Cry Colonize Crash

First, my aunt mentioned this book, Eat Pray Love, to me, said it was inspiring and gripping, said she couldn't put it down. A series of other clichés to say that it had changed her life, or at least provided for good reading on the couch on a Sunday. I love my aunt, but I didn't quite trust her judgement on this one enough to read it. Then, I saw a writer in Houston from the Creative Writing program reading the book in the what-seems-to-be the new center of literary hangout hipness in town - Antidote Coffee on Studemont - where it seemed half "the Program" now lives, writes and commerces in trade secrets. So this writer was reading Elizabeth Gilbert on the plant-decorated patio, gravel underfoot, next to a professor in "the Program." She said to the professor that the book was a respite, a place to rest, relax and renew. Also said that initially she was not interested in the book because it was the typical white women goes to Third World countries and then writes a book about them. But then, she was sucked in and ended up loving it, being changed by it, finding herself in it. Sorry to get all Oprah, but you get the picture.

After hearing this second person go on about it, I borrowed my aunt's copy. Well, here's my report: it made me think of something I heard the distinguished essayist Eliot Weinberger say a few weeks ago at a translator's conference. To paraphrase: "I read international literature, because contemporary U.S. literature all too often has become the story of a man or woman sitting next to the pool, deeply upset and heartbroken because of a recent divorce." For me, Eat Pray Love is exactly this. American woman of a certain class and privilege survives difficult divorce, receives six figure book advance to travel to the three I's (Italy, India, Indonesia), finds her own navel repeatedly in other countries, and comes back to sell the tale (and sell the tale after that one). Her story inspires millions.

Now I am certainly not against international travel or searching for yourself or getting a divorce or being inspired or any of this. But the book (like so much popular contemp lit) seems chock full of unexamined privilege, a frightfully isolated and narrow worldview, and a naiveté that is depressing. The book makes me what to read a kind of anti-Eat Pray Love with writing in translation by people in Italy, India and Indonesia. Now that book I would buy (Come on Open Letter! Come on Words without Borders!).

The First Award for Oppressive White Man of The Day

A new bill under consideration in Arizona (not passed yet) would attempt to outlaw students groups that organize around race, like MECha, and make illegal any classes that go against "Western civilization." Whatever that means. So much ignorance. This is one of the craziest pieces of the bill (it's hard to pick a piece of it, but still):

--- Prevents public schools in Arizona from including any courses, classes, or school sponsored activities within the program of instruction that feature or promote as truth any political, religious, ideological, or cultural values that denigrate or overtly encourage dissent from the values of American democracy and Western civilization, including democracy, capitalism, pluralism, and religious toleration.

Since when do the "values of Western civilization" include capitalism? Karl Marx isn't Western enough, I guess. Neither would Gramsci or Proudhon or any other thinker who did not advocate capitalism. And I guess in their minds fascism is not a Western construct. Not colonialism either.

More info at Arizona Indymedia. Or at La Voz de Aztlán.
(The First Oppressive White Man of the Day Award goes to the guy in the photo, Russell Pearce, the white man who is pushing the legislation.)

Latest Tragedy Con un Final Medio Feliz

Legal resident applying for citizenship spends thirteen months in ICE detention centers.

Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey did a two part column this week about the case of Mauricio Barragan. Evidently, despite being a legal resident of the US and despite being an upstanding person in ways numerous and documented, he was imprisoned for thirteen months in Immigration jails. He was driving with a suspended license, and as laws have been changed, since he had a prior drug conviction (for which he received deferred adjudication and probation), he was sent to jail and put into deportation proceedings. The government attorneys fought him every step of the way to keep him imprisoned and to eventually deport him. Luckily, they lost. What a travesty of justice.

Read the first part of Casey's column, Cold as ICE: A Story of Family Values.

And then the second part, Cold as ICE: Falsehoods.

Thank you, Rick, for this amazing column. Good work.

And thanks to the DREAM Act - Texas blog for making sure I didn't miss these important columns.

Fotos of Art from the Living Room on April Nineteenth Two Thousand Eight

Some of these photos are taken on my camera and some were taken by Dean. More of Dean's fotos at his Picasa page.


The artists - Donna Huanca and Jorge Galván. Terrorist by DH in upper right corner.

The sculpture of plants (installed by all of us). Notice faint spiderwebs in air above sculpture. Preparty.

Another view of the plants and the telarañas from the party.

Close up of webs.

Lady on the mantle by DH.

Close up of aforementioned terrorist. Felt painting by DH. More art by DH on her website.

Larger piece by JG on wall. And installation with bed, backboard and drawings also by JG.

Close up of one of the drawings featuring flying chain link fencing.

 Close up of the birdie in the larger wall cut out drawing by JG.

Felt sculpture radio piece by DH.

The party was off the wall. Some two hundred people. Fun fun fun. Confetti y cascarones.

Living Room Art with Jorge Galván and Donna Huanca



Voices Breaking Boundaries presents Living Room Art featuring
Jorge Galvan and Donna Huanca
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 7:00 PM
At the home of John Pluecker
5036 Jefferson St
Houston, TX 77023
$Free
VBB continues its exciting Living Room Art series by exhibiting new site-specific installations in a living room party, this time in the home of John Pluecker and feature artists Jorge Galván and Donna Huanca.
Living Room Art series brings the visual arts to the neighborhood living rooms of the community and out of the galleries for the public to view the arts in a direct and more accessible way. This series will showcase art installations connected to Galvan's and Huanca's family histories and countries of origin-Mexico and Bolivia, respectively. As always, the evening in the East End of Houston includes music, food and much more.
This event is cosponsored by KPFT Pacifica Radio 90.1 FM.

