Poetry Saturday - September 1, 2012

Dear Readers:

Here is another poem from the reader, Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Susan M. Shaw and Janet Lee, which I am using in the Introduction to Women's Studies course I am now teaching. Share your thoughts and comments. I would love hear from each and everyone of you.

Best,

Sylvia

Don’t Laugh, It’s Serious, She Says

Ellie Mamber (1985)

At 55, I’m trying to meet men.

But though I look my best

(beautiful say some

of my friends) & am spirited

& very interesting (you can

tell this, can’t you?)

most men look at me with blank eyes,

no part of them flickering.

At parties they talk around me

as though I weren’t there,

choose less attractive

partners to dance or talk with.

Such a puzzle! I try

so hard not to let them know

that I am smarter, more

talented, classier & more

interesting than they. Nicer, too.

I cover this so well

with a friendly smile

& a cheerful word

that they could never tell

I want them to pursue me

so I can reject them.

Bug off, you bastards,

balding middle-aged men with paunches

hanging around women 20 years

younger, who the hell

do you think you are?

You’d better hurry up

and adore me or

it will be too late.

Excerpted from Shaw, Susan M, and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print. 91.

Poetry Saturday - August 18, 2012

Dear Readers:

One of my favorite things to do is to read poetry. However, because of the meditative nature in the very process of reading poetry and my hurried existence, I often neglect the delights that this genre offers. One of the blogs that I follow, hecatedemeter, frequently regales its readers with inspiring poems. By presenting one text at a time, poetry seems to become much more accessible. In that spirit, I would like to emulate this lovely idea. Today's poem is from the new textbook, Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Susan M. Shaw and Janet Lee, which I will be using in the Introduction to Women's Studies course I will be teaching this fall. I hope this excerpt inspires and sets the standards that I want adhere to this academic year, and perhaps you will enjoy it as well.

Best,

Sylvia

My Heroines

Marge Piercy (2010)

When I think of women heroes,

it's not Joan of Arc or Molly Pitcher

but mothers who quietly say

to their daughters, you can.

Who stand behind attempts

to open doors long bolted shut

to teams or clubs or professions.

I think of women who dress 

'respectably' and march and march

and march again, for the ability 

to choose, for peace, for rights

their own or others. Who form

phone banks, who stuff envelopes

who do the invisible political work.

They do not get their faces on

magazine covers. They don't get fan

mail or receive awards. But without

them, no woman or liberal man

would ever be elected, no law

would be passed or changed. We

Would be stuck in sexist mud.

It's the receptionist in the clinic,

the escorts to frightened women,

the volunteers at no kill shelters,

women sorting bottles at the dump,

women holding signs in the rain,

women who take calls of the abused,

of rape victims, night after night.

It's the woman at her computer 

or desk when the family's asleep

writing letters, organizing friends.

Big changes turns on small pushes.

Heroes and heroines climb into

history books, but it's such women

who actually write our future.

Excerpted from Shaw, Susan M, and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print. 40.

Living versus Writing

Dear Readers:

I have had a tremendous summer so far and sharing with you some of these experiences is important to me. As I embarked on my intense estival journeys, I imagined that I would update you at least every few days on my various adventures and happenings, along with any insights that I gained along the way. But in fact, I kept a very busy schedule with not a lot of time for leisurely relaxation or even reflection. Instead, the intellectual process will effectively take place in the coming weeks, and the task at hand is to meditate on the past couple of months. What did I learn and how can I effectively convey my experiences into something more meaningful that goes beyond a personal level? How can I translate these empirical endeavors into my pedagogical practice and as it relates to my writing? So with these questions in mind, the objective will be to analyze these past occurrences and frame them in their proper context. This may seem like a vain exercise, but I have come to realize that I am not the best of multitaskers, and I am perfectly aware that admitting such a thing in our advanced technological age is practically heresy. However, I have discovered that I can either live life very intensely, or I can seclude myself in order to write and create. Recently, while reading a blog that I faithfully follow, Theodora Goss shares a very similar idea. In her July 4th blog post "Being in London," she explains that: "In order to contemplate, to gather myself together, to write. I think you can live or write, and if you’re living as intensely as I did last week, wandering everywhere, it’s very difficult to write. So that’s what I’m going to be doing over the next year. This is my summer of living intensely, a summer that’s teaching me so much. And then, I will withdraw into myself and see what I can create." Goss's reflection and acceptance of the complexity of the writing process itself gives me the courage to continue albeit the lentitude of my production and the spirical path that I usually take. Below are a few pictures that share some of the excitement and elation I experienced; hopefully this serves as a teaser for you to continue reading my blog!

