Brought to you free by Poets and Writers magazine, The City of Houston through the Houston Arts Aliance, the Texas Commision Through the Arts, and Discovery Green.

Los Compadres joins Las Comadres with Gwendolyn Zepeda’s New Novel
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Borders @ Kirby and W. Alabama
7:00PM
Admission is free.

“Zepeda…presents a debut about the everyday struggle to find one’s way but adds unusual and alluring touches, namely the vibrant Houston setting and the novel’s emphasis on Tex-Mex culture, art, and folklore.”
-Booklist

Confronted with tough questions—in a world where everyone else already seems to know the answers—a young woman learns to take control of her own life in HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEMA (Grand Central Original Trade Paperback; $12.99; January 8, 2009). Gwendolyn Zepeda’s poignant debut novel addresses the issues affecting modern young women and takes on cultural, social, and professional stereotypes.

People say Jessica Luna is superstitious, but she says she’s just paying attention. The 26 year-old Houston native is trying to find her way through this turbulent stage of her life. She knows the Universe is full of signs, and when your career is failing, your love life is going no where, and your family is just plain nuts, it helps to have a little direction. That’s why Jessica visits Madame Hortensia, the best psychic in Texas. Surely she’ll be able to offer Jessica some much needed advice. Like…

Should she keep her corporate job? True, the insurance business isn’t all that inspiring to Jessica, and her boss seems to think former frat boys know more about the business than hard working women who have been with the company for years. But if Jessica really wants to she can make him see the light. Or…

Should she take a risk and start her own business? Her friends think her knack for web design could be more than just a hobby, and certainly her on-again off-again boyfriend Guillermo, an up-and-coming artist, is no fan of working for “The Man.” Speaking of Guillermo…

Should Jessica stick with him? Or should she give a new guy, Jonathan, a chance? Jonathan is Guillermo’s total opposite: rich, successful, and white. Jessica’s sister, who left the barrio for the ‘burbs with her husband David, introduced them. But Jessica doesn’t want to be anyone’s “exotic” adventure. Plus, is she really ready for marriage and family. Which reminds her….

What is up with her family? Her parents’ formerly rock solid relationship is suddenly in shambles, and Jessica isn’t sure what—if anything—she can do to help. But she can’t sit idly by and do nothing, can she?

Madame Hortensia suggests (and Jessica’s plastic Virgin Mary confirms) that’s she due for a change, but exactly what that is, no one can say. Perhaps it means that Jessica will have to stop looking outside for answers, and finally learn to trust her own instincts for creating the life she wants.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEMA embodies what it’s like to crave independence yet covet the security of the life that you know. Jessica Luna’s story is a perfect example of an honest venture into adulthood, as well as an examination of some of the unique challenges that face individuals who are part of a bicultural world. Her hopes, dreams and fears are universally relatable, and her warmth, wit and sense of adventure make Jessica a character that readers won’t soon forget.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gwendoyln Zepeda’s blog gwenworld.com and her first book To The Last Man I Slept With and All the Jerks Like Him have been mentioned in the NY Post and Seattle Post. Zepeda was awarded the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County’s Individual Artist Grant for her literary pursuits in 2004. She won the Diarist.Net Legacy Award for her online journal/blog in 2003. She is the creator of The Quinceañera You Were Too Poor to Have, a literary event for artists fueled by deprivation. Zepeda is a member of Nuestra Palabra and lives in Houston, Texas.

NP is brought to you in part by funding from The Houston Arts Alliance, The City of Houston, The Texas Commission on the Arts.

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is a partnership between Las Comadres, Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Borders to promote reading of Latino authors. Membership is open to anyone. Most of the books are also available in Spanish.

HIGH VOLTAGE TATOO is her life story, in ink, including photographs such as her birth in Mexico. Yes, she is Latina. Between her and Dora the Explorer, these 2 Latinas are captuing a huge part of the American Imagination. Come back for updates! If you want to help spread the word or volunteer (as in work!) just send us a line.

Not all fans of the TV show LA Ink realize the star of the show is Latina, of Argentine descent, born in Mexico. By the same token, she epitomizes the essential qualities of our culture: family, community, Baroque, and also epitomizes the essential qualities of American culture.

