My guest this month on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano is Lea Aschkenas, author of “Arletis, Abuelo and the Message in a Bottle.” My interview is presented in this video and on my monthly radio series. Literary Dialogs features writers and poets who read and discuss their own works. Lea’s book takes place in Cuba […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Deborah B. Schmidt Poetry on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano I discovered Deborah B. Schmidt’s poetry from various zoom poetry readings that I participated in. Each time I was so excited to hear her read her poems. After several encounters, I knew I wanted to record her. Her reading flowed smoothly from one poem to […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Andres Alegría Interviewed on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano I was excited to interview my old friend of many years, prize winning filmmaker, Andres Alegría, about his new film “A Song for Cesar” for La Raza Chronicles on KPFA 94.1 FM radio. Our friendship goes back to Andres’ radio days at KPFA, producing bilingual shows […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Lourdes Portillo, International Filmmaker Interviewing Lourdes Portillo was a great pleasure. We are very old friends and played an important role in each other’s lives as co-directors of the prize winning film “After the Earthquake / Despues del terremoto.” Over the years we have kept in contact, with some lapses that lasted years. I wanted […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Twelve Poems from Twelve Poets Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Celebrates Jack Hirschman It was about 2 weeks before what would have been Jack Hirschman’s 88th birthday (1935-2021) , when we assembled 12 fine poets in a zoom session to celebrate Jack Hirschman. The Poets Poets include Virginia Barrett, John Curl, Dorothy Payne, Jack Foley, […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
A Mighty Poetic Force Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Honoring Jack Hirschman (1933-2021) Maybe because we are only months apart in age, I was shocked at the news that Jack Hirschman had passed. A mighty poetic force was gone. It was hard news to accept. I carried a heavy feeling in my chest for days. […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Yoli Aceves I was very excited to finally interview TV news journalist Yoli Aceves after following her career for many years. Like many who watch TV news, I was curious about its inner workings. Speaking with this veteran Latina news reporter, camera woman, and editor, proved to be as […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Florencia Milito Poet Florencia Milito is an Argentine exile from the 1976 US backed military dictatorship in Argentina now living in San Francisco, CA. She has chronicled the exile experience in her first published collection of English / Spanish bilingual poems entitled Iztuzaingó: Exiles and Reveries , exilios y […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
El Tecolote, Beloved Bilingual English/Spanish Newspaper Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Celebrates the 50th Anniversary I am so excited about this interview on the 50th anniversary El Tecolote, a bilingual English/Spanish newspaper much beloved in the Latinx community of San Francisco, California, because I was around for the beginning! I still remember the thrill 50 […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Naomi Quiñonez In this video, I welcome Naomi Quiñonez to Literary Dialogs. We review her background as a Professor of Chicana/o History, Ethnic and Women’s Studies, a poet, and activist. Naomi reads from her books of poetry which include Exiled Moon, Hummingbird Dreams and Smoking Mirror. The interview closes […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
A poem by Naomi Quiñonez from the new forthcoming episode of Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano and La Raza Chronicles (KPFA FM) The New Warsaw Ghetto is today’s border I am so excited to share this poem by Naomi Quiñonez with you that I have excerpted it from my newest episode of Literary Dialogs with […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Part 2 Tongo Eisen-Martin on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano See Part 1 of the interview This blog post presents part 2 of my Tongo Eisen-Martin interview with San Francisco’s 8th Poet Laurette on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano. He recites two of his own free style poems and reveals how he is able to […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Featuring Lucille Lang Day Poetry and Science Together with Lucille Lang Day I was eager to interview Lucille Lang Day about her poetry book “Birds of San Pancho and other Birds of Place” on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano. Lucille reads nine poems from the book’s 74 poems, as well […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Omar Sosa and Greg Landau on Creative Collaboration In this Literary Dialolgs video of my La Raza Chronicles (KPFA-FM) interview, you can see, hear, and feel the bonds of friendship and creativity that bind together these musicians, Omar Sosa, internationally renowned Cuban pianist/composer and his collaborator and music producer, […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Names of the States, a poem to Welcome Deb Haaland Lucille Lang Day’s poem “Names of the States” reveals how the original Indigenous names of their lands remain embedded to this day in the names of the states of the United States of America. At the same time, her poem, expressed with a hopeful and sensitive […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
It is always uplifting and inspirational for me to interview Valerie Haynes Perry, an interesting and buoyant author and motivational writing coach. A prolific writer, Valerie has published three novels, Tanner Blue, Painted Deserts and Members. In addition, she released a book of short stories, Music for the Dream, Seven Short Stories, and three motivational writing books, Listen Out Loud, Write the Book You Want, and Write, Read, Listen . She now has expanded into writing vignettes, Qpid and Them, and Unilogue. In this interview we discuss her journey from writer to writing coach and how she takes her own advice as an author. Reading out loud and listening to your own voice are fundamental to her coaching. She says that writing itself is the teacher. She encourages writers to respect their craft and master basic skills through continued writing until they reach the point where they can break the rules and follow their own intuitive journey.
