Visit our table at Vive La Hispanidad celebration

We have been invited to participate at the 4th Annual Vive La Hispanidad. If you are planning on attending make sure to stop by our table and say hello and check out the books and merchandise. We're sure its going to be a blast, the food and music lineup is fierce!

Voicing Resistance: The Latino Experience through the Arts and Media

I've been invited to participate on a panel with three fellow Latinas. Details below:



Voicing Resistance: The Latino Experience through the Arts and Media
Monday, October 6th, 2008
7:00 - 9:00pm / Schmitt Academic Center (SAC) 154
2320 N. Kenmore Avenue

The panel features Chicago artists/activists who will discuss their work and the impact the visual and performing arts and the media have on Latino communities. The panelists will also examine the role of art and the media as a form of resistance within the Latino community.

Naomi Martinez is a Chicana artist who grew up in Logan Square in Chicago. Her world of original Monstrochika characters sprouted in 2000 and continues to evolve today. She has designed and hand sewn her own pouches and stuffed monstros while completing volume one of Monstrochika Comix. Martinez has collaborated with other local female graffiti artists on various murals and arts projects around the Chicago area. See: www.monstrochika.com

Marcela Munoz, born in Cartagena, Colombia, is a founding member and Managing Director of Aguijón Theater. As an actress and director she has worked with Aguijón Theater, Teatro Luna, Victory Gardens Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, and has participated in international theatre festivals in Peru, Argentina and Colombia.
See: www.aguijontheater.org/

Irasema González, Chicago poet, is a founding member of the Proyecto Latina reading series, a collaborative between Tianguis Books, Teatro Luna and Mariposa Atomica Ink. She is the owner of Tianguis Books, the “bookstore she always longed to walk into.” Her poems appeared in the anthology, Between the Heart and the Land. See: http://www.tianguis.biz/default.html

Yunuen Rodriguez, the first youth co-president of the board of Chicago-based Women & Girls CAN and a member of its youth-led initiative, Females United for Action, is an advocate for media justice, violence prevention and culture change that respects women and girls. She successfully led negotiations with a Chicago radio station to drop a sexually exploitive ad campaign and testified before the Federal Communications Commission about how women of color are portrayed in the media. See: www.myspace.com/femalesunitedforaction

For more information contact: The Women’s Center (773) 325-7558.

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.

The pinch me moment: Ana Castillo reads at Tianguis

I had been preparing for last Friday night's reading for about a month--I was going through the motions at a pace that didn't allow me to really reflect on what was going to happen--but then Ana Castillo walked through our front door and that's when it really sunk in. Ana Castillo was reading at Tianguis! It was like when that special tia or the long lost cousin comes to visit and everyone gathers to anxiously wait and welcome their arrival. There was an energetic buzz that began building up in the store in the hours leading up to the reading because it was an honor, for me, my store and my customers to have an opportunity to share in such an intimate setting with a very talented writer--we all accepted the gift gratefully.

Ana read from her new book The Guardians, now out on paperback, and shared a poem from her poetry collection I ask the Impossible. There was a brief Q&A before folks lined up for the booksigning and picture taking.















A great big shout-out and thank you to all the wonderful folks that helped (behind-the-scenes) to make the evening a great success: Amanda Torres, Cristina Correa, Diana Pando, Liza Ann Acosta, Jenny Priego, Yolanda Cardenas, Isabel Garcia, Ellen Wadey, Radio Arte/Yollocalli Studios (for the use of their lovely red folding chairs) and to everyone who joined us. Look for more pictures of the evening on our myspace photo albums.

You can log on to Ana's blog to check out video from that evening that she has also posted.

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.

A little bit of serendipity and a week full of all-stars

It must have been a little bit of serendipity because these events kind of built up on our calendar before we realized what an amazing all-star line-up we had before us. So, we are excited and gearing up and we hope you can join us for one or two or ALL events!

Monday, September 15, 2008
Proyecto Latina welcomes back Achy Obejas. Join us for a reading, to check out her latest book and first published poetry collection, This is what happened in our other life. As usual open mic and chisme box will be in full force. Held at Radio Arte. Details here.

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Free poetry workshop with Tomas Riley at Tianguis. Free but space for this event is limited. RSVP required to info @ tianguis. biz. You can catch Tomas' at Palabra Pura on Wed. 9/17 where he will be one of two features.

Friday, September 19, 2009
Ana Castillo will read and sign copies of her latest novel, The Guardians (now available on paperback) at Tianguis. Free, arrive early, seating will be limited to first come first serve.

Saturday, September 20, 2009
This is a bonus event for us! We may not be hosting it but we are definitely supporters of Lisa Alvarado and her work. We will be joining her for the national book release party for her poetry collection: Raw Silk Suture. Event details.

You can find complete event details on our website: www.tianguis.biz.