I asked her to tell me her challenge.
She was starting an essay.
I want to be a lawyer.
I have a history with the police.
She is 13.
What is your history with the police?
My father, he's been in jail, in and out, a lot.
So you miss him, it hurts to be without him.
Is that your challenge?
No, he doesn't care about me. He left us
a long time ago. He doesn't give me anything.
I just want to help people, and kids, so they
won't have to hurt like I did.
So you actually want to help people.
That's your challenge.
Yes, that's why I am going to be a lawyer.
I'm good at arguing.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Poem #10 of 365
i am the bull in the ring, snorting nostrils, scuffing hooves,
i am as unbloodthirsty hyena, all chuckle and no bite:
awaiting the call, your merciful summons.
will you ask me to dance
even choreograph the dance?
will you ask me to teach
or to learn how to learn?
here i am, muscled and awaiting,
nourished on love muffins and wine,
i am as ready as you'll ever find
astounding recall, my memory beckons.
will you invite me to tea
or to plan the ceremony?
will you lay out red carpet
or have me show you the weave?
here am i, sipping good hope*,
divining wednesday's footsteps,
i am eager to walk to the stars
amazing freefall, my arms blossom alive
* Good Hope is also the brand name for a tea---today's flavor was vanilla.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
i am as unbloodthirsty hyena, all chuckle and no bite:
awaiting the call, your merciful summons.
will you ask me to dance
even choreograph the dance?
will you ask me to teach
or to learn how to learn?
here i am, muscled and awaiting,
nourished on love muffins and wine,
i am as ready as you'll ever find
astounding recall, my memory beckons.
will you invite me to tea
or to plan the ceremony?
will you lay out red carpet
or have me show you the weave?
here am i, sipping good hope*,
divining wednesday's footsteps,
i am eager to walk to the stars
amazing freefall, my arms blossom alive
* Good Hope is also the brand name for a tea---today's flavor was vanilla.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Poem #9 of 365
I stepped onto my front stoop
and voices called to me
from a porch on the other side:
"Is this your cat? It's friendly!"
I paused my thinking, squinted
at the fur in the distance, and
they offered, "It's wearing a collar."
No, my cat wears no collar, i told
them, and swinging my gaze to
the north down the street, i noticed
two hens pecking away.
"Are those your chickens!?"
Those are vultures, there are three,
my neighbors explained.
And, to my amazement, i peeled
my eyes better and indeed saw
carnivorous birds on the street.
Doggedly, they worked at fresh carcass,
the small furry corpus of a black alley cat.
When an auto swooped down their way,
they took flight, showing wingspans of
at least my own height.
They flew around, encircling this historic
barrio, casting elongated shadows upon
rooftops, sidewalks, smaller animals.
I twitched a little, braced myself on the
neighbor’s porch, wondering what coat of
symbolic meaning to paint upon this sight.
Carnivorous birds upon my street,
making banquet in destruction.
There are two empty holes a little further down,
and the disembowelment happens largely at
night. There used to be houses where
the big holes gape, pecked and disappeared
by unflinching machines. My little barrio is getting
its body devoured and the ones who make this happen
do not meet my eyes with theirs. I do not know how to
stop them, arrest their shadows darkening my ‘hood.
Twice, I tried to photograph the vultures
as they flew over the house across the street,
but their paths were jagged, unpredictable.
Developers and destroyers, urban and
unaccountable, become singleminded
when those of us below are afraid even in the light of day.
[We need more paved lots, yah, right. We need high-density, upper-income housing, oh, really. Will the barrio survive?]
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
and voices called to me
from a porch on the other side:
"Is this your cat? It's friendly!"
I paused my thinking, squinted
at the fur in the distance, and
they offered, "It's wearing a collar."
No, my cat wears no collar, i told
them, and swinging my gaze to
the north down the street, i noticed
two hens pecking away.
"Are those your chickens!?"
Those are vultures, there are three,
my neighbors explained.
And, to my amazement, i peeled
my eyes better and indeed saw
carnivorous birds on the street.
Doggedly, they worked at fresh carcass,
the small furry corpus of a black alley cat.
When an auto swooped down their way,
they took flight, showing wingspans of
at least my own height.
They flew around, encircling this historic
barrio, casting elongated shadows upon
rooftops, sidewalks, smaller animals.
I twitched a little, braced myself on the
neighbor’s porch, wondering what coat of
symbolic meaning to paint upon this sight.
Carnivorous birds upon my street,
making banquet in destruction.
