Yesterday, we went to the polls and voted. My husband and I were sure Hillary would win by a landslide (yes, I have my issues with Hillary and wished for better candidate options). Boy, were we wrong!
I woke up at 2a.m. hoping to see some better news. I was devastated and terrified, at first, to see Donald Trump was elected, overwhelmingly. While I am definitely worried about what he represents in terms of fascism, and I am uber-worried for the future of my two small children, I dusted off all my angst and am ready to fight forward. Look, I feel a lot of compassion for the voters who were duped by his lies. They too need jobs, education, healthcare, homes, etc. Trump won't give them any of that, no matter how many undocumented people he deports or how many other poor brown people he bombs. They will wake up and realize Trump doesn't support their class interests, but we have to be there to point them in the right direction. Living with these four years will be hard, so this morning I had the difficult task of explaining the political situation to my little son Antonio. I explained fascism and how the organizing work we do Trump and his ilk may not like, even though what we do is legal (for now) and union based. He said to me, "You know what Cesar Chavez said, 'It is harder to fight with your mouth than to fight with your fists' ". What a smart little boy! I also explained the hatred that Trump represents, but that didn't seem to faze him; I guess he understands bullies. My husband, surprisingly, is not as mortified as I thought he would be. I guess he processed the defeat at 3a.m. this morning, when I was still churning in it. I think today, it will be very important to share a real vision of America. That is what I hope to do every day and to be as excellent and loving a human being I can be to everyone. We have to combat hate at every level and really take care of each other. If we had, we wouldn't be in this mess, so let's fight on every front we can. Let's fight for the marginalized and unemployed. Let's fight for a truly great America, not one based on racism, hatred, and fear. On the writing front, my ongoing project couldn't have come at a better time; I am continuing with my novel, which happens to be a dystopian piece of literature. It is a futuristic piece where women rule and elite men survive. I have been working on this novel for over ten years and is on its second rewrite. I think the days ahead will be truly inspirational. Here is to fighting forward and fighting hate and bigotry by being you most excellent self.
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My daughter woke me up at 4a.m., probably to guarantee that we would vote early, and she wouldn't have to live in the post-Apocalypse. Today, there are a number of key races in Illinois, and as a unionist, I endorse pro-labor candidates who give a shit about the poor:
http://ccctu.org/2016-local-1600-endorsements/ It is 6a.m., and my husband is, now, urging me to run to our local poll in terror. I was going to work on my novel, but the energy in this house is too haywire with both of the kids up and running around so early. My daughter, in particular, is rambunctious and giving us directives, which all revolve around acquiring sweets. Halloween definitely has its downs, and somehow, she spied the pop-cycles in the freezer. Regarding the election results, I have been joking that if Trump wins, I am picking up and moving to Canada, with the whole family, of course. We will seek refugee status, which living in Chicago, especially my neighborhood, is not really all that crazy. If I am not mistaken, an African-American man did the same thing in real life; I wonder if he is living the dream. I am not crazy about Hillary because I don't think she will make wise choices in terms of labor, international trade, and the environment. Why, for example, has she no taken a stance with the Standing Rock protesters? That in itself says a lot. (Bernie Sanders supported and spoke out against oppression.) Don't get me started on the role she played on ousting Zelaya, a democratically elected leader in Honduras. Regardless, my family and I will continue with our political activism and to educate people on issues, especially when the topics are ignored by the media. We will go to protests, like we always do. Our political activism doesn't start or stop with elections because so much is at stake. Plus, in the final analysis, I definitely want to leave a better world for my kids and future generations. I do not want people in the future to say, "How could they not stand up and fight? Why did they consent to so much injustice? Those selfish bastards." The struggle ahead is long and hard, but as a family, we will do as much as we can. Here's to always fighting for a better future. Hope tomorrow isn't depicted below. I met with Adam yesterday afternoon, for a vegan lunch, and we discussed the timeline and the collection in general. As a human being, Adam ranks five stars. He is compassionate and kind and humble. He is also incredibly creative and has a genetic disposition for thinking outside of the box, which is great for me. The dude is also very, very smart. You see, my collection of short stories is broken up into two parts: serious (realism) and non-serious (magical realism, horror, fantasy, sci-fi). I thought he was going to not appreciate this categorization because anthologies usually focus on one genre. In fact, when I took creative writing, all of the classes forbid us from writing anything but serious fiction, which is probably why I teach science fiction now. However, Adam is very interested in completely fucking with these categories, which suits me just fine. Unfortunately, we probably won't be done by December, but I waited two years to finish, after my original deadline, so I'm not devastated. This anthology is a small stepping stone for me because I have other projects that are past due. I told him not to worry about copy-editing it either. I have plenty of colleagues who could lend a hand. One thing he did tell me after the words of wisdom I shared from another writer, a.k.a. "Your writer friends and friends won't do shit for you", he told me that when it came to his work, he shared with friends and family in his inner circle. That's what I have done with colleagues and my sister and even my poor husband. I suppose my Ideal Reader is my sister because we share similar tastes in fiction and film. In fact, she read the whole anthology, an earlier version of it; I mean, she's not a literary critic, but she has great taste and offers great advice and encouragement. Adam's goal is to get two stories done a week, which is about the right amount of work for me. He is also a songwriter and busy activist, and I don't want him to jeopardize his own art and organizing work. On a total side note, my daughter woke me up at 3a.m. This whole falling back of the clocks is just awful. Here's to engines running on the sheer love of writing and lots of coffee. Today is the day! Adam Gottlieb is coming over to talk about the anthology and editing/publication timeline. I am so excited!
