Chapbook Profile: Breath & Bone by Thelma T. Reyna

Continuing Letras Latinas' profile of chapbooks, Thelma T. Reyna, author of Breath & Bone, shares advice for aspiring writers on publication, poetry contests, and working with a small press.

Why a chapbook on Finishing Line Press?

As I was looking through the Poets & Writers website, which is one I highly recommend to all authors, I clicked on the "contests and awards" button. (I'd recently begun writing poetry again after a long layoff from writing and publishing. Also, I'd briefly belonged to a local poetry reading group.) I saw Finishing Line Press' announcement of their 2010 New Women's Voices National Poetry Chapbook Competition (their annual event) and decided to challenge myself by entering it. I wasn't one of the finalists or the winner. However, they sent me an email that said they liked my book and would like to publish it. They referred to it as a Semifinalist. Of course, I was totally delighted and said yes. The book will appear this month.

Having a chapbook published counts the same as any other publication in an author's resume. Some authors have dozens of chapbooks to their name. Poets are the ones who most often turn to chapbooks, because chapbooks are perhaps most common for poetry than for any other genre. In today's difficult publishing industry, chapbooks are probably becoming more common and popular than in the past. (This is my perception, which I'd need to research for accuracy.) I believe this is because publishing a smaller book costs less for a publisher than issuing a large volume of writing. Most publishers I've noticed who issue chapbooks are the smaller, independent presses. Finishing Line Press, by the way, is highly reputable and has a strong history of publishing. So publishing a chapbook should also be a point of pride for an author!

There are quite a few chapbook contests out there, and quite a few small presses looking for writers, new and established. As I mentioned, Poets & Writers is a great resource for learning about all this. I subscribe to their emailed newsletter, so I can keep current on contests and new journals as well as new presses. Most authors should do this: keep up to date with what's out there. All this that I've mentioned is at the national level. But the same advice holds for regional and local websites, groups, and publishing opportunities. For example, close to my hometown of Pasadena, CA, is the "San Gabriel Valley Poets," who have their own contests, publish their own chapbooks, etc.

My advice to poets (and other writers) is to enter contests whenever possible. First: this creates a specific goal for the writer, to keep him/her motivated to write. Second: winning

at any level (grand prize, finalist, semi-finalist, honorable mention, e.g.) is a boost to the author's reputation, for now the author can add these awards to his/her resume, or--in some cases--even have a seal or medal printed on the front cover of his/her award-winning book, depending upon the contest. This enhances the book.

Thelma T. Reyna, Ph.D. is author of the award-winning book, The Heavens Weep for Us and Other Stories (2009, Outskirts Press). Her short stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and other non-fiction have been published in literary and academic journals, literature textbooks, anthologies, blogs, and regional media since the 1970’s. Her first poetry chapbook, Breath & Bone (Finishing Line Press, 2011) was a Semi-Finalist in the FLP 2010 New Women’s Voices national competition. Dr. Reyna writes the blog “American Latina/o Writers Today” and is a guest blogger on the e-zine, “Powerful Latinas.”

Pre-order a copy of Breath & Bone at PayPal.com.

Gonzalo Rojas, Chilean poet, is dead

Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas, regarded as one of Latin America's greatest modern writers, has died in Santiago at the age of 93, his family has announced.

Rojas, who was forced into exile after the 1973 military coup, died today after suffering a debilitating stroke two months ago, one of his sons said.

The poet won numerous literary awards in his time, including the 2003 Cervantes Prize - the top literary award for Spanish-language literature - the Chilean National Prize for Literature, the Queen Sofia Prize of Iberian American Poetry (awarded by the King of Spain), Mexico's Octavio Paz prize and the Jose Hernandez Prize of Argentina.

Full article is at The Telegraph UK.

Review Roundup- April 25, 2011

Sheryl Luna reviews Maceo Montoya's The Scoundrel and the Optimist

Maceo Montoya's "The Scoundrel and the Optimist" (Bilingual Press, $18 paper) is a coming-of-age novel about a smaller-than-average teenager named Edmund who escapes the wrath of his father's beatings on account of his small size. 

Although there are a number of interesting characters, the relationship between the father and son is where the novel develops its quick tempo. Montoya's uncanny sense of humor mingled with realism keeps readers smoothly moving through it. 

Full review can be found at the El Paso Times.

Rigoberto González reviews Here Lies Lalo: The Collected Poems of Abelardo Delgado

Though he was born in Chihuahua and spent his early years in El Paso, Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado (1930-2004), one of the pioneers of Chicano poetry, continues to be celebrated in Denver, where the mayor named him, posthumously, the city's first poet laureate. Yet his pride in community and passion for justice, constant themes in his writing, resonated with audiences across the country. 