There are two empty holes a little further down,
and the disembowelment happens largely at
night. There used to be houses where
the big holes gape, pecked and disappeared
by unflinching machines. My little barrio is getting
its body devoured and the ones who make this happen
do not meet my eyes with theirs. I do not know how to
stop them, arrest their shadows darkening my ‘hood.
Twice, I tried to photograph the vultures
as they flew over the house across the street,
but their paths were jagged, unpredictable.
Developers and destroyers, urban and
unaccountable, become singleminded
when those of us below are afraid even in the light of day.
[We need more paved lots, yah, right. We need high-density, upper-income housing, oh, really. Will the barrio survive?]
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Monday, January 08, 2007
Poem #8 of 365
Flounder is a fish and a verb.
Myspace is selfish and wordy.
Rockfish gives shellfish for free.
Confirm all of this online.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Myspace is selfish and wordy.
Rockfish gives shellfish for free.
Confirm all of this online.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Poem #7 of 365
i.
my father cups his chin
to reassure that it's there
ii.
i cannot read that sign from a distance
but car flow shows how to go
iii.
a blind grandfather stood on the porch
and warned his boy about the tree
iv.
could sense air pressure shifts and
currents of wind
v.
so how could my father walk
into a parking meter outside the National Shrine
vi.
wasn't he a praying man?
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
my father cups his chin
to reassure that it's there
ii.
i cannot read that sign from a distance
but car flow shows how to go
iii.
a blind grandfather stood on the porch
and warned his boy about the tree
iv.
could sense air pressure shifts and
currents of wind
v.
so how could my father walk
into a parking meter outside the National Shrine
vi.
wasn't he a praying man?
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Poem #6 of 365
I got spit on twice tonight:
Gabriela excitedly rejected by the Altoids tin
and then, later, Ricardo making mirth across
the Embargo mesa.
G's baby soon coming home to roost
and R's used as a pawn in an icky divorce.
Two things they have in common,
but they will never know:
beloved girl daughters and spraying while sayin'.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Gabriela excitedly rejected by the Altoids tin
and then, later, Ricardo making mirth across
the Embargo mesa.
G's baby soon coming home to roost
and R's used as a pawn in an icky divorce.
Two things they have in common,
but they will never know:
beloved girl daughters and spraying while sayin'.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
I have the best friends in the world
I have come to see the gift in good friends. Over the years, I have traveled, relocated, migrated to various places (Balto-D.C., Austin, Santa Fe, Boulder, Aspen, Nepal), reinventing myself each time--revealing yet another layer of self, inspiration, ambition, acceptance. So, as I've been anchoring myself here in FW (7 years now--wow), there has been a turnabout of sorts. I get to be the harbor, the open door, welcome mat, and friendly porch. Friends, fellow artists and travelers, sometimes stop in--without notice in some cases. When this happens, it is a blessing, better than Chippendale dancers at the door with fistfuls of candy and flowers.
On Thursday night, I was working quietly at home, when the phone rang. Hello, a call from Patrisia Gonzales--writer, columnist, Ph.D candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and fellow Chicana Texas girl, who went to the same Catholic school with me back in the 70s. She and life partner, Roberto--who also pens COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS, a syndicated column of politics, post-colonialism, indigenous healing and arts and other fortifying flavors, were on their way to stop in for a visit. Mere blocks from my house, and heading back to Wisconsin very soon. Of course, yes, come over, hang up so I can straighten up a little before you get here.
And so, here they were, in my humble bungalow (the local realtors' term of choice to describe small houses, circa 1920s, such as mine). Patrisia and Roberto on the sofa, checking in with me, my life, and offering stories of their recent efforts. Being "ABD" or "all but dead", as Roberto put it. They are on the job hunt now, and will be traveling around for interviews here and there. Paty herself has made it to a final selection process with a university in Toronto; if hired, she'd be teaching in the school's department of "Indigenous Healing." A perfect match for both her spiritual and scholarly interests, I'd say. She and Roberto aren't sure, however, that they're willing to become tenured "frozen academes" in Canada, particularly since they've been dealing with heavy, long Wisconsin winters for about three years now.
(Patrisia and Roberto suited up for a promo foto.)
