February highlights

Its been a busy February on my end. I had told my friends that I was going to take the first part of the year slow, to transition into my new skin as an online retailer, but the Universe seems to have other plans and I've hit the ground running. The favorite part of my job is the wonderful opportunities to meet and hang out with some amazing people, this month I interviewed three amazing Latinas and walked away with gifts I can't wait to share with you. I'll be sharing more on that in the following days. In the meantime a preview:











Jenny Priego and me with Stephanie Elizondo Griest at the the reading of Mexican Enough this past February 7th. Check out my interview with Stephanie here.










A morning coffee and chat on the first day of AWP* with elena minor publisher of Palabra. I'll be airing and uploading that interview soon.

















Michelle Otero author of Malinche's Daughter, featured at Proyecto Latina this past Monday. Couldn't miss the opportunity to interview Michelle either, that will also be aired and uploaded soon.

*I know AWP has passed, but Francisco Aragon summarized Latin@ participation at this years conference at the Letras Latinas Blog. He lists the following, "57 Latino and Latina poets, writers, teachers, other literary folk are taking part on 34 panels." You can get a more the four part breakdown on his blog.

What did she say?

Below I've listed praise Stephanie's Elizondo Griest has garnered for her third book, Mexican Enough: My Life Between the Borderlands. She's gotten some exciting reviews from some of our favorite Latino authors, including Sandra Cisneros and Luis Alberto Urrea.


Read an excerpt of Stephanie's book here, and see why Luis Urrea said, 'No, you can't say that.' I am glad she did.

Make sure to join us for the reading and booksigning on Friday, Feb. 6th, 2009 @ 7 p.m. Event details here.

"Stephanie Elizondo Griest dances where others fear to tread. There were several places in this book where I said, 'No, you can't say that.' I am glad she did."

-- Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author of The Devil's Highway

"This is a travel journal for the new millennium, a biracial woman searching for herself among the complexities of the borderlands."

-- Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of The House on Mango Street and Caramelo

"I can't think of anyone who does a better job of capturing the people and places that inhabit the soul of a country. She grants us access into the hidden corners of a Mexico we've only heard about, with her own brand of humor, spot-on wisdom, and heart."

-- Michelle Herrera Mulligan, editor of Juicy Mangos and Border-Line Personalities

"A revealing exposé of one woman's struggle to live between two cultures and two worlds, and yet not fully belong to either."

-- Teresa Rodriguez, author of The Daughters of Juárez

Reading: Mexican Enough by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

We know its two weeks away, but we just finalized the date and venue for this reading and booksigning. Save the date and come out to join us.

Friday, February 6, 2009 @ 7 p.m.
Held @ Radio Arte, 1401 W. 18th St.
(Radio Arte is in Pilsen. A few blocks East of the CTA pink line stop and there is meter parking nearby.)
Free. Copies of Stephanie's books for sale.

MEXICAN ENOUGH: MY LIFE BETWEEN THE BORDERLINES
Washington Square Press, August 2008
As a biracial American, Stephanie Elizondo Griest has long struggled with her cultural identity, wondering if she is “Latina enough” to pursue race-based scholarships and the like. In 2005, she ventured to her mother’s native Mexico to do a little root-searching and improve her “Tarzan Lite” Spanish. She stumbled upon a burgeoning social movement that shook parts of the nation to its core. MEXICAN ENOUGH chronicles her journey, from the narco-infested border town of Nuevo Laredo to the highlands of Chiapas. She investigates the murder of a prominent gay activist, sneaks into prison to meet with resistance fighters, rallies with rebels in Oaxaca, and interviews scores of migrant workers and the families they were forced to leave behind. Travel companions include a Polish thief, a Border Patrol agent, and a Dominatrix. Part memoir, part journalistic reportage, MEXICAN ENOUGH illuminates how we cast off our identity in our youth, only to strive to find it again as adults—and the lessons to be learned along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: STEPHANIE ELIZONDO GRIEST
Stephanie Elizondo Griest has mingled with the Russian Mafiya, polished Chinese propaganda, and belly danced with Cuban rumba queens. These adventures inspired her award-winning memoir AROUND THE BLOC: MY LIFE IN MOSCOW, BEIJING, AND HAVANA (Villard/Random House, 2004) and guidebook 100 PLACES EVERY WOMAN SHOULD GO (Travelers’ Tales, 2007). She has explored five continents and once drove 45,000 miles across America in a Honda Hatchback named Bertha. A 2005-2006 Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, she recently won the Richard J. Margolis Award for Social Justice Reporting. Visit her website at www.aroundthebloc.com

Tianguis is moving, make sure you know how to find us

Dear Friends,

We hope this message finds you in good spirits and health. We have good and bad news...

