ Threadgill's in N. Austin - this week only - at the original restaurant

2009-04-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

[Thanks to Carl for the heads-up. Ima be in Austin for the debut performance of a new solo work "Saliendo Abierta", based on the 2.5 days I was trapped in my bedroom closet last May, so i'll probably try to get a free veggie plate @ the original Threadgill's. That's the one where Janis Joplin first started playing publicly, back in the days of the open music jams. Love Threadgill's--an Austin institution. Oh, Jim Hightower--the populist rabblerouser, national radio commentator, and author- was broadcasting his radio commentaries live from Threadgill's downtown for a while. Pretty cool.]

Free supper this week at Old No. 1!

Threadgill's North store only - one per person.

It's true. Eddie is giving away free meals at the north store this week! Chicken Fried Steak, Chicken Fried Chicken, Fried Mississippi Catfish, or Vegetable Vegetarian with 28 veggies to choose from. April 13-19 from 4pm till close, so come when you're hungry! Limit one per person on the honor system.

Start Time: Monday, April 13, 2009 at 4:00pm
End Time: Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 10:00pm

Threadgill's Old No. 1
6416 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX

Phone: 512-451-5440
Email: north@threadgills.com

http://www.myspace.com/threadgillsaustin

On Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=71597053275&ref=mf

My upcoming gigs and current productions - artistic workflow for the moment

2009-04-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

Current projects and forthcoming:

uno-
The Second Annual "PALABRAZOS", an annual festival of literary performance poetry, is coming up on Friday, May 1st at Embargo Bar here in downtown Fort Worth. I co-produce this annual festival with Cesar Hernandez (Cara Mia Theatre of Dallas), and a great collective of literature-loving gente. This year we're bringing in for showcase presentations:
LAS KRUDAS (CUBAN FEMALE HIPHOP)
NATASHA CARRIZOSA AND JOAQUIN ZIHUATANEJO, LOCALPOWERHOUSES OF POETRY,
AND FROM SANTA FE: MARY MIER AND ANGELO JARAMILLO.
ALSO: POEM VIDEOS BY CESAR HERNANDEZ AND TREY MOORE.

dos-
Three poems by Tammy Gomez were selected by renowned writer Jimmy Santiago Baca for publication in the Spring 2009 issue of the Yellow Medicine Review, a literary journal of indigenous writing.
http://www.yellowmedicinereview.com/

tres-
I will be performing a new work entitled "Abierta Saliendo" at the upcoming SOR JUANA INES DE LA CRUZ festival of Mexican
American Women Performers on Saturday, April 18th, at the Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, TX.
Yikes--this is in one more week, and i'm still rehearsing and rewriting the script. My new work, a one-hour one-woman monologue, is based on the 2 and a half days that i spent trapped in my own friggin' bedroom closet. I'm trying to do this experience some justice via a public performance. Wish me luck!
Download the festival brochure: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/macc/downloads/sorjuana.pdf

cuatro-
I was asked, by author Dr. Michelle Vela (TX A&M-Kingsville) to write the preface for her scholarly book on Chicana Autobiography, which will be published by the Edwin Mellen Press later this year. I submitted the preface (last November), and am just waiting to hear when the book is ready for release.

cinco-
I am also currently co-producing, with a collective of artistas and activists, a local television program for cable access. The show, titled "817 FLAVORS" focuses on the arts, culture, and grassroots organizing in the area spanned by the 817 area code. The first episode began airing in February of this year.

seis-
Yo, I still blog at xxcommunicator.blogspot.com. For the latest information about my projects and other things related to cultura and community activism, please check it out.

Cesar Chavez Commemorations and labor organizers training in FW

2009-04-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

“All my life, I have been driven by one dream, one goal, one vision: To overthrow a farm labor system in this nation which treats farm workers as if they were not important human beings. Farm workers are not agricultural implements; they are not beasts of burden to be used and discarded." - Cesar Chavez, labor and civil rights leader and founder of the UFW (United Farm Workers)

I've been invited to be one of the speakers at the "Awards Ceremony" happening in the evening, tomorrow, April 4th, at 7pm.