Le 14 juillet 2012!!

Avec mon amie Rosana pendant le 14 juillet! Vive la France!

I do appreciate the time you have dedicated to reading my blog, and I ask you to consider following my blog. If you look on the left hand side of the blog, you will see a link that says "Join this Blog". I would truly appreciate your support!!

Best,

Sylvia 

Assessing the Spring Semester - Part IV (Final Update)

Dear Readers:


During the last update with respect to my final semester as a graduate student at the University of Houston, I recounted some of the tumultuous events that transpired as the academic session waned. Even though stress dominated these days and the hours seemed to stretch into years, my graduation day finally arrived. The ceremony began at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012, at the Hofheinz Pavilion at UH. Although the ceremony was extraordinarily long, it was really awesome to be hooded for my doctoral degree by my wonderful director, Dr. María Elena Soliño.

Here I am with Dr. Soliño immediately after the ceremony.

From left to right: Dr. Bencomo, Sylvia Morin, María Perez, Laura Garza, and Dr. Soliño

Albert and I after graduation; I am thrilled to have received such lovely roses!

Once the graduation ceremony was over, we went to celebrate by having lunch at Brasserie Max & Julie once again. Of course the food was delicious, but the best part was savoring my recent successes, which of course were only possible because of the love and support of family and friends.

From left to right: Dr. Soliño, Sylvia Morin, Michelle Cohen,
Jovita Morin (my mom), and Adrian Morin (my dad)

From left to right: Dr. Soliño, Albert DeJesús, Sylvia Morin,
Michelle Cohen, Jovita Morin (my mom), and Adrian Morin (my dad)

I do appreciate the time you have dedicated to reading my blog, and I ask you to consider following my blog. If you look on the left hand side of the blog, you will see a link that says "Join this Blog". I would truly appreciate your support!!

Best,

Sylvia 

Assessing the Spring Semester - Part III

Dear Readers:

As I mentioned in my previous post, the weeks immediately following my trip to Rhode Island were intensely busy and difficult on many levels. I finally settled on a title for my entire dissertation, "Silent Sirens and Reticent Revenants: Reconceptualizations of the Femme Fatale in Twentieth Century Spanish and Mexican Women's Fictions". Furthermore, I had to incorporate significant changes to the first chapter of my dissertation, "The Siren's Hybrid Lineage of Body and Text in Adelaida García Morales’s El silencio de las sirenas". I had included a section that discussed the links between essentialist conceptualizations of femininity as it relates to fascist ideology and how that might be a critique that the author develops in view of the recent fall of the Franco regime in Spain at the time that the novel was written. However, I must admit that this particular section, which explored fascism and Luce Irigaray's essentialism through an analysis of Elana Gomel's article "Hard and Wet: Luce Irigaray and the Fascist Body", required greater emphasis and elaboration. As a result, this idea had to be cut. In the future, I do intend to go back to that and at least write an article on the subject. 

In addition to those changes, I also streamlined the introduction and the conclusion quite a bit. My dissertation committee members really helped me during this tedious process and helped to keep things in perspective. After all, a dissertation is only the first step or rather a rough draft of what will develop into one's first published book. Still, it was difficult to delete those meticulously written paragraphs that had taken weeks and months to write. Finally after enduring a great deal of anxiety, my defense date was set for Wednesday, April 18th at 10:00 a.m. Dr. María Elena Soliño, my director, coached me in preparation for the big day. Surprisingly, I actually slept fairly well the night before. I arrived early with my mother and Albert, who were there to support me. I am also very happy to say that my friend and colleague Elisa, from Tercets, and my friend Danielle Michel-Chich and her husband also attended my defense. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family and such caring friends!! 

At the conclusion of my defense, which was successful, my emotions got the better of me, and all I could do was sob! 