That connection will once again be energized with the release of his collected poems, "Here Lies Lalo" (Arte Público Press, $19.95 paperback). 

Full review can be found at the El Paso Times.

Candice Amich reviews The Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology

A multilingual anthology featuring more than 120 poets and many poems that have not previously been translated into English, The Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry is an essential resource for any English-language reader interested in broadening or deepening her knowledge of Latin American poetries. Alongside the traditionally canonized male poets writing in Spanish and Portuguese, editors Cecilia Vicuña and Ernesto Livon-Grosman present the voices and writings of poets who have often been excluded — despite their innovative compositions — from the canons of Latin American poetry: namely, the poor, the indigenous, and women. This unique selection advances a richer and more diverse mapping of the poetic territory than has previously been offered in any single edition of Latin American poetry in English. 

Full review can be found at Jacket 2.

Richard Yañez reads from Cross Over Water

UTEP hosted the first local reading and book signing for Richard Yañez’s new novel Cross over Water. About a hundred people came out on Good Friday to hear him read and talk. He was joined by Júarez native Mari(a) Gomez, an MFA candidate in UTEP’s bilingual MFA. 

El Paso has a strong literary heritage, especially among Chicano/a writers, and Yañez, co founder of Con Tinta, is quickly becoming one of its major voices.

He was introduced by Marcia Hatfield Daudistel, editor of Literary El Paso, a humongous anthology of El Paso writer’s such as Arturo Islas, Dagoberto Gilb, Tomás Rivera, Pat Mora, Ana Castillo, José Antonio Burciaga, as well as many of the newer generation writers such as Carolina Monsivaís, Sheryl Luna (a former Andrés Montoya poetry Prize winner), and Yañez himself.

I’m from Fresno, but I have been part of the El Paso literary landscape for over ten years (I have a few pieces in Literary El Paso), and I have always been impressed by how many of the Chicano/a writers we all know and love have come out of these two mid-sized cities. Fresno and El Paso. There must be something in the water, no?

After the reading, the chair of the Creative Writing Department, writer Benjamin Alire Sáenz (also in Literary El Paso), hosted a reception for Yañez.

---Daniel Chacón

Benjamin Alire Sáenz 

and Literary El Paso editor Marcia Hatfield Daudistel

Júarez native Mari(a) Gómez reads from her fiction

Poet Sasha Pimentel Chacón and MFA candidate Silvana Ayala

At the reception, Richard Yañez 

and poet Carolina Monsivaís get ready to cut the cake

Raymundo Eli Rojas, 

editor of Pluma Fronteriza, joins the party

The work continues: Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize Initiative

In the wake of Richard Montoya's visit to Notre Dame and the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) in particular, now is as good a time as any to re-visit the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize Initiative.

Moments ago over on Facebook, Lee Herrick, who knew and was friends with Andrés, was kind enough to highlight the interview that Letras Latinas Blog had conducted back on February 16 with Daniel Chacón, an interview in which he gives a moving portrait of his friendship with the late California native. Daniel has undertaken the task of editing Colón-ization---a posthumous volume of poetry by Andrés Montoya. Part of the proceeds of our Initiative will go towards the cost of publishing this collection. The rest will go towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of the prize that honors Andrés' memory and supports the publication of a first book by a Latino or Latina poet.

Last fall in Los Angeles, readers of this blog may recall that Malaquias Montoya unveiled the silkscreen print he created, based on one of his son's poems, at the Latino Art Now conference. Here's Malaquias standing beside the print shortly after it was unveiled, which he framed himself and brought down to Los Angeles:

"Untitled" by Malaquias Montoya

The print was flown back to Indiana and Letras Latinas became its proud owner. That is: money from the Letras Latinas account has been set aside and earmarked for the Initiative. Thus, the first print was sold. The print now has a home in the reception area of the Institute for Latino Studies:

The vantage point above is just outside the entrance to the Institute's office. That is: we find ourselves standing in the area designated as Galería América, where the ILS holds its art exhibits. The print can be seen in the upper right corner of the photo above. Here's another view:

Here we find ourselves on the other side of the Institute's front door, in our reception area, looking out into our gallery space. And now, a closer glimpse:

***

This is new territory for Letras Latinas: selling art. And I knew that as a strategy was devised, and a list of potential buyers drawn up (both individuals and institutions), I could not, in good faith, stand on the sidelines... 

And so the second print was ordered and paid for. Malaquias was given notice, and the print was shipped, and then taken to a frame shop in Arlington, VA, and then brought home:

And unwrapped:

And hung:

Please click below and consider

joining me:

Andrés Montoya

Poetry Prize Initiative

Richard Montoya @ Notre Dame (2)

Richard Montoya & Carlos Montoya

Richard Montoya's visit to Notre Dame (he arrived Sunday) concluded today. The picture above was taken at the conclusion of his Oral History Project Interview. He is joined by his brother, Carlos, who lives in Chicago. They are standing in the Julian Samora Library at the Institute for Latino Studies and holding, between them, a complete set: the poetry books by the winners of the prize that honors the memory of their cousin, Andrés.