Please come out, especially if you haven't seen the new TCC downtown campus, now housed in what was formerly the Radio Shack building. All events are FREE and open to the public. Here are details for the evening program:

WHAT: The Spirit of Cesar Chavez Awards
WHEN: Saturday, Aprili 4th, 7pm
WHERE: Tarrant County College, Trinity Downtown Campus (formerly the Radio Shack Building), 300 W. Belknap, Fort Worth-
FOURTH FLOOR - ACTION A
(not sure why they call it "Action")

EXCERPT FROM RECENT DALLAS MORNING NEWS ARTICLE:

"In Fort Worth, organizers will hold the 10th annual march and rally for Chávez on April 4. That evening, three Fort Worth recipients who have worked to improve their community will receive Spirit of Chávez awards.

Among the recipients is 71-year-old Elisa Nájera, a longtime volunteer and literacy advocate. Nájera remembers the grape
boycotts and participated in one demonstration outside a local grocery store out of respect for her parents and grandparents, who were migrant workers."

++++++++++

And, speaking of labor rights and organizing, there is a 2-day labor organizing training scheduled for April 4th and 5th, at the 1919 Hemphill community action space in the southside of FW. This training, sponsored by DFW IWW (Industrial Workers of the World, will be conducted by Erik Forman of the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) and Joe Richards, who is organizing workers at a grocery store in Florida.

What: Labor Organizing Training
When: Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and April 5 - 10am to 6pm (vegan lunch will be provided on-site)
Where: 1919 Hemphill, Fort Worth, TX
Fee: $10-30 sliding scale
More info at: dfw_iww@riseup.net

Palabrazos 09 - coming soon - featuring Las Krudas from Cuba/Austin

2009-04-02T22:41:00.001-07:00

More details coming soon. It's the 2nd Annual PALABRAZOS Festival of Multimedia Literary Performance. Acqui en Fort Worth aka "Forte Wes"--like my grandma used to say. Las Krudas are confirmed to close the festival with a set of their slammin' hiphop rhythm and rhymes. Check this video for a spot o' KRUDAS flavor:

Oh--if you want to get involved with promotion, planning, or production of PALABRAZOS 09 (the alliteration was unintended, i assure you), please send me a message via: sound_culture(at)hotmail.com. Gracias.

another great day in world news reporting....april 1, 2009

2009-04-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

"One protester dressed as the Easter bunny managed to hop through the police cordon but was stopped before he could reach the Bank of England. Another black-clad demonstrator waved a fake light saber at officers."

--excerpted from an AP article, April 1, 2009

The New Urbanism: conference in Dallas and results in my 'hood

2009-03-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Just heard the early episode of "Think" (hosted by Krys Boyd, KERA 90.1 FM radio) today, which featured a guy by the name of Andrés Duany, who is active in the New Urbanist movement here in the States. He's here in the D/FW this week for several North Texas events sponsored by the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU).

Here's the mission statement/blurb off the CNU website: "Congress for the New Urbanism is a nonprofit organization aimed at curbing sprawl and re-establishing compact, walkable, and sustainable neighborhoods and cities. The North Texas Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU-NTX) works to further this mission through education, networking, and outreach within the North Texas region."

AND--here's the lowdown on the event Duany (and others) will be featured speakers for:

REBUILDING OUR CITIES AND SUBURBS: A FRESH START FOR TIRED PLACES (i love that conference title.....!)

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 -- Registration 8:00 to 8:45 a.m. -- Seminar 8:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Where: The Belo Mansion Pavilion -- 2101 Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75201

For more event details, and to see other links on the Congress for the New Urbanism, click here.

