Familial Diversity

Familial Diversity

BookPeople, Austin, Texas: July 23, 2010

Note the yummy cupcakes at my elbow. Thanks to all who came out, bought books, and celebrated with me. Mi amiga Myrna Cabello, who sang between reading selections, promises a video clip of the reading. I'll post when it comes in. Oh, and thanks to Perla Cavasos for letting me borrow this pic.

Reader Review: Paulet Smart, Austin, Texas

Paulet Smart of The Write Club posted this sweet review of Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over on The Write Club blog. Check it out here.

I have a couple of other reader reviews to post, too. Forgive me. I'm still catching up after the knee surgery. Today, I discovered an entire page of emails I hadn't even opened the last week of June! Which just proves what I've always suspected: I do pretty well with pain, but anesthesia and painkillers—forget it! They make me completely, and utterly useless!

Be well!

Books, Cupcakes & Song

Soooo happy that the lovely and talented Myrna Cabello is joining me on my inaugural reading of Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over. I've known Myrna for years. We lost touch, then (thankfully) found each other again, just as her singing/songwriting career was taking off. I always knew she could sing. I didn't know what a talented songwriter she was. I'm so thrilled she found a song that would work well as an interlude piece during the reading. Short, simple, and lovely. I got goosebumps as I listened to the MP3 she sent me, later asking me, "Is this all right?"

All right? It's amazing!

If you're in Austin, join us at BookPeople as I read a little, Myrna sings a little, and we enjoy amazing cupcakes from Four Pink Dragonflies.

New knee, new book!

It's not how I would have planned it, but I knee surgery last week--just weeks before SISTERS, STRANGERS, AND STARTING OVER is to be released. Have been out of it, but getting better every day.

If you are in the Austin area I hope you will come to the SISTERS reading at BookPeople, July 23 at 7pm.

Damas wins the 2010 Mariposa Prize!

The 12th Annual International Latino Book Awards were awarded May 25, 2010, and Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz was a winner! Damas received the Mariposa Prize, the award given for Best First Book (English), at this year's awards ceremony held during the BookExpo of America convention in New York City.

The kind wishes and congratulations received from fellow writers across the nation has been lovely. But the best thing of all is that the award came from Latino Literacy Now, a non-profit organization that promotes literacy and literary excellence within the Latino community. They created the Latino Book Awards in 1999. In addition, they are behind several Latino Book Festivals that take place in Latino-rich communities across the nation. The next one is in Houston this September.

I wasn’t the only celebrated writer. Colleagues and writers I’ve long admired were also recognized for their work, including: Carmen Tafolla, René Colato Laiñez, Oscar Hijuelos, Marjorie Agosín, Josefina López, Barbara Renaud Gonzalez, Carolina de Robertis, Lucha Corpi, and many others were recognized in over 50 categories.

Congratulations to all the award-winners!

Festival of Texas Writers

After some old-fashioned rabble-rousing, followed by a few days of diplomacy (and flak-catching), I will appear with John Phillip Santos, Barbara Renaud, and Emilio Zamora on a panel featuring Tejano Writers at this event on Saturday, May 8, in Austin, Texas. Long story. I promise to tell the tale when it's over.

In the meantime, click here to get a hint of what happened. It's all good. So far. And if you're in Austin, please come to the Scholtz Garten to get an earful of some hot-damn good writing by some of our best, Tejano writers. In my humble opinion, Santos is brilliant. Barbara Renaud is sublime, and Dr. Zamora is doing that all important work of documenting our history for the future.