My First Reading Saturday

I don't mean to brag, but the reading went really well last Saturday.  (I had not read in over ten years.)  Of course, it did not help that I went after some giants of poetry like Matt Sedillo who is an amazing performer, but the crowd responded very well to my story, and I got a lot of sincere compliments afterward.

That night, I started off with a joke, "I haven't read in a while, but I hope it's like sex because I'm pretty good at that." Ha ha ha.  It was a friendly audience, and the members laughed appropriately.  Then I gave a short narrative on the historical context of the piece and my father's work as a farm worker and dove right in.  

In the end, I went with the first piece in the anthology, "Down South Where the Water is Warm."  I had to cut out about three pages, so I could make my time limit, but the story was surprisingly coherent.  At first when I read it, I thought some sections were redundant, but I realized that was actually fine for a story being read out loud.  The story also contains great onomatopoeia, and that also improved the reading.

All in all, I was quite pleased with the results, and I hope to read again soon!

(Images are coming as soon as the photographer processes them.)

For now, here is a funny pic.

Prepping for My Reading This Saturday

I have been going back and forth about which segments to read.  I have ten minutes max to read from my work, and I will probably go with two magical realism pieces.  I have to make a decision tomorrow, so I can practice.  I am probably over thinking it, but I have not read in front of an audience in so long, I want to do a rock star job!  I hope it's like sex, and the motions come back. 

I also have my outfit picked out, and am still hoping to trim my hair.  Unfortunately, I have put on a little weight, and even though this is a friendly audience, I want to look my best.  Even better, my doctor is putting me on diabetes alert, which should motivate me to eat less sugar and processed foods.

She's thinking, "I know. . . .I should lose weight, but I hate losing. . . ."

The book is still going great.  I have a few more friends reading it over.  I am still not done with "Los Detectives," as I had to take care of various appointments, including my son's final immunization.  He did not take the shot, blood draw, and TB test graciously.  What kid would?  Anyway, I'm back on my game and tackling this awesome project daily, even when I go on weekend vacations.  When I'm not writing, I'm talking about the work with my husband and thinking about writing choices.  

Truthfully, this summer, an organic writing schedule is working out for me, but I am still aiming to write or work on the book for a couple of hours a day.  That is the goal, so I can start my next project.

Well, that just inspired me to work on the translation footnotes!  (That is the not so fun part, still.)

Here's to doing the not fun things with as much love as the fun parts, Jesú Estrada, Ph.D. 

Writing Energy! Zoooom!

That is what I feel like this morning.  I only got about four hours of sleep, but woke up at 6a.m. and wrote for about an hour.  I am working on "Los Detectives" this morning, and thus far,  have 12 pages.  Not too shabby for a woman my age pulling a near-all nighter.

My point is that you know you love what you are doing, when you lose sleep to do it and get even more energized after you do it again.  (I know that sounds like sex.)  That is one of the beauties of creative work. (Again with the sex analogy.)

And, that is all I have this morning because I am awake, energized, and ready to eat!

I hope you all have a day filled with creativity and the doings that give you purpose in life, Jesú Estrada, Ph.D.

Working on My Professional Image

This weekend, I went to Saugatuck, MI with my husband and son to celebrate Father's Day.  Well, it was a brilliant excuse to go shopping and start planning how I want to look at readings and for work in general (I teach English composition and literature full time, and urbanite students appreciate the professorial “upgrades”.) I have a reading in two weeks or so, which should be a great opportunity for me to dazzle the audience. After much thought, I decided since I am so fond of cowboy boots that I am going to wear the ones my sister got me last Christmas. They are a tan, neutral color, but will go well with the fantastic outfit I have planned.

I am also fond of Calvin Klein tight pants, so I am on the lookout for a pair of those in a bright red or electric blue. If not, I am wearing jeans and a gorgeous French blouse I bought over the weekend.

Do I normally buy such fine garments? Hell no!