As I heard Duany speak on the radio show, he seemed to confirm alot of my longtime ideas about the prerequisites for sustainable community. He spoke of suburban neighborhoods, with their wraparound driveaways and lack of front porches as antithetical to social interaction and "neighborliness." He also suggested that the welcome rise in front-yard vegetable gardening "supports urban pedestrianism." People basically enjoy walking on streets where there is something pleasant to look at and where people are out living in their yards (and on their porches). The more he spoke about these ideas, the bigger grew the smile on my face. I am living now in a thriving "neighborly" neighborhood, which appears to be a pretty good example of a new urbanism retrofit success. Two neighbors on my street have front-yard edible gardens; bicyclists and pedestrians are daily present on the sidewalks and streets; and the locally-owned businesses along Magnolia not only seem to be doing well but there are new places pegged to open very soon. Actually, yesterday, I noticed a new shingle sign had been put up within the past 24 hours. The sign announces a new clinic--located on the same block as King Tut, a florist, and the Hoagies sandwich shop. "Acupuncture Community Clinic" is the name of the clinic, and this week I hope to do what any friendly pedestrian in this, my favorite 'hood in Fort Worth, might do: stop in and welcome them to Fairmount.

Yes, this 'hood still needs a coffee shop, bakery, community garden, and bookstore. But at least we're getting a "grocer" of sorts--Ellerbe Fine Foods will be opening doors at 1505 W. Magnolia later this spring. According to a splash ad in a recent pull-out of the Weekly, Ellerbe will offer "Casual Fine Dining, Take-Away & Marketplace in Fort Worth's Southside".

"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Nuclear Power" -- free screening today!

2009-03-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

[Thanks to Lon Burnam's office folks for sending the following anuncio. Sorry for the last-minute post to share this with y'all...]

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Three Mile Island disaster:

Everything you always wanted to know about Nuclear Power*

*But were afraid to ask

Join Ft. Worth Rep. Lon Burnam in previewing a new film:

Sunday, March 29th - TODAY!

2:30 PM Refreshments,
3:00 PM Film

FREE and open to all!

Location: Fort Worth Botanic Garden
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.

Sponsored by: True Cost of Nukes & SEED Coalition

"Everything you always wanted to know about Nuclear Power* but were afraid to ask" is a lively new 42-minute video that mixes historic news clips and ironic, vintage propaganda films along with contemporary experts and analysis to remind us of nuclear power’s troubled history.

At a time when nuclear power is being touted as a cure for global warming—and is asking for billions in taxpayer subsidies—it’s time to explore cleaner, safer and cheaper solutions!

For more information – NukeFreeTexas.org and EverythingNuclear.org.

F6 Gallery-"The Girls Show" tonight, Saturday, March 28th, 7pm-midnight

2009-03-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings on a chilly spring afternoon in North Texas.

I just want to invite you to the GIRLS SHOW, which happens tonight at the F6 Gallery in Arlington, Texas.

(The F6 Gallery is located in the warehouse space at 2800 W. Division, Suite F-6 -- look for the Hilton Flooring sign, and pull in behind that business, where all the warehouse parking lots are. Suite F-6 is the last warehouse on the right. Just look for the crowd of artsy kids.)

This is the first time that the F6 Gallery has created a group show that is an exhibit of works created exclusively by women.

Women, as you may know, are statistically under-represented in the gallery world--as curators, directors, and of course, as exhibiting artists.

Here's a chance to see a LOT of original work created by women in the area (817/Tarrant County), so I would encourage you to spend an hour (or more) at the F6 tomorrow evening, which is Spring Gallery Night 2009.

I'll be performing poetry sometime after 9:00pm, so come give support and attention. I'd love to see you!

Tell the F6 guys, also, that you appreciate their having created a GIRLS SHOW.

Here's to parity in the "ART WORLD"!!

Hope to see you tonight. Bundle up, as it'll probably be chilly in the space. Word to the wise...

WHOLE WOMAN FESTIVAL - mainstage schedule for Saturday, March 21st in FW, TX

2009-03-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

hey, girlfriends (and other loveables), i've been working on this line-up of rad musicians, songwriters, poets, speakers, dancers, etc., for the past THREE MONTHS. this event is about to explode on the 817 in a big and beautiful way. check out this schedule of presenting women.

i'll be emcee-ing this entire day 12:30pm to 6pm, so i'ma be loopy by 10pm (after the Vagina Monologues) when the AFTERGLOW happens with more live music, chocolate, champagne, and dancing music!

bring provisions for the day (extra clothes, dancing shoes, energy bars, etc.) so you can stay at Casa Man~ana the entire
time of the Festival. this will be THE place to be on Saturday, March 21st. if you're in FW.