From left to right: Elisa Garza-Leal, Danielle's husband, Danielle Michel-Chich, Sylvia Morin

Signing the documents to make the completion of my defense official.
From left to right: Dr. Pedro Gutiérrez, Dr. María Elena Soliño, Sylvia Morin,
Dr. Christina Sisk, Dr. Anadelí Becomo, and my mother, Jovita Morin

From left to right: Dr. Pedro Gutiérrez, Cristián DeJesús, Dr. María Elena Soliño,
Sylvia Morin, Dr. Christina Sisk, and Dr. Anadelí Becomo

Finally smiling, Cristián DeJesús and Sylvia Morin

A successful collaboration: Dr. María Elena Soliño and Sylvia Morin

Dr. María Elena Soliño, Sylvia Morin, and Dr. Christina Sisk
Dr. Sisk was instrumental in the streamlining of my dissertation.

Success at last: Sylvia Morin and Albert  DeJesús   

After a grueling and emotionally exhausting morning, Albert and my mother went to lunch to celebrate. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Brasserie Max & Julie. After a delicious meal, I decided that it was best not to go in to work; I was totally drained. In the afternoon, I went to have a much needed massage and went to bed early. This was the beginning of my recuperation, a process that I still think is ongoing right now.

While all of this academic craziness was going on, my grandmother had become quite ill. In fact, on the day of my defense, my mother was worried that she might not be able to accompany me because my grandmother was at the hospital. Luckily, one of my aunts remained at my grandmother's bedside during this time. In the days following, it was difficult to experience a real sense of happiness given that I knew that my grandmother's condition was deteriorating rapidly. Unfortunately, as one of my friends reminded me, life sometimes isn't always a state of happiness and health; however, difficult cycles will ultimately come to an end and new ones always start again. The cyclical nature of death and rebirth may be challenging, but it is in fact the very essence of life itself. Sadly, my grandmother María Isabel Tamez Cavazos passed away on Thursday, May 3, 2012, a few months shy of her ninetieth birthday. Her funeral was on Monday, May 7, 2012. I will miss her very much, but I am certain that I will hold on to all those cherished memories that we shared. I also know that I carry her life and legacy in me, and I am extraordinarily thankful for the sacrifices she made for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

My grandmother, María Isabel Tamez Cavazos,  and my grandfather  José  Tomás Tamez Alaniz

A more recent picture of my maternal grandparents

Not only will I miss my dear grandmother, but my grandfather, who is now 94, will certainly miss her very much as well. Even though I was overcome with grief, I am thankful I had my grandmother for so long. My paternal grandmother is also still alive and lives in the Valley. I hope that I can visit her before the end of this summer. 

I have one more update to share before moving on to a new topic; I certainly don't want to bore you. I do appreciate the time you have dedicated to reading my blog, and I ask you to consider following my blog. If you look on the left hand side of the blog, you will see a link that says "Join this Blog". I would truly appreciate your support!!

Best,

Sylvia

Assessing the Spring Semester - Part II

Dear Readers:

As I mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to share a bit more about what we did in Providence when Albert and I were not at the conference sessions. One of the places we visited was The Providence Athenaeum, which was the successor to the Providence Library Company founded in 1753.

By European standards, 1753 is not very old, but for Americans this type of historical building really brings to mind our fairly recent colonial past and the birth of our country. So of course, Albert and I were very excited and spent some time walking around the library. It is rather small and has a damp, wooden smell, but that certainly is part of the charm. Even though the library's dimensions limit its capacity to have an extensive book collection, I was very impressed to see Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States edited by Nicolás Kanellos. Its inclusion certainly has a great deal of symbolic significance, given the Hispanic legacy in the United States, as well as pointing to the growing influence of Latinos in the U.S.

Here are a few more pictures of us while we browsed.

Albert and I at the library. Notice that Herencia is the bright yellow book  in the  upper right.

Engrossed in reading!

Posing next to the Egyptian Elephant Folio Cabinet, 1838-40.
Click  on The Providence Athaneaum Art Collection to learn more about this piece. 

An exterior view of the Athaneaum.

Just to wrap things up, here a a few final pictures of Providence.

A view of Fleur-de-lis Studios.

A view of the Brown University campus.