In our discussion, Valerie tells about her newest work which departs from her usual handling of characters and plots. She wanted to write about a relationship between a self and a higher self without falling into interior monologue. Valerie created a form she called “unilogue”, as a opposed to “dialogue”, because the conversation exists within one person. She adopted a writing technique called automatic writing which allowed her to write intuitively. Unilogue is deeply set inside nature. In this episode of Literary Dialogs, she reads excerpts from Unilogue. As a poet I appreciate the poetic language describing beach, water, air and the interplay of these basic elements with the self.
In Valerie Haynes Perry’s work as a writing coach, she relies on word of mouth to let interested writers know about her on-going monthly writer’s circles. Writers find her supportive and encouraging and they recommend her to others. She maintains four on-going monthly writing circles, two are closed cohorts and two others open to new members. Writers can contact Valerie on her website contact form.
Readers can find Valerie Haynes Perry’s novels dealing with non-stereotypical African American characters inside intriguing plots through through the links provided above on this post and on her website, valeriehaynesperry.com.
The post Valerie Haynes Perry on Motivational Writing appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Featuring Valerie Haynes Perry Valerie Haynes Perry, author and motivational writing coach, reads from her latest book and discusses her journey from writer to writing coach and how she takes her own advice as an author. It is always uplifting and inspirational for me to interview Valerie Haynes Perry, an […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Santa Cruz County poet Dena Taylor new book Exclamation Points is a poignant memoir in verse. In response to her publisher’s (Kate Hitt of Many Names Press) request for a poetry manuscript, Dena reviewed her poems, written over a lifetime, ordered them chronologically and wrote her marvelous bitter sweet book. This is my second interview with Dena. The first interview was about her book written with her daughter, Becky Taylor, called Tell Me the Number Before Infinity.
In this current Zoom reading and interview, Dena reads poems written as a young mother, an empty nester and a grandmother, sharing the telling moments of the bitter sweet poignancy of life. As Jory Post, publisher and co-founder of phren-z literary magazine noted in her review:
“In Exclamation Points, Dena Taylor cracks open her heart, invites us to sit with her under a family tree of mothers and fathers and daughters and grandkids. With a mind required to observe and share everything, we watch her daughters grow with rainbows, mosquito bites, … and disability placards. A daughter says, “She’s glad I’m there. Saying it more than once.”… Taylor carves the memory of her parents with a deft blade. “The time since he died is full of things I want to tell him,” she says of her father. And of her mother, “I would give both my breasts to keep you here.” Sprinkled with whiskey, weed, and wine, Taylor’s fearless approach to living a full life showcases the depths of love, grief, and remembrance. In “Don’t Forget” she says, “Savor everything, be glad you were born, be very glad.” This road map Taylor has crafted with eyes wide open, welcomes us as passengers on her unique journey.”
