Keep on Bookin'

‘Chrysalis’ reading -- A reading and reception for the latest issue of El Paso Community College’s literary magazine begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in the Rio Grande Campus Little Temple. The event concludes the El Paso Community College’s Arts Festival 2007. Admission is free. Information: 831-4420.

Branigan Library book reviews -- The Friends of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library will host a review of “The Politics of Heaven” by Earl Shorris at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, in the Dresp Room, 200 E. Picacho. Reviewer is Paul Miller, a retired Presbyterian minister. Refreshments served afterward. Admission is free. Information: (575) 373-1112 or FriendsofTBML@comcast.net.

Barnes & Noble (West Side) -- 705 Sunland Park. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Information: 581-5353.
Author signings and special events:
-- Inspirational speaker/author Ronald Coleman signs and talks about “Seeing True: Ninety Contemplations in Ninety Days” at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3.
-- Educator Appreciation Week Reception is 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4.
-- Margarita Velez signs her mystery novel, “Border Busters,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10.
-- Mike Farrell, the TV actor best known as Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt on “M*A*S*H” (and also in roles on “Providence” and “Desperate Housewives”) talks his journey to fame and political activism told in his book, “Just Call Me Mike,” at 7 p.m. Monday, May 12.
-- Gustavo Arellano, columnist and author of “Ask a Mexican,” signs his book at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
-- El Pasoan Irasema Coronado signs “Politicas: Latina Public Officials in Texas” at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31.
Recurring activities and groups:
-- Third Monday Reading Group meets 10 a.m. Monday, May 19, to discuss “The Welsh Girl” by Peter Ho Davies.
-- En la Sombra de Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz bilingual reading group meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 20.
Children’s storytimes are 11 a.m. Saturdays. Schedule:
-- May 3: Kazuko Goldie, origami.
-- May 10: Prince Caspian.
-- May 17: Kids-N-Co.
-- May 24: American Girl.
-- May 31: Shel Silverstein.

‘Chrysalis’ reading -- El Paso Community College concludes its celebration National Poetry Month with a reading and reception for its literary magazine at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Rio Grande Campus Little Temple, 100 W. Rio Grande. Admission is free and open to the public. Information: 831-2630 or epcc.edu.

HusH Gallery -- 504 N. Stanton. The gallery/coffee shop offers special performances, speakers and more on a regular basis. The coffee shop area includes a full service bar during the evening hours. Information: 694-8617, 626-9584 or hush.thisisinfo.com.
-- Poetry Night is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. Themes are “The Environment,” (May 1), “Ethnic Poetry,” (May 8), “Spanglish Poetry” (May 15), and “Underground Exotic Poetry (May 29).

La Sociedad para las Artes -- The Visiting Writers Series at NMSU will host a reading by Creative Writing Associate Professor Connie Voisine at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2, in NMSU’s Hardman Hall Room 106, Las Cruces. Graduate student Lecroy Rhyanes will also give a reading. Admission is free. Information: (575) 646-3931.

BPEP School for Authors -- Book Publishers of El Paso hosts “How to Write and Publish” classes 2:15 to 5:15 p.m. Saturdays at 1055-B Humble Place. Registration deadline is one week prior to class. Information/registration: 472-7480 or bookpublishersofelpaso.com.
-- May 3 and 31 -- Non-Fiction.
-- May 10 -- Family Memoirs
-- May 17 -- Children’s’ Books
-- May 24 -- Fiction
Composition and Excellence with English classes are offered weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Tumblewords Project -- The writing workshops are 12:45 to 2:45 p.m. Saturdays at Memorial Park Public Library, 3200 Copper. Workshops are free, but a donation is accepted. Now in its 12th year, the group is open to all writers in a non-critique, non-caustic forum. No workshops May 10 and 24. Newcomers of all ages welcome. Information: 328-5484, 490-6672 or tumblewordsproject.com.
-- May 3 -- “2DO B4 I Die” with Mary Laduca Mooney. Mooney will share insight into her own recent loss, and the process of turning loss, regret and unfulfilled dreams into writing energies, rituals and life-affirming actions.
-- May 17 -- “Tune In, Log On, Blog On and Reach Out: The Writer On Line” with Leslie xXx Council. Council has performed and won several slams at EPCC’s annual Spring Arts Festival as well as in the community. She publishes two ‘zines, “Rigor Mortis” and “Message of the Muse.”
-- May 31 -- ”Song of Myself” with Donna Snyder, in celebration of Walt Whitman’s birthday. Snyder founded the Tumblewords Project in July 1995. She also serves as poetry curator for Newspaper Tree.

