These Memorials

always intrigue me. in south texas they are very common at scenes where someone has died in an accident. driving up north from the rio grande valley they don’t seem to be as common. it could be that i’m not catching them. but a few months ago as i drove to Boston I’m fairly sure i saw less. Anyways, i have been wanting to write poems for some of these but also don’t want to be disrespectful. this one is close to my house. i took a picture of this one because it is decorated for every holiday. the one shown here is easter. this person is still loved. it must be impossible to let go.

my newest read

     I just started reading this book, and this short review only covers the foreword and introduction.  I usually don’t enjoy reading the foreword and introduction because it gives/guides too much of the reading process. This happens in poetry books which I prefer reading in sporadic order.  

But in this case I read both and continue thinking much on ideas which are similar to the concept of the Nuev@ Chican@ Poetics group I participate in. William Luis, when talking about the ethnically diverse community he was raised in, says “When I look back, I did not feel comfortable accepting one identity over another but felt the need to embrace all of my multiple identities” (ix).  Although I didn’t grow up in an ethnically diverse area (the Rio Grande Valley is comprised of approximately 90% Mexican Americans), I do think of identities as the different types of Mexican Americans/Mexicans which exist, in particular because of social or economic status.

     In the introduction, the concept is talked about a bit more by Blas Falconer and Lorraine M. Lopez who wrote “the former [Lorraine M. Lopez] probes the prejudice emanating from native Chicanos toward those who have emigrated recently from Mexico, suggesting that there are at least as many ways to be Chicano as there are to be Latino” (3). If this can be agreed upon then my questions are “what are these forms of Chicano?” and “What creates these differences?” Some of the answers may appear obvious, like the nature of a person’s upbringing.  But there’s probably more, and I’m interested in seeing the influences on identity.

Just some thoughts and as I continue reading I will post more.

-ic

Found and Project

another one of my finds. this on as i was walking the university of texas-pan american grounds. it is quite elaborate and offers a lot of information. if i received this i would feel as if i did my job. in case you don't speak spanish, here is the translation:

"I want to thank the students from Pan American University for giving me something for Christmas.
God bless you"

I don't have much to say about this picture besides thinking how we can help others. how some kids feel comfortable speaking/writing in spanish. how the name is one i have never heard of before "jaaziel". seems like a combination.

oh, it's senseless talk right now. I only wanted to post this to show how kids can write a simple thank you note and it seems so amazing and strikes my curiosity.





The following could have been saved for another post, especially since i'm about 9 minutes away from heading out to teach but let's see how well i can explain this. I like doing mini projects, most of which i don't ever finish but is something of a preview of what i would like to do/see in the future. Most of these projects deal with code-switching or creating images which satire all that is american or all that is mexican. Mexican-American is good for satire as well. It is always good natured and not intended to create anger.

So, just recently i was thinking about language and how code-switching (for some) is natural. and then i started thinking were do we use code switching in public? yes, it is common when we talk but how common is it in writing? i doubt that it is common in writing but i have seen it in a few local advertisements (billboards) and maybe in an email. then this lead me to think of important works and how they can be translated into code switching. why? it seems when we not only speak the language but also read and write it, then it gains validity and also expands. I think and think random thoughts but the outcome is the sample creation of the Poch@ bible, with code-switching. I haven't figured out the rules, if any, for code switching but the concept seems to be that the reading should be natural. Anyways, read below:

Hello,

I started off the day be being not accepted into CantoMundo, which marks the third time I have applied. I'm not sure how to feel about this. It makes me question my poetry, or more so what others think of my poetry. I get a lot of support from local writers, and I am thankful, but wish it was different. I will probably apply again, but I have become disenchanted with the process and group. I'm sure I would feel differently if I was selected, but when I see many others who deserve this opportunity more than I do, and do not receive it, I begin to wonder. I don't have much time to be sad because I will be presenting at the NACCS conference in San Antonio soon and besides that I have work and teach.
So, I have tried to enjoy today as best I can and continue to initiate a change within me that creates results and creativity. I haven't done well working on my manuscript or new poetry, and I have bought films and records I said I would look over. Oh, and the numerous books I buy. Those are still unused. So, I'm trying to change that somehow because a few friends are able to maximize each hour they have. On the other hand, I feel like I don't do much. This post is horribly emotional. *l*
Well, let's end this soon, but not before I explain the picture above. This is a scan of "Transit", a film I bought some time ago and I began watching as I cleaned my home office. After much neglect my office became a pile of student works, and old projects. *I hope I didn't lose Juan Ochoa's cards* Anyways, the movie was background noise and it helped me cross off a movie from my "must watch" list.