Exclamation Points is published by Many Names Press and is available through books stores and on line.
About Nina Serrano: Nina Serrano is a well-known, international prize-winning inspirational author and poet. With a focus on Latino history and culture, she is also a playwright, filmmaker, KPFA talk show host, a former Alameda County Arts Commissioner, and a co-founder of the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. Oakland Magazine’s “best local poet” in 2010, she is a former director of the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program and the Bay Area’s Storytellers in the Schools program. A Latina activist for social justice, women’s rights, and the arts, Nina Serrano at 86 remains vitally engaged in inspiring change and exploring her abundant creativity. For more information go to ninaserrano.com or contact her publisher at estuarypress.com. For more detailed information about Nina see About Nina on her website.
About Estuary Press: Estuary Press is the publisher of Nicaragua Way. It is also the home of the Harvey Richards Media Archive, a repository of photography and video documentaries of various social change and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Contact Paul Richards (510) 967 5577, paulrichards@estuarypress.com or visit estuarypress.com for more details.
MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com
The post Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Dena Taylor appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.
Dena Taylor Reads from Her Book Exclamation Points A Poignant Memoir in Verse Santa Cruz County poet Dena Taylor new book Exclamation Points is a poignant memoir in verse. In response to her publisher’s (Kate Hitt of Many Names Press) request for a poetry manuscript, Dena reviewed her poems, written over a lifetime, ordered them […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
This edition of Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano focuses on the nationwide rethinking of our colonizing and racist history. Oakland’s Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is now holding a public discussion about changing their name.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano interviews Holly Alonso, Director of the Peralta Hacienda, and Diane Wang, educator at the Peralta Hacienda Historic Park, about the renaming of Peralta Hacienda Historic Park which is now underway (Fall, 2020). These outstanding women joined Nina on zoom to share the public conversation and some up-coming events.
Antonio Maria Peralta House, 2465 34th Ave, Oakland, CA
The Peralta Hacienda is named after the family that received a land grant of 45,000 acres in what is now Oakland, CA, from Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá, the last Spanish governor of California, in the 1820s. The renaming discussion involves the broad community of indigenous Ohlone people, Fruitvale district neighbors of the park, the Latinx community, descendants of the Peralta family, the city government, the Oakland Department of Parks and Recreation, and other stake holders. Holly Alonso invites the public to join the convrsation by contacting their website. The video reviews the history of the park land, the Peraltas and the Ohlone.
The interview, first broadcast on La Raza Chronicles on KPFA FM radio September 8, 2020, begins with Holly Alonso describing about how and why the process began and how she went about creating a public conversation.
Then, Diane Wang, educator at the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, discusses some upcoming events and exhibits at the Park. (contact peraltahacienda.org for more information)
Events and Programs include:
 The Water Keepers Program |
 Inside My Mask Exhibit |
 Black Lives Matter Exhibit |
 Undocumented Heart Exhibit |
 Meaningful Meals exhibit |
 Youth Making History Program |
About Nina Serrano: Nina Serrano is a well-known, international prize-winning inspirational author and poet. With a focus on Latino history and culture, she is also a playwright, filmmaker, KPFA talk show host, a former Alameda County Arts Commissioner, and a co-founder of the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. Oakland Magazine’s “best local poet” in 2010, she is a former director of the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program and the Bay Area’s Storytellers in the Schools program. A Latina activist for social justice, women’s rights, and the arts, Nina Serrano at 86 remains vitally engaged in inspiring change and exploring her abundant creativity. For more information go to ninaserrano.com or contact her publisher at estuarypress.com. For more detailed information about Nina see About Nina on her website.
About Estuary Press: Estuary Press is the publisher of Nicaragua Way. It is also the home of the Harvey Richards Media Archive, a repository of photography and video documentaries of various social change and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Contact Paul Richards (510) 967 5577, paulrichards@estuarypress.com or visit estuarypress.com for more details.
MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com
The post Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano Featuring Holly Alonso and Diane Wang Renaming Peralta Hacienda Historic Park This edition of Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano focuses on the nationwide rethinking of our colonizing and racist history. Oakland’s Peralta Hacienda Historical Park is now holding a public discussion about changing their name. Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Tony Aldarondo is someone new and exciting to hit the poetry scene! Well, new to me. He’d been around for more than a decade but with time out for life’s setbacks that actually led to him to become a soulful and sensational poet. Tony’s spoken word performances wake you up and carry you away with their rhythm, rime, and theatricality. Their musicality enhances the depth of his lyrical linguistic insight and experience. He does it in three languages: English, Spanish, and the street talk of the USA. Tony’s poems embrace his love for his Puerto Rican heritage, Shakespeare, iambic pentameter, rime, humor, and his pervasive goodwill, and empathy for humanity.
“Tony the Poet” CD cover
Currently Tony is working on his first book of poems. He has already produced a CD of poems entitled “Tony the Poet.” Tony earned his stripes as a performer by working as an actor in both theater and film. He has toured as an actor in a Shakespeare company as well as directed Shakespeare’s plays. As a result, iambic pentameter and rime are ingrained in him. Uncrushable humor too is basic to his poetry even when writing about pain, racism, and injustice.
Often he works with improvisational musicians and their interaction allows him to also improvise his already written poems, changing words and flipping ideas as they perform. His work constantly evolves. Even old poems become new. Given the current pandemic, his upcoming book is as eagerly awaited as an all-clear signal during an air raid drill.
About Nina Serrano: Nina Serrano is a well-known, international prize-winning inspirational author and poet. With a focus on Latino history and culture, she is also a playwright, filmmaker, KPFA talk show host, a former Alameda County Arts Commissioner, and a co-founder of the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. Oakland Magazine’s “best local poet” in 2010, she is a former director of the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program and the Bay Area’s Storytellers in the Schools program. A Latina activist for social justice, women’s rights, and the arts, Nina Serrano at 85 remains vitally engaged in inspiring change and exploring her abundant creativity. For more information go to ninaserrano.com or contact her publisher at estuarypress.com. For more detailed information about Nina see About Nina on her website.
About Estuary Press: Estuary Press is the publisher of Nicaragua Way. It is also the home of the Harvey Richards Media Archive, a repository of photography and video documentaries of various social change and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Contact Paul Richards (510) 967 5577, paulrichards@estuarypress.com or visit estuarypress.com for more details.
MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com
The post Tony Aldarondo, A Soulful and Sensational Poet appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Tony Aldarondo Tony Aldarondo is someone new and exciting to hit the poetry scene! Well, new to me. He’d been around for more than a decade but with time out for life’s setbacks that actually led to him to become a soulful and sensational poet. Tony’s spoken word performances […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Rafael reads two poems, each in English and Spanish: Wake Up U.S. America!/¡Despierta EE.UU. América! and The Moon Masks Herself/La luna se enmascara, followed by the poets conversation about Black Lives Matter in the Revolution of the Heart in the post pandemic world to come. English and Spanish subtitles are available on the video settings button.
Rafael Jesús González has always been the poet laureate of Berkeley for me, long before he was appointed in 2017. As a multimedia producer, I often called on him for poems and interviews with a spiritual take on nuclear disarmament, world peace, equal rights, Chicano history, environmentalism, and the love of Mother Earth. He always has a lot to say about the moon too, on a monthly basis, which earns him a place in the my feminist lexicon. As an activist poet he has spent time in Santa Rita jail for protesting the war machine. As a graphic artist his altars and other artistic works are exhibited in the Oakland Museum. And when he was a professor at Laney College, he struggled for and established the Mexican and Latin American studies department.
I first encountered Rafael in 1969, when we both appeared in the same poetry anthology, “Mark in Time”, published by Glide Press, which was the first time I was included in an anthology of San Francisco poets.
