Literanista

Lit Links & Scoops

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 10:30:00 +0000

An excellent post on Latinos and the Categories of Race, via @Urrealism

I cannot wait to read Zone One by Colson Whitehead.

The Future of Books: A Dystopian Timeline, via Techcrunch Answering the question “What are you?” through time and place via Good Magazine.

“One of the most subversive institutions in the United States is the public library..” ― bell hooks

I forgot how much I love Bell Hooks, I need to download her books to my ipad and reread!

Lifting my glass to our insane industry - Salud!

Verizon Wireless is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by asking consumers to upload a photo through Facebook or Twitter to the Verizon-commissioned digital art mosaic with $1 for every photo uploaded being donated to Casa de Esperanza, an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence in the Latino community. Simply go to hashtagart.com/verizonhispanicheritage before October 31 and click “Add Me” to claim a spot in this history-making event.

The Guardian takes us on a literary world tour of Colombia

Famous Authors: Baby Photos

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, National Public Radio’s Tell Me More is offering a weekly series on Latin music with guests Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd, hosts of NPR Music’s Alt.Latino podcast. They’ve been sharing new music releases from across Latin America and Spain.

How to make an ebook.

And, here's a service that allows you to make animated ebooks: MoGlue

One Geek Dad asks what happens to young low income readers when physical books vanish...

“The only dream worth having is to dream that you will live while you are alive, and die only when you are dead. To love, to be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of the life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.” — Arundhati Roy

1950 Circus Banner Features Diminutive El Cuco

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:30:00 +0000

I spotted this over at Boingboing but all I could think was "a baby Cuco."

Shaped by Media

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:36:00 +0000

Must-watch:

Miss Representation 8 min. Trailer 8/23/11 from Miss Representation on Vimeo.

Beyond the Mean Streets - In Remembrance: Piri Thomas

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000

“Because he became a writer, many of us became writers. Before ‘Down These Mean Streets,’ we could not find a book by a Puerto Rican writer in the English language about the experience of that community, in that voice, with that tone and subject matter.” - via NYTimes.

I would not be who I am today, this blog would not exist - had this book not been read or written.

Piri Thomas in his own words on his early life - via NPR

Born A new At Each A.M.

by Piri Thomas

The street's got kicks man,
like a bargain shelf,
In fact, cool-breeze, it's got
love just like anyplace else.It's got high-powered salesmen
who push mucho junk,
And hustlers who can swallow
you up in a chunk.It's got sewers that swallow
all the street pours down its throat
It's got hope wearing
an old over-coat.It's got lights that shine up
the dark and make the scene like new
It sells what you don't need
And never lets you forget what you blew.It's got our beautiful children
living in all kinds of hell
hoping to survive and making it well
Swinging together in misty darkness
With much love to share
Smiling a Christ-like forgiveness,
That only a ghetto cross can bear.The streets got life, man,
like a young tender sun,
and gentleness like
long awaited dreams to come.For children are roses with nary a thorn,
forced to feel the racist's scorn,
Our children are beauty
with the right to be born.Born anew at each a.m.
Like a child out of twilight,
flying toward sunlight,
Born anew at each a.m.

Lit Links & Scoops

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:09:00 +0000

New Bookish Site: Bookriot - aims to be the Jezebel, Valleywag of books.

Google takes a look at an infinite digital bookcase

Very excited about the The Raven, a film featuring John Cusack as a fictional Edgar Allan Poe coming out next year!

GOOP shows you how to buy art like a pro

Neat Trick or Treat idea:

How Geek are you? Wired breaks down the 9 most essential Geek reads.

NYC: Walking with the Comrades - Arundhati Roy

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Walking with the Comrades

Deep in the forests, under the pretense of battling Maoist guerillas, the Indian government is waging a vicious total war against its own citizens-a war undocumented by a weak domestic press and fostered by corporations eager to exploit the rare minerals buried in tribal lands. Chronicling her months spent living with the rebel guerillas in the forests, Roy addresses the much larger question of whether global capitalism will tolerate any societies existing outside of its colossal control.