My sister sent me a wonderful care package that also included the oil paintings for the potential book cover for my anthology, tentatively titled Down South Where the Water is Warm and Other Totally True Barrio Stories. The package also contained a late Mother’s Day gift, which touched my heart; that is how I was able to buy the top. (Thank you little sister.  You can watch a somewhat entertaining video of me opening the package here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSn29Yjn25U.) I spent over $100 dollars on it, and as soon as I am gussied up, I will post a picture. I usually shop at the Goodwill and only get one-of-a-kind clothing items. The same rule applies for department store shopping. Well, this was definitely one-of-a-kind, black with an elaborate flower pattern. It really looks like a color explosion, and what is even better, it slims me down. That right there is worth gold.

I am also changing my haircut because I swear I am wearing the exact same bangs and hair length I did in Jr. High. The only difference is that I have extra layers and a few shiny white hairs, here and there.  I have not made final decision on the hair, but I may go with something like this.  

Best Brunettes

Folks, there is something magical about opening the floodgates of creativity. Once you do that, the energy touches every part of your life and makes it truly wonderful.

That is all! I hope you follow your dreams, daily and make your life unique, Jesú Estrada, Ph.D.

Writing Two New Pieces, But First, Played Soccer Mom

Today was productive and not so writing-productive.  I got up at 2a.m. and realized I couldn't write jack. So I worked on my online forums which I'm using to set the foundation to promote my book and future books.  (Wow, that's a lot of verbs.)  Anyway, I Facebooked and Pinterested for about an hour and went back to sleep. 

I woke up at 7:00a.m. and BAM, I had the worst migraine!  I could not even type out a preposition, so I took my migraine pills and went back to bed. 

A couple of hours later, I got back up and headed off to play soccer mom.  It was my son's first day at camp, and for a first-timer, I'm proud to say he did beautifully.

My son is the little fellow sitting down.

But, now he is napping from all of that hard work, and I am about to start on a couple of stories.  One is called "Los Detectives", and it's my first shot at a mystery.  The other one is not titled yet, but is a piece of magical realism about evil curanderas, inspired by my little sister Diana who painted those images below (no thematic relationship).  It, too, will be a mystery.

We will see!  A shot at a new genre is always exciting, but the first few attempts could be a bloody disaster.  Or writing murder.

Until next time, Jesu Estrada, Ph.D.

Great Progress on Two Fronts!

Yesterday was a fantastic day in my anthology’s progress.  First, I started workshopping my stories with a good friend who needs feedback on her brilliant dissertation draft, the best kind of quid pro quo.  Secondly, I got a hold of my friend who is designing the book cover.

My workshopping friend gave me some outstanding advice concerning the whole language translation debate (see previous blog entry).  I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, since I read so much Junot Diaz (who is the master of this technique). She asked me, “Why don’t you translate the Spanish words in footnotes?” LIGHTBULB!  Granted, the translation process is tedious, and I am doing my own work, but whether the text is printed or online, I would rather read a footnote than an endnote or a vocabulary index. 

I also said, “I don’t know if I should make the Spanish terms clickable.  The reader might find them cumbersome.”  She gave me the look she probably gives clueless people, and said, “Are you kidding?  Readers will love that!” (or some-such).  I thought about that for a moment, and realized she was right.  So, now I am making the Spanish terms clickable, so they link directly to the footnotes. 

By the end this thing is done, I will have ALL the e-book formatting done.  I get why people pay professionals to do this work.  It is seriously tiresome work, almost the opposite of the fun part of the manuscript.

Regarding the book cover, yesterday by good friend Brett came over for dinner.  He just happens to be a professional photographer and is quite savvy with Photoshop and other software.  I explained the book concept and showed him some examples of book covers I really like.  I want an image that represents the dessert like a saguaro cactus in bloom or something.  He hopes to get it done by July (he’s busy too).  

 This is an example of a book cover I like by one of my favorite Chicano writers (yes, I like Chicana writers too, but not their book covers):

On a touching note, Brett humbly refused payment, but I still want to give him a small sum.  The dude has talent, real talent and designs other media, so I am really excited to have him on the team!

