Subject: Libreria Martinez

• Latinos in Lotusland

  March 26, 2009

• Scenes from the Mexican Madness

  With apologies to Orange County Register sports genius Randy Youngman, notes, quotes and observations from my first book signing at Librería Martínez last Thursday: *Fliers for the event promised free tequila for adults courtesy of SanTana-based La Tequilera, but some pendeja called the city to complain about this--nevermind that no temporary liquor license is required if you give away booze for gratis. Not only that, but said woman berated Mr. Martinez for hosting me in the first

  May 6, 2007

• Gustavo Pulls Up to Haruki Murakami, Stuart Woods

  Ponder