 Rafael Jesús González, 1969. From Mark In Time published by Glide Press. |
 Nina Serrano, 1969. From Mark In Time published by Glide Press. |
Rafael is still the same man who you see in this interview 51 years later, kind, friendly, full of intelligence, laughter, passion, activism, and cosmology that ties him to Mother Earth. While I studied for my Master’s Degree (class of 2002) at the Oakland campus of Naropa University, Rafael was on the Board of Directors trying to keep the University of Creation Spirituality afloat with its art based education and spiritual curriculum.
 Rafael Jesús González, Screen shot from video, 2020. |
 Nina Serrano, Screen shot from video, 2020. |
Our regular KPFA-fm radio program, La Raza Chronicles, has always turned to Rafael for the most advanced and profound thinking on events in the Latinx world. He has always promoted bilingualism demanding that any poem of his read in public or published in print be included in both Spanish and English. He is truly the product of a border town with fluid movement between the two countries and the two cultures, the twin cities: El Paso, Texas, USA and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
When I visited him in Berkeley I should not have been surprised that his house straddled the Oakland Berkeley border. I cannot remember if the cozy kitchen was in Berkeley and the wood lined living room in Oakland or if it was the reverse. My best memory of his home was the garden, with wild and fragrant plants. I think it is in his garden that his ideas incubate and blossom.
Universal Earth Justice Peace flag by Rafael Jesús González
In my own home, you can find Rafael’s colorfully designed Universal Earth Justice Peace flag and buttons. I also treasure the earrings he’s made and the little Spanish scrolled sewing scissors and thimble he brought me from Toledo.
Below you will find the poems presented in the video.
Cuando un jugador de pelota se hinca sobre la hierba
para protestar por la justicia cuando se toca
una canción de cantina hecha sagrada, se le denigra
y despide. Pero cuando la policía ponen la rodilla
al cuello de sus víctimas o les disparan
más veces que no se le llama
"Cumpliendo su deber." ¿No vemos
porque dormimos o somos ciegos
como nos gusta representar a la justicia?
Quitémosle la venda de los ojos para que vea
que su báscula está fuera de balance,
que no es daltónica y si lo es
que lo corrija. En la visión del Tao
lo negro y lo blanco son equivalentes, uno no más
de valor que el otro pero su báscula
se desequilibra a favor de lo blanco, todo matiz de negro
no contando por mucho. ¿Será porque dormimos?
Si solamente es que dormimos ¡Despierta EE.UU. América!
Si es que nos negamos a ver ¡Que nos ayuden los dioses!
© Rafael Jesús González 2020
When a ball player kneels upon the turf
to protest for justice when a bar-room song
made sacred is played, he is vilified
& fired. But when police take their knees
to the necks of their victims or shoot them
more often than not it is called
"In the line of duty." Do we not see
because we sleep or are we blind
like we like to portray justice?
Unbind her eyes that she may see
that her scales are out of balance,
that she is not color-blind & if she is
to correct it. In the vision of the Tao
black & white are equal, one no more
of value than the other but her scales
are weighted to the white, all shades of black
not counting for much. Is it because we sleep?
If it is only sleep, Wake up U.S. America!
If it is that we refuse to see, may the gods help us.
© Rafael Jesús González 2020
Prepárense, un amigo astrólogo nos dice, a que la luna esta noche se enmascare con
a sombra de la tierra. El primer eclipse lunar del año pronto siguió la conjunción de
Saturno (padre de dioses, del tiempo, de la generación, disolución, renovación,
liberación) y Pluto (acumulador de riqueza, rey del inframundo), ocurrencia de una vez
cada treinta y ocho años.
En ese momento escribió: Sí, estamos comprometidos. Grandes cambios están sobre
nosotros. Ha llegado el tiempo para la trasformación . . . Los eclipses son presagio de
la revelación cuando el contenido de las sombras se hace más visible. Esto anuncia un
momento de gran cambio donde el mundo se sacude, se sacude para que despierte.
