Catch my new joint at https://poetmariachi.wixsite.com/blog

New Amazon review! Wow! You Know What I'm Sayin'?

5A smiling celebration of shared language

ByKirbyon March 27, 2015

Format: Paperback

Here in the 21st century, we live in a time that is deeply preoccupied with self-identity, with the claiming and casting off of labels. Obsessed with finding the right words to define our our own place in the world, we are more used to viewing language as a point of difference—with our separate vocabularies marking us as belonging (or not belonging) to any number of cultural, ethnic, and social groups.

And yet, language can also be a place of unity, a chance for celebration—as poet Daniel García Ordaz so beautifully demonstrates in his collection “You Know What I’m Sayin’?” Throughout the course of this linguistically rich book, García Ordaz acknowledges the realities of historical prejudices, and the struggles of claiming an often marginalized cultural identity; and yet, these poems never come from a place of bitterness or anger. This collection of poetry and drama is, at its heart, a joyous celebration: of our differences and our pasts, as well as our future and the things that bring us together—as Americans, and as humans. Here, language is a point of shared humanity.

The poet invites us in with an combination of hip-hop beat and rhythm, refrain and repetition—creating an enticing flow that kept me turning the pages and, more often than not, reading the poems out loud to myself. These are poems that beg to be heard, not just viewed on the page. Pieces like “Jazz Beat” and “Los Mariachis” pull in a vibrancy of sound, onomatopoeia, and music. The language weaves between English and Spanish, with dips into African-American and Chicano dialect. Yet even knowing very little Spanish myself, I never felt misplaced by the unfamiliar vocabulary. To the contrary: it felt like an invitation to simply enjoy the sound, the feel, the movement of language—all language.

Ultimately, this book is a smiling celebration of common experience within linguistic diversity, and all the opportunity of language—not just as it is written, but how it is spoken and shared. As the poet writes in the collection’s title piece:

“The spoken word is about passion
And silliness and truth.
It’s about getting to the root
of what’s inside.
It’s about showing all the things you hide...”

...You know what I’m sayin?

#YKWIS 

#RunAsOne #TeamRWB #VeteranSuicides #FunRun

The public is invited to join Team RWB and Team Rubicon as we Run As One on March 28 at 6 p.m. at McKelvey Park in Harlingen (1325 S 77 Sunshine Strip, across H-E-B.) 

This is a free event to encourage physical activity for walkers and runners of all levels and bring attention to military troops returning to civilian life with PTSD. In an effort to prevent veteran suicides, we come together as two nonprofit veterans service organizations to bring awareness to this issue. 

We will meet at McKelvey Park in Harlingen at the playground and separate into groups depending on running experience. A walking group will be formed, along with a group that will run trails and/or another to run hills. American flags and/or Red, White & Blue colors are welcome! All ages welcome. Bring a bottle of hydration if you like, though this will be an easy run.

We will meet at a local restaurant afterwards to socialize. (Adults).

For more details contact Team RWB Rio Grande Valley Athletic Director Jorge Cardenas or Chapter Captain Daniel Garcia at daniel.garcia@teamrwb.org or visit us on FB at https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamrwbrgv/.

#RunAsOne #TeamRWB #TeamRubicon #SuicidePrevention #PTSD #WearTheEagle

Create and Share Your Quotes: Cool Website

Create your own quotes and share 'em with the world! #QuoteAndQuote
Great tool for teachers looking for journal prompts, etc.
Check out mine as well! Here's one:

Here's the link: www.quoteandquote.com

#Bestseller List! #ThankList

Thanks for making my book a Top Ten (#9) #Bestseller on Amazon (Hispanic Poetry)!! In honor of #NationalPoetryMonth: Daniel García Ordaz's poetry collection, You Know What I'm Sayin'?, is now available at a reduced price on Amazon: $8 for print and $3.50 for e-book version (or read this title for free if you have Kindle Unlimited!) El Zarape Press 

http://www.amazon.com/You-Know-What-Im-Sayin/dp/0978995414

The Eye: A 4-Part Series: Pvt. Saburo Tanamachi and the 1933 Hurricane: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Now free--please review! THE EYE: STORM FRONT . . . WWII, INTERNMENT CAMPS: A four--part narrative/featured article/journalistic series great for teaching narrative writing, allusions, history (WWII, including Jews, Hitler, Japanese Internment Camps, Heroes, irony, racism, etc.) as well as agriculture, sociology, civil rights, journalism, science, math, health, government, ethics. #SaburoTanamachi

Read Articles Here!