I have to keep this post short because I am going to prepare a feast (Adam, don't read the rest of this post, please.) I also have to clean the house, which surprise, hasn't happened yet. (He arrives in a short five hours, and we have a parent teacher conference at 9:30a.m. today. No pressure, no pressure.) One of my other life joys is cooking: I tend to be creative in the kitchen because I have been cooking since I was eight, and in my household, having parties and cooking for 40 was the order of the day. My only training has been watching my mom in the kitchen, for years; then cooking on my own when I left for college; and a home economics class in Jr. High (where I learned how to make pancakes and other goodies). Here is what is on the menu (remember that Adam is vegan, NOT vegetarian. he just messaged me. thank goodness.):
Well, I'm off to scrub and clean. My adorable husband is passed out; this fall back situation is not helping, but it is Sunday. Plus, he works so very hard watching the kids, that he should sleep in every now and then. I just wish it weren't today! Here's to great meals with friends and a little creative Mexican fusion in the kitchen (and bedroom. ha ha ha, with my husband, of course. see results below.) I know some parents may frown upon kids missing school for a parade, but yesterday, I pulled my son out of school, so the whole family could witness this historic event. Up to that point, he hadn't missed a day, and we certainly don't plan on having him miss anymore. Unfortunately, millions of other people had the same idea, and we couldn't make it to the rally, but my son did manage to see the players roll by, and we had a marvelous feast at Millennium Park.
We also shared our food with other kids and other adults, which made the day even more memorable. That is how awesome the joy and energy was yesterday; plus, it was a perfect day to be out and about. Still, not everyone was celebrating. There was this one mom whose teenage daughters ditched to go alone somewhere. I said to her, "That is some patent bullshit!" We took pictures of her holding our "Someday is Here" sign, so she could have a memento. She also enjoyed my children. If my kids ever do that to me (and she worked the night shift, so she came in tired to hang out with her biological ingrates), there would be a major reckoning. Major reckoning. I expect my kids to be grateful and put family first. All in all, it was a marvelous day! I don't have much else to add about the anthology because it was all about enjoying the day yesterday. I will say that I am planning quite the banquet for tomorrow's lunch with the editor. It's the first time we are meeting to talk about the collection, and I am excited to exchange ideas and talk about future plans. He thinks he can edit it by December, so I can launch it before Christmas. Wait until I tell him about the other novel I am almost done with. (Well, about 100 pages out.) Here's to being part of history, making someone smile, and planning the best pantry banquet, ever. Yesterday, despite still being sleep deprived from the Cubs winning the World Championship (Go Cachorros!) and my neighbors celebrating como locos, I completed "Wolf Trek", the last story I was really struggling to finish. I started working on that piece years ago, and finally got it done: I was happy with the result. I am already planning what sections to cut out and revise because it is almost forty pages long. Soon, for your pleasure, I will post it in the Current Work section because that story really felt like I was giving birth. Yes, I am showing off my literary newborn. Needless to say, I am happy. In fact, it is set up as an excerpt to a longer novel, but I am going to let it rest, once I am satisfied with it, and continue with a novel I am rewriting for the second time. That project is over 200 pages long, and when I revised it, I changed the point of view, from a pre-adolescent boy to a young teenage girl. That novel has a lot of promise, and like "Wolf Trek", I have been working in it for way too long, over 10 years, in fact. It merits completion. This Sunday, the editor is coming to my house for lunch. I am really excited to have him over to our humble place because we haven't had a lunch guest or any guest in quite a while; besides, he is fantastic company, and I think we will have a fine working relationship. My husband is going to be part of that meeting because he is promoting the book and booking any gigs in the future. This semester, I am planning on reading poetry at my own college for a poetry slam, and we plan to have the editor there, maybe to prepare us to perform and hopefully judge the event. Adam is that kind of writer and artist who really supports the community, especially young people. I admire that spirit in him. Later on today, my family and I are going to see the historic Cubs parade. Unfortunately, we don't have any money for swag or souvenirs, but we will take pictures and post them here, tomorrow. Below is a funny note for my son's first grade teacher because I didn't want him to miss out on this historic event. He has perfect attendance, but some history needs to be experienced as a family. It took 108 years for the Cubs to win the World Series, I am not waiting 108 more. Here is to celebrating victories, Cubs Champion style (well, maybe not that loco).