‘Point of Poetry’ events -- Local poets will gather at 7 a.m. Sundays, at the Scenic Point on Scenic Drive for a morning of readings and entertainment. The event is open to all entertainers, poets, singers, musicians, jugglers or other performing artists. Admission is free. Information: spearchuckeral@yahoo.com.
Themes include” Spanish Heritage” (May 4), “Southwest Landscapes” (May 11), “Our Mothers” (May 18) and “War and Peace” (May 25).

Don Quixote exhibition and presentations -- The Don Quixote Collection of Albert Askenazi, consisting of paintings, sculptures, figurines, books, tapestries and more, will be on exhibit through May 31 at the El Paso Public Library Main (Downtown) branch, 501 N. Oregon, Dorris Van Doren Branch, 551 Redd Road, Esperanza Acosta Moreno Branch, 12480 Pebble Hills and Clardy Fox Branch, 5515 Robert Alva.
“The Moral Values of Don Quixote,” an interfaith panel and forum moderated by Askenazi, begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at the Main Library Auditorium, followed by a questions and answer period.

El Paso Museum of Art Book Bunch -- The book group meets 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the museum’s seminar room to discuss art-related books. Cost: $10 per session (free for museum members). Participants must provide their own books. Space is limited; call to hold a seat. Information: 532-1707 ext. 32.
The May 15 book is “Girl in Hyacinth Blue” by Susan Vreeland.

Poetry reading -- Poets Wayne Crawford, Joseph Somoza and Richard “Dick” Thomas will host a reading at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Black Gold from the Sun Gallery, 1910 Calle de Parian in Mesilla (inside the Old Tortilla Factory). Information: (575) 541-9693.

Black Cat Sunday Poets -- Black Cat Books and Coffee, 128 Broadway in Truth or Consequences, N.M., will host poetry readings at 1 p.m. the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Information: (575) 894-7070 or T-roy1@juno.com.

The Branigan Book Club -- The club meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library’s Terrace Gallery, 200 East Picacho Ave. Participation is open to anyone interested in discussing good books. Information: (575) 528-4001 or mpendleton@las-crues.org.
The May book is “The Jester” by James Patterson and Andrew Gross.

‘Magic Carpet StoryTime’ -- Doña Ana Arts Council hosts free storytelling events 11:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the Rio Grande Theatre in the Las Cruces Downtown Mall. Information: (575) 523-6403.

Book Rack Story Hour -- The Book Rack, 10780 Pebble Hills, hosts a children’s story hour 1 to 2 p.m. the second Saturday of each month. Suggestions from young readers are always accepted. Admission is free. Information: 598-2279 or epbookrack@gmail.com.

Le Squirrel Cafe -- The new cafe is located next to the Friends of the Library Book Store in the Memorial Park Library, 3200 Copper. Open during regular library hours. Information: 886-5017 or 566-1034.

Open mic poetry -- Monthly open-mic poetry readings are held 7:45 p.m. second Thursday of the month (May 8) at The Bean coffeehouse, 2011 Avenida de Mesilla in Old Mesilla. Sign-in begins at 7:30 p.m. The events are emceed by local poet Wayne Crawford. Admission and participation is free. Information: The Bean, (575) 523-0560 or Crawford, 541-8073.
Open mic nights are also 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month (May 20) at Palacio’s Bar, 2600 Avenida de Mesilla, hosted by Michael Mandel. Information: (575) 525-2910.

The following are recent additions of interest to El Paso area readers:
|

Young Reader’s Picture Books:

“Little Zizi” by Thierry Lenain with illustrations by Stéphanie Poulin. Translated from French by New Mexico photographer Daniel Zolinsky. (Cinco Puntos Press). It doesn’t seem like a ten-year-old reprinted book by a French author and Canadian illustrator would hold any significance to the border region, but it’s a testament to Cinco Puntos ever-expanding diversity of subject and style. An adolescent Martin becomes the point of ridicule when he is accidentally caught with his pants down....and the reader meets the “zizi” in question. For an unsuspecting parent, this book may come to a bit of a shock with its lovingly illustrated, yet brief look at the “zizi,” as well as some rather humorous depictions of distance peeing practice. With the seemingly uncomfortable nature of the story, I wouldn’t personally read this to my five-year-old daughter who thankfully lacks “zizi” issues, but for parents of young boys everywhere who face a sympathetic dilemma, it’s a good way to teach them early that love comes the heart, not from the pants.