The conference ended the first of April, and we returned to Houston that same Sunday. I gained a lot from this experience, and it was a refreshing break from the hectic routine of the past few months. Upon returning home, I concentrated on making corrections to my dissertation, and I anxiously waited for a date to be set for my defense. During these first few weeks of April, my maternal grandmother also became quite ill, and I spent time visiting her as well. In my next update, I will give you more details about those turbulent times. 

I do appreciate the time you have dedicated to reading my blog, and I ask you to consider following my blog. If you look on the left hand side of the blog, you will see a link that says "Join this Blog". I would truly appreciate your support!!

Best,
Sylvia

Assessing the Spring Semester - Part I

Dear Readers:

My last post was nearly two months ago, and truly I must apologize for neglecting this blog. When I last posted, I had just submitted my chapters to my dissertation committee, and I was waiting to hear back from them to know if I would move forward with my dissertation towards completion and ultimately graduation from the Ph.D. program. Before I tell you all the details, I would like to assess this past semester.

Let me begin by saying that it was an incredibly intense semester. Even though I only taught two courses, I also continued to work at the language lab at UHD. So, I still had quite a bit of administrative stuff to deal with throughout the course of the semester. The real challenge, however, was coming home after a long day and making myself work just a bit more on my writing. Weekends were extremely difficult, especially when I knew that my friends were enjoying themselves or the weather was lovely outside. I even opted to miss my husband's niece's quinceañeara, while I stayed home to write. I felt isolated, and the only glimmer of hope was the possibility of finally finishing up this semester.

Even with all of this on my plate, I was very fortunate to have been invited to attend The Friends of Women's Studies Table Talk 2012 Event."Table talk is a fascinating combination of conversations over lunch. Dynamic Houston women, of various cultures, professions, and experiences, lead the discussions at each table. Proceeds support the Women’s Archive and Research Center and Women Studies at the University of Houston." At my table, the conversationalist was Anna C. Dragsbaek, President & CEO, The Immunization Partnership. Anna led a great discussion with respect to the need for immunization and education for parents as to the benefits of immunization in light of a growing trend in the United States of parents opting against this for their children. 


In addition to the lovely luncheon sponsored the the Friends of Women's Studies at the University of Houston, my husband and I attended the Annual Meeting of the Comparative Literature Association entitled "Collapse/Catastrophe/Change" from March 29-April 1, 2012 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. We both presented at the conference. Albert chaired a session entitled "Traumatic Postmodernity: Violent Introspection, Repression and Transgression in Recent Latin American Narratives" and presented his own paper titled "Abject Trauma: New Perspectives in the Representation of Violence in Recent Latin American Short Story". I was part of a session called "Kairos and Qualia, or the Voices of the Undead" and the paper I presented was titled "Transfiguring Revenants and Transforming Discourses in Ana María Moix's Las virtudes peligrosas". I learned so much from the fellow presenters, and it was a wonderful experience intellectually. Providence also proved to be a lovely city, and perhaps there will be an opportunity in the future to spend more time there, especially when the weather is warmer. We stayed at Edgewood Manor, a lovely bed and breakfast while we were there.

The antique decor was delightful and breakfast was great everyday!

The buildings that both comprise and surround Brown University are absolutely amazing. We loved it there!

I was also very fortunate during the trip to meet a colleague I have been working with for some time via Skype. Johannes Angermüeller from Germany is one of the project leaders for discourseanalysis.net. He happened to be doing some research at Harvard, and we met up for lunch when we arrived in Boston and then he joined us for dinner in Providence.

From left to right: Cory Hahn, Albert DeJesús, Sylvia Morin, Johannes Angermüller

I will tell you more about Providence, and the rest of the semester in my next post. I promise it won't take so long for me to write as it did last time. I do appreciate you reading my blog, and I ask you to consider following my blog as well. If you look on the left hand side of the blog, you will see a link that says "Join this Blog". I would truly appreciate your support!!