Arundhati Roy

Wednesday November 9^th 2011

7.00 PM – 9.00 PM

The ProshanskyAuditorium

Cuny Graduate Center

365 Fifth Ave at 34th Street

Free and open to the public

REGISTER HERE

Co-sponsored by the Committee on Globalization and Social Change and the Center for Humanities CUNY

New Book: The Wandering Gene and the Indian Princess: Race, Religion, and DNA

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +0000

I had a chance to preview a copy of The Wandering Gene and the Indian Princess: Race, Religion, and DNA by Jeff Wheelwright, which will be published in January 2012.

My initial thoughts were that it would be a Hispano spin on The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley meets The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

It reads a little more academic ethnography than narrative but is worth checking out if you have an interest in Sephardi Jews and Southwest Hispano ancestry, the tracing of cultural history across time and place, and the juxtaposition of genetics and modern medicine:

About the book:

A vibrant young Hispano woman, Shonnie Medina, inherits a breast-cancer mutation known as BRCA1.185delAG. It is a genetic variant characteristic of Jews. The Medinas knew they were descended from Native Americans and Spanish Catholics, but they did not know that they had Jewish ancestry as well. The mutation most likely sprang from Sephardic Jews hounded by the Spanish Inquisition. The discovery of the gene leads to a fascinating investigation of cultural history and modern genetics by Dr. Harry Ostrer and other experts on the DNA of Jewish populations.

Shonnie Medina, who died at the age of 28, after forgoing treatment for breast cancer

Set in the isolated San Luis Valley of Colorado, this beautiful and harrowing book tells of the Medina family’s five-hundred-year passage from medieval Spain to the American Southwest and of their surprising conversion from Catholicism to the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 1980s. Rejecting conventional therapies in her struggle against cancer, Shonnie Medina died in 1999. Her life embodies a story that could change the way we think about race and faith.

The Wandering Gene and the Indian Princess: Race, Religion, and DNA explores topics like the Marranos, secret Jews of Spain, St. Teresa of Avila who was of Jewish converso stock, the possibility of hidden Jewish symbolism in Don Quixote, written by a supposed Converso (a forced convert to Christianity): Miguel de Cervantes, some of the apocalyptic and medical perspectives from the Jehovah’s Witness faith, and more.

You may read a summary of each chapter to the book here to the accompaniment of a tune from Old New Mexico, sung by a carrier of the gene, Robert Martinez.

Friday's Psalm: Gaby Moreno "Mess A Good Thing"

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +0000

Gaby Moreno "Mess A Good Thing"

A Weird Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the Bookstore

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:04:00 +0000

I never thought the day would come when I would say this but... I have no desire to buy books anymore.

Now let me make this clear: I have no intention of not reading anymore nor have I picked up any shoplifting habit or anything like that but at some point in the past couple of years I just got tired of having so much stuff.

I love my bookshelves laden with their tomes, reflective of my travels, experiences, zeitgeists of my soul at the time of consumption, strewn with bookmarks and placeholder's like that lovely boy's business card or a forgotten receipt and other skinny trinkets.

I think that I, like many people of my generation, have become very attune to the need to go back to basics, to a simpler lifestyle, one that respects our planet and environment - where space, time, and ethics are valued commodities. Meanwhile, this need is simultaneously juxtaposed with a desire to partake in cutting edge, innovative technology and its fruitful gadgetry.

I've become obsessed with platforms like Tumblr or Google+ where I can feed my need for real time news and connect to a global network of friends, peers and yes, strangers too instantly from a stream of content.

At home, my ipad has become my bedtime companion, replacing my books, laptop, where I stream my Netflix, and cable shows, where I play words with friends, and habitually check Flipboard for interesting content or my email.

I see the tired headlines and hear the battle cries of the booksellers and publishing industry. I have only one thing to say: Innovate or die. People will always read. They will always consume knowledge. How and with what, may be the only factors that come into play here. MTV didn't kill the radio star, it made gave them a face. Apple didn't reinvent music but it sure affected the music industry and the consumption of music.

As a consumer, one who has always loved books and collected the paper kind, I know I really don't want to continue to buy physical books at the pace I used to - I simply cannot for a triad of reasons: money, space, and lack of convenience and need.

It's so much easier and enjoyable for me to devour a book quickly in one sitting, on my ipad - going to a bookstore and wandering aisles browsing and peeking into books with interesting covers has just become a luxury that I simply do not have the time for or the budget for...