So, here’s to god-sent friends who help you achieve your dreams!  They are definitely making the labor fun and collaborative, which makes the writing process far less lonely.

Inspiring Words from My Amazing Sister

My sister, my most beautiful sister, posted this on my FB wall this morning about my writing:

How unique and special that "Estrada writing gene" turned out to be. We all have it, we just don't allow it to flow out of us enough. So open the flood gates of inspiration, motivation and claim your own personal miracle... The gift of having the courage to stand out (trembling or not) instead of blending in with the crowd... The gift of being YOU. I am so proud of you. I always have been.
                                                                                         --A. Estrada 

Thanks sis.  You just motivated me to write even more!

Another Book Cover Idea

This oil painting by my sister is actually really close to what I want for the book cover.  I would love a silhouette of a young girl, but I would have to Photoshop it into the piece.  That concept has been overdone by other Latina writers anyway, but it fits. 

Book Cover Idea

This oil painting was produced by my sister.  I want to use it somehow, maybe to show a split in the anthology.

The Spanish/Spanglish Debate

This morning I got up at 5a.m. ready to tackle my writing.  Today, it was more about tinkering with the manuscript and finally ending one of the novellas, which was satisfying work.  But, in the early morning, I had to make a hard decision:  Should I translate the Spanish, within the text, of a story with important Spanish narration?  Should I put a dictionary in the end?  Should I leave it as is?

Many writers choose to italicize the Spanish.  I say, -¡A la madre con eso!-  I spoke Spanish first, and there is nothing out of the norm for me, when I encounter Spanish.  However, I wrote the story for a bilingual reader, or as if a bilingual reader could read it fluently.  Well, in the end, I decided it was too important for the reader to miss the language of this piece, which I really like. 

The story is about an immigrant grandmother who speaks very limited English and is dealing with her three-year-old grand son who is bordering on the psychotic.  He is so bad, the grandmother wishes that the devil takes him away (yes, folks, there’s magical realism in this).  The story narrates his return to the family. The beauty of the language just can't be fully translated, and in some parts, my own translation wasn't a true translation, just a shadow of the original.

I believe Latino and U.S. Latino writers should not Other their Spanish or Spanglish.  So, I kept the Spanish font flat and italicized the English translation.  I think it works.  In any case, the choice was a happy medium. 

Another Great Read

Well, I haven't read it yet.  But, the book was written by an amazing teacher and thinker:  Dr. T.V. Reed.  (He should have been on my final dissertation committee.)  You can read more about T.V.'s pubs at:  http://www.amazon.com/T.-V.-Reed/e/B001JSAH0K/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1402429904&sr=1-2-ent.

In any case, I am awfully proud of this publication, and as soon as I get a copy and read it, I will definitely blurb it everywhere I can.

I really love the cover of this book, and think it will sell well as a Kindle book.

What’s in a Name?

Seriously.  My name is María de Jesús Estrada.  I add the doctor part to increase my cultural capital and because for the longest time, I was proud of that doctorate.  I am still proud, but do not need to be called doctor anymore.  In fact, that is the name I use most when I publish my work.  (A chapter from my own narrative will be in A Language and Power Reader: Representations of Race in a Post-Racist:  http://www.amazon.com/Language-Power-Reader-Representations-Post-Racist/dp/0874219248/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402346540&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Language+and+Power+Reader%3A+Representations+of+Race+in+a+Post-Racist.)  

However, now that I am nearing the end of my anthology publication, I am wondering what writer name to use. 

Should I go with my real name? 

Dr. María J. Estrada or my nickname Dr. Jesú Estrada? 

Or Dr. M.J. Estrada and have readers figure out that I am, indeed, a female?

I have absolutely no interest in a fake pen name, and a good profile pic will appear in the back of the book that will identify me as female. 

My good friend Athir and writing supporter suggests:  Jesú Estrada, Ph.D.  What do you think?  The name has a catchy ring to it.

Please, add your two cents.