The Bad News I want to assure you that we thought about this long and hard before deciding not to renew our lease, and so December 2008 will be the last month for our brick-and-mortar location at 2003 S. Damen Ave in Chicago.

The Good News We are still going to be around. For now we will be moving our operation fully online and we encourage you to stay connected via the following:

Tianguis.biz We recently introduced our Momotombo shop and we will continue as independent booksellers on our website. We will also continue to bring you the same gift merchandise that you were able to find at our store. Look for a complete website and online store overhaul in early 2009. We will also make sure to keep you posted!

Elliterati.com is our blog and we recommend that you add us to your RSS feed. We are going to be launching a virtual bookclub in early 2009 and managing it through this blog and we really want you to join us in the conversation. This is a good way to stay up-to-date with developments from us as well as stay informed about all things that are Latino+Literary.

Proyecto Latina This open mic and reading series has just completed its third year and is embarking on its fourth. We will continue with our 3rd Monday tradition bringing you the best work by Latinas, the chisme box and good vibes. I've been honored to be part of this wonderful collaborative with Teatro Luna and Mariposa Atomica Ink. And now there's a Proyecto Latina Radio show on Sundays at 6 p.m. and that airs on Radio Arte 90.5 FM, make sure to tune in.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all the people, neighbors and organizations that supported my endeavors. The support that Tianguis receives is from a very diverse group of people that includes members of the community and people that come from far away places and make it a point to pay our humble dwellings a visit. I am also confident that in the next couple of years we will find ourselves with a new home to welcome you in. In the meantime, catch up with us online, on the radio or at Proyecto Latina readings.

Sincerely,
Irasema Gonzalez

What are your thoughts on Malinche's Daughter?

Malinche's Daughter
by Michelle Otero
chapbook, 48 pages
$10.00

The feast day for Guadalupe is this Friday December 12th. Michelle Otero's book, Malinche's Daughter, features lovely cover art with the image of Guadalupe. Malinche's Daughter is a powerful and reflective memoir, about survival and healing that opens with Michelle's first visit to La Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. The book is under 50 pages but it dishes out as much intensity as a novel, and you will definitely be thinking about it for some time after you read it.

Have you read Malinche's Daughter? Share your thoughts, through the comments feature on this blog.

What are your thoughts on From here you can almost see the end of the dessert?

From here you can almost see the end of the desert
by Aaron Michael Morales
chapbook, 48 pages
$10.00

Aaron's book, From here you can almost see the end of the dessert, receives praise from Luis Alberto Urrea and Helena Maria Viramontes. However, I think another valuable endorsement for Aaron's book is Lucy, the customer who returned to Tianguis after reading the book and purchased multiple copies to give to her friends because she was so excited about the three stories in this chapbook that pack a spectacular fiction punch.

Have you read From here you can almost see the end of the dessert? Share your thoughts, through the comments feature.

Proyecto Latina's Radio Project

What I am going to remember and probably miss most about this past summer are my Thursday evenings. These were the evenings dedicated to getting the Proyecto Latina Radio project off the ground. After closing shop I would meet up with my fellow co-producer Diana Pando and we would catch a quick bite to eat at either La Cebollita or Los Comales and then stroll over to the Radio Arte studios to meet up with our other team members: Yolanda Cardenas, Ericka Sanchez and Miranda Gonzalez. Jesus Ortiz, the host of the Urban Alternatives show at Radio Arte patiently guided us through weeks of radio training and tolerated my affinity for freestyle music while enlightening me with some knowledge of hip hop music.

We've been a little quiet about our little Sunday project because we are still refining our radio editing and producing skills. The goal of the radio show is to build upon Proyecto Latina and the programming that we have already been doing with our Open mic and reading series. So far we've had the pleasure of featuring work by local Latinas such as Lisa Alvarado, and Tanya Saracho as well as an interview with Mexican author Elena Poniatowska. We encourage you to tune in on Sundays from 6 to 7 p.m. If you are in the area you can probably pick up the frequency on your radio (90.5 FM) or you can tune into wrte.org to listen as it streams online.