The Truth About Immortals (or Revisiting 300)

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Immortals, the 3D fantasy adventure film directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, and Mickey Rourke is in theaters today.

The movie takes us to a mythical world full of treachery, vengeance and fate set in ancient Greece where a young Theseus (Henry Cavill), comes to terms with his destiny with the help of the beautiful Sibylline oracle priestess(es), battles the brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) in order to defeat his evil quest to acquire the legendary invincible Epirus bow and use it to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and mankind. The gods cannot interfere in the ways of men nor in this war for the future of humanity.

I was really excited for the movie after viewing the trailer for Immortals on Google+ last month and seeing it heralded as a new 300. A film, which I originally didn't think I would like but ended up captivating me with great imagery, a great script, thrilling graphic action and even some controversy to boot -- that has become the fodder of and contributed to oh, so many geeky conversations in the past years.

When I had the chance to preview Immortals pre-release, three weeks ago, I jumped at the chance and brought along Seth Evans, Chief Operating Officer of Sports FantasEase at Making MemorEase™ for fair game.

We teamed up to discuss some of the merits and shortcomings of the film:

He said: 200. That should have been the name of the movie. It was as if producers of 300 tried to recreate the masterpiece that was 300, yet fell just short. This is not to say Immortals was not entertaining; but the people who were excited to see this movie had expectations of the unbelievable fight scenes and fire breathing speeches of King Leonidas. Theseus (Henry Cavill) was very good at the role but could not fill King Leonidas’ sandals. His speech at the end of the movie to the army prior to the final battle was moving, but did not light the same fire inside of any man in the audience, which means it had nothing on “tonight we dine in hell,” which had most men ready to pick up a shield and spear and go to battle themselves when leaving the theater after 300.

She said: It wasn't just my male brethren that 300 moved. 300 was epic in every sense of the word and I think the producers and the promoters of Immortals set themselves up for failure somewhat when the bar was set so high - 300 won many awards in different categories when it came out. To give you a sense of the disparity, I saw 300 at home on DVD and was blown away. I saw Immortals in 3D in the theater and was mostly unimpressed and immune to the characters' plight. When King Leonidas is willing to sacrifice his men, his family, and his life for Sparta and the Greek city-states, there isn't anyone who can't help but be impacted by the love, honor, and courage that makes them the stuff of legends. If I remember correctly, I weeped at the end of 300 and i'm not ashamed to admit it.

He said: This movie did offer a heartfelt moment as well, when Theseus had to watch his mother slaughtered at the hands of King Hyperion. The brightest spot in the movie was hands down the demonic King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and when you saw his mask with the spikes around his face, his black almost dead eyes and the scars across his cheek you saw nothing but true evil. Every time he was on screen he stole the scene, from his evil stares to the slow yet important way he spoke; every time he had something to say it seemed as he chose his words wisely to get the point across while instilling fear in anyone who was listening.

She said: The sculpted Theseus and vicious King Hyperion didn't hold much luster for me, although there were a couple of stylized action scenes that really wowed me, perhaps with their gore. I was more haunted by the captivating beauty of the oracles and their rhythmic incantations. The sight of Freida Pinto (Phaedra) in those grecian dresses is not something one forgets easily and made me recall the artistry of the stairway scene from the sci-fi movie The Cell with Jennifer Lopez. Interestingly enough, both of these movies relied heavily on works of art for their imagery. In fact, the director of Immortals is quoted as saying [it's] "basically, Caravaggio meets Fight Club. It's a really hardcore action film done in Renaissance painting style," on the film's Wikipedia page. And, it is the thing that saves this movie - It is visually stunning. One thing that did bother me, however, was that the oracles were all exoticized and it instantly drew my thoughts to the tired and old Magical Negro trope. Were the oracles all non-white on purpose? Is Sibylline Greek for brown hottie? Was this an intentional attempt to stir up some controversy and help fuel the publicity fires for the film a la 300's Persians? Or was it just Hollywood being stereotypical Hollywood?

He said: The visual aspect of this movie was phenomenal though; the 3-D brought the movie to a different level. Overall, this movie will give fans of 300 something to enjoy, while still realizing it is not quite the epic battle movie they had hoped. The story could have used more detail’s as to the battle of god’s and titans, but it seemed to not want to drag on which is important in a battle movie such as this.