*****
MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE

12:30 - WELCOMING
Lori Thomson, Layne Calabro, Margie Gomez, Tammy Gomez, Rae Denton, Asani Charles, Dr. Kari Rollins

1:00 - Dating & Intimacy: Your Rights with Toria Villarreal and "Love is Respect" video

1:15 - The Bella Cullen Project “Twilight” teen tribute musical trio (from Arlington, but are nationally-hot)

1:30 - Battered Women's Foundation: with Brenda Jackson

1:50 - “Peace on Earth Begins w/ Birth" - video

2:00 - Singer/songwriter: Crystal Casey

2:15 - "Nursing is Normal" - video

2:20 - Power of Choice: Community Panel with BC Cornish, Kathy O'Brien, Sarah McClellan, Marcy Paul, Janean Livingston, Kimberly Harrison, Lindsey Denison, KC Jones, Diane Wood, Noor Elashi, and Yvette Richardson

3:20 - Brazen Bellies - tribal dancing troupe

3:30 - V-DAY Spotlight video and monologues

3:35 - The Democratic Republic of Congo – with Laura Seay / UT Austin

4:00 – Singer/songwriter: La Morra Maliya

4:10 - Safe Haven: Rebecca Farrow

4:30 - Poets of Embargo: Rose Ann Meredith, Natasha Carrizosa, Devorah Titunik

4:50 - Male Allies Speak-Out with Cri Rivera, Men Against Violence (MAV) NTX’s Patrick Partida

5:15 - FINALE with Singer/songwriter Emily Stoker, Girl's, Inc. - Bill of Rights, Patsy Hernandez, CodePink Fort Worth,
DJ Cyberina Flux, Brazen Bellies and YOU!

**** of course, there will ALSO be vendors (woman-owned businesses, mostly), art exhibits, a WELLNESS area (take a yoga
or tai chi session), and the RED TENT of spiritual healing. alot to see and hear, for sure ******

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD! We want to pack the house. Thanks, Tammy

Last night of Feb. 2009 - how to enjoy it in Fort Worth.

2009-02-28T18:25:00.000-08:00

go ahead, get going.

or stay in like me (cuz i'm sick, coughing. no worries, i have tons of soup, thanks to Mom, and juices, thanks to friends. AND, i already had a cool moment outside in the sunshine, flying my homemade (plastic grocery sack) kite. i even stopped traffic, for a minute...and the high winds this afternoon blew a one-dollar bill to my front porch. what does this portend for March?

love,
Tammy

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

1. SPECIAL EVENT - "eVeryDay a WOMYN"

Special Performances Feb. 28, 2009, 6-10pm. Poets, storytellers, performers, musicians, artists, will perform.
All are invited to be a part of the showcase. Let's give the Firehouse a great send-off. It's an Open Mic.

This is the gallery that was voted the "Best Art Gallery" in Fort Worth (Fort Worth Star Telegram's Reader's Choice) a few years ago.

And now we're losing this diamond in the rough--another liberated space for creative minds and progressive action.

If you never got a chance to experience the Firehouse, it's not too late.

THE BIG PARTY happens TONIGHT, the final day of this month--February 28th. Invite any and every one to join us in toasting Lori Thomson, the brilliant and brazen woman who created a wonderful space for artists in the 817.

For more info: http://www. firehouseart. net/

FREE and open to all. BYOB, please.

2. Saturday night show @ 1919 Hemphill

PRIZZY PRIZZY PLEASE at 1919 Hemphill OR in Denton--i’d consult the prizzy’s myspace for updated info

PRIZZY PRIZZY PLEASE: Probably one of the most amazing bands ever. It's fast dancable songs with a keyboard and a funky funky saxophone. from Bloomington IN. http://www. myspace. com/prizzyprizzyplease
BOOGDISH: One man dude town. http://hairychestedrecords. com/boogdish

Saturday Feb 28th
@ 1919 Hemphill St.
Fort Worth 76110
Doors at 6:PM show at 8:pm
$6 please
http://1919hemphill. org 817-920-9665

(I'm trying to get prizzy Prizzy on a show in Denton. if it doesn't happen it will definately be at 1919.)