He had a packed three days that included, in addition to his two presentations, visits to various classes on campus, as well as community centers in South Bend, IN. Stay tuned for the interview...

Richard Montoya @ Notre Dame (1)

In his remarks before giving his terrific presentation yesterday, Richard Montoya mentioned that one of the highlights of his first full day on campus was being shown some of Gil Cárdenas' archive which includes, of course, visual art, but also the papers (fliers, posters, you name it) that have been collected over the years---that visually document various aspects of the Chicano Movement. Above, ILS archivist Tracy Grimm shows Montoya some prints. And looming behind them on the wall: an arresting work of art by Richard's uncle, Malaquias Montoya.

One of the reasons for Richard Montoya's visit to Notre Dame was to be present at the opening reception of Galería América's exhibition of some of his father's visual art. Above is the guest book for the exhibit, as well as one of the gems of the exhibit. "Galería América" is the modest exhibition space at the Institute for Latino Studies where we have, on average, two exhibits per semester.

Richard Montoya converses with Gil Cárdenas and Agustín Fuentes.

Richard Montoya offers an informal gallery talk

on José Montoya's art.

Richard Montoya and "mi otro yo."

E-Chapbook Profile: Handmade Memories by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Handmade Memories
by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Free Verse Media, 2011

Along with the recent list of poets who have won awards, there also continues to be poets who publish their work through alternative venues. The most enduring of these means remains the chapbook, from Gary Soto's chapbook series to the collections published by Momotombo Press, the chapbook has been an integral part of Latino/a Letters.

For a deeper scholarly breakdown of chapbooks in the formation of contemporary US Letras, I highly recommend the YouTube recording of Juan Felipe Herrera's A Natural History of Chicano Literature. Herrera recounts major formative events in Chicano Lit and one consistent player in this timeline is the chapbook.

A new chapter in the history of the chapbook unfolds with the portable reader era. A few publishers, like Didi Menendez's GOSS 183, already publish their print and online publications alongside e-versions but few poets have jumped so directly into e-publishing like Guy LeCharles Gonzalez has.

Guy has a rich history in poetry with accomplishments with a National Poetry Slam Championship, representing the famed Nuyorican Poets Cafe; founding the Lil Bit Louder reading series at Bar13, know known as louderARTS; and co-author of Burning Down the House (Soft Skull Press, 2000). Guy was kind of enough to share his thoughts on why he released his latest collection of poetry and essays, Handmade Memories, solely in electronic format.

Why the E-Chapbook?

When I was active on the poetry scene back in the day, I published three chapbooks and loved the process of creating them by hand and having them with me to sell at readings. Unfortunately, a chapbook’s reach becomes very limited when you’re not actively performing, and I’ve been off the scene for several years now, so other than my blog, I don’t really have anything out there for people to read.

I initially got the idea to publish an ebook from Writer’s Digest’s Jane Friedman back in 2009, and with my recent job change, I decided to carve out some time for my own writing again (because writers write, right?), and the first thing on my list was publishing Handmade Memories. It was partly a way to clear the decks so I can focus on writing new work, but it was also an experiment to test the limitations of the ebook format.

I’ve always believed that poetry is, first and foremost, an oral form, so a static ebook is just the tip of the iceberg for digital formats. I’m really excited by things like kinetic typography and interactive apps that can include audio and video footage of readings/performances. But first things first; with so little contemporary poetry in ebook form, I figured why not jump right in with something simple?

RELATED LINKS

• For more information about Handmade Memories, please visit www.loudpoet.com.

• For Guy's interview with Christina Katz, please visit www.christinakatz.com.

• To purchase Handmade Memories, please visit Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Goodreads.

"A Chicano Writer in America" @ ILS/ND

What "transition" looks like

[T]he best we can do is leave an indelible footprint in the era of transition, so that those that come after can look back and see that we were doing something beautiful and meaningful.

Thus wrote Rigoberto González in his eloquent post at Harriet, the blog at the Poetry Foundation, a few days ago, one he titled “Nuyorican, Nuyorexican.” What caught my attention was his use of the term “transition.” The context, in González’s words, “are what the 2010 census revealed: that Latinos are the largest minority in the United States, that soon we will be the majority.”

Transition from what?

Transition to what?