Best,

Sylvia

Dissertation Update

Dear Readers:


I have updates with respect to my dissertation. After sending all of the chapters to my dissertation director earlier this week, she has approved three sections so far to be sent to the committee. This is very exciting, because the wheels are certainly turning! I e-mailed the Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 to all of the committee members, and I am anxiously awaiting comments and responses. Chapter 1 is currently titled "The Siren’s Hybrid Lineage of Body and Text in Adelaida García Morales’s El silencio de las sirenas" and for now, Chapter 2 has been titled "Male Anxiety and Women’s Gaze: Transformations of the Femme Fatale within Ana María Moix’s Las virtudes peligrosas". As far as the overall title for the dissertation, I am still brainstorming; it is definitely no easy feat, given that the naming of this textual body will follow me for the rest of my life. 


As I reflect on the still ongoing process, I think about some of the difficulties and challenges I have faced during these past four years. One of them has been my writing environment. After finishing my comprehensive exams, I have worked steadily as a Spanish Language Adjunct and as a Language Lab Coordinator for the Arts and Humanities Department  at the University of Houston-Downtown, and I also lecture at the University of Houston for the  Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program. With such a busy schedule, it was only during the infrequent moments in which there were no interruptions while at the lab that allowed just enough time for me to make any sort of progress. Even so, my windowless office has often made it particularly hard to feel inspired, as the natural world is completely shut out. Still, I have slowly, slowly typed away. But just to give you a glimpse of my dark cave, you can see a picture of  my office below, and I am sure you will agree that is has to be a trying experience to be locked away for so many hours during the week. 

Well, there is still much to do; so, I will say good-bye for now. I hope to share more news with you soon! Thank you for reading my blog, and if you have not yet added your name as a follower of my blog, I would really appreciate your support.


Best,
Sylvia 

Upcoming Readings

Dear Readers:

My friend Elisa, from Tercets, has some upcoming poetry readings that many of you may enjoy.  Also, she very kindly has passed on the Liebster blog award to me!  I appreciate her support very much and will in turn share this award with other blogs that I enjoy. I am making this post very brief, because I am really swamped with writing; truly, I just want to finish my dissertation.  However, I know that my perfectionism has hindered me in the past from just moving forward with my blog, with other creative projects, and with life in general.  So although I am not posting my very own content, I do hope these posts inspire you and keep you reading until I can devote more time to my own blog.

Best,
Sylvia Morin 

Upcoming Readings:

If you live in Houston, you can hear a large group of poets published in the Mutabilis Press anthology Improbable Worlds read at Brazos Bookstore on Saturday, February 25, at 2 p.m. I will read my poem “Bat Bridge” and mingle with the other poets. I hope you will join us.

On Saturday, March 3, you can hear me read in Chicago at the AWP Conference as part of the panel Border Bodies — Womanhood In Verse. Our presentation is from 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. in Private Dining Room 2, at the Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor. This is a panel of poets all associated with Mouthfeel Press, including Katherine Hoerth, Laura Cesarco Eglin, and Maria Miranda Maloney.

My talk at AWP is not open to the public, but I hope to see you there if you are already registered for the conference. For the rest of you, here is a preview:

I will discuss how the narratives of women’s bodily processes, such as lactation, are considered natural instead of cultural, which means they are not valued as important enough for literature. I will read my poem about Hurricane Ike, which is about nursing my newborn during the storm.

I will discuss how a woman’s body can metaphorically represent her path in life, and read from my poem “Soy Chicana.”

Lastly, I will discuss how poems about women and their bodies offer a much needed counterpoint to the dominant narrative about border culture that is militaristic and hyper-masculine. I plan to read from poems in process about the women murdered in Juarez.

I have other reading and writing events in the works, and will post information here, and on the “Upcoming Events” page when they are finalized.

If you want to buy my latest book, Entre la claridad, it is available for $7.00 from Mouthfeel Press. My poem “Soy Chicana” is included. You can listen to some of the poems from this book through the links on my “Audio” page above.

Have you liked the Entre la claridad page on Facebook? I post notices about writing, the giveaways, and literary events there also.

Arte Al Día

Dear Readers:

The MFAH (Museum of Fine Arts Houston) will launch in January the Project Documents of 20th-Century Latin America and Latino Art. To read more click on:
Arte Al Día / International / Contents / Artists / News / The MFAH will launch in January the Project Documents of 20th-Century Latin America and Latino Art.

