08.08.10: Domingo Newsbytes…...

Photo credit: Lea Nuñez On Friday I strolled over to the Tejer y Poder showcase put together by students of the six-week program led by our very own Irasema Gonzalez and Thelma Uranga at at Dvorak Park in the Pilsen neighborhood. The program consisted of 30 students, both teenage girls and boys, coming together to learn to knit, crochet, and work collectively on fiber arts and learn that both can be used a form of art and protest. I was blown away by the effort the students put into their projects. It made me reflect on the wonderful things that happen when you give kids...

08.01.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

“They’ve towed my car with Chisme Box in the trunk!”  That was the alarmed text I sent Diana and Coya on Wednesday afternoon when I walked out of work and discovered that street parking had been restricted due to a neighborhood festival and I had missed the (minute) signage in the morning.  Both stepped in like champions, you see I was due at the  Guild Complex’s, B.Y.O.P event.  Proyecto Latina had an invitation to present with Dancing Girl Press. While I navigated a huge dusty yard of impounded cars, in my brand new sandals, trying to recover...

7.25.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

Cast of Thirst: Left-To-Right: Claudia Martinez, Josie Dykas front Diane Herrar and Diana Pando in the back I woke up this morning  reflecting on this week  and I can’t help but be blown away by the amazing amount of Latina talent and creativity that is emerging. Here are some quick highlights: This week our reading series was packed over at Café Catedral. Folks got to see our feature writer Cristina Correa read her work and hear some new emerging Latina talent during the open mic portion like Awilda Gonzalez and Laura Nuñez. Later during the week, I had the...

07.18.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

Last week Diana lamented that summer is passing her by much too quickly.  I’m glad to report that she’s managing to get some fun into her schedule. I got to catch up with her yesterday when she invited me to join her for the Goodman’s Latino Theater Festival’s reading of El Nogalar by Tanya Saracho. Afterward we strolled down to Millenium Park and enjoyed a beautiful summer afternoon sipping cocktails and people watching.   We caught up with our perspective projects and I realized that our crew of women is a busy bunch this summer. Thelma...

07.11.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

In the last week I’ve had a few folks tell me that “summer is over”. How can I have missed summer? This can’t possibly be true, summer isn’t over. It reminded me that we need to be in the “now” to truly enjoy summer. It also dawned on me that between presentations, emails, texts,  phone calls and Facebook I haven’t been doing anything fun. Like most hyper-busy Latinas we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our work and family life. So, I decided to be spontaneous and I went to the “Memory of Fire”...

06.20.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

A few weeks back I sat down with Luz Chavez, reporter for Gozamos.com and we talked about everything that Proyecto Latina does. If you have never attended but wondered, or better yet, if you joined us and now think its something your friend, prima or sister will like and can’t quite find a good way to explain what its all about–Luz captures it precisely. Hopefully then you will plan to join us tomorrow, June 21st for our first summer reading with Alicia Tellez of La Dulce Palabra. Bring something for the chisme box and note that we love to discover new talent...

06.06.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

I was born, raised, and continue to reside in Little Village, I recall that fifteen years ago, June meant the end of school, warm summer days to sit on front steps of my home and join my friends to take endless strolls on 26th street.  The days were long and I spent long stretches watching daytime soaps and reading books, managed somehow to keep myself out of trouble when there was so little to keep me occupied.  I remember thinking, there had to be something more, its something I probably wrote into the journal I kept, because I filled a lot of my time writing  diary...

5.29.10 Domingo Newsbytes...

Photo via Giulia Lasagni/MEDILL It’s a gorgeous Sunday in Chicago! Hope you are lounging and getting ready to hang out with family and friends. Remember to take a moment to remember all of the men and women that are serving in the armed forces. Our next Proyecto Latina is on Monday, June 21 @ 7pm @ Cafe Catedral in Little Village featuring Alicia Vega from Palabra Dulce. Look for the full details  later this week. Now, here is this week’s Domingo Newsbytes: More and more Latinas are converting to Islam. On Sunday’s  these women meet at the Mosque Foundation...

5.16.10 Domingo Newsbytes:...

Proyecto Latina is tomorrow Monday, May 17 @ 7pm at Cedhalia’s Café. This month we plan to Speak up & Speak Out so, we’ve changed the format a little because we want to hear from YOU! Make sure to come out and bring your creative responses to Arizona recent legislation. Our Facebook feeds  and Twitter accounts was exploding this week as Governor Jan Brewer did it again by signing into a law an ethnic studies ban in Arizona. What does this mean? It means no funding for Latino/Mexican studies classes, Native American or African American. Did you take a Latinos in...

05.08.10: The Great Collaboration...

Join us this Saturday evening at The Great Collaboration, a creative justice roundtable and celebration. Reading for Proyecto Latina: Diana Pando, Irasema Gonzalez and Sandra Posadas. Event and ticket information:...