The Review:
If it weren't for the constant cliches, this film would be much better. That and the lighting in some places as well as bad audio.  The best part was the tagging. The ending was typical. Yet, I didn't hate this film because I have seen much worse on a larger budget. Transit attempted to make a statement but I don't see much difference. Yes, this film was 2005, so perhaps it was relevant then, but what insight did this film actually give into a tagger"s life? Not much besides the common barrio story and being pulled in by friends while everybody else knows what is right.

that's it for me. i have to work on some questions for the conference.
let me know what you think.
-ic

This weekend

i teared up/cried during the latest Batman film. I couldn't help it thinking about the events in Colorado and the different scenarios which may or may not have saved lives. It almost seemed to fit with the movie. The need to come together as a community rather than depend on one individual. We need hope.

On a completely different street, I read/watched Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I hadn't read a book for leisure in what seems a few years. Usually i was reading for class or research. I had forgotten how easy it was to read rather than laboring on analysis. It was a good book, but not amazing. The movie was horrible. First because it deviated from the book so much. Second, it was just a bad movie.

I enjoyed the experience of the theater more than watching the film. I arrived about 7 minutes late, and apparently at the dollar movies they start right on time. Then about 20 minutes into the movie the entire screen went dark. The people just kinda sat and waited for it to start again, sometimes saying like "I want my $1.50 back". *l* that was pretty funny.

After a bit, the movie started back up. Luckily I was sitting next to a fairly inexperienced mom. The kind you say, "if your child almost just choked on a candy, why would you let them get hold of the candies a second time....and let them almost choke, again." The baby then proceeded to be necio (it's a spanish word, look it up) and cried off and on, with her getting up and moving past me a few times.

I had the isle seat, by the way. The best part was when the baby dropped the bottle, and to find it, the inexperienced mom's mom was crawling on the outside edge of the isle and practically between my legs. I felt a bit raunchy at that moment. Eventually someone took the baby and sadly I started paying closer attention to the film. Not so good.

i found

another photograph. finding these pictures makes me want to write on here the most. it sometimes feels like this is the hidden part of me, yet hope others see. *and then back again i hope they don't see this*

Nothing unusual about this boy. I found the photo near my house so i wonder if he lives near some of the new apartments/condos on my street. Maybe the house was being cleaned and this picture was expandable. Probably has changed a lot in the two years since.

Even for me thinking about the past few months, it feels like a lot is changing for others and i remain stagnant. It's easy to be envious of the success others have found. I look at what i have accomplished and it never seems enough. These "wonderful" ideas seem like daydreams after a while. Am I missing support or am I missing drive? Probably drive. It's always easy to blame others. Maybe i want to much. I want to be a successful writer but then I want to be an academic as well. I was never good at multi-tasking.

And i'm even afraid of losing what i already have. just because you earned something doesn't mean you will always keep it. Success usually doesn't come early, but right now i wish it did.

my advice to young me (+ current me): you should do more.

This girl

Who is this person? I don't know I just found her picture on a best buy tablet. She had a whole bunch of photos on there and I wanted to see how well the tablet sent email/photos. It seemed to have done a good job. I might return and get more photos, in particular of one couple. These are similar to lost photos I have posted before or maybe not. Perhaps these belong in the category of stolen. I liked her expression.

I am planning more conferences soon and even considering AWP next year in Boston. I have two good opportunities here in South Texas with the NACCS  and TACWT conference. I also want to collaborate with others who are attempting to redefine pejorative terms. I'm working on pocho, but have a friend working on "chola". Another friend isn't sure which identity captures her experiences best: she knows she isn't Chicana, not American, but perhaps Mexicana.

I'm going to a reading tonight which i don't fully look forward to because it is Spring Break. I'm tired from a hectic two days filled with a music festival and a couple visiting. At least I don't have much planned for Saturday or Sunday, which means doing the work I should have done earlier.

Time to return to real life.