The visit was brief, as Roberto was melting into the sofa from exhaustion and they had a long drive back to Paty's parents' home in Johnson County. It ended all too soon, and we quickly scurried for a gift exchange. I presented them with hand-made candles and a picture of my September '06 butoh performance, and Paty ran out to the car to bring back a copy of Robbie Robertson's 1998 release "Contact from the Underworld of Redboy." Cool, Robbie's been attuning to his indigenous roots (his mother's of Mohawk descent), and I've heard that he works with singers like Ulali and Joanne Shenandoah. According to a Rolling Stone critic, "...all the diverse aspects on 'Contact From the Underworld of Red Boy' cohere into a compelling whole, a national chronicle of glory and shame, a personal story ringing with conviction."
In 2007, I hope that more of my traveling and worldly comrades and colleagues have a moment to stop by my bungalow and share some tea, conversation, and hugs of amistad. So may it happen.
On Thursday night, I was working quietly at home, when the phone rang. Hello, a call from Patrisia Gonzales--writer, columnist, Ph.D candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and fellow Chicana Texas girl, who went to the same Catholic school with me back in the 70s. She and life partner, Roberto--who also pens COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS, a syndicated column of politics, post-colonialism, indigenous healing and arts and other fortifying flavors, were on their way to stop in for a visit. Mere blocks from my house, and heading back to Wisconsin very soon. Of course, yes, come over, hang up so I can straighten up a little before you get here.
And so, here they were, in my humble bungalow (the local realtors' term of choice to describe small houses, circa 1920s, such as mine). Patrisia and Roberto on the sofa, checking in with me, my life, and offering stories of their recent efforts. Being "ABD" or "all but dead", as Roberto put it. They are on the job hunt now, and will be traveling around for interviews here and there. Paty herself has made it to a final selection process with a university in Toronto; if hired, she'd be teaching in the school's department of "Indigenous Healing." A perfect match for both her spiritual and scholarly interests, I'd say. She and Roberto aren't sure, however, that they're willing to become tenured "frozen academes" in Canada, particularly since they've been dealing with heavy, long Wisconsin winters for about three years now.
(Patrisia and Roberto suited up for a promo foto.)The visit was brief, as Roberto was melting into the sofa from exhaustion and they had a long drive back to Paty's parents' home in Johnson County. It ended all too soon, and we quickly scurried for a gift exchange. I presented them with hand-made candles and a picture of my September '06 butoh performance, and Paty ran out to the car to bring back a copy of Robbie Robertson's 1998 release "Contact from the Underworld of Redboy." Cool, Robbie's been attuning to his indigenous roots (his mother's of Mohawk descent), and I've heard that he works with singers like Ulali and Joanne Shenandoah. According to a Rolling Stone critic, "...all the diverse aspects on 'Contact From the Underworld of Red Boy' cohere into a compelling whole, a national chronicle of glory and shame, a personal story ringing with conviction."
In 2007, I hope that more of my traveling and worldly comrades and colleagues have a moment to stop by my bungalow and share some tea, conversation, and hugs of amistad. So may it happen.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Poem #5 of 365
She move the ladybug
unseasonable friend
from the recycling bin
She move the auto
unseasonably warm
into january shade
She move like water
"Water stops at the proper time,
and moves at the proper time.
Is not this an emblem of the course
of the superior man
in dealing with danger?" *
and the bath drain is still clogged.
* quote from Liang Yin as appears in I CHING: THE CHINESE BOOK OF CHANGES
(Legge/Waltham interpretation, circa 1969)
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
unseasonable friend
from the recycling bin
She move the auto
unseasonably warm
into january shade
She move like water
"Water stops at the proper time,
and moves at the proper time.
Is not this an emblem of the course
of the superior man
in dealing with danger?" *
and the bath drain is still clogged.
* quote from Liang Yin as appears in I CHING: THE CHINESE BOOK OF CHANGES
(Legge/Waltham interpretation, circa 1969)
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Poem #4 of 365
omigod this hasn’t been done
it was only a dream
get up get up
answer the phone
a message awaits
the cat is to feed
the voicestra sings
i must join the y
and the t
and the a
and the m to the two
she yodels inside
-and vicki won't mind-
her ribcage expands
ideas have woken me up
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
it was only a dream
get up get up
answer the phone
a message awaits
the cat is to feed
the voicestra sings
i must join the y
and the t
and the a
and the m to the two
she yodels inside
-and vicki won't mind-
her ribcage expands
ideas have woken me up
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Poem #3 of 365
I have fotos for Nata
and Juana Molina for Rupert,
that is the reason for Black Dog
on a Tuesday.
There are poets on mic
and 2 birthdays on the loose,
that is why i hug Rose Ann
and sip whiskey with Ron.