In honor of #NationalPoetryMonth: Daniel García Ordaz​'s poetry collection, You Know What I'm Sayin'?​, is now available at a reduced price on Amazon: $8 for print and $3.50 for e-book version (or read this title for free if you have Kindle Unlimited!) #ElZarapePress​ #YKWIS
http://www.amazon.com/You-Know-What-Im-Sayin/dp/0978995414

Edward Vidaurre's Insomnia (poetry collection) now on sale! #NationalPoetryMonth

In honor of #NationalPoetryMonth: Edward Vidaurre's poetry collection, Insomnia, is now available at a reduced price on Amazon: $6 for print and $2.99 for e-book version (or read this title for free if you have Kindle Unlimited!) From
El Zarape Press.
http://www.amazon.com/Insomnia-Edward-Vidaurre-ebook/dp/B00KDHD6AQ

Conference Paper About Corky Gonzalez and Daniel Garcia Ordaz!

How cool is that! A conference paper about my poetry! #Flattered!
http://www.melus.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2012-MELUS-Conference-Program.pdf

Garcia, George G. Univ. of Texas at Brownsville. “Poetry of Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales and Daniel Garcia Ordaz.” galbert9@aol.com

The 26th Annual Conference of the Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) and the 8th Conference of the United States chapter of the Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (USACLALS) April 19-22, 2012 Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, California Hosted by Santa Clara University THEME: Ethnic Literatures and Transnationalism

My Poetry In University Classes!

How cool! If you're among (the few, the proud) professors and instructors and lecturers and teachers who use my poetry in your classes, please know I'm available for classroom visits, Skype sessions, in-person appearances, paranormal appearances, hallucinations, etc.! I am honored and flattered and grateful!

Welcome to English 2305! This course is titled Introduction to Poetry: Multicultural Perspectives in U.S. Poetry. In this course, we will be...http://ttueng2305.blogspot.com/2013/08/welcome-to-english-2305-this-course-is.html?spref=bl

Doghouse Blues

Sometimes you're the writer. Sometimes you're the inspiration for the writer. Sometimes you're just straight-up in the doghouse. An article I wrote as a journalist is still floating around the Web. The Valley Morning Star ran an article I wrote while on staff announcing a true-story doghouse contest. I forget what the winning couple got, other than their story in the paper. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-141714390.html

Had a great time learning about new publishing opportunities at the recent EPICON in San Antonio! https://www.epicorg.com/

Team Red, White, & Blue

http://teamrwb.org/

Recently I've become involved with this excellent org. Not just for veterans!

Team RWB is transforming the way that America supports its veterans when they return from combat.  We are creating communities of veterans, their families, and American citizens that enjoy authentic interaction through physical and social activities and events all across the country.

You Know What I'm Sayin'?

Woo-hoo!

Just released on amazon.com . . . You Know What I'm Sayin'?, my book of poetry is now available on Amazon. Please pass the word, post your reviews, get crazy with Listmania, Facebook, Wikipedia, Skype, Myspace, and tag the book.

Gotta love it!

http://www.amazon.com/You-Know-What-Im-Sayin/dp/0978995414/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313004334&sr=1-1

I'm still here, El Guapo!

Dang, yo! Where've I been?

I've been a little busy living.
And being on Facebook.
Working on an MFA in Creative Writing at UT-Pan American, which may soon change its name/merge with a nearby--but not so near, really, university, UT-Brownsville.

And, I started running again.

Hope to be back again soon. God bless you all!

I'm back!

I'll be back again soon with new posts. Promise!

Alternative Fuels

Here we go again: the present presidential nominees are talking about alternative fuels.

You won't hear McCain, because he doesn't want to insult his "friends" in the Democratic party, and certainly not Obama, because he's not into the truth, that George W. Bush asked Congress to pass legislation investing in hydrogen fuel cells, solar power, etc.

The Democrats--then in the majority--blocked such talk; once in the majority, they were determined to not allow Bush any single success, the country be damned.