3. STOOGES tribute band plays The Ridglea.

STOOGEAPHILIA TONIGHT @ THE RIDGLEA!

Also on the card: MERKIN (before), PROPHETS OF RAGE, RIVERCREST YACHT CLUB, and ADDNERIM (after).

See you there.

Love,

THE STOOGEAPHILES

4. LITERARY INDIE SINGER CLINT NIOSI AT THE FAIRMOUNT WITH THE TOMORROWPEOPLE!

Starts 9ish

5. MORE LOCAL ART UP ON THE WALLS AT THE F6 FOR THEIR 2nd ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT!

GO AHEAD AND GET YOUR F6 ON! SECOND ANNIVERSARY SHOW PROMISES TO HIT AT THE SPOT - I LOVE THIS SCENE!

Free screening of "817 Flavors", new local show at Embargo tonight! Followed by live music by touring band FUGA.

2009-02-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

Come celebrate the launch of a rad new 1/2 hour monthly
show for TV (and soon, on the interweb) about folks,
subcultures, art, grassroots organizing and other things
important to you in the 817!

The first episode of EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTEEN FLAVORS
features:

Don Young - of FWCANDO and the annual PrairieFest;

Tony Ferraro - of Eaton Lake Tonics;

Crystal Casey - in a videotaped performance of her song
"Flame Out";

Mark Lowry - theater critic (formerly with FW Star-Telegram);

and co-anchors

Tony Diaz - of "The Good Show" (KTCU-FM) and singer
for Goodwin

and

Tammy Gomez - of Sound Culture and Palabrazos and...

AND much much more. We pack alot into a fascinating
30 minutes, y'all!
__________________________________________

See you Sunday, vatos y chulas! Embargo Bar downtown!

love,
Tammy

_____________________________

From: dEsErTeD pOeTiC

The flyer pretty much says it all so come on out...

Meet & greet the producers,cast, & crew of the community created TV show being called the best thing to hit cable access in days...or decades...or all time. We should be out there @ 8:30 & will air the show @ 9 PM followed by the badass fuguistas desde El Chuco...bring your revolutionary dancing shoes...el fandango se hace este domingo...no dejen de faltar!!!

V-DAY Fort Worth approaches - save the date: March 21, 2009

2009-02-19T00:40:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how fulfilling all these hours of volunteer organizing can be for me. I sit and incubate ideas, reveling in the possibility of bringing mujeres, girls, grrls, b-girls, songstresses, and others together for a full-on 100% grade-A womanist event in the 817.

The likes of which i have never experienced nor organized in kowtow(n) ever before. And i am truly psyched up.

Every day i meet a new woman, a new comadre (learn that word, dear gents), another member of the sistren of this city with whom i can collaborate, celebrate, divinate a more positive future for we of the xx chromosomal tendency.

I was several weeks ago languishing in an activist paralysis, wanting to make the right decision about whom should help kick-off the MAINSTAGE presentations at Casa Man~ana, where i'll be emcee-ing for 5+ hours. Then, as if a wind could bring a 21st century mary poppins to my doorstoop, a special woman showed up online, with a "friend request" on myspace. Asani Charles arrived, singing "Amazing Grace" in Choctaw, and doing spoken word like the best of the national-scene slam poets. I accepted her as "friend" and she accepted my invitation to be onstage for the WELCOME.

And Brazen Bellies, a multi-generational bellydance/tribal dance group, also greeted me with interest to grace our stage. And
Marcy Paul, who just happened to be in her office at the YWCA on a Saturday, has answered the call to join us. And others
have been summoned, women I emailed or phoned on a hunch: Kimberly of SOA (Starting Over Again), Sarah McClellan (fortworthfeminism blogger), Lindsey of Tolstoy House, and doctoral student Laura Seay who has observed the devastation of femicide in Congo--she's driving up from Austin to share her stories of the women in that African locale of horror and survivor courage.