Tres eclipses seguidos en vez de dos en este ciclo de eclipses, nota. Y despertamos.
Aislados en nuestras casas por la pandemia, la amenaza de la otra pestilencia del
fascismo nos saca a muchos de nuestros refugios a riesgo de contagio. ¿Cual es peor?
Cercado en una gran casa blanca el jefe demagogo plutocrático 45 exige toques de
queda y amenaza llamar al ejército para aplastar toda protesta. Pero, advierte Naomi,
“Cuando dicen que no tenemos el derecho a protestar, ese es el momento de inundar
las calles” Y muchos sabemos que así es. Nuestras vidas están a riesgo y no
solamente por un virus coronado.
Venus, la Serpiente Emplumada se prepara a sacrificarse en la fogata del sol para
surgir de nuevo siete días después como Señor del Amanecer; comienza un ciclo de
584 días. ¿En 584 días hasta donde llevaremos nuestra revolución, nuestra revolución
andara?
© Rafael Jesús González 2020
Prepare, an astrologer friend tells us, for the moon tonight to mask herself in the
Earth’s shadow. The first lunar eclipse of the year followed fast upon the conjunction of
Saturn (father of gods, of time, of generation, dissolution, renewal, liberation) and Pluto
(hoarder of wealth, king of the underworld), a once every thirty-eight years occurrence.
At that time he wrote: Yes, we’re in for it. Great changes are upon us. The time for
transformation has arrived. . . Eclipses are harbingers of exposure, when shadow
contents become more visible. This heralds a time of great change, where our world is
shaken up, shaken in order to awaken.
Three eclipses in a row rather than two in this eclipse cycle, he notes. And we awaken.
Sequestered in our houses by the pandemic, the threat of the other pestilence of
fascism draws many of us from our shelters at the risk of contagion. Which is the worst?
Fenced in a big white house, chief plutocratic demagogue 45 demands curfews and
threatens to call the army to squelch all protest. But, says Naomi, “When they say we
don’t have the right to protest, that is the moment to flood the streets.” And many
of us know it to be so. Our lives are at stake and not only from a crowned virus.
Venus, the Plumed Serpent prepares to immolate himself in the bonfire of the sun to
rise again seven days later as Lord of the Dawn; a 584-day cycle begins. How far in 584
days will we take our revolution, our healing revolution?
© Rafael Jesús González 2020
The post Black Lives Matter in the Revolution of the Heart appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.
Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Rafael Jesús González Rafael reads two poems, each in English and Spanish: Wake Up U.S. America!/¡Despierta EE.UU. América! and The Moon Masks Herself/La luna se enmascara, followed by the poets conversation about Black Lives Matter in the Revolution of the Heart in the post pandemic world to come. English […]
This post was originally published on Estuary Press.
Johanna Ely reads from her new book of poems “Postcards from a Dream” on the Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano series in a wide ranging interview about her poetry. In this time of sheltering in place during the coronavirus Covid19 pandemic, the interview, using Zoom technology, brings Nina and Johanna together in the magic of friendship and poetry.
Johanna Ely’s poetry is filled with sensuality and hope, making her new book, Postcards From a Dream, a delight to read. The interview eases our disappointment about postponing a real live book party due to the pandemic’s “shelter in Place” and “social distancing” policy. We had planned the actual book party over coffee months earlier, savoring the details of the reading, decor, and menu, at the Benicia Public Library.
But adjusting to the environmental crisis, we choose to celebrate by recording in our individual homes with Zoom. I knew that as usual, I could take the sound track and edit it for my radio series: OPEN BOOK on KPFA (94.1 fm, Berkeley, CA) and Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano on Artbeat with Laura Mullett on OZCAT RADIO (89.5 fm, Vallejo, CA).
We incorporated the artwork of Johanna’s artist husband, Sam Morse whose work serves as the beautiful book cover and also visually documents one of her vivid poems.
