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Mexican
American Writers “Made in Texas”
Star in New Anthology |
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Texans
are proud of their independence—the
state was a country once, after all.
Texas is equally proud of its
literary heritage.
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Now
popular author Dagoberto Gilb has
set out set the record straight:
Texas’s Mexican American writers
belong in the canon of Texas
literature. |
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Dagoberto Gilb |
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historic anthology with some one
hundred selections, Hecho en
Tejas ($29.95 cloth,
University of New Mexico Press),
traverses centuries of Mexican
culture in Texas, from the
sixteenth-century narrative of
Texas’s first Spanish-speaking
writer, explorer Alvar Nuñez Cabeza
de Vaca, to the modern-day prose of
Sandra Cisneros. |
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Benjamin Alire Saenz |
The
selections are divided into time
periods, before 1930, and each
decade between 1930 and 2000. Prose
writers Américo Paredes, Rolando
Hinojosa, and Tomás Rivera; poets
Ricardo Sánchez, Carmen Tafolla, and
Abelardo Delgado; and lyricists
Freddy Fender, Santiago Jimenez,
Sr., and Selena are included.
Additionally, Gilb tips his hat to a
new generation of writers by
introducing readers to the Tejano
writers of tomorrow: Christine
Granados, Erasmo Guerra, and
Tonantzin Canestaro-Garcia.
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El Paso
writers include Benjamin Alire
Saenz, Sergio Troncoso, Carmen
Tafolla, Alicia Gaspar de Alba,
Richard Yanez, Cecilia Balli, Tammy
Gomez, and Norma Cantú. Included in
the anthology are twenty full color
plates of images by leading Texas
artists including five from El Paso,
Manuel Acosta, Jose Cisneros, Luis
Jimenez, Gaspar Enriquez and Maria
Almeida Natividad. |
Sergio Troncoso |
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Carmen Tafolla |
More
than just an anthology, Hecho en
Tejas is a cultural and historical
narrative for Texas aficionados and
for literature lovers outside of the
state; a mosaic portrait of the
community, its land, and its people.
Events to celebrate the publication
of this book and the contributions
of Texan Mexican writers and artists
will be held in several major cities
throughout Texas this year.
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In
celebration of the publication of
this ground breaking anthology, the
Juntos Art Association and the El
Paso Public Library will be
sponsoring a literary and art event
on March 30-31, 2007 at the newly
renovated downtown library. On
Friday, March 30, writers will visit
area high schools to present
literary readings and discussions.
Saturday’s celebration will include
panel discussions, literary
readings, art exhibitions and book
signings at the downtown library. |
Alicia Gaspar de Alba |
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Cecilia Balli |
Hecho en Tejas is available
from your favorite bookseller or
directly from the University of New
Mexico Press. To order, please call
800-249-7737 or visit
www.unmpress.com,
where a list of events for the
anthology will be posted.
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Norma Cantú |
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Dagoberto Gilb is the author of four
books, including the 1994
PEN/Hemingway Award-winning The
Magic of Blood, as well as The Last
Known Residence of Mickey Acuna,
Woodcuts of Women, and Gritos. Gilb
lives in Austin. |
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El Paso Events |
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Friday, March 30, 2007 |
10:30 am - 3:30 pm
High school visits by writers/artists |
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6:00 - 8:00 pm
Main
(Downtown) Library
Author Roundup on the
Border
An evening with Texas Poets
and Writers
Featuring:
Dagoberto Gilb, Sergio
Troncoso, Ben Alire Saenz,
Dr. Alicia Gaspar de Alba,
Christine Granados, Richard
Yañez, Cecilia Balli, Tammy
Gomez,
Norma Cantu, Sheryl Luna |
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Saturday, March 31, 2007 |
9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Main
(Downtown) Library
Registration, Art Exhibit
and Mercado by Writers
and Artists, Panel
Discussions, Readings,
Book Signing, Musical and
Dance Performance |
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6:00 pm
Main
(Downtown) Library
Dinner El Paso Public Library ($20.00 per person) |
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Sponsors |
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EL PASO PUBLIC LIBRARY • JUNTOS Art
Association
El Paso Independent School District
Representative Presi Ortega • Ysleta
Independent School District
Juan Sandoval Art Collection •
Museums and Cultural Affairs Dept.
Texas Commission on the Arts •
Gussie's Tamales & Bakery
State National Bank • Chicano
Studies, University of Texas at El
Paso
Desert Eagle Distributing • Time
Warner Cable
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March
7, 2007 |
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