That is why LA INK was an immediate smash, becoming the number-one rated program on Discovery’s TLC. Fans of LA Ink could not get enough of Kat Von D, now one of the world’s most sought-after tattoo artists and owner of the popular Hollywood shop, High Voltage Tattoo. Now, Kat opens the door to today’s global tattoo culture in her book, HIGH VOLTAGE TATTOO.

LA Ink entered its third season in October 2008. Kat’s makeup line launched successfully with Sephora in June 2008, and she is also working on a line of apparel. She set the Guinness World Record for doing the most tattoos (400) in a 24-hour period.

HIGH VOLTAGE TATTOO traces Kat’s career—in her own words—as an artist, from her early childhood influences to recent work, along with examples of what inspires her, behind the scenes at LA Ink, her shop and colleagues, and her outrageous tattoo machine collection. The book features hundreds of examples of her extraordinary work, not only the rich black-and-gray portraiture for which she is so famous—including memorial, and rock- and celebrity-inspired tattoos—but great examples of other popular tattoo themes, from roses to religious imagery to lettering. She profiles and features the work of outstanding artists she admires from throughout the world in a special gallery section. She shows readers how she makes a large and complex tattoo step by step; provides invaluable tips on how to choose the right tattoo artist, tattoo care, and tattoo shop etiquette; busts tattoo myths; and much, much more.

Included in HIGH VOLTAGE TATTOO:
• Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx has written the foreword.
• The book features images and anecdotes about celebrities, rockers, pro skaters, and everyday citizens, including Slayer’s Kerry King, My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero, HIM’s Ville Valo, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Margaret Cho, Jackass’ Bam Margera, David Letterman, and many others.
• There is a ten-page full body spread of Ms. Von D—clad in a little yellow bikini and seven-inch, rhinestone-studded red stilettos—that catalogs in detail all her personal tattoos on her front, back, left, and right sides—and her hands!

Tattoos are stories, and HIGH VOLTAGE TATTOO is emphatically about the people Kat tattoos. Every tattoo in the book has an intimate tale behind it—that’s a great draw on LA Ink—and Kat relates not only what made the tattoo interesting to do from an artistic point of view, but the personal, meaningful story behind it.

Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say is funded by The Texas Commission on the Arts, The Houston Arts Alliance, the City of Houston. Partners include KPFT 90.1 FM.

Below is the complete information kit for the book fair. Please help us spead the word.

Flyer for 6th Annual Houston Latino Book and Family Festival Dec. 13 & 14, 2008 @ GRB:

A list of programs for adults:

A list of programs for kids:

Sponsors/exhibitors: Booth brochure to exhibt at the 2008 LBFF: 10 Booths left.

VIP Reception info. Fri. Dec. 12: 30 tickets/3 tables left for purchase/sponsorship:

Floor plan for the 2008 LBFF:

We did not want Hispanic Heritage Month to go by without bringing you at least one amazing author. We are honored to welcome Literary Icon Ana Castillo.

Thursday, October 16
7:00 PM
Barnes and Noble
7626 Westheimer @ Voss/Hilcroft
Admission is free.

She will be conducting a reading, taking questions, and signing books. She will be preceded by our own local fierce authors including Maria Palacios (Goddess on Wheels) and Leslie Contreras. This coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well and Ana is a Breast Cancer survivor. We will donate proceeds from book sales to breast cancer prevention.

For more information visit: Ana Castillo

Ana Castillo is a celebrated poet, novelist, short story writer, and essayist. Castillo was born and raised in Chicago. Long considered one of the leading voices to emerge from the Chicana experience, Castillo is a prolific author whose work has been critically acclaimed and widely anthologized in the United States and abroad. Castillo’s books include the novel, The Mixquiahuala Letters (Bilingual Review Press, 1986; Doubleday, 1992), for which she received the Before Columbia Foundation’s American Book Award in 1987. Sapogonia (Bilingual Review Press, 1990), is a complex and engaging novel and a literary triumph, according to the renowned Chicano novelist Rudolfo Anaya who calls Castillo “one of our finest Chicana novelists.” Her latest book is The Guardians published by Random House.

Nuestra Palabra is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. Nuestra Palabra is also funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission for the Arts. Our media partners are Univisión Television, and KPFT 90.1 FM.