We are working on uploading our radio archives so you can access them any time you like. More on this project coming soon...

Mark your calendars: Lisa Alvarado reads @ Tianguis on 10/29

I had the pleasure of attending Lisa Alvarado's national book release party for her new book Raw Silk Suture this past September. Lisa's poetry collection is powerful and as the title implies 'raw'. She delivered her delicate but intense gems beautifully. I'm excited to be having Lisa read at Tianguis later this month, mark your calendars and make sure to join us!

Wed. October 29, 2008 @ 7 p.m.
Lisa Alvarado reading from Raw Silk Suture
@ Tianguis, 2003 S. Damen.

Workshop with Taco Shop Poet, Tomas Riley

Last Thursday, September 18th, Tianguis hosted a poetry workshop led by Tomas Riley and sponsored by the Guild Complex. This is the second workshop of its kind (learn about the first one here), we love the creative energy this type of gathering brings to our space. We had some familiar faces amongst us, as well as newbies and some old students of Tomas Riley that joined us for the evening. We will keep you posted if similar opportunities become available in the future.

Proyecto Latina: September recap

This last Monday we got together for our September '09 edition of Proyecto Latina: we had chismes, open mic and a featured reading by Achy Obejas. The Yollocalli Gallery at Radio Arte, where we hosted our event, is currently decked out in various shades of pink because their current exhibit is about the Quinceanera tradition. I thought it was pretty cool and appropriate that our open mic participants and Achy got to read with a Latina deity of sorts (a student piece) watching over them.

If you missed it, we just want to let you know that copies of Achy's latest titles, This is what happened in our other life and Havana Noir are still available at Tianguis. You can also catch Achy September 26th where she will be having a conversation with Junot Diaz at Instituto Cervantes.

The amazing transformations of Desiree Castro

Desiree T. Castro piqued my interest when she sent word of her most recent project, The Cabrona Chronicles. The last time I had caught Desiree on stage she was in drag and playing Diego, a young boy in the men's bathroom with his dad learning about the rules of using the urinals. Next it was the solo piece that Desiree wrote for the Solo Tu show about motherhood.

Desiree explains that The Cabrona Chronicles is a piece about, "exploration of vital turning points in women's lives and those moments that trigger daughters to avenge their families, wives to leave their husbands, timid girls to have fist fights, students to discipline teachers, and grandmothers to mumble in their sleep,"Te estoy viendo cabrona."

I've had some of those turning points, so I can't wait to see Desiree at the next Proyecto Latina where she will be sharing excerpts from, The Cabrona Chronicles. Ginger Gallardo, Desiree's sister will be joining her with musical selections she's composed as part of the project.

This actress, writer, arts-educator, dancer and mother has a list of impressive accomplishments that include Teatro Luna's award winning show Machos and Solo Tu, she is also a company member for Barrel of Monkeys Theatre Company. You can read Desiree's complete bio here.

Come out and join us on Monday, June 21st at the Radio Arte studios, 1401 W. 18th Street, on the corner of 18th and Blue Island for this event. (Use the 18th street door.) Desiree will be our feature, there will be eight open mic slots and every one's favorite the chisme box.

Hosting our first poetry workshop

Traffic

Sewer stink fills his lungs

tortillas on his face like a mask

candlewax drips over time like tears

rubber body suit melts into the grooves of the day

there is a red light behind his eyes

cry, cloaca, cry

what did you stop doing?

Listed above is the group poem that was written last Thursday when a small group of folks came together at Tianguis for a free poetry workshop with Naomi Ayala. The event was sponsored and made possible by the Guild Complex.

I can't begin to express how grateful and honored we felt for such a wonderful opportunity for both Tianguis and for the community members that got to participate. Naomi was a blast and we had so much fun, there were lots of laughs and jokes and ultimately we all walked out armed with a writing exercise and a new poem.

Stay tuned, because Ellen at the Guild Complex hinted about doing this again next fall. We will make sure to keep you posted.