Best,
Sylvia Morin

Rise & Root

Dear Readers:

A short time ago, I posted about taking the Simple Living Challenge posted in Kanelstrand,a blog about "simple living for human beings." At about the same time, I found another posting from one of my other favorite blogs, The Hermitage, by the very talented Rima Staines. You will find the creativity behind her blog quite extraordinary, and I do hope that you will take the time to visit the blog!

Rima's message made me think about the very artificial and processed life that most of us live. I know it is difficult to be mindful of our surroundings, of nature, and that which is authentic when our daily lives are experienced as if in a bubble, especially if you consider going through the day in a city like Houston.  Although I must admit that I do not exemplify the virtues of simplicity and true beauty, I do think that Rima's call for truth and imagination is of utmost importance in world that becomes more commercialized by the minute.  I also want to call attention to her design functioning like "a waymarker for the Zapatistas of suburbia" to represent this revolution of sorts.  I have some ideas on how I will creatively incorporate this design in order to give voice to the Other existing in a liminal space. If I complete some of these projects I have in mind, I definitely will share them with all of you. I hope you too will be motivated to do the same.

Best,
Sylvia


Reposted from The Hermitage, January 1, 2012:

Rise & Root:

I HAD A DREAM a few weeks ago in which several symbols appeared before me. They had no context, just were there. One of them remained with me upon waking, and I became determined to discover its meaning. It was a rune-like sign, made of straight sections, and looked like this:

I’ve been paying more attention to my dreams recently, and this sign seemed to need deciphering. I went first to the runes for a meaning, but though my symbol was very like a rune, I found none like mine. Then I searched amongst the Ogham alphabet. At first I thought it must be the Ogham cipher for birch which is made up of a vertical straight line, a shorter horizontal heading out to the right from the centre and at the base (as begins or ends all Ogham letters when written alone) an inverted V, making two legs. This was the symbol most like mine I could find, though it wasn’t quite satisfactory - my symbol had three legs and a diagonal stroke to the right.

For a while I sat with birch trees and wondered, until one day I found the answer in my sketchbook. I was drawing ideas for an image I’ve had sitting on my shoulder for a while; as the imagery came out of my pencil in rough scribbles of ideas, I spotted the symbol hiding in amongst the sketching, and it gave me impetus to carry the idea through to a finished design.

For some time I have wanted to make an image with which to start a quiet revolution on the backs of service station toilet doors, on the billboards behind carparks, over the screens of insidious train-journey advertising. In deep hatred for the feeling I get when I am forced to enter motorway service station cafes, shopping malls or toilets, I wanted to rail against all that is bland and homogeneous and commercial and life-suckingly chrome-and-concrete and spreading un-refuted like a disease across our land. I imagined planting little seeds of hope and solidarity in the form of a beautiful and rousing image which I would stick between the scrawlings of desperation and ugliness in the perfumed, disinfected cubicles made for us to shit in whilst we are not at home. The backs of public toilet doors are a fascinating melting pot of honest expression, dissent and advertising; it feels like there’s a communication between strangers played out there in this, the most private of rooms, and this is the way I wanted to communicate: liminally.

I suppose I wanted to plant my revolution-seed in the dirt in the cracks of the pavements, in the dirt between the formica and polyester, in the dirt pushed to the edges of millions of touchscreens, in the dirt underneath escalator rails and hygienic hand-dryers. Like the gargoyles and marginal grotesques of the middle ages, I wanted to coax beauty in once more like a stranger to the citadels of public ugliness we all have become so used to. I wanted to surprise and unnerve and delight and disedge all the lovely human beings who have grown so unseeing in the unbeautiful subway of their daily rush through these places. I wanted ivy to grow over all the chrome and adverts, its clinging rootlets ruining the L'Oréal shine with their ancient, living patination, and its roots grinding escalators to a twisted halt. I wanted green silence to toll through the noisy claustrophobia of shopping malls and for the shoppers to break their ankles on huge ancient roots, which had crept in past the security guards (notwithstanding hoodies and ASBOs) to smash up the shops. I wanted to grab them by the hand, and run with them (limping) to the dark woods and remind them that they are powerful.