G brings an apology,
his hand easily finds mine,
that is why i will stage-sing
while he plays the guitar.
K wears a gift hat, and
asks for some insight,
that is why the room fades
and her cries become mine.
I drift to the bartop,
to lean and to buy,
that is how i meet Michael
and learn more about wine.
The bus is parked outside, and
it's covered with art,
that is why i am smiling
with non-Mexican boys.
-- about the first Black Dog poetry night of 2007
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
and Juana Molina for Rupert,
that is the reason for Black Dog
on a Tuesday.
There are poets on mic
and 2 birthdays on the loose,
that is why i hug Rose Ann
and sip whiskey with Ron.
G brings an apology,
his hand easily finds mine,
that is why i will stage-sing
while he plays the guitar.
K wears a gift hat, and
asks for some insight,
that is why the room fades
and her cries become mine.
I drift to the bartop,
to lean and to buy,
that is how i meet Michael
and learn more about wine.
The bus is parked outside, and
it's covered with art,
that is why i am smiling
with non-Mexican boys.
-- about the first Black Dog poetry night of 2007
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Poem #2 of 365
Resolving
i must not watch late-night tv.
i must not avoid exercise.
i must write more.
i must listen harder.
i watch late-night tv.
i avoid exercise.
must i write more.
must i listen harder.
Dissolving
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
i must not watch late-night tv.
i must not avoid exercise.
i must write more.
i must listen harder.
i watch late-night tv.
i avoid exercise.
must i write more.
must i listen harder.
Dissolving
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Monday, January 01, 2007
Poem #1 of 365
Deck the halls
with M's sweaty balls,
he converses with fists
and bawdy epithets.
Ms. D stirs the stews
and proffers smoke,
she glistens with lipgloss
and ladylike endeavors.
S.S. poured three bowls
and slurped 'em up,
he puffens with menudo
and leaves for his bed.
Ms. T burst open a new year
with couscous for all,
she curls on the couch
and shares mash-ups with D.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
with M's sweaty balls,
he converses with fists
and bawdy epithets.
Ms. D stirs the stews
and proffers smoke,
she glistens with lipgloss
and ladylike endeavors.
S.S. poured three bowls
and slurped 'em up,
he puffens with menudo
and leaves for his bed.
Ms. T burst open a new year
with couscous for all,
she curls on the couch
and shares mash-ups with D.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
2007 SLINGSHOT ORGANIZERS now on sale in FW
2007 Slingshot Organizer mixed colours, 1/4 size, paperback, 160 pages (6 oz) - $6.00
2007 Slingshot Organizer, large size (10 oz) - mixed colors, 1/2 size, glossy cover, spiral bound - $10.00
Geez, you don't have one of these yet?!?! It's a handy calendar and day planner, a zinester's best friend! Plan your days, one at a time, with plenty of room to scrawl notes on a calendar that will fit in your pocket. Includes space to write your phone numbers, a contact list of radical leftist groups around the globe, a menstrual calendar, info on police repression, extra note pages, and much more.
Not only is it the coolest thing to carry around in your tote bag, but it's also an informative guide to the People's History of the World. Includes popular activist and alternative cultural holidays and important protests as well as historical landmarks.
This organizer is sold as a fundraiser for SLINGSHOT, the radical newspaper from Berkeley. A small percentage of all sales here in FW will go towards supporting the 1919 Hemphill Community Space.
WHERE can you buy your 2007 SLINGSHOT ORGANIZER?!?!
1. At the SPIRAL DINER, the popular vegan eatery on Magnolia Street,
or just
2. Phone Cri ('Cree") at 817.966.0669, and he'll make sure one gets to you.
It'll make a NIFTY Chinese New Year's giftie. Cash only, please.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Call for submissions: UNDER WHAT BANDERA? (2nd edition)
Red CalacArts Publications is seeking poetry submissions about experiences and encounters with migration and crossing borders for their second edition of the chapbook UNDER WHAT BANDERA?
This San Diego-based publication is a literary project of the Red CalacArts Collective (RCAC). This collective, a project of Calaca Press, is a not-for-profit multidisciplinary arts and activist organization that focuses on creating, publishing, producing, and presenting Chicano, Latin American and indigenous related art focusing on issues dealing with human rights and social justice.
We are asking interested writers to please submit a maximum of 2 poems, limited to 2 pages total, by January 3, 2007. We are looking for original work, which has not been previously published in a book. Material which has been posted on the internet is acceptable.