Tianguis @ the Mexican & Latino Book Fair in Chicago

We are thrilled to be taking part of this book fair, we invite you to look for the Tianguis booth on Saturday, May 17th and check out the most recent titles by Momotombo Press. The fair will be from Thurs., May 15th to Sun, May 18th but we will only be there one day. Held at University of Illinois at Chicago, Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted. This event is free and open to the public. Details here.

Catch us in the Chicago Journal

This week's Chicago Journal includes a feature about Tianguis and Proyecto Latina. You can also read the article online here.

Proyecto Latina: Redeems and inspires

I first met Josephine Gasca many years back when we both took a Latin American Literature class in college. When we received the syllabus Josephine thought to ask a very important question, "Why is there only one book by a Latina on the reading list?" We read many wonderful books that semester but only one was written by a female writer, with the exception of the authors we chose to write about for our independent projects. Our professor didn't budge and I hesitate to share what this individual answered, but I think you can probably guess what it sounded like. So, some ten years later, being a part of Proyecto Latina is a wonderful privilege and I value the opportunity to learn about and meet so many wonderful, established and emerging Latina writers--its complete redemption for having to sit through that awful class.

The third Monday of every month always inspires me, I would love to share that with you. So, I invite you to join us, Monday, March 17th, our feature is my old friend Josephine Gasca. I'm very excited about Josephine's feature because she will be reading and also doing belly dance performance for us. Remember that we will be meeting at Radio Arte, 1401 W. 18th St, on the corner of 18th and Blue Island. Open mic sign-up begins at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Josephine Gasca graduated from Columbia College with an MFA in Creative Writing. In Chicago, she helped run the family drywall business, raised an amazing daughter, taught in Columbia's Fiction Department and gathered enough material for several novels. She moved to the East Coast a little over four years ago to devote more time to her writing and artistic pursuits. Her teaching repertoire now includes dance. She writes and and book keeps by day and belly dances at night.

February recap: Our February feature was Liz Sandoval. Liz and everyone who joined us, including the Chicago Journal, were wonderful sports and didn't complain much about the last minute venue change. In case you were unable to join us, Liz read a powerful memoir piece, From Zero to Fucked in Six Seconds, that you can go read here- its posted under a different title, White Daisies.

CELEBRATE WITH US! 2nd Anniversary Soiree

Proyecto Latina is brewing a wonderful celebration event for the night of Saturday, January 19th. Stay tuned for a lovely and talented lineup--a best of Proyecto Latina features from the past two years. We are grateful to the help of our friends at Radio Art and Junior's Sports Bar.


UPDATE:
Its a night to put your pen and papelitos away, and instead whip out your dancing shoes, and open up to inspiration. Proyecto Latina invites you to join us and celebrate our 2nd Anniversary on Saturday, January 19th 2008 at Junior's Sports Bar, 2058 W. Cermak Rd. (In Pilsen and a couple of blocks away from Tianguis.) We're bringing back highlights--crowd favorites of course--from our past features list to help us mark this wonderful occassion with amazing words, music and dancing. And we are super excited to cap the night off with two Proyecto Latina newcomers our two featured DJ's to put more groove in our night: La Primitiva and Spacerwoman.*

We get started at 7 p.m. Free admission and antojitos (while they last).

Silvia Rivera	Amanda Torres
Wendy (Gwen) Vargas	The Luna Blues Machine
La Primitiva	Spacerwoman

We owe a very BIG thanks to Radio Arte and Junior's Sports Bar.

*No open mic for this January event. We will be bring back the open mic with the February edition of Proyecto Latina.

Featured titles to help fulfill your gift needs

A thoughtfully selected book can add meaning to your gifts, take it to the next level and turn it into a keepsake by personalizing it with a short note, the finishing touch--a bookmark of course.

Below is our list of recommended titles that we know make ideal gifts, and which can all be found on our bookshelves:


Bless Me Ultima is our current bookclub selection, its a coming-of-age story appropriate for adults and young readers:

Ask A Mexican will draw in even the most hesitant reader on your list. We still have autographed copies available.

The Alchemist Chances are people who read this books got it as a gift and there is a high probability rate that they go on to share the gift with others.