She said: Speaking of drags, another sore point for me was the liberal use and fabrication of classical mythology. I know it's fantasy but for those who know their Greek mythology expect to be a lot lost by the storyline and the relation of the characters to the events taking place. It is very loosely based on bits and pieces of many stories and spun together to form a makeshift 300. Except that 300 was extremely loyal to the graphic novel it was adapted from and the historical events that battle follows...just saying.

He said: I would recommend this movie to anyone who loved 300, but would tell them to wait till it came out on v~~ideo~~, (that just made me sound old) DVD.

She said: What he said.

Lit Links & Scoops

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

When Horror Went Highbrow

Author Irene Vilar Launches “The Lolita Lebrón Foundation” and Offers New of an Upcoming Translation of “Impossible Motherhood” in December. (Spanish)

The first Latina on Broadway dishes on her career and how she got her breakout role in South Pacific via Smithsonian Magazine.

Most clever & cute promotional campaign for a book: Daniel Hadler of Lemony Snicket fame's Why We Broke Up?

Take a peek: A few authors and their personal libraries

Book Review: The Time in Between by María Dueña

This is me, screaming!

1. Mexican officials are investigating the case of the 10-year-old girl who gave birth, to see if she might have been raped.
2. Demands of Cold Blood

Totally not cool, bro. That chick was harassing me. With her hotness.

Book Review: THE BARBARIAN NURSERIES By Héctor Tobar

Are immigrants more loyal to imported beer? And, does it really matter since they're all American anyway?

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's following up THE SHADOW OF THE WIND and THE ANGEL'S GAME with the third novel in the series, THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN, released today in Spain.

Salon's Sexiest Men of 2011 includes author Justin Torres, Manny Pacquiao, and chef Marcus Samuelsson

Book review: 'Before the End, After the Beginning' by Dagoberto Gilb An interesting read about what people were reading about over a 100 years ago.

Lit Links & Scoops

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 11:43:00 +0000

100 Notable Books of 2011 via NY Times

I was just talking about this (like 5 different times): TheMarySue on Girls & Boys Science Kits

Sad because it's true: The 56 best/worst analogies written by high school students

Shop Till You Drop By Banksy

The Obama's went shopping on Small Business Saturday and picked up a copy of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.

Apparrently newspaper is not just for packing: DIY Newspaper print manicure

The world's biggest insect is actually kinda cute: Giant Weta Eating a Carrot

Get your coquito on at the NYC 10th Annual Coquito Masters' Crawl Zone.

Luis Alberto Urrea, author of THE HUMMINGBIRD'S DAUGHTER, INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH, and his latest book, QUEEN OF AMERICA, talks about his writing, his characters, his interesting relatives, prog-rock, and a million other things that make Urrea a truly engaging writer.

Kudos to Authors Amy Chua & Arundhati Roy, President Dilma Rousseff, International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and blogger Yoani Sánchez who made the impressive 100 Top Global Thinkers List over at Foreignpolicy.com

The case of the phantom library sculptor over at NPR, where you can also sample the new Roots album.

Cinco, cinco, cinco: Teach your kids to count in any language with this ultra cute and hip ~~interactive picture book~~ app from Appracadabra - Count The Animals.

Side-eye: How anyone could have grown up without tostones or ever seeing A Christmas Story is besides me....

I Has a Sad:

Lastly, this holiday season please be careful what you gift your cat. I came close to losing my beloved kitty after she chewed off and swallowed ALL the streamers from a dumb wand she got last year.

You are Invited: Atabey at Webster Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Don't miss your chance to see local East Harlem Alternative Rock/Post-hardcore band, Atabey, along with others on December 20, 2011, at Webster Hall in NYC.

Ticket Information here.

* Geeky fact: Atabey means "respected mother" and was worshiped as a major god of fresh water and fertility in Taino Culture.

Lit Links & Scoops

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Listipedia:You can find a list of 2011 Best Books Lists here

Et tu? The Communist Party in Chile has asked for the remains of the poet Pablo Neruda to be exhumed due to allegations that he may have been poisoned.