This first-ever Whole Woman Festival promises to be an event of epic proportions. "Never doubt a woman, at least not to her face." I quote myself when no other words will do.

Okay, here's the scoop, my friends:

If you want to be in on this spectacle of March 21, go to our website: www.vdayfortworth.com and check out the links.

Please help us with outreach and promotion by telling all the women (and girls) you love about this Festival.

We have a "general" downloadable flyer on the website, which you may print off and distribute at will.

The dozen or so of us coordinating this confab are all madly scrambling to finalize the schedule of all our participants and contributing artists--it's a massive list of about 100 women.

The complete schedule will most likely be available on the website very soon. I do think, though, that the programme we distribute on the day of the event will contain all the info an attendee would need.

In brief, let me tell you what we will be presenting at this FIRST TIME IN FORT WORTH festival:

an art exhibit of work that is pro-woman (created by men and women);

vendor tables (of woman-owned businesses);

daytime musicians (who will perform in the outer or main lobby);

a "wellness" area which will consist of scheduled mini-sessions of tai chi and yoga, and a few other interactive practices;

a "red tent" area which will focus on spiritual meditation, open circle sharing and revealing, testifying and healing;

the mainstage presentations (the area i'm overseeing and emcee-ing) of women speaking, ranting, chanting, dancing, showing video, and singing. a variety show by women for women (and girls);

the evening presentation of "The Vagina Monologues" at 7:30pm;

followed by the Afterglow reception (which usually consists of soft music, chocolate, wine/champagne, and very happy women who have just finished a long day of activating one another).

As you can imagine, this will be hard to describe fully in one flyer...so, if you can, spread the word to your family and kindred spirits. the more, the merrier.

The only section of the festival that is NOT free is the "Vagina Monologues" show, which will be the only ticketed event. Tickets are $15 each.

Of course, other things will be for sale or donations will be sought (for SafeHaven, Battered Women's Foundation, and the women/girls of Congo, Africa)...so it will be good for attendees to bring extra $$.

Join the excitement and please SAVE THE DATE:

Saturday, first day of Spring 2009 - March 21st !!

817 FLAVORS hits the local airwaves via FW Cable Television this week!

2009-02-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

Our new community-created half-hour show,
EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTEEN FLAVORS,
will be airing on the
FW Community Television "Open Channel"
(specific channel number depends on your
on-ramp to cable--but for Charter Cable
subscribers, it's 28)

starting yesterday, Monday, February 16th.

The show will be airing repeatedly,
three days a week--at various times of the day--
until we have the subsequent episode prepared
and edited for broadcast.

*****************

EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTEEN FLAVORS BROADCAST TIMES:

Mondays at 10am
Tuesdays 6:30pm
Saturdays at 3:00pm

******************

Check it out, and feel free to offer your feedback, comments, suggestions.

Yay--it's a launch!!

***********
EXTRA EXTRA!

We have scheduled a FREE screening of our
first episode, to happen at the Embargo Bar
(downtown FW) on Sunday, February 22nd, at 8:30pm,

followed by a live performance
by the amazing El Paso (now based in Oakland, CA)
band known as FUGA!!
(more info at: http://www. myspace. com/fuguista)

Yes, I know it's Oscar night, but please come out and
celebrate with us if you can...

Thanks for your interest and support.

big hug,

Tammy Gomez, Co-producer,
EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTEEN FLAVORS

______________

FOR YOUR INFO:

Where To Watch Community Cable Television

Charter Cable
Open Channel-28

One Source
Open Channel-32

Verizon
Open Channel-37

AT&T Uverse
All three municipal channels and one FWISD
channel are available on Uverse channel 99.
Tune to channel 99 and click on the Fort Worth
Municipal-Educational tab.

Come celebrate the launch of a rad new 1/2 hour monthly
show for TV (and soon, on the interweb) about folks,
subcultures, art, grassroots organizing and other things
important to you in the 817!