And so I made this drawing for you - Rise & Root - a symbol perhaps, a waymarker for the Zapatistas of suburbia. As I drew the rooted tree-people raising their fists, I realised that they were the embodiment and representation of my dream-rune: raised fists to the fight, and roots in the earth. I give you this image to do with what you wish: download it, reblog it, print it, photocopy it, make it into stickers and take them with you in your bag to stick on the backs of public toilet doors, on supermarket conveyor belts or over underground advertising screens; make it into a poster, a projection, print it on bags and T-shirts, paint it large on the sides of petrol stations, pavements, parliaments.

Or take the rune as a symbol we’ll all recognise when it’s chalked on our doorsteps, and tattooed on our foreheads.

I want this image not to be for sale - take it freely and use it, let’s make it spread unrelenting from the edges, appearing everywhere, but not obviously authored. I will not make a website about it. It is rough, and black-and-white as a badly photocopied pamphlet. It is yours. A gift to our revolution for Two Thousand And Twelve. Take it and run.

Entre la claridad - Post 2

Dear Readers:

Just one more reminder to read Tercets. Elisa may be doing another drawing if there is sufficient interest.

Best,
Sylvia

January Giveaway Winner:

The winner of this drawing is my friend, Jen V., who has been reading the blog since the beginning. Thank you, Jen for reading the blog and for participating in the drawing! You win an autographed copy of Entre la claridad.

The next drawing, later this month, will be a second chance drawing for those who did not win this or any of the previous drawings. Here are the entrants who have not previously won a drawing.

Vee Xhonané Lauran Martha Michelle Erika Mento Moisés Heather Maria V. Sylvia Elena Alicia W. Yolanda

Each of you will receive one entry in the second chance drawing! If you wanted to participate in a previous drawing, but don’t see your name, you may have forgotten to tell me that you wanted to participate after completing the entry task. It is a second chance for you too, if you have recently started following or subscribing, have liked the Entre la claridad page on Facebook, or have promoted the book on social media. Let me know that you want to enter!

If you want to buy Entre la claridad, it is available for $7.00 from Mouthfeel Press. Take a look at the other books from the press while you are there; you’ll see a selection of books by innovative and talented poets.

If you have already read Entre la claridad, send me a short review or some reactions; I would like to post a round-up of comments in the future.

Also, my poem “Bat Bridge” is included in the new collection of poems about the sacred by Mutabilis Press, Improbable Worlds. Reading an anthology is a good way to familiarize yourself with poetry. You can read about and buy that book here.

Entre La Claridad - Post 1

Dear Readers:

Again, I am providing reading material from another blog.  This one you should be familiar with, Tercets, a lovely blog written by my friend and colleague Elisa A. Garza.  The only thing is that this information is just a bit outdated, since the giveaway already took place. However, I encourage you to read about her new poetry chapbook, "Entre la claridad."


January Giveaway:

Yes, it is time for another giveaway of my new book, Entre la claridad. For those of you who missed the announcements last month, this a chapbook (a small book) of poems mostly about the women in my family and their experiences in two cultures, across several generations. The poems are written in English, with some Spanish words and phrases.

The link highlighted above includes an excerpt, and there you will find links to two additional excerpts. Also, you can listen to recordings of some poems from the book at the Audio Page above, by clicking on the links to radio broadcasts I recorded last year. Be sure to let me know what you think of the poem excerpts or the radio programs!

I know several of you missed the opportunity to enter the last drawing during the busy Advent and Christmas seasons, so the entry requirements will be the same. There are multiple ways to enter, which means you can have multiple entries. Someone in my family will draw the winning name on the evening of Sunday, January 15^th.

The key to each entry requirement is to let me know after you have completed the action(s) requested below that you wish to enter the drawing. Just leave a comment, or send an e-mail.

• Follow this blog using the blue button in the left sidebar, or by subscribing via e-mail at the top of the right sidebar. New followers or subscribers get two entries!


• Announce the book on the social media platform of your choice. The easiest way to do this is to use the Facebook, twitter, or Google Plus One buttons at the bottom of this post or in the right sidebar. Or, get creative. My publisher quoted from the end of this blog post when she posted a link to the blog with a picture of the book on Facebook.


• Like the Entre la claridad page on Facebook.

If you already follow or subscribe to this blog, have announced the book on social media, or have liked the FB page, all you have to do to enter is tell me you want to participate in the drawing! If you wish to announce the book on social media a second time, that can get you another entry also.