Truth: People don't make sense anymore

Truth #2: Why it's pointless for companies to block social

Book Marketing: DIY Book Trailer

A few 2012 Beauty Trends

Gimme: These flowered black nail decals from London Butter are the dopest thing I've seen in a long time.

In news that won't depress you this week: Lobsterman Jim Henry Learns to Read at 91, Writes Book at 98, and then Meet 5 Former Slaves Who Are Changing the World.

CNN lists New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico as two of the top places to spend Christmas.

Read, Rinse, Repeat: Ryan Rivera on 7 Reasons Why You’re Not as Miserable as You Imagine

This flowchart will help you pick your next best gothic/horror read: World War Z or The Shadow of the Wind

Is it a crime to be poor? by BARBARA EHRENREICH

A great piece on the need to listen and the need for storytellers to tell their tales..."We are storytelling creatures and as long as we permit ourselves to be quiet for a while now and then, the eternal narrative will continue" In Africa, the Art of Listening

"The genomes of modern Puerto Ricans are a mosaic of African, European and Native American sequences. On average, the genomes of Puerto Ricans contain 10–15% Native American DNA, which is
largely Taíno" via Nature.

On dating a girl who reads

Some great 2011 recap pieces:
What I Learned About the Web in 2011
This year’s top buzzword in the U.S. is ‘creative’.
2012 Social Marketing & New Media Prediction Report

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

So you've made it to 2012, pat yourself on the back... And while you deep dive into some survivalist reading material, here are few more things about the upcoming year to make you bite your fingernails or get down on your knees and pray.

Happy New Year!

2012 International Latino Book Awards: Open for Submission

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Ring the alarm, fellow bookworms! The Latino Literacy Now project is preparing for the 14th Annual International Latino Book Awards to be held in NYC on June 5, 2012, and is looking for noteworthy submissions to review. In recognition of the outstanding contributions being made to Latino literature by publishers and writers around the world, the Latino Book Awards was created in 1999. Submissions are now open for entries for books with a 2010 or 2011 publication date. Anyone may submit a book: authors, publishers, publishing industry professionals and friends of literacy. See the Entry Form for categories and qualifications. There are over 50 categories to submit your favorite book’s name and have it officially recognized and help promote literacy in the Latino community and beyond. The entry fee for the submission includes passes for 2 guests to the awards ceremony. *Latino Literacy Now is a 501(c)(3), not for profit organization dedicated to advancing the cause of literacy in the Latino community and to promoting reading as a life long pursuit for personal and professional fulfillment. Download your entry form here. Entries must be in by March 15, 2012. For more information on becoming a sponsor for the 14th annual International Latino Book Awards (ceremony & reception) contact us at jim@LBFF.us. Source: www.lbff.us

On Gendered Products & Tech - Survey Says Go Beyond Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm moderating a complimentary webinar next week featuring Klaus Schroeder, a design director and partner at design-people.dk, an international Danish design consultancy specialised in advanced interaction design. Klaus is head of the 3-year long ”Female Interaction” design research project, co-financed by the Danish Government’s program for user-driven innovation, and an authority within the field of gendered innovation and gender-specific design.

I'd like to invite you all to join us next week and discover what his research revealed about female tech-preferences and how to best embrace these insights within product development.

Register here for the Free Live Webinar: Wonomics Meets Design: A Female Innovation Strategy.

Date:	Wed, Jan 11, 2012
Time:	12:00 PM EST
Duration:	1 hour

What The Three Kings Got Me This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I hate to brag, I really do - but I had to do it (because I just can't contain myself)!

This season for my birthday/Chrismakkuh/Dia de Los Reyes, Santa/Hanukkah Harry/Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar (god, this is getting complicated) gave to me... tickets to go see THE BOOK OF MORMON!

Not only is this the show Romney would like to see, it's "God's favorite musical" - that's a direct quote - check their website.

Okay, but on a serious note, who's luckier than me? I've got a date to see the hottest blockbuster show on Broadway and I didn't even have to feed the camels.

Good tidings to all my readers on this dawn of 2012!

I hope the Magi leave you with as much happiness, mirth and glee as they have for me!

Stuff I'm Totally Sweating: butter LONDON 'Black Wallpaper' Nail Skins

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Last night I was thinking about how I hadn't written a fashion related post here in a while so I decided to bring back my Stuff I'm Totally Sweating forays into fashion blogging. So excuse for a minute, while I get totally girly on you.