This is why we need to encourage third-parties. The two-party system is not about making America great, it's about getting elected.

p.s. Oil is not just for gasoline. We make plastics--like, you know, to save babies lives, for cars, for shoes, etc., from it. This is why everything made in China stinks pretty badly--like petroleum.

Obama: The Audacity of Hype

The Audacity of Hype with which Sen. Barack Obama presents himself is amazing.

Time and again he's allowed to use numbers and mention policies that just don't add up.

Go to http://wire.factcheck.org/ or http://www.factcheck.org/ to see how his campaign is wrong.

(This objective site lists how McCain is wrong too.)

I'm watching the debate and here's Obama talking like he's JFK--let's double the size of the Peace Corps and get off oil in 10 years, likening it to going to the moon, even mentioning JFK by name.

He's the first AfricAnglimerican to get the nomination from a major party. It's a shame he's the first; bringing in race--talking about: "Oh, and by the way, he's black" and such in a speech warning his followers of what others might say.

Obama says 95% of Americans will not be affected by his tax raises. The number's much lower than that--see FactCheck.org for details. Don't take my word for it. See a source that lists the sources.

Iraq does not have a 79 billion dollar surplus, Obama! Way off!

Puro Palin

How do y'all think Gov. Palin did in the debate? It was Sen. Biden's debate to lose.

How is it that these legislators, McCain included, are talking about their plans for this and plans for that as if they haven't been in a position to propose such budgetary issues--Congress (not the president) being charged with passing a budget?

In 2000 and 2001, Pres. Bush (as the pres.-elect and thereafter) proposed hydrogen fuel cell technology for vehicles. The Democrats in Congress, first in the minority, then as the majority, refused to allow discussion on the topic until very recently. The Democratic leadership has been so adamant about making Bush look bad, not giving him any success whatsoever, the American people be damned. They don't care, Pelosi and Reid, about America. They want Bush to look bad and are dying to have a Democrat in office to make him look good. In the meantime, they have been anti-Bush for the sake of being anti-Bush and not for the sake of arguing the topic and letting the American people and our representatives decide.

Mortgage Crisis--One True Cause Ignored

The mortgage crisis that is actually not much of a crisis if measured by foreclosures--about 1%--and is a crisis if measured by people that were screwed into non-fixed mortgages--ARMs (adjustable-rate mortgages)--and are in danger of losing their investment--was caused by all sorts of greed. But let's take a look at what that means, for real.

In Texas, visit http://www.sml.state.tx.us:8080/mblolookup/search.jsp and type in your Texan city or county of choice. (After it loads, use the arrow to view results on same page.) This page is part of the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending: http://www.sml.state.tx.us/ and will list all of the tons of unlicensed (and very few legitimate ones who are) mortgage brokers, loan officers, entity mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers and financial services who advertise themselves as all of the above and shamelessly have their licenses expired, or never got a license, but applied.

Where the hell's the regulation? Where's the attorneys general across the state and country doing simple searches in their own jurisdiction and going after these greedy SOBs who are falsely advertising themselves as legitimate mortgage and loan purveyors, some of them even publishing their license numbers, expired as they know they are, etc.? Where's the advertising departments of newspapers and real estate guides publishers doing their homework and making sure the "lenders" are licensed? This lack of effort by publishers is one reason for loss of newspaper readership.

Even folks from Lending Tree.com, etc., are guilty of this. Some person in their company at one point was licensed and that's supposed to be enough?

Yes, the large companies that buy up these contracts--the same ones that offer bonuses to these primarily unlicensed lenders for jacking up the annual percentage rates (APR) on the folks buying houses out there--are largely responsible. Let's go after them. But let's not ignore these, our neighbors and friends who, being local, and knowing the locals, are screwing their own neighbors.

Time and again the local and national news media, attorneys general, and legislators have been ignoring this core issue. It's easy to identify, easy to prove, easy to prosecute, easy to stop.

"Newsweek" has yet again one of these "how did this happen" stories out about the background of the bailout. Yet, it's those in the arena, those who are actually signing those papers, telling the big companies that Joe Schmuckatelli in front of them has enough income to make the payments--knowing he doesn't, but jacking up the numbers, selling Joe Schmuckatelli on higher interest rates and ARMs, that is largely to blame.

Let's go after them, too. That's the damned story!