El Orgullo del Golfo / The Pride of the Gulf

¡Feliz cumple, Rigo! Mejor tarde que nunca.

A pesar de haber nacido en Matamoros, Rigo empezó su carrera musical en Houston. Qué orgullo. De la wiki:

Rigoberto Tovar García ( 29 de marzo de 1946 – 27 de marzo de 2005), mejor conocido como Rigo Tovar, era un cantante y músico mexicano nacido en Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Creó una mezcla musical entre la cumbia, la balada y el bolero con elementos de rock. Muere el 27 de marzo de 2005 a causa de un paro cardiorrespiratorio.

Es considerado el padre de la Musica Grupera y Tropical, un pionero que introdujo instrumentos modernos a la dotación acostumbrada dentro de la música tropical y de cumbia (guitarras eléctricas, sintetizadores, bajo eléctrico , efectos de sampleo , órganos moog, y batería eléctrica).

Rigo empezó su carrera musical en Houston, Texas a principios de los setenta. Fue el creador del grupo "El Costa Azul", llamado así por una cantina/bar en Houston, e integrado por sus hermanos. Su primer álbum Matamoros Querido (1971) incluyó el tema homónimo y "Lamento de Amor" que fueron las que le abrieron las puertas musicalmente hablando a los Estados Unidos. Aparte de cantar canciones escritas por otros, Rigo era compositor de las letras y los aspectos musicales de sus canciones.

°°°

¡Happy Birthday Rigo! Better late then never.

Even though he was born in Matamoros, Rigo got his start career-wise in Houston. From wiki:

Rigoberto Tovar García (March 29, 1946 – March 27, 2005) was a Mexican singer best known as Rigo Tovar, famous for his cumbia songs. Considered a musical pioneer who started fusing electric guitars, synthesizers and rock melody with traditional Mexican music.

Born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, he died a few days before his 59th birthday from diabetic complications leading to cardio-respiratory failure. Although raised in his native Matamoros, bordertown to Brownsville, Texas, United States, he got his start in Houston, Texas, in the early 1970s. His music, a blend of cumbia, tropical and rock and roll quickly gained him a large following. His first album Matamoros Querido (Beloved Matamoros) (1971) included the title song and "Lamento de Amor"(Lament of Love), both became hit singles.


La palabra del día

modoso,sa

adj. Recatado,comedido,que tiene buen comportamiento y educación: chico tímido y modoso.



°°°

Adivina el contexto. O nombra uno.

*


I
do
not
have
but
words.

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A six word memoir.


I was tagged by Chuck.


I'm not tagging anybody. But all are welcome to the challenge.

Notes on Translation, Pedophiles, Festivals in New York and Obligatory Books.

Or a to do list:

Foreskin's Lament. A book about Orthodox upbringing and dealing with ghosts of religiosity in childhood.

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Chris Morris and Paedogeddon. British dry humor about pedophiles. Always funny.

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Cipher Journal is at Yale and does literary translation. Yale is confirmed to be a sad sad place.

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Open Letter. The new publishers of books in translation from the good people at University of Rochester. Including Chad Post of the incredible Three Percent.

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Pen World Voices Festival in New York in May. Seems to be a mandatory stop. And fun, maybe too. And much good info for sure.

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Bernard Levy. I heard that he has a castle in Morocco, a castle in somewhere else, a retreat in some other far flung globe spot. But decided to write his book on Darfur in a $1000 a night resort in the South of France. He is headlining at the Pen World Voices Festival.

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I need to read the Unbearable Lightness of Being. And Wayne Kostenbaum. And more.

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Michael Henry Heim looks like Lincoln and speaks nine languages and must be respected.

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Love to fish. Blog more.

A typical leftist social climber.

A typical poetic social climber.

Be gone. All.

uno escribe
porque
no hay ocupación más torpe y desdichada
que vivir.
Gloría Gómez Guzmán

one writes
because
there is no occupation more awkward and unfortunate
than living.

Translation by John Pluecker






Para mí, tú eres la gloria.

Y ausente te quiero más.

Poettube 2008


Todos los videospoemas alrededor del tema del piropo. Organizado por la Gaby Torres. Con videopoemas de Tijuana, España, Rosarito, Houston, Monterrey y más y más.



Aquí pues.


A lot of videopoems spinning around the theme of the "piropo" or the catcall. Organized by Gaby Torres. With videopoems from Tijuana, España, Rosarito, Houston, Monterrey and more and more.


Spanish English Glossary of Legal Terminology for Immigration

Gasté horas buscando un glosario de terminología de los tribunales de inmigración. Al final encontré uno de Dagoberto Orrantia que me parece muy útil. Así que quiero que sea más fácil de encontrar en el Internet.

Aquí está el link al Glosario de Terminología Legal para los tribunales de inmigración.

°°°

I wasted hours looking for a glossary of Immigration Court terminology. Finally I found one by Dagoberto Orrantia that seems really useful. So I want it to be easier to find on the Internet.

Here is the link to the Glossary of Legal Terminology for the immigration courts.