About Nina Serrano: Nina Serrano is a well-known, international prize-winning inspirational author and poet. With a focus on Latino history and culture, she is also a playwright, filmmaker, KPFA talk show host, a former Alameda County Arts Commissioner, and a co-founder of the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. Oakland Magazine’s “best local poet” in 2010, she is a former director of the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program and the Bay Area’s Storytellers in the Schools program. A Latina activist for social justice, women’s rights, and the arts, Nina Serrano at 85 remains vitally engaged in inspiring change and exploring her abundant creativity. For more information go to ninaserrano.com or contact her publisher at estuarypress.com. For more detailed information about Nina see About Nina on her website.
About Estuary Press: Estuary Press is the publisher of Nicaragua Way. It is also the home of the Harvey Richards Media Archive, a repository of photography and video documentaries of various social change and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Contact Paul Richards (510) 967 5577, paulrichards@estuarypress.com or visit estuarypress.com for more details.
MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com
The post Johanna Ely Reading from “Postcards from a Dream” appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.
The new book of poems, “The Grating of America: Poems for a Democracy Ground Down” by Judith S. Offer includes editorial cartoons by Nick Anderson as she walks the humorous road following the orange president’s trajectory in taking down democracy.
Judith S. Offer interviewed on Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano
Her opening poem asks:
“Our Drumpf”
“What sort of swamp monster have we now
That clumpfs his mud across our golden prairie,
Down our constitution, over our independence?”
These are same questions we hear being asked at the current Senate impeachment trial of January 2020 when this interview was held. In our conversation, Judith Offer describes her poetic techniques, reads some of her poems, and explains why she included the cartoons. As a cartoonist’s daughter, I was very interested since poetry and cartooning are seldom bedfellows. I find that her little chapbook is very cathartic for the horrible thoughts some of us are having as we contemplate what a Trump victory in November 2020 could mean for the country, our planet, and species, thoughts we try to push aside as we go about our daily lives. Will endless wars and rape of the earth in the name of profits be our legacy to our descendants? Will national parks become hunting grounds, oil fields, and lumber camps, and then deserts? Will our democratic institutions evolve into a fascist corporate state? Perhaps it is only though humor and irony that such thoughts can be faced.
Judith Offer has raised two daughters, published five books of poetry and written eighteen plays. She has read her poetry at scores of poetry venues, is included in the Library of Congress series, and in “All Things Considered” on NPR.
Her writing reflects her childhood in a large Catholic family, her experience as teacher, community organizer, musician, historian, gardener, and all-purpose volunteer. She is especially fascinated with her roles as wife and mother. Currently she is working on a history play about Susan B. Anthony. She lives in Oakland, California, with her husband, Stuart.
I hope in presenting this interview, we are all moved to get out the vote to Dump Trump and share this widely with family and friends.
About Nina Serrano: Nina Serrano is a well-known, international prize-winning inspirational author and poet. With a focus on Latino history and culture, she is also a playwright, filmmaker, KPFA talk show host, a former Alameda County Arts Commissioner, and a co-founder of the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. Oakland Magazine’s “best local poet” in 2010, she is a former director of the San Francisco Poetry in the Schools program and the Bay Area’s Storytellers in the Schools program. A Latina activist for social justice, women’s rights, and the arts, Nina Serrano at 85 remains vitally engaged in inspiring change and exploring her abundant creativity. For more information go to ninaserrano.com or contact her publisher at estuarypress.com. For more detailed information about Nina see About Nina on her website.
About Estuary Press: Estuary Press is the publisher of Nicaragua Way. It is also the home of the Harvey Richards Media Archive, a repository of photography and video documentaries of various social change and political movements during the 1960s and 1970s. Contact Paul Richards (510) 967 5577, paulrichards@estuarypress.com or visit estuarypress.com for more details.
The post Literary Dialogs with Nina Serrano featuring Judith S. Offer appeared first on .
This post was originally published on ninaserrano.com.