The book fair is rescheduled for Dec. 13 and 14, 2008, 10 am - 5 pm, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. We are thrilled that 90% of the authors who were scheduled for September have committed to return in December. This will be a great way to ring kick off the Holidays and ring in the new year with literatura. We’ll be sending you more info.

The Largest Book Fair in Texas

December 13 and 14, 2008
George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall A-3
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, TX 77010
Admission is FREE

Local Host: Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say

Get the Book Fair Flyer

We are the Houston component of the book fair that actor and activist Edward James Olmos founded in Los Angeles 9 years ago. With his guidance and recognition in not only the Latino community, but also in the mainstream community, and with the work that Nuestra Palabra has done here in Houston, we have created the fastest growing book fair in the country.

The 6th Annual Houston Latino Book and Family Festival schedule details are being finalized. Check back soon for updates!

In order to spotlight and selfishly celebrate poetry and poets, The Word Around Town tour focuses its attention on a solid line-up of Houston’s best and brightest poets. So for the third time, Houston’s finest poets will congregate at several local venues throughout the city in order to spread the message, the image and the gift of word through poetry. Poets who are selected are individuals who may not be the most famous, but are the most talented. Standard poets, slam poets, spoken word artist and experimental poets all grace many of the poetic venues Houston has to offer.

The Word Around Town tour was originally organized by three Houston area poets: Zelene Pineda, Joe B and Stephen Gros, as a way to bring many types of poets and poetry together. This ambitious endeavor is made even more enticing by allowing invited poets to read throughout the city of Houston at local poetry/art/cultural venues. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to spotlight poets and their poetry that bring a clear and relevant message and 2) to expose these artists to an audience or venue they might not have ever been exposed to before. The original tour began in the summer of 2006 with 10 poets. This year’s line-up includes fourteen diverse poets and six beautiful venues, from coffee shops to cultural centers.

Participating artists include: Aria, BGK, Binx, Joe B, Kool B, MissMillieFiori, Stephen Gros, Marlon Lizama, Lupe Mendez, Marcell Murphy, Maria Palacios, Zelene Pineda, Jasminne Rosario and Jerome Washington

Tour Dates/Venues:
Sunday, July 20th - Bohemeo’s Art House - 708 Telephone Rd.
Monday, July 21st - MECA - 1900 Kane St.
Tuesday, July 22nd - Project Row Houses - 2521 Holman
Wednesday July 23rd - Notsuoh’s - 314 Main St.
Thursday, July 24th - Bohemeo’s - 708 Telephone Rd.
Friday, July 25th - Avant Garden - 411 Westheimer Rd.

2nd Night of W.A.T. tour
Houston Cultural Leaders Portrait Exhibit
Monday, July 21st - Doors Open at 8:00pm
Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA) - 1900 Kane
Price: Free – Refreshments provided by MECA – a fundraiser for their Capital Campaign

Monday night’s tour will feature live art to the beat of poetry. Local artists Skeez 181 and Christian Navarrete will create original art pieces to the beat of the featured poets. In conjunction with the poetry tour, local artistic photographer, Chuy Benitez, will have his portrait series of “Houston Cultura” leaders on display. Mr. Benitez’s cultural documentary photography is created with the help of wide-angle lenses and digital processing. His portraits involve a 360 view of a personal space and a front/back portrait displayed as a diptych. This portrait series presents those who represent and infuse Mexican American and Spanish-speaking culture into the mainstream society of Houston, TX.

Closing Night
End of Tour Party/Panhandler Publishing Release Party
Saturday, July 26th – Doors Open at 7:00pm
BOX13 Artspace – 6700 Harrisburg
Price: $8 at the door
Promoting the release of the Panhandler Quarterly summer issue, as well as the closing night celebration for the Word Around Town tour. Performing that night will be The Ton Tons, with special guest Desmond Zavala, DJ John Mullins and one other special guest DJ.

We would like to thank the following venues, galleries, and cultural community centers for hosting the poetry tour: Bohemeo’s Art House, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA), Avant Garden, BOX 13 Artspace, Notsuoh’s, and Project Row Houses.

We would like to also thank the following individuals who will serve as guest hosts for the tour: Liana Lopez – Nuestra Palabra, Josh Hayes – former Board President of Panhandler Publishing and Seth Walker, Spoken Word Artist, Black Snow Productions.