Email your piece(s) and a short biography of yourself (third person, 100 word max) within the text message to ofrendas@cox.net. (Email attachments in any form will not be read.)
Poets whose work is chosen for the chapbook will retain copyright after publication and will receive ten free copies of the final product. Some selected poems will also be posted on the Red CalacArts Collective website.
The previous chapbook, UNDER WHAT BANDERA? ANTI-WAR OFRENDAS FROM MINNESOTA Y CALIFAS, was a response from a tragically-affected Latino community to the illegal occupation of Iraq by U.S. forces. This project was a collaboration between the RCAC and the Minnesota-based Palabrer@s. Ten poets were featured in this award-winning chapbook (Bookstore of the Americas Book of the Year, 2003), which was edited by Emmanuel Ortiz, Olga A. García, and Lorena E. Duarte Q.
For more information about the Red CalacArts Collective, their publications and events, go here or email them at RedCalacArts@cox.net.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
MY FORT WORTH: Alternative Holiday Bazaar in FW - Saturday & Sunday ONLY!
[If you have to shop, this is the way to do it without losing your soul. This bazaar features alot of "crafts and merchandise" that you won't be able to find easily anywhere else. You don't have to get mauled at the mall when you can spend your money in an environment that is laidback and human-scale. Recommended.]
15th Annual Alternative Holiday Bazaar
DECEMBER 2nd and 3rd - Saturday & Sunday only!
Where: First Jefferson Universalist Unitarian Church
1959 Sandy Lane, 76112 (mapsco 66-Y)
Time: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday AND 12 noon to 3 p.m. Sunday
Enjoy good food, good drink and good conversation with progressive-minded folks.
SPONSORS:
Tarrant Area Community of Churches
Peace Action Tarrant County
Fort Worth Friends Meeting (Quakers)
Fort Worth Vegetarian Society
VENDORS:
Heifer Project
Colores del Pueblo
Tx Cure
Miracles in Action
Peace Farm
Educate the Children
Refugee Services of Texas, Inc.
Iraq Vets for Peace
Code Pink
Unitarian World service
Sierra Club
Amnesty International
Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Awareness
Crawford Peace House
First Jefferson Craft Guild
(For sale will also be offered crafts by artisans of South America and the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, Africa and Vietnam.)
***All proceeeds go to organizations & projects that support human dignity and care for the earth.***
15th Annual Alternative Holiday Bazaar
DECEMBER 2nd and 3rd - Saturday & Sunday only!
Where: First Jefferson Universalist Unitarian Church
1959 Sandy Lane, 76112 (mapsco 66-Y)
Time: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday AND 12 noon to 3 p.m. Sunday
Enjoy good food, good drink and good conversation with progressive-minded folks.
SPONSORS:
Tarrant Area Community of Churches
Peace Action Tarrant County
Fort Worth Friends Meeting (Quakers)
Fort Worth Vegetarian Society
VENDORS:
Heifer Project
Colores del Pueblo
Tx Cure
Miracles in Action
Peace Farm
Educate the Children
Refugee Services of Texas, Inc.
Iraq Vets for Peace
Code Pink
Unitarian World service
Sierra Club
Amnesty International
Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Awareness
Crawford Peace House
First Jefferson Craft Guild
(For sale will also be offered crafts by artisans of South America and the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, Africa and Vietnam.)
***All proceeeds go to organizations & projects that support human dignity and care for the earth.***
Friday, November 24, 2006
Get out of the car
Last Monday, I stepped off the porch steps and onto the sidewalk to chill with my cat in the morning sunlight. Immediately enthralled by the touch of the early breezes, I inhaled the possibility of doing something so unlikely as this: running errands by walking. I needed to go downtown for a coupla different things, and I prefer to bunch up my chores so I only have to run the car in one general direction and accomplish multi-things at a time. What's that permaculture aphorism? Protracted thought leads to minimized labor and energy waste. (Actually, since I took the time to look it up, it's this: "...protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor...")
So, anyway, I had a handful of things to accomplish downtown and had about five hours to get 'em done. Why not walk today, I asked myself.
I started out from my hood (Fairmount neighborhood) and headed north, arriving downtown (City Hall) in about 45 minutes. The temperature was perfect and the only discomfort I felt was some slight pain in my lower back and right foot (broken toe). Overall, I was buoyant. I felt like walking the distance it would have taken me 8 minutes to drive and accomplishing the chores in 2 hours rather than 30 minutes did not deplete me or compromise my schedule. With a conscious choice, I opted to slow down my day--and yes, I didn't get as much done as on a typical day--and gained so much the improved attitude and overall depth charge that I had long needed.