-- Lisa Kay Tate

“Border” by Leon Metz. Reprint release in paperback by TCU Press. War, nature, diplomacy and even surveying mistakes all played a major role in the nearly 2,000-mile long border separating the United States and Mexico. El Paso historian Metz tells the story spanning nearly two centuries i over 400 pages in what may well be his finest work.
-- Randy Limbird

King of the Road: Adventures Along New Mexico’s Friendly Byways by Lesley S. King (New Mexico Magazine). This sturdy little book is not so much a guide, but one woman’s narrative on her encounters with some of the state’s scenic points of interest. No real surprises in the regional findings -- Christmas on the Pecos, The Lodge in Cloudcroft, Double Eagle in Old Mesilla, Lake Roberts near Silver City, among others -- but the conversation with some of the friendly locals makes this book a stand-out. In conversation with Lodge bartender (and former Californian) Greg Stoner, Stoner says “My dad told me it would take me a couple of years before I learned how to mosey.” Includes a brief reference of her recommended lodging and dining and, in some cases, reading opportunities.

-- Lisa Kay Tate

The World in Pancho’s Eye by J.P.S. Brown (University of New Mexico Press). At age 77, Arizona author, and one-time El Paso reporter Brown offers a sort of “autobiographical” fiction in which the life of young protagonist Mikey mirrors his own childhood. Although set in Depression-era Arizona, area readers will relate to the hard-edged ethos of life on the U.S-Mexico border, as young Mikey witnesses the strength of his mother, the betrayal of some of the adults in his life, his own struggles with growth a self-reliability. The books title refers to the young boy’s horse and the beautiful other world that can be seen when looking into the beast’s eye. Filled with some very humorous and also very painful moments, the book ends with one satisfying and loving act on the part of Mikey’s mother.

-- Lisa Kay Tate

Field Guide to the Saints by Kate Rushford Murray with artwork by Krystyna Robbins (KRM Guides). Intended as a guide to travelers who wonder who all the saints are that they see in cathedrals and in various religious art, this book will interest anyone curious about these venerated heroes of faith. El Paso’s own artist Krystyna Robbins painted about 80 originals to illustrate the book, from Acacius (a converted Roman soldier known for carrying a crown of thorns, hence a patron saint of headache sufferers) to Wilgefortis (who prayed that God would make her so ugly that her husband-to-be would reject her). An “Object Clue List” at the back of the book reference each saint to objects associated with them and their characteristic attributes. For more information on the book, go to fieldguidetothesaints.com.

-- Randy Limbird

AbeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill and K.B. Basseches, with wood sculptures from Oaxaca by Moisés and Armando Jiménez (Cinco Puntos Press). Although the title and credits are longer than the book’s content, don’t let its simplicity fool you. This colorful little ABC book took a goodly amount of preparation, with each wooden folk animal (depicting both real and mythical beasts) carved especially for the publication, photographed by Basseches and compiled by Weill. The result is an attractive and effective way to introduce beginner reading, foreign language skills and art appreciation to kids. I even learned something new myself -- “ll,” “ch” and “rr” haven’t been recognized letters in the Spanish alphabet since 1994, but are nonetheless still used by Spanish speaker. “¿Por que?” How come I never got that memo?

-- Lisa Kay Tate
“The Confessional” by J.L. Powers (Knopf). The novel focuses on the interior lives of six teen-age boys attending a fictional counterpart of Cathedral High School in El Paso, nearly a year after a terrorist attack on a border bridge that has fueled anti-Mexican feelings.
An Anglo student is mysteriously slain shortly after his vicious beating of a Hispanic classmate. In the chaotic aftermath, each of the novel’s characters examines his own life and the lives of their friends, with everyone suddenly suspect -- if not of the murder itself, perhaps in some way as an accomplice.
In her debut novel, Powers successfully takes the readers into the hearts and minds of these six narrators. While the story is a whodunit, the propelling elements of the story are the contrasting characters and the different ways they express teen-age angst.
The novel is billed as “young adult” fiction, although parents and teachers might be taken aback by the harsh language throughout the book. So don’t look for it on any required reading lists, particularly at Cathedral High.
Teens themselves, however, will find plenty to identify with. So will any El Pasoan who enjoys a story saturated by border culture and local landmarks.
Powers’ writing should not be unfamiliar to long-time Scene readers -- Jessica wrote several feature stories for the Scene a few years ago. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in African History at Stanford University.