See you Sunday, vatos y chulas! Embargo Bar downtown!

love,
Tammy

_____________________________

From: dEsErTeD pOeTiC

The flyer pretty much says it all so come on out...

Meet & greet the producers,cast, & crew of the community created TV show being called the best thing to hit cable access in days...or decades...or all time. We should be out there @ 8:30 & will air the show @ 9 PM followed by the badass fuguistas desde El Chuco...bring your revolutionary dancing shoes...el fandango se hace este domingo...no dejen de faltar!!!

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga to visit UNT-Denton

2009-02-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

In this order do I love and appreciate Arriaga's filmscripts as interpreted by Tommy Lee Jones and Alejandro González Iñárritu: "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" (2005), "Babel" (2006), and "Amores Perros" (2000). ("Amores Perros" reminded me of "Short Cuts" (dir., Robert Altman) and a couple of other multi-plot intertwining films, and "Babel" seemed like an internationalized version of "Amores Perros".) This opportunity to hear a living legend of contemporary screenwriting is a gift to the community that anyone who appreciates world cinema should not miss. Folks, these events are FREE! Thanks are due to the UNT administration for their effort in bringing Arriaga to little ole North Texas.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga to lecture at UNT

What: Writer and director Guillermo Arriaga visits the University of North Texas to give three lectures on filmmaking

When/Where: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 (Thursday) in Room 184 of UNT's Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building, located on the corner of Welch and Chestnut Street

7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 (Friday) in the Lyceum of UNT's University Union, located one block west of Welch and West Prairie streets

9 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 (Saturday) in the ballroom (Room 34) of UNT's Gateway Center, located on North Texas Boulevard between Eagle Drive and Highland Street

Cost: Free

Contact: UNT-International at 940-565-2197

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- At a series of University of North Texas events Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga will discuss the filmmaking process and how films can build broader international understanding. The series includes three lectures from Feb. 12 (Thursday) to Feb. 14 (Saturday). All three events are free and open to the public; registration is required for the Saturday event.

The first event, a guest lecture designed for UNT film students and faculty members, will take place at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 (Thursday) in Room 184 of the Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building, located on the corner of Welch and Chestnut streets. Arriaga will discuss the process of developing the written word of a screenplay and transforming it into a film.

The second lecture, designed for the general public, will occur at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 (Friday) in the Lyceum of UNT's University Union, located one block west of Welch and West Prairie streets. Arriaga will discuss cross-cultural communication and the role of film in developing global interaction.

The second event is part of UNT-International's EncoUNTers speaker series, an international lecture series designed to bring speakers from around the world to UNT to promote cross-cultural understanding through an open exchange of ideas.

For the final lecture, Arriaga will host a master's class to discuss screenwriting and his experiences in cinema. The workshop, designed primarily for film industry professionals and aspiring writers, will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 (Saturday) in the ballroom (Room 34) of UNT's Gateway Center, located on North Texas Boulevard between Eagle Drive and Highland Street. Attendees must register for the workshop by calling 940-565-2197. There are a limited number of seats available and it is recommended that participants register before 5 p.m. Feb. 12.

A native of Mexico, Arriaga explores in his screenplays:

the challenges of communication
the importance of love
the consequences of our actions
contradictions within human nature
clashes among cultures

His films include "Babel", "Amores Perros" and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada". He has received Oscar, Golden Globe and Writers Guild of America award nominations and received awards from the Cannes Film Festival and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Through his latest film, "The Burning Plain", Arriaga makes his feature directorial debut. The film stars Oscar winner Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger and newcomer Jennifer Lawrence in a romantic mystery about a woman on the edge who takes an emotional journey to uncover the secret of a past love and meets other characters along the way who are grappling with their own romantic destinies.

Prior to his work in the film industry, Arriaga was a renowned novelist in Mexico for works such as A Sweet Smell of Death and The Night Buffalo. His books have been translated into 18 languages including English, German, Greek, French, Hebrew and Romanian.

For more than 25 years, he has worked as a college professor and directed, produced and written short films, documentaries, television series, and radio and television commercials.