The next drawing, later this month, will be a second chance drawing for those who did not win this or any of the previous drawings, so you either win this time, or you get another chance to win.

If you want to buy Entre la claridad, it is available for $7.00 from Mouthfeel Press. Take a look at the other books from the press while you are there; you’ll see a selection of books by innovative and talented poets.

Also, my poem “Bat Bridge” is included in the new collection of poems about the sacred by Mutabilis Press, Improbable Worlds. Reading an anthology is a good way to familiarize yourself with poetry. You can read about and buy that book here.

Join the Simple Living Challenge!

Dear Readers,

I know that I have not provided any original content in quite some time. I sincerely apologize for that. I have been working as diligently as possible to finish my dissertation, and that really takes up a lot of my creative energy. However, I saw this posting that I really think is interesting, as well as wonderful! Living simply and mindfully should be a lifelong resolution that goes beyond the beginning of January. I invite you to join the Simple Living Challenge and visit Kanelstrand, a blog about "simple living for human beings."

Reposted from Kanelstrand on January 3, 2012:

Join the Simple Living Challenge!:

Welcome to a very new year! The holidays are somehow over now and the traces of the cozy hours we were spending just a few days ago are slowly vanishing. Now life is preparing to get hectic again, even for those who spend it mindfully and slowly.

Modern life will not leave us alone, it will do its best to suck us in the whirlwind of must and should, and deadlines past. And even if it doesn't we will set them, we will build our walls and raise our borders and then, unwittingly we will get tired of trying to break our own walls and borders down.

And life will pass in pointless battles.

But there is another scenario worth thinking about right now:

How about, worn out of struggles as we are, we decide to stop winding in the circle of our own prejudices and pre-set behavioral models?

What if we attempt to live our lives mindfully, slowly and simply?

What if trying to slow down we find new inspiration and unimaginable sides of our characters that will let us get closer to our own dream of ourselves?

Join me in a 3 week Simple Living challenge!

3 weeks

3 weeks is enough time to get used to a change. Once the initial 3 weeks pass we will be comfortable enough to start enjoying our new habit.

3 reasons to join the challenge

1. Simple life means deliberate life and leads to realization of your strengths, passions and abilities. Simple life means noticing details, living sensibly and enjoying each step of the way.


2. Simplifying your life is easy, unlike what most experts tell you. The only tool you need is willingness and determination.


3. Trying to reduce stress and increase joy of life is a promising start to a new year. It is a great start to any period of the year actually, and you can do it any time.

Simple living is just that. Getting rid of anything unnecessary. Be it objects, emotions, wants, prejudices or fears; being happy with what you have and finding joy in everything you do. We are aiming for the essence of life stripped of all things false.

For 3 weeks we will challenge ourselves to:

• Find happiness in simple everyday routines


• Increase self-sufficiency


• Live with less


• Reconsider technology


• Simplify our virtual life


• And much more.

Let's do this together!

Together we can make a difference in a fast-paced, thick-skinned world. We can walk the path of conscious living by being the human beings we are, by embracing our weaknesses and turning them into strengths. We can live a simple sustainable life without going to extremes.

Come February 1st, 2012 I will start posting ideas for simplifying different aspects of life and we will discuss and share our experiences in trying to implement them. These will be all things I have changed in my life or that I am striving to change. The challenge will be as much for you as it is for me!

As you know, I am always open to your input and I will be adding your suggestions to the posts, so that they can become a living and ever-growing resource for anyone attempting to simplify. If you are interested in writing a guest post about simple living during the 3 weeks of the challenge, I would love to have you! Contact me to discuss the details.

How to take part in the Simple Living challenge

• Take the Simple Living pledge.


• Spread the word, tell your friends.


• Post the Simple Living Pledge button on your blog.


• Participate in the discussions under each post in the challenge.


• Write a guest post about your experiences in simplifying.


• Dedicate your efforts to simplifying!

You can implement as many or as little of the simple ideas you read - simplicity is not exigent as it is at the core of true happiness. Even if you join the challenge for a day, or just consider doing it, show support and sign the pledge!

Click on the image below to take the pledge (or click on the same image in the right sidebar):

Together we can make this happen!

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