AUTHOR CAMEO......JIMMY SANTIAGO BACA

  
The Latina Book Club will feature "Author Cameos" every Wednesday -- brief bios of new authors to explore.  Join us and, as always, Read Latino.



JIMMY SANTIAGO BACA
Poet, author, artist, community leader

Jimmy was born in New Mexico of Indio-Mexican descent.  He was a teen runaway and served five years in prison, where he learned to read and write, and “unearthed a voracious passion for poetry.”  His poems and short stories have earned him many honors including, the Pushcart Prize, the American Book Award, the International Hispanic Heritage Award and for his memoir A PLACE TO STAND the prestigious International Award. 

Baca has devoted his post-prison life to writing and teaching others who are overcoming hardship.  In 2005, he created Cedar Tree Inc., a nonprofit foundation that works to give people of all walks of life the opportunity to become educated and improve their lives.  He is currently working on a novel, a play and more poetry.  To learn more about this extraordinary man and his works and community programs, visit him at www.jimmysantiagobaca.com.

C-TRAIN & 13 MEXICANS

This collection of poems is stark, powerful and full of raw emotion.

It will touch you deeply -- you will cringe, shed tears and continue reading.

To read an excerpt from this collection, click here.

SPANISH FRIDAY: VIERNES ESPANOL

  
Buenos Dias.  Hoy es Viernes Espanol.  Tambien es Dia de la Tierra y Semana Santa.  Muchas Felicidades.

En honor al Dia de la Tierra, quiero compartir con ustedes mi "tierra bonita" -- Puerto Rico.   Mi familia es de Ponce, que esta en el sur oeste, y es una ciudad bella y alegre.  Si van de viaje, no se olviden de visitar la Perla Del Sur.

Good day.  Today is Spanish Friday, as well as Earth Day and Good Friday for Catholics worldwide.  Happy Earth Day and Happy Easter.

In honor of Earth Day, I'd like to share with you satallite photos of my beautiful "earth", my beautiful island of Puerto Rico.  My family comes from Ponce, which is on the southern tip of the island.  I hope you are able to visit us one day soon. 
  

LeaLA BOOK FAIR -- April 29- May 1

 
"Celebrando el Espaňol”


“La primera Ferial del Libro en Espanol de California”

Here at The Latina Book Club one of our goals is to promote literacy. Hence our motto: Read Latino.

Book Fairs are a great way to promote literacy and I just read in LatinaLista about the first annual international Spanish-language book fair in Los Angeles, the city with the largest Latino population in the U.S. 

LeaLA is an initiative organized by the University of Guadalajara USA Foundation and supported by the Guadalajara International Book Fair, Feria Internacional del Libro; and the University of Guadalajara in Los Angeles. There will be over 80 publishers present and high-profile authors such as, Isabel Allende, Francisco Martin Moreno and Sandra Lorenzano. Plus, celebrities such as, Dayanara Torres, former Miss Universe; actress Kate del Castillo; and singer Jose Jose.

LéaLA, which translate to “Read L.A.”, will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from April 29-May 1, 2011. The three-day book fair is FREE to the public.

The three-day book fair promises to be exciting and vibrant. There will be plenty of cultural events and book signings as well as sessions on immigration, Latino culture, personal finance, physical health and the mysteries of love and sex.

For more information, visit http://www.lea-la.com/.


COMMENT:   Do come back and let us know how you liked the LeaLA Book Fair. And, as always, Read Latino.

  

CHILDREN’S MONTH CONTINUES WITH DOÑA FLOR

     

DOÑA FLOR:
A TALL TALE ABOUT A GIANT WOMAN
WITH A GREAT BIG HEART
By Pat Mora
Illustrated by Raul Colon
Knopf Books



Children’s Month continues. This week’s selection is a heartwarming, humorous “tall” tale, peppered with Spanish words and phrases, about a giant lady with a great big heart from the woman who founded “Children’s Day” 15 years ago. (See below.)