First of all, the Cubs won the World Series! That was hands down one of the most exciting final games I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot of games. This time, I also remembered to ask my husband to record the game, so I could watch the last two innings. The game ran late, and my daughter had to go to bed, so I couldn't finish watching it all. I can't wait to for tonight, after I come home from work; maybe, I will even get some goat birria with some frijoles and tortillas. Of course, the festivities in Humboldt Park made it nearly impossible to sleep, but for once, the annoying neighbors with their invasion-sounding fireworks did not annoy me. In fact, I almost went outside to celebrate myself, but it was very late, and my whole family was passed out by midnight. On another happy note, I managed to work on "Wolf Trek" yesterday. I am learning to sneak in writing when I can, and I got in a good solid 40 minutes. The story is coming along nicely, but I may start recording ideas into the phone because I don't always have a little notebook on hand, you know that little notebook writers are supposed to carry around.
This Sunday, I am also having dinner with the future editor Adam Gottlieb. We haven't had a dinner guest in ages, and I am totally motivated to put the house in order. I also have a goal to finish the story, completely. Then I can say, "Finished!" Here's to making dreams come true! Cubs 2016 World Champions! Que vivan los Cachorros! Yesterday, the student group, Undocumented Students and Allies (U.S.A. Ha ha, get it?) and Local 1600 of which I am the chapter chair, hosted a panel, titled "Chicanas of 18th Street and Teatro Campesina: Narratives of the Movement from Latin@s in Chicago." I got to meet Magda Ramirez-Castañeda and Maria Gamboa. They are amazing Chicanas, activists, and writers. My friend, Laura Garcia, who I hadn't seen in months, was also invited to speak. The panel was very empowering to students, especially undocumented students, but the Chicanas really reinforced the idea of making human connections through teatro and face-to-face discussions. They urged students to engage in the struggle and fight for their futures. It's a fight for all of us, really. In the slideshow below, I have inserted copies of their book covers as well as links to Amazon. (No, I don't work for Amazon.) I also found out that Laura is working on an anthology of her own, and she asked me for help. I am not an expert, but like most writers, I am more than happy to share my knowledge. I also invited her to enroll in my creative writing class that I am teaching next semester. However, I think she is doing something experimental, that is not quite fiction, poetry, or drama. I can't wait to read an excerpt from her manuscript!
Well, it's time to go to school. I haven't had a chance to write these last few days besides the blog because Halloween and All Soul's Day kept us out late. Today, promises to be busy with grading, but I hope to sneak in some writing when I am not holding office hours or teaching. These moments exist throughout the day. And on a joyful note, the Cachorros beat the Cleveland Indians 9 to 3 last night! The Cubbies even hit a grand slam! I was so sad I missed the game, but so happy for the victors! Que Vivan Los Cachorros! Here's to successes and wins! World Series, all the way! This afternoon, we celebrated as a family and said our prayers and told stories about our deceased loved ones. Setting up the altar took longer than the prayer because the kids have a short attention span, but it was fun to work on setting up with my son, Antonio. This morning, I helped out with the H.W.C. Pride Alliance altar, honoring the victims of the Orlando night club massacre. As Dia de Muertos should be a celebration of life, I told students today that massacres like these should never, ever happen. Now, we are off to Mass to celebrate All Soul's Day. I am actually pretty tuckered out and hope to get my third wind. Must be the tequila I had with my Uncle Toño (metaphorically, of course). Today, we are setting up the Dia de Muertos offering table to honor our Granpa Lee and Tio Toño, both of whom my son is named after. I explained the tradition to him this morning, and he thought it would be a great idea to celebrate. We haven't in the past, but I was deeply inspired by our guest speaker, Cesareo Moreno, who framed the festivities as a celebration of life. (The picture on the side is from when I was pregnant with my daughter; our Dickens has since then gone to the Rainbow Bridge. We miss you!) Below is a sample ofrenda my friend Laura Garcia created yesterday (which is technically the day we honor our departed children). She is coming to speak today at our campus event on Chicana experiences. Laura Garcia, author of Teatro Chicana, and her amazing ofrenda table. Yesterday, we also celebrated Halloween. We actually hit two neighborhoods, one on the North Side and our hood, which we normally don't do. We walked around so much, we didn't give away any candy, except for the three kids we chased down the sidewalk. Our neighborhood was pretty quiet, so we got fistfuls of candy from our neighbors. I was so exhausted afterwards, I couldn't speak anymore. There was some drama, however, when my son peed his pants. We were actually at a port-a-potty in a dark alley, which was a rare find, but he didn't make it. And who was the villain?: Mom. Boy, did I pay for that! He was so furious, he didn't want me to go with him anymore, and we had to leave. I will say about this neighborhood on the North Side, that it felt like when I used to trick-or-treat. There were so many kids running around and dressed up grown-ups with treats in their beer cups. It was great! All in all, it was a fantastic experience! The drama made it even more special (yeah right) or memorable to say the least.
Here's to honoring our dead and celebrating with loved ones. Have a wonderful Dia de Muertos, and if you can't set up a table with offerings, tell wonderful stories about your deceased relatives. |
Jesú Estrada
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