Sunday, February 23, 2020 @ 12:05 PM
Sip Brew Bar & Eatery
Downtown San Antonio, Texas
Saturday, I spent an incredible
afternoon at Market Square, delighted by market stalls selling all good
things, entertained by troubadours and amazed by the talent of local
painters. Lorenzo Castaneda caught my eye with his Western scenes, portrayed in
watercolor. He had set out his paints and was touching up a scene of wild
horses on the run across a valley, the work almost complete. When done, he
signs them “Lorenzo”.
He talked to me for a few minutes
about selling his paintings at Market Square for almost fifty years. I took his
card because I would love to find him commissions. Sadly, I find his older
paintings listed on eBay for miniscule prices, bajos precios. A gringo painter
of cowboy scenes shouldn’t command more than Lorenzo, and yet I can think of
one easily who makes much more. Could it be Latino erasure? Stay tuned as that
topic made for an invigorating evening..
I always try to engage arts &
culture when I visit a new city, and I set forth on this effort last night with
a minimum of preparation. I boarded a bus, and then found an invite to the
Crypt Collective. My bus drove off in the opposite direction. At the stop, I
was ten minutes walk away. But I didn’t want to get off because once in motion
I tend to stay in motion.
My friend Danny Parker, a painter and
street artist, lived in San Antonio for about a year and he became accepted at
several of these collectives, artists who work together and share a building
for studios and gallery shows. I really wanted to follow up on these spaces where
Parker thrived. His sister, an art teacher living in the area, put him up for
the year and encouraged him.
I had the idea of going to the Alamo
City Guitar Bazaar, located in the La Villita Historic Arts Village. Seeing the
village full of life, being visited by a diverse group of people who play
guitars, appealed to me. But the event had a ten dollar ticket fee, and ever
since I got my press card, I’ve not paid door fees, especially for an art fair.
The Ann Arbor Art Festivals cost nothing and I almost always can find free
entertainment of high quality. Maybe if I were actually a guitar player or if I
knew guitar builders, luthiers, were making the scene.
I was dazzled when I found la #DignidadLiteraria Town Hall at
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center on a lonely stretch of San Pedro Avenue. I
was greeted by a passionate staff, who invited me to make a small comida of
fruit and vegan choices, corn and beans, nopalitos and dished I couldn’t name.
Only the guacamole had dairy in the mix, and a sign called it out.
I had long wanted to try cooked
prickly pear cactus, so I was delighted by the spicy, steamed nopalitos. I’m
unsure why a bottle of hot sauce was placed next to the fruit tray, but what do
I know about San Antonio cuisine? They asked me how I liked the “Salon
Esperaza”? I answered, “When in San Antone, go to the Esperanza Salon. But
don’t go solo”. That night, all I had was a joke to show my gratitude.
I have spent an hour looking up the
wonderful panelist I had the privilege to hear. All could be described as
giants of Latin-American literature. Yet, since the American literary pantheon
has yet to find a place for Latin writers, no one has heard of these
voices.
John Pacacio won a Hugo Award in 2012
and 2013 for his science fiction illustration, the first Latino to win the
honor. He wore a Batman logo on his t shirt with elements of the Mexican flag
inside. He started a non-profit to develop Latino talent in science
fiction.
Myriam Gurba had arrived from Long
Beach, California, deciding not to cancel after her school district canned her
this week. She gave an interview to the student paper, and that probably
provoked the action. I have no idea why a school district would fire a teacher
who had written MEAN, which Oprah Magazine called as one of the "Best
LGBTQ Books of All Time".
I have more work to do to just know
who I heard advocating for more Latino literature. Carmen Tafolla was named the
Poet Laureate of Texas for 2015-16, but that’s just the one manifestation of
her talent. Bárbara Renaud González finished a Tex-Mex adult fairy tale to add
to her best sellers. Denise McVea has served as the executive editor of The
Lamp of San Antonio, but the moderator made sure we knew how hard McVea had
fought in the culture wars. All spoke passionately about doing what it took to
make their voices heard, including starting small presses to run around the
oppressors.
I ran out of time to ask a question
because I wanted to catch the 9:03 PM Skip Service home. I had worked on my
phrasing.
I read a New York Times article that
reported a worry in Hollywood that NetFlix, Amazon and Disney wouldn’t find
enough Latin themed scripts to produce because of the neglected pipeline. So I
reached out to Emilio Rodriguez, executive director of Black and Brown Theater
in Detroit, Michigan. I admire Rodriguez even though his company didn’t produce
my Christmas play, ‘The Matthew Tree’. I sent him that article and wondered,
“Can you fill the vacuum? Have literary agents reached out to you? Can you feel
the vacuum”?
He wrote back, “Thank you very much
for sending the article. It is news to me”.
Dear Panelists? Can you feel the
vacuum for Latin-American scripts now that NetFlix, Amazon and Disney have
millions to spend, acquiring scripts.
Or is it News to You, too?
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