More suggestions:

from l to r: Once Upon a Quinceanera by Julia Alvarez
Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask,
a bilingual cuento by Xavier Garza

I will never forget you: Frida Kahlo and Nickolas Murray
by Salomon Grimberg

from l to r: Nahui Olin by Adriana Malvido;
Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolution by Elena Poniatowska

from l to r: Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art by Lincoln Cushing
Mexican Calendar Girls by Angela Villalba

The Mexican @ Tianguis

UPDATE:
SLOTS FOR THE READING ARE ALL FILLED, BUT MAKE SURE TO JOIN US FOR THE BOOKSIGNING--THAT IS OPEN TO ALL.

BOOKSIGNING BEGINS AT 8 P.M.


Gustavo Arellano, author of ¡Ask a Mexican! will be doing a reading and booksigning at Tianguis. I almost fell out when this opportunity came up. It was a no-brainer, we gave a resounding yes. For reasons beyond his entertaining column and coming to read at our humble nook in Pilsen, Gustavo has made it on our list of favorite people ever.


If you're interested in joining us, here's the official scoop:

What: Reading and booksigning with Gustavo Arellano author of ¡Ask a Mexican!

When: Wed. July 18, 2007
Please note: Reading: 7 p.m. RSVP required. Space is limited.
Booksigning: 8 p.m.Open to all.

Where: Tianguis: books. tea. cultura, 2003 S. Damen.

How to rsvp: Call 312.492.8350 or email info@tianguis.biz

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

Arellano on the Colbert Report

Tea Time: new hours and specials

NEW HOURS:
Mon. through Sat.: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sun: 10a.m. to 5 p.m.

The tea bar is finally open. That means that in addition to tasty drinks, we are introducing new hours. Please note that we are now open earlier and on Sundays. And to celebrate we are featuring a morning special:

MORNING SPECIAL:

$1.00
small coffee/tea*
7 a.m.-9 a.m.
*(select tea options)

We have organic loose leaf teas --our current favorite is the King Crimson blend--and we can make it a hot or iced tea. Indulge in one of the chais, we have four flavors for choose from. And for a sweeter, hot weather treat, try one of our bubble teas--with or without tapioca pearls. And finally, we also have coffee, and we promise that we can make a mean cup of cafecito.

Our primary mission is to celebrate Latino literature from established authors but also to help nurture emerging voices that are also telling our stories. Buying a drink or snack at Tianguis is a great way to support and help the book selection grow.

We invite you to swing by next time you're in the neighborhood. We are conveniently located across the CTA Pink Line, Damen stop. We can make our space available after hours for meetings or other events, contact us for details.

New bookclub selection: The Devil's Highway

The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea is our next book club selection! It's the first book that we pick that I have not actually read first. But I think its a safe gamble since it's a national bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

The book recounts a true story about a group of Mexican immigrants that got lost in May of 2004, along the Arizona desert on a deadly stretch known as The Devil's Highway or La Carretera del Diablo.

I'm already half-way through the first chapter. I've also thumbed through different parts of the book, including the table of contents, the interview and readers questions at the back of the book. One item that stands out is the timeline summarizing the deadly five day journey these men went on. It begins and ends during the month of May. I'm beginning to feel that perhaps the timing of this book as our book club selection for the month of May is serendipity. In the last couple of months, we had considered a couple of titles by Urrea and just recently and unaware of this coincidence picked The Devil's Highway. The thought of that timing coincidence lingered as I began to read the first few pages, making Urrea's descriptions of desert and desolation all the more surreal.

In light of the ongoing immigration debate we think its a timely read for individuals on both sides of the argument. At the interview at the back of the book, Urrea is asked about how he kept his account objective, he responds, "If I was going to write a book hoping to deal with this issue fairly, how could I write with prejudice...I have to trust my readers to make up their own minds. Even if that means reaching decisions I didn't intend for them to reach."

We invite you to read along with us. If you have already read this book, we encourage you to revisit it and share your thoughts with us. You can do this either through the comment feature on this blog or by joining our book club discussion. Immigration affects us all at many levels, we hope this book can help spark some healthy dialogue in our community and perhaps inspire action leading to changes that ensure that tragedies like this no longer occur.

There are four weeks to read the book. The next book club discussion gathering will be Wednesday, June 6th at 7 p.m. Can't wait to see you.

The Devil's Highway (Bay Back Books, 13.99) is for sale at Tianguis.

--Irasema Gonzalez