For the moment, the second question engages me more. For aside from the what the 2010 census portends, a few factoids come to mind when thinking about the last two years and what Latino/a poetry is transitioning towards:

2009 Academy of American Poets’ Walt Whitman Award

J. Michael Martínez

*

2009 Gerard Gable Book Award

Joanne Diaz

*

2010 Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize

Danielle Cadena Deulen

*

2010 Isabella Gardner Poetry Award

Aracelis Girmay

*

2010 Princeton Hodder Fellowship

Cynthia Cruz

*

2011 NEA Grant Awards: Literature Fellowships: Creative Writing (Poetry)

Blas Falconer

Aracelis Girmay

David Hernandez

Holly Iglesias

*

2011 Yale Series of Younger Poets Award

Eduardo C. Corral

*

2011 Juniper Prize for Poetry

Carmen Giménez Smith

*
2011 Shelley Memorial Award

Rigoberto González


*

Note: this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. If I've missed any national distinctions bestowed upon Latino/a poetry by non-Latino-centric entities in 2009-2011, please pass on that good news. Much of what gets posted here is meant to serve as an archive. Thanks. 

Galería América: Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame

click on the image for a better view.

"Writing Dangerously in Immigrant America"

Interesting two-day symposium taking place today and tomorrow at Georgetown University, under the auspices of their Lannan Center for Poetics & Social Practice, where Carolyn Forché serves as director. Junot Díaz is featured tonight, and tomorrow night Juan Felipe Herrera is joined by Cristina Garcia to read their poems.

The symposium has been organized by Ricardo Ortiz.

More information and full line-up have a look HERE.

Supporting the necessary work: Wally Babington

Wally Babington and "Untitled" by Malaquias Montoya

When I introduced the poets at the Folger Shakespeare Library a few weeks ago, I made it a point to thank the Weissberg Foundation for their support of Letras Latinas in Washington, D.C. Crucial to that support, as I mentioned in my remarks, is Weissberg Foundation board member Wallace Babington. As the picture above indicates, Wally, (as he insists being called), is the owner of the Malaquias Montoya print specifically created for the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize Initiative, which he purchased to lend his support. As I mentioned when I highlighted Valerie Martinez’s generosity a few weeks ago, the plan is to profile a selection of people who are going the extra mile in support of Letras Latinas, in this case one of its flagship initiatives: the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize. Wally has agreed to answer a few questions.

F.A.

Letras Latinas Blog:

Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions, Wally. I know that your engagement with the arts, particularly in your role as a director with the Weissberg Foundation, has been in the theater, especially here in Washington, D.C.. But could you share with our readers some of your experiences with poetry in the last couple of years.

Wallace Babington:

I think one of the first readings I attended was the one that your Institute hosted at the Museum of American History back in the fall of 2009. There were two of them, and they were related with that exhibit on the guest workers. But I’m afraid the poets’ names escape me, but I remember being moved by the readings and the exhibit very much. And of course last September there was Brenda and Paul's readings at the Sumner School. I also enjoyed the salon and reading at Busboys and Poets with Steven Cordova last November, especially the conversation you conducted with Steven at Albert’s home. The reading at the Folger this past February also stands out because of the engaging discussion afterwards. I must say, and I think I’ve said this before, I’ve really appreciated being introduced to this new world of poetry and Latino poetry in particular. As someone who enjoys the theater, it has been interesting for me to note that poets do have to perform their poems!

LLB:

I’m glad you’ve mentioned Paul (Martinez Pompa). As you may recall, I gave you his book, My Kill Adore Him (University of Notre Dame Press, 2009) because it was the winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize. Letras Latinas is currently raising money for the long-term sustainability of this prize. Could you share with readers why you said Yes to buying one of these prints?

WB:

The Weissberg Foundation has been happy to support the work of Letras Latinas, but before I answer your question, I want to take a moment to mention two other organization that I’ve been proud to support: Metro TeenAIDS, and Joseph’s House—two organizations I always like to mention when speaking of my philanthropy. But back to your question: I hope that my attendance at Letras Latinas events is evidence of my support. But I also believe it’s important, as a supporter of the arts, to make a personal investment. If I limited my arts philanthropy to the Foundation’s money only, I don’t think I could consider myself a true supporter of the arts.

LLB:

Thanks, Wally. Might you have some parting words for readers of this blog who might be sitting on the fence about supporting the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize Initiative.

WB:

I’ve only been enjoying poetry, Latino poetry, in any meaningful way for two or so years. If I can show my support of Latino poetry in this way, surely there are lovers of Latino poetry out there who have been reading and appreciating this work much longer than I have. I would hope some of them could rise to this special occasion and purchase this print. But if the cost of the print is too prohibitive, surely some of these same enthusiasts can make a more modest gift and designate it to support this prize. As they say, no gift is too small!

***

ANDRES MONTOYA POETRY PRIZE INITIATIVE

Note: Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions aboutany aspect of this initiative, including about alternative ways to support the work Letras Latinas carries out. faragon@nd.edu