Giving Credit

My baby is right. She gets all the credit for introducing me to the Documents feature in Gmail. My buddy and I worked on our secret book this morning and it's eerie to watch the words she's typing over there in Denver showing up on my screen here in LA. So betw that and talking to each other in virtual presence, we're practically in the same room. A whole new way to do a writing workshop. Hey, don't give me any ideas, I'm busy enough this summer. It was great to hear from Sheryl Luna, an incredible poet, for those of you who don't know her work. Find her book. Truly amazing poetry, infused with all the sadness and light of the El Paso desert. Okay, as usual, I'm running late to work, so off to work I go, but not whistling like the dwarves in Disney's version of Snow White. Random thoughts today. That's what happens when I start the day off writing. Haven't done that in so long, so I need to shake out the ole cobwebs.

Skyping with my Bud

Today, my best bud, la Emma Perez, aka Sundance aka LaChuy, and I discovered the joy of Skyping. Since we're working on a book together (wouldn't YOU like to know what it is???) this allows us to write together, and see and talk to each other on a video call, and we can make faces at each other, and get a video tour of the house, and she can even say hi to my baby girl when she pops in to see what we're cracking up about now. Skype and the Documents feature on Gmail are the best resource for collaborations. Chingao. To think what we've been missing. Thanks to la Diva artista de Austin, la Liliana Wilson, for telling us about Skype. Now, to take off my writing hat (a brown felt Stacy Adams) and get to my day job, Chairing a department. Oh, Emma's writing hat is a Mao cap I got for her at Venice Beach when she was visiting last weekend. Bueno, ciao. Nobody writes me, but this is still therapeutic.

A novice no longer

April 19, 2008

I've decided to abandon the veil. To stop hiding behind anonymity and lack of time. To venture onto the high seas of the blogosphere and put this out there, whatever "this" may be and wherever "out there" may take me. I'm inspired by friends who are seasoned sailors on these rough waters, and by my editor at St. Martin's Press, who assures me that blogging is the best way to develop a community of readers for Calligraphy of the Witch. And my other books, too, I hope. Yes, okay, this is unabashed advertising for my books, y que? Who else is going to peddle my stories for me? And now that I'm the Chair of the Chavez Department for Chicana/o Studies at UCLA, I really do have no time to schedule readings and book tours (as I was fortunate enough to be able to do with Desert Blood in 2005). So, there you have it: my true motive for setting sail. Will you join me? Will you click on one of the titles below and see if anything appeals to your sensibilities? Chicana. Lesbian. Historical. Sor Juana. Witch trials. The Juárez Femicides. Chicana/o art. Barrio popular culture. I have many interests. Many stories. And many more adventures to come. I'm being reminded that it is now almost 11 and time for bed. Yay! It's been smooth sailing so far...