-- Randy Limbird

“Beating the Devil” by W. C. Jameson. (University of New Mexico Press). Jameson has been a songwriter, editor and non-fiction author for several years, but “Devil” is his first stab at fiction. A young El Paso -area man named Carlos, disillusioned and embittered with his childhood in the United States, crosses to Mexico for a more genuine existence. What he finds is the stark reality of blurred lines between good and evil as he joins a band of guerilla vigilantes battling to reclaim their land against a the land-grabbing hacendado Joaquin Mueller and his henchmen. He befriends an ill-fated dwarf, El Enano, and guerilla leader Chávez in a quest for vengeance against Mueller, learning about the complexities of a country marked by everything from unimaginable violence to unconditional loyalty.
Jameson’s narrative reads like an oncoming storm, filled will a sense of overwhelming darkness, and a few bright spots, followed by violent bursts of intense rage and finally a quiet, and somewhat unsettling, calm.
Unfortunately, like life, this book comes not to a satisfying, tidy conclusion, but rather a look back with mix of both nostalgia and regret in a land, Carlos refers to as one of “poverty and passion, of repression and conflict, of celebration and mourning, of mystery and magic...of death and rebirth.”

— Lisa Kay Tate

“El Paso in Pictures” by Frank Mangan (TCU Press). Originally published in 1971, El Paso in Pictures served as the definitive pictorial album of the Sun City, spanning nearly 100 years of photography. TCU Press has reissued the book, which now is entirely a historical collection rather than an up-to-the-present reference. Nevertheless, the reprint will be a boon to anyone’s “border bookshelf,” featuring many photographs unavailable anywhere else.
Mangan himself has done more than nearly anyone else to preserve and promote the history of the El Paso region. He and his wife Judy owned Mangan Books for years, publishing many of Leon Metz’s works of El Paso history, and also Frank’s own books, among others.
“El Paso in Pictures” begins with woodcuts and drawings illustrating the first European expeditions into the Pass of the North, then skipping forward quickly to the era of the railroads and El Paso’s rapid growth. The days of the gunfighters, the Mexican Revolution that took place in plain view of El Paso’s balconies, the development of downtown, UTEP and residential neighborhoods are all faithfully recorded through photos and accompanying text.
The final chapter is a snapshot of El Paso as it entered the 1970s. Much has happened in the generation since, but an update bridging the book’s content to the 21st century remains a task for another day.
— Randy Limbird

“The Face of Pancho Villa: A History in Photographs and Words” by Friedrich Katz (Cinco Puntos Press). This is another good choice for those who prefer their history well illustrated. El Paso’s own Cinco Puntos Press has published an English-language version of “Imagenes de Pancho Villa” first published in 1999.
The book’s 80 pages include 20 pages of text by Katz, professor emeritus of Latin American History at the University of Chicago, and 42 archival photographs, selected from the archives of the Casasola Collection owned by the Mexican government. The Mexican Revolution was the world’s first major conflict to be recorded so freely by camera.
This book is the third offering in Cinco Puntos’ Mexican Revolution Collection, which also features David Romo’s “Ringside Seat to a Revolution” and Elena Poniatowska’s “Las Soldaderas.”
— Randy Limbird

“The Long Journey of Mister Poop/El Gran Viaje del Señor Caca” by Angéle Delaunois and Marie LaFrance (Cinco Puntos Press). At last, a bilingual companion to the popular children’s picture book “Everybody Poops.” All kidding aside, this kid-friendly journey through the digestive system is actually a pretty practical little item dotted with several little pieces of science knowledge and simple diagrams of parts of the body in both English and Spanish. It works on several levels: kids can get their mischievous chuckles reading about an apple slipping through the body on its way to the “final exit,” basic anatomy and physiology can be discovered, and simple Spanish (or English) skills can be strengthened. LaFrance’s illustrations are both endearing and rather nauseating, but on this level, they work. I’m not exactly sure how the Lobo doctor factors in, or if seeing a little pair or legs sticking out of beret-clad piece of feces will cause some permanent emotional damage to a potty training toddler, but this book doesn’t stink (no pun intended). I’m just glad the authors had the good taste to demonstrate with an apple instead of corn.
— Lisa Kay Tate

“There’s A Yak in my Bed” by K. Pluta with illustrations by Christy Stallop (Blooming Tree Press). El Paso native Christy Stallop offers her endearing artwork to the tale of a young boy trying to coax a stubborn yak out of his bed, that eventually leads to the large animal following him to breakfast and school. Poking fun at adults’ inability to see the extraordinary in life, no matter how “in their face” it is, this playful and silly book is as much fun for parents to read to their children as it is for beginning readers to romp through on their own.

