Saturday, October 28, 2006

Rigoberto Gonzalez, raulsalinas, Bobby Byrd, Yvette Benavidez & LDC @ Texas Book Festival Today - Austion Capitol Bldg., 3:30

Hola y'all! Here in humid Austin - where the air brings out the Africana in me. Come say hello or howdy today at 3:30 pm in the State Capitol building, E2. 012 (the extension) and buy books from me and fellow panelists/ readers: Austin poet raulsalinas, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Bobby Byrd and Yvette Benavidez. And visit me at the Wings Press booth (120)where I'll be signing and shaking hands, and probably laughing hardy (hearty). Did I say, I LOVE TEXAS! Especially Austin which suits my fella weirdness. I'll be hanging around the evenings festivities as well, at 9:30 in the Alamo Drafthouse with Chris Miller tonight. Other writers here include Gore Vidal ( a girlhood crush), Jeff Biggers and Texas' own Kinky Friedman. Friends and good books all around. Come support Texas literature and small presses everywhere.

Meanwhile, I'm feeling, as usual, like the Rodney Dangerfield of poetry. I get no respect. Came in last night and helped my publisher, Bryce Milligan of Wings Press, the publisher of my last 5-volume book of poetry, DRIVE: The First Quartet, unload books. I love all things booky, especially all things independent pressy. Reminds me of the good old days of MANGO Publications when I was the first one to publish poems and chapbooks by Sandra Cisneros, Ray Gonzalez, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Alfred Arteaga, Alberto Rios and many others. I miss it. I miss working with my hands and heart. Well, after that, I went to check in to the Marriott where the other writers are staying, for my two-night stay, and they had no record of me. And all the organizers were at the $350 gala shindig. I had to go back to San Antonio, while trying to reach someone. Then, back around midnight, too late to shmooze with the others at the hotel bar. Bummer. The hotel wouldn't even let me in the door. I get no respect. Luckily, they found someone and booked my room. Meanwhile, my reading/panel is lumped together and labeled "Spanish program." Uh, me? Spanish? All in Soanish? Uh. no. I'm an English professor, thank you very much. And, that's no ESL. Oh well. Still, I'm glad to be lumped with who I'm lumped with. So, if you're in Texas, come on out to Austin and check out the tents on the Capitol lawn near 11th and Congress where the Wings Press Booth is at, and come to the Capitol Building and make us feel welcome -- and read. All things considered, it's a great Book Festival. Come and support authors and publishers. Ya me voy!

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