Signing off!  Jesú Estrada, Ph.D. 

Finally Compiled My Anthology

I know that is rather presumptuous for someone who has only published short stories in university journals and online.  But, I figured, what the hell.  I have had short stories and novellas piling up on my computer, and I haven't sent anything out in ages, which is something I also hope to do this summer.

Right now, I have two people giving me feedback, one hopefully editing it for a small fee.  I also have a friend designing the cover.  I want a picture of a sunrise on it, but will settle for a dessert flower.  (Oh my God, I just had a brilliant idea of heading to the Botanical Gardens and having him snap pictures of the cactus.  The readers don't have to know it's not AZ, right?) 

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.  I think most of the stories are pretty good and merit being read by a wide audience.  I have edited most of them, and am in the process of revising them thoroughly, which means deleting the lines I'm in love with and working on conflict, struggle, and resolution patterns.  They are short, so I can't kill too many characters, but I have a tendency to have stories nested within stories.  Perhaps, I should simplify some of those. 

I am doing what all the amateurs are doing, going through the process of polishing the work, copy writing, getting an ISBN number, and publishing on Amazon and through an online service that sells books.  Now, I'm not hoping to make it big or even sell.  Hell, I doubt the final product will be more than $.99. 

Mostly, I want to go through the full process and get back on a writing schedule, which unlike before, I actually have time for this summer.  Due to my classes being cancelled, I actually have time to write and rewrite.  I can even write when my son is preoccupied doing other things (he is now four) and still play mom.  Housewife, perhaps not as ideally as I would like, but my husband doesn't care.  Thank God.

He fully supports my efforts and all my crazy projects.  Lately, I have been very focused on getting healthy, instead of other pursuits.  I am happy to report that I lost nearly 40 pounds after having my first son, and due to illnesses and flat out laziness have gained back 20 pounds.  However, I just read a blog by JA Konrath who is the king of digital publishing http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2005-06-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2005-07-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=11 and damn if that didn't motivate me to get back to the gym!  I have a reading in a couple of weeks, and I need to pick excerpts to share with a friendly audience.  While I may not be able to do anything about the big belly and fat margin, ahem, I will certainly try to look nice and am even going to restyle my hair.  (Yes, I am working on my amateur image and may even buy a pair of glasses that are sitting at the doctor's office.  I have been too broke to get them.) 

But, my focus is back on writing, and my motivation is high.  I also have a scheduled launch date, which is late July 2014.

In the mean time, my plan is to word vomit for two hours a day and edit for one.  I am one of those disgusting writers that can produce a lot of decent work in a short time.  And that is that my  non-existent followers.  That is the plan and the road map. 

I know that if I want to make a good go of this, I have to work my butt off.  The traditionalists, of which I consider myself one, those who would favor printed text are telling me this is a bad idea, but at the same time offering me advice on presses to go with.  One even flat out said that if I published digitally or printed my own books, no mainstream bookstore would ever, ever take my work.  I would be lucky if privately owned bookstores took my books at all, even on consignment.  After all, I am a "nobody".

Yet, I know myself; if I go that traditional route, and by some miracle someone does pick up my book, by the time that press does, I will be teaching and swamped with work and essays to grade.

I am not hoping to make a career out of this, just devote some time to it every day and maybe peddle books and do gigs on weekends, if I get the opportunity.  I know I need to even cyber-peddle.  There it is.  This book will take hard work, one way or the other.

I do have other writing projects I am working on.  I have a sci-fi book I have written once and was taking a second go at after changing the gender of the narrator.  Well, I had an epiphany.  Please don't laugh.  I thought, "Why not write to my strengths and make the narrator a young Chicana?"  Duh.  So, I am restarting the book again and changing the ethnicity of the protagonist.  I am also doing what a serious writer should do and not word just vomiting and falling in love with my work, but mapping the novel out--first.

Well, I'm off to read about book covers.  I am also committed to working on this blog every day and building a wider network of support, although I have to say my current real-time network is pretty good!