Brief Bios for Poets:
• Aria - Poet. School Teacher. Born to the World of Poetry in New Orleans. Originally from Austin, TX, Aria brings her voice and style from the Crescent City to the Bayou City.
• BGK - BGK is a slow world traveler from Washington, D.C., suffering the world through poetics, grocery lists, and mad rants.
• Binx – Lady Binx to be exact. Woman. Activist. Artist. Mother. Originally from Houston, TX, Lady Binx is a fierce voice for unrepresented women here in the United States and Mexico. Performing with her group, Almas Intocables Lady Binx packs houses, determined to put a face on the injustices of Latin America.
• Joe B – Beat maker, remix artist, A & R, producer (“I don’t sell tracks, I sell experiences”). Joe B, a founding member of Rebel Crew, influences underground breakbeats and bass.
• Kool B - Kool B established himself as a recognizable force in the literary world when he received a Houston Sammy Award for performance poetry. Since that time, his work as a troubadour has continued to attract the attention of beatniks and bards alike.
• MissMillieFiori – Former host of Taft Street Coffee’s poetry open mic, she is an eclectic force in the poetry world. Her smooth delivery matches the intelligence and wit of her words.
• Stephen Gros - Co-founder of Panhandler Publishing, poet, painter, lover, fool.
• Marlon Lizama - World traveled BBoy (Havikoro) and poet, this 27 year old writes to social issues, love, and injustice; all while juggling the jobs of a social worker. Marlon strives to prove a positive message of action through dance and word.
• Lupe Mendez – Originally from Galveston, TX, this man/poet/teacher delves into writing from two contrasting perspectives: the ideals of poetic imagery and the real world issues dealing with children, cultural identity and poverty.
• Marcell Murphy – Raised in Houston Texas, Marcell Murphy has been reciting poetry for 10 years and mixes the condensed energy of his performances with surreal written images. He is co-founder of the Houston Poetry Slam Team, promoting poetry slam as an art form in which poets compete against each other for the love of the audience.
• Maria Palacios - Maria R. Palacios is an empowered Latina, inspirational speaker, feminist poet, author, spoken word performer, polio survivor, activist, disability educator, workshop facilitator, and professional presenter. She is the Goddess on Wheels.
• Zelene Pineda – One of the original think-tankers to the Word Around Town tour, this ambitious nineteen-year-old poet currently attends the Univ. of Texas at El Paso. She makes waves wherever she goes. Then writes about them.
• Jasminne Rosario - Born from immigrant parents of the Dominican Republic, Jasminne was blessed to learn both English and Spanish at a very early age. She has used these skills to her advantage throughout her life by performing, reading and writing poetry and plays in both languages.
• Jerome Washington – Jerome has became a voice for the speechless, hope to the hopeless and proved to be one of the most progressive entities in the Poetry game today. It’s not just what he says, but how he says it. Emerging from Houston’s Fifth Ward, artist and visionary Jerome Darwin Washington is on the front line helping to define the emerging urban culture in the Bayou City.

The Ultimate Father’s Day Gift:
A Pair of Boxing Gloves Signed by Oscar De La Hoya.

Join Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say for a book signing with Oscar De La Hoya, Sunday, June 15, 2008, 7 pm, at Barnes and Noble, 7626 Westheimer @ Voss. Admission is free. This is part of Nuestra Palabra’s tenth anniversary season.

Oscar de La Hoya will be signing copies of his life story titled American Son. Everyone who purchases a copy of the book will also be entered into a raffle for a pair of boxing gloves signed by Oscar De La Hoya. A portion of book sales will be donated to Nuestra Palabra.

De La Hoya is part owner of the Houston Dynamos who will be on hand for the event. Dynamo paraphernalia will also be raffled.

This event is made possible through grants from the Texas Commission for the Arts, Houston Arts Alliance and our media partners Univisión Television, Univisión Radio, and KPFT 90.1 FM.

Get the flyer here (PDF)

The 5th Annual Edward James Olmos Houston Latino Book & Family Festival
September 29 & 30, 2007 (Friday & Saturday)
George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall A-3
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, TX 77010
10 am - 6 pm
Admission is FREE
(parking is not free)