BOOK SUMMARY: Doña Flor is a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. Popular with her neighbors, she lets the children use her flowers as trumpets and her leftover tortillas as rafts. Flor loves to read, too, and she can often be found reading aloud to the children. One day, all the villagers hear a terrifying noise: it sounds like a huge animal bellowing just outside their village. Everyone is afraid, but not Flor. She wants to protect her beloved neighbors, so with the help of her animal friends, she sets off for the highest mesa to find the creature. Soon enough, though, the joke is on Flor and her friends, who come to rescue her, as she discovers the small secret behind that great big noise.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   Pat Mora writers for adults, teen and children. A former teacher, university administrator, museum director, and consultant, Pat is a popular national speaker at conferences, campuses, libraries and schools. A literacy advocate excited about sharing what she calls "bookjoy," Pat founded the family literacy initiative, El día de los niños / El día de los libros, Children's Day / Book Day, now housed at the American Library Association. The year-long commitment to daily linking all children to books, languages and cultures that culminates in events across the country is celebrating its 15th Anniversary April, 2011. To learn more about this extraordinary woman, visit http://www.patmora.com/.

COMMENT: Do let us know what books your child is reading this month and what is their favorite Pat Mora book.  
  

APRIL IS CHILDREN'S MONTH TOO

   
One day in April is "The Day of the Child."  I'm not exactly sure which day so I celebrate the whole of April as "The Month of the Child."  Here's a good book for the child in all of us.


GET READY FOR GABI
A Crazy Mixed Up Spanglish Day
by Marisa Montes

Third grader Gabi speaks Spanish at home and English at school and sometimes "Spanglish" everywhere.  Don't we all?   There are three more books in this adorable Spanglish Series.  Read and enjoy them all.

             GET READY FOR GABI:  Who's That Girl
             GET READY FOR GABI:  No More Spanish
             GET READY FOR GABI:  Please Don't Go.

  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Marisa Montes is a Puerto Rican army brat.  She's also a writer, artist, lawyer, editor, humorist and activist among other things.  To learn more about her and Gabi's series, visit her at http://www.marisamontes.com/.


And as always, Read Latino.

SUMMARY: THE WINNER STANDS ALONE by Pablo Coehlo

  

THE WINNER STANDS ALONE
by Pablo Coehlo
Harper Perennial


In THE ALCHEMIST, what many consider Pablo Coehlo’s most famous work, a boy goes off in search of his dream. In THE WINNER STANDS ALONE, the protagonist has found his dream and will do anything…anything… to keep her.

THE WINNER STANDS ALONE is the story of Igor, a successful, driven Russian entrepreneur who has everything but the perfect woman. Well, he did have her and now she’s gone. Igor will do anything to win back his ex-wife, Ewa, and no one, not even Ewa, will stand in his way.

Set amid the frenzy of the Cannes Film Festival, the characters will mingle with the super rich, super famous, the has-beens and the wanna-bes. Glamour, fame and fortune are theirs for the taking, but behind this beautiful fairytale world is another -- a degenerate world of excess and depravity, where hunger and obsession can destroy so easily.



COMMENT: Let us know your favorite Pablo Coehlo novel.
   
  

APRIL'S BOOK OF THE MONTH & BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

    
Our April Book of the Month is AS HAPPY AS LING by Carlos Aleman.

The characters, some real, others mere illusions, have all made the same blunder.

They have chosen to judge their lives. And in judging and labeling, they have eaten from

the tree of good and bad, unaware that tragedy is often the greatest

teacher of compassion and love. ----Unknown balsero

A benediction: May you be as happy as Ling, rolling in the cool morning sand,

shouting to the one you love, ‘te amo!’ ----Carlos Aleman, author

AS HAPPY AS LING is surreal, passionate, disturbing and irresistible. It’s like Dante’s INFERNO and Garcia Marquez’ 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE. I whole heartedly recommend it.

AS HAPPY AS LING is about war, compassion, abuse, truth, faith, depression and most of all, about love -- Love of family, of lovers, of friends, of God… love of self. It’s the story of Adrianna and Octavio, whose marriage is torn asunder by war. He is deployed yet again and she enters into an abusive second marriage. When Adrianna is hospitalized after a severe beating, her teenage children are sent to spend the summer with their artistic uncle Diego in Miami. It’s a summer of discovery and redemption for all.

For my Q&A with the author last month, click here.




BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

1) Explain the title, AS HAPPY AS LING? Was she happier than everyone else? How many Lings were there?

2) There are a lot of biblical references in this book. Do you think the author believes in organized or unorganized religion? Does he even believe in God?

3) It’s said that, “it’s better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.” Do the characters believe this is true? Do you?

4) Who is our storyteller? Which “character” best resembles him?

5) Are there any happy endings in this book?

COMMENT:   Let us know how you like this book and this author.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carlos Aleman is a Cuban-American, born in New York City. He is a painter and a writer, and lives in Florida. AS HAPPY AS LING is his first novel. Visit his website at http://www.carlosaleman.com/.