The lectures are sponsored by the UNT's Office of the President, Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and UNT-International.

For more information, contact UNT-International at 940-565-2197.

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Ellen Rossetti (940) 369-7912
Email: erossetti@unt.edu

This is how i often experience life...

2009-02-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

...on the multiple tracks/monitors (spirit, emotion, rhythm, memory, sensation) of my being.

Andrew Baron, you are onto something.

I'm performing "stand-up poetic commentary" on Saturday, Feb. 7 - Paperbacks Plus in Dallas

2009-02-02T01:24:00.000-08:00

This time Cesar Hernandez is stepping in to provide the improv digital projections, since Ramsey's in Guatemala. Hello Cesar! Can't wait to try out my new performance experiment in Dallas. Crazy, crude, crunk. And it doesn't rhyme. Show up early for vino, cheese, and USUALLY there's cake.
____________________________________________________

2009 WordSpace and Paperbacks Plus are proud to present

Dr. Hedwig Gorski and Tammy Gomez
Saturday, February 7
8 pm
Paperbacks Plus
6115 La Vista (in the cool Lakewood 'hood, baby!)
Dallas, Texas 75214
214-827-4860
FREE

For More Info: http://www.wordspacetexas.org

Contact: Karen X at kxatlarge@aol.com

WordSpace is Supported in part by The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs.

◊

Dr. Hedwig Gorski is a Polish American gypsy-artist-poet. She coined the term "Performance Poetry" while living in Austin. She is the recipient of many awards including a Fulbright, works with the East of Eden band and teaches creative writing and theater at LSU. Her live radio broadcasts with her band have been re-issued on CD.

Tammy Gomez is a poet, playwright, author, recipient of many prestigious awards, grants and the creator of numerous performance and poetry events. She was voted by the Austin Chronicle as the "Poet Most Likely To Incite A Riot." Tammy is an original and powerful artistic presence, always evolving and reinventing her performance formats.

Maira Kalman - "And the Pursuit of Happiness"

2009-01-31T00:34:00.000-08:00

From what I've gathered, this is Kalman's first post to her new blog project which will focus on American democracy.

I've loved Maira's work since I first happened upon her illustrated children's book "Stay Up Late", which is based on a David Byrne/Talking Heads song off of the LITTLE CREATURES album (1985). Right away, I imagined that she and I had the same quirky sense of humor and an appreciation of the absurd. (If you ever catch me in the children's section of bookstores or libraries, it's probably because I'm scouting for additional interesting illustrative/graphic design work being done for kids' books.)

Last year, one of the things that could reliably perk me up or send me to numbered clouds (9, for instance) was Maira's blog "The Principles of Uncertainty." It was zen meets jon stewart meets dali meets dalai. I loved it. These blogposts have been compiled for her new book "The Principles of Uncertainty", about which an Amazon.com reviewer says: "[It]...defies easy classification. Is it philosophy? Art? Memoir? Travel? Sociology? The answer is All of the Above (and more). This charming collection of text, paintings, and photography presents a "profusely illustrated" year in a life, with illustrated musings that range from a young Nabokov "sitting innocently and elegantly in a red chair" to two stuffed rabbits in the window at Paris's Deyrolles taxidermy to Kitty Carlisle Hart at home in her "pearly pink palace." Delightful, inspiring, and often very moving, this little charmer is a book you might find nestled on Wes Anderson's coffee table."

I bet that top-tier sculptor Richard Serra would probably love to be appointed as the first U.S. Minister of Culture, but personally I'd like to see Maira Kalman's name on the short list of considered appointees for this dream job. Like in my dreams...

Kendall, my friend, went to DC and all he sent me was a youtube link!

2009-01-25T11:18:00.001-08:00

[Seriously, my good longtime poet-friend Kendall McCook traveled to Pennsylvania to meet his two sons and, together with them, road the rails down to DC for the inauguration. He lives a mere two blocks from me, and I'm vicariously thrilling about what he experienced on the Mall on January 20th. Join me in some good feelings...watch this slideshow of his trip. He's the fella in the cowboy hat and beard. Kendall is good people, por siempre...]