Last summer, my best friend introduced me to Sally Hansen Salon Effects, which are basically colored stickers for your nails that mimic the look of expensive manicures. I'm one of those people who is fascinated by nail designs but find that they also border on gauche and tacky. I tried them and discovered they were easy to use but didn't last any longer than my regular polish and also didn't allow me to use my protective layer of nail hardener, which I am rarely without. Add in their limited variety of colors and designs and I'm sad to say I'm not a big fan.

However, something about THESE butter LONDON 'Black Wallpaper' Nail Skins, which I discovered while holiday shopping online last month, made me want them immediately.

Perhaps, it was the unfulfilled little goth/steampunk/rebel in me that jumped at the lovely black decals or maybe it was the murmuring of a Frida Kahlo/Georgia O'Keeffe mother muse reminding me to be a Senorita with flowers ~~in her hair~~ on her nails. Whatever it was, I purchased them and repressed the urge not to buy them in bulk hence they sell out.

Future Forecast: The Book as an Fetishized Object & Obsolete eReaders

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Books as a Thing

According to Ann Mack's, director of trendspotting for JWT, New Normal forecast, which includes the top trends from JWT's annual report gathered from "interviews with experts and influencers across sectors including technology, luxury, social responsibility and academia," we will see the Objectifying of Objects become a Thing in 2012. "

As objects get replaced by digital/virtual counterparts, people are fetishizing the physical and the tactile," she observes, just like we have seen with the re-emergence of vinyl especially at shops like Hot Topic and Urban Outfitters that generally serve a younger generation demographic, who view records as both novel, cool and meriting homage. For book lovers and collectors, this sort of veneration has always been normal but for doomsayers who have heralded the extinction of physical books this might be a counterweight to their argument.

For the publishing industry, this trend holds a sweet upside: Lavish treatments usually reserved for cookbooks, art and coffee table books can now be extended to other genres to entice younger consumers to own their favorite book(s) in a new kitschy way.

That Kindle/Nook You got for the Holidays Will be Obsolete Pretty Soon

Ebooks, transmedia and other forms of consumable digital media aren't going anywhere but gadgets that don't follow the convergent trajectory of technology will. Matt Alexander shares and validates my perspective here in his post: The E-Reader, as we know it, is doomed.

Technology is moving so swiftly that singular function devices such as cameras, watches, organizers, walkmans, even pens, were left in the dust years ago (Hello, Palm PDA) and 2012, also foretells a huge shift in the payments sector that sees the death knell of credit cards, cash and well, even wallets. It seems that the trend is only intensifying toward a portable device that does everything and fits every need because technology is converging and improving all sectors of life as we know it.

5 Things I Learned from Walter Mercado

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, I read the news of Walter Mercado's hospitalization due to complications of pneumonia and it inspired this post and homage to this strangely legendary but underrated figure for his lifetime commitment to improving the lives of others through spiritual enlightenment and celebrating the richness of our art, narratives, music, dancing, traditional mysticism and culture.

For those of you not familiar with Walter Mercado, he has been a pop culture phenomena and household name for many Hispanics who watched his astrology show for over 25 years. While we often jest about his parapsychology/metaphysical gobbledygook and gaudy glam, some thing needs to be said about his contributions and success. How many other Puerto Rican TV personalities have had a 2.5 decade run on an American television network that spawned newspaper columns, books, albums and more?

Here's what Walter taught me:

Storytelling 101 - Drama and Flair Captivate an Audience: With his dramatic monologues, his outrageous over the top costumes, capes, and gigantic jewelry worthy of Liberace, and his heavily made-up face and hair, Walter never failed in mesmerizing generations and entire households of Hispanic viewers, thereby becoming a timeless cultural icon. As a writer, storyteller, communicator, marketer this is crucial skill.

Gender and Age are of Little Importance (and none of your business): No one would ever believe this Puerto Rican astrologer was born in Ponce in 1932 because he hasn't aged a single bit over the years - no seriously, with every decade this man only looks younger! Now that may be due to the artistry of a skilled surgeon but Walter has always made it work with his fierce style and dedication to looking good. While his sexuality has remained dubious in spite of his denial of being gay, his asexualness hasn't marred his phenomenal success among traditionally conservative Latinos here and abroad.