It's gorgeous today, give it a go. Give your feet the green light. Let the car rest for a minute.
I'm heading out now to cruise the neighborhood with my friend Carol. Feet a-walking, mouths a-talking.
In case you need information to get inspiration....
Friday, November 17, 2006
SUNDAY: "The Other Side" screens after FINAL performance of BOXCAR in FW
If you haven't seen BOXCAR (written by Silvia Gonzalez S. and directed by FW-er Rob Bosquez), you have only ONE weekend left to do so.
"Inspired by the 1987 tragedy in which 18 bodies and one survivor were found in a sealed boxcar in Texas, Gonzalez's play tells the story of six Mexican men and a teen from El Salvador as they try to cross the border looking for a better life in the U.S."
SPECIAL to the FINAL SUNDAY MATINEE PERFORMANCE:
F * R * E * E Screening of an experimental film by Lubbock-born
filmmaker Bill Brown, which focuses on the land & politics of the U.S./Mexico border.
“The Other Side” by Bill Brown
43 min., 16mm print
EVEN if you cannot make it to see BOXCAR, come to this free screening of "The Other Side"!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 - 4PM - ROSE MARINE THEATER
1440 N. Main St., Fort Worth
“The desert that marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico is the subject of Bill Brown’s deeply personal reflection on and exposé of the challenges surrounding Mexican immigration. Pensive, raw, and luminous images construct a montage of a land where immigrants leave traces of their struggles and hopes. Traveling along these same paths, Brown shows us “where the idea of America is up for grabs” and explores the vicissitudes of the politics and activism behind U.S. immigration policies. We ride in the cars of activists protecting the rights of migrants, set up water stations, listen to the tales of crossing attempts, learn the history of the land, and watch the shadows creep across the fixtures of life isolated in the desert.”
–Harlie Dover, Brooklyn Underground Film Festival
Bill Brown makes movies about ghosts that masquerade as movies about landscapes–or maybe it’s the other way around. His films include Roswell, Hub City, Confederation Park, Buffalo Common, Mountain State, and The Other Side. In 2003, the Museum of Modern Art screened a retrospective of his work as part of its MediaScope series.
"Inspired by the 1987 tragedy in which 18 bodies and one survivor were found in a sealed boxcar in Texas, Gonzalez's play tells the story of six Mexican men and a teen from El Salvador as they try to cross the border looking for a better life in the U.S."
SPECIAL to the FINAL SUNDAY MATINEE PERFORMANCE:
F * R * E * E Screening of an experimental film by Lubbock-born
filmmaker Bill Brown, which focuses on the land & politics of the U.S./Mexico border.
“The Other Side” by Bill Brown
43 min., 16mm print
EVEN if you cannot make it to see BOXCAR, come to this free screening of "The Other Side"!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 - 4PM - ROSE MARINE THEATER
1440 N. Main St., Fort Worth
“The desert that marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico is the subject of Bill Brown’s deeply personal reflection on and exposé of the challenges surrounding Mexican immigration. Pensive, raw, and luminous images construct a montage of a land where immigrants leave traces of their struggles and hopes. Traveling along these same paths, Brown shows us “where the idea of America is up for grabs” and explores the vicissitudes of the politics and activism behind U.S. immigration policies. We ride in the cars of activists protecting the rights of migrants, set up water stations, listen to the tales of crossing attempts, learn the history of the land, and watch the shadows creep across the fixtures of life isolated in the desert.”
–Harlie Dover, Brooklyn Underground Film Festival
Bill Brown makes movies about ghosts that masquerade as movies about landscapes–or maybe it’s the other way around. His films include Roswell, Hub City, Confederation Park, Buffalo Common, Mountain State, and The Other Side. In 2003, the Museum of Modern Art screened a retrospective of his work as part of its MediaScope series.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
un SPLASH de ARTE con tu shot of tequila...?
I'll be showcasing a crazy new piece onstage...
with guest performers Wendy y Miguel..surprise, surprise!
with guest performers Wendy y Miguel..surprise, surprise!
payday this wednesday...
"There's no money in poetry,
but there's no poetry in money, either."
-Robert Graves
The Poor Poet by Carl Spitzweg (1839)
but there's no poetry in money, either."
-Robert Graves
The Poor Poet by Carl Spitzweg (1839)
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