-- Lisa Kay Tate

“Latina Mistress” by R.F. Sanchez (Floricanto Press). Veteran sportswriter Ray Sanchez’s first novel since “The Gods of Racing” in the early 1980s, is a tale of a young family spanning nations, cultures and generations. Although Sanchez is admired by El Paso readers for his sports columns that have appeared in a variety of local publications, he is also a surprisingly gifted storyteller who can paint vivid and familiar pictures of the border culture. Those who think they are familiar with his style will be surprised by his very serious handling of such issues as bigotry, cross-cultural marriage and sexual matters. Filled with local references from landmarks to favorite restaurants, the novel proves that Sanchez’s writing talents span more than a love for UTEP and the Dallas Cowboys and encompass a unique (and often melancholy) nature of the area.

“Antonio’s Gun and Delfino’s Dream: True Tales of Mexican Migration,” by Sam Quinones (University of New Mexico Press). Quinones, a freelance journalist, has spent more than 10 years traveling among Mexico’s rural towns and villages where migration affects everyday life. Although his nonjudgmental observations and stories come from all along the Mexico-U.S. Border, as well as from Mexico City to Kansas, there is plenty of familiar territory for El Paso readers. such as a look at the “Old Colony” Mennonites, and a melancholy story of Juarez velvet painter Chuy Morán and his El Paso counterpart Doyle Harden. Quinones’s writings are similar to adventure traveling, sharing experiences that are not always pleasurable but often unforgettable.

“The Desert Remembers My Name: On Family and Writing” by Kathleen Alcalá, (University of Arizona Press). Known for her Southwest novels and short stories, Alcalá’s first nonfiction endeavor blends her life’s memoirs with a subtle creative writing lesson. With many of the essays previously published in various journals, newsletters and other publications, the subject matter is as varied as one’s own memories, ranging from bilingualism and literacy to spiritual matters. Her writing is both comforting and comfortable, and is by no means geared towards writers or writing students. Her writing observations just naturally fall into her life’s history and passion. As she describes in her essay “A Woman Called Concha,” “I want my writing to insinuate itself into the subconscious of the people of the Southwest, so that we might remember who we were and who we will be... I feel as strongly about this as any fanatic. This is my job.” Well done, indeed.

Teen:

“The Line Between” by Kelsie Nygren. (The Benchmark Group LLC). Part of a Young Writers Series of books penned for teens by teens, 16-year-old La Union area high school student’s fantasy offering is slim but very readable. The story is of a young 21st century warrior, Jo Whitaker, who belongs to Rytra Organization to Defeat Darkness (RODD). Gifted with the power to control the elements of light to fight evil, she also possesses a strong, fiery personality worthy of any modern teen’s approval. Those with an overly-critical eye will find many standard “beginning writer mistakes” such as some rushed conclusions, but Nygren’s offering to this series released in March holds its own with the other young authors’ contributions to the series, and has been getting enthusiastic response from teens, the book’s intended readers. With one book under her belt, and the encouragement from peers to keep going, Nygren’s has plenty of motivation to keep up her writing pursuit.

Children:

“The Bee Tree” by Stephen Buchmann and Diana Cohn, illustrated by Paul Mirocha. El Paso’s Cinco Puntos Press offers this beautifully illustrated book inspired by Pak Ten, the leader of a honey hunting clan in Malaysia. The book tells the legend and traditions of this fascinating ritual of collecting honey from towering tualang trees. A bit wordy for some younger readers, this ecology and anthropology-minded book is a good choice for reading to (or with) your kids. What appealed to me more than the story itself was the textbook style information on Malaysia, the rainforest and the honey hunters themselves that follows the main story; a nice feature that will encourage children to keep this “sweet” read around even after they’ve outgrown most picture books.

-- Lisa Kay Tate

May 2008

Keep on Bookin'

Keep on Bookin'

New on the Border Book Shelf

New on the Border Book Shelf

New on the Border Book Shelf

El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings,
stories and columns

May 2008

Keep on Bookin'

Keep on Bookin'

New on the Border Book Shelf

New on the Border Book Shelf

New on the Border Book Shelf

El Paso Scene MONTHLY This month's listings, stories and columns

El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings,
stories and columns