Find Your Center and the Universe Will Lead You to Your Destiny: Walter, who now calls himself Shanti Ananda due to a legal issue over the "Walter Mercado" brand copyright, was the original Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame. He first became a mystic after travelling to India when he suffered the loss of a girlfriend in the 1960's. He ended every show by wishing his viewers "mucho, mucho amor" bringing them closer to the divine.

We are Surrounded with Beauty and It Begins Within: Walter always surrounded himself with beautiful scenery and settings and you could see from decades of watching his show that he valued it and relished it as a Thing of Joy. He always wished his viewers passion and love in their lives. His discourses were never about God and more about spiritual happiness, inspiration and guidance.

A Painter Has Only One Language: In addition to an assault of color and flamboyancy,Walter delivered his spellbinding flowery rhetoric with eloquence, passion and power that never failed to make Mami hush everyone up because her horoscope was next, a skill resulting from his past on stage as an actor. He often sang and danced and even his customary movements like the wide sweep of his cape hearkened of masterful craft and artistry. The whole world is a stage, there are no boundaries and anything can be your canvas.

Inside every artist is a overwhelming desire to share their passion, craft and inspire others, Walter has made it his mission in life and for that we thank you, Walter!

Lit Links & Scoops

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

How to talk to your mixed race friend, family member, or stranger.

At a time when many magazines and newspapers are struggling to stay in print, Cosmo has decided to give Latina Magazine a run for its money by launching an English Latina version.

I have a girl/foodie crush on professional chef and cookbook author Marcela Valladolid, host of the new Food Network show Mexican Made Easy.

@NPR Talks To @GoyaFoods on its 75th anniversary catering to the Hispanic community and bodegas nationwide. Did you know the company started out as a single store in Manhattan?

The ethnic palate finally gets it due - goes mainstream (but of course will be advertised and labeled as "exotic" and "spicy."

Global food for thought: only 10 companies are responsible for more than 40% of the global retail market, four companies control 75-90% of global grain trade, seven companies control virtually all fertiliser supply, five companies have more than two-thirds of the world's agro-chemical market, and only three companies control nearly half of the proprietary seeds market.

Back to basics: With the freezing weather and New Year's Resolutions abounding, these recipes to make your own (bbq sauce, jam & jellies, peanut butter, pasta, pesto and more) foods from scratch not only allow you more control over the calories, sugar content and chemicals you put in your body but tackle one of these on a leisurely Sunday and you'll be feeling like a true ama de casa in no time.

Why you should care about SOPA - This is how it begins: The Spanish government recently launched a set of anti-piracy laws opposed to by “bloggers, journalists and tech professionals” while Internet users in Belarus will soon face stiff fines if they access foreign-based websites not using the country’s .by domain name.

Is the publishing world focusing on too much on right-leaning stories? Big Hollywood seems to think so. There is a certain delicious sort of irony to this if true. Combine the dumbing down of America with the zeal and power of the big six houses (headquartered in left-leaning New York City & helm by intellectuals and creatives) catering to the mass cult of Fox News to produce ~~watered-down~~ mainstream bestsellers while we all cry foul about the craziness of the state of the nation and broken educational system.

*Apologies for all the food-related links. Yes, I'm on a diet.

East Harlem's Own: Hector "Macho" Camacho TV Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Son of East Harlem, Puerto Rican retired professional boxer, Héctor "Macho" Camacho is getting his own show business news segment on the popular Univision show "El Gordo y La Flaca, a TMZ-like entertainment program"

The 10-time world boxing champion who beat Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran will deliver his version of "Macho News." It won't be the first time, he's been on the network either, he participated in the Spanish version of dancing with the stars, ¡Mira Quien Baila!

To read more about Latinos in boxing, check out ESPN's 12 Latino Fighters to Watch in 2012.

You Are Your Words

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Created with this cool interactive tool launched by The American Heritage® Dictionary as a marketing campaign for the landmark Fifth Edition.

Privilege: Books & the Invisible Backpack

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie M. Russo) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This video brought here from feministing.com talks about how privilege affects people’s experience of literature or other media in many ways.

And, if you never come across the article by Peggy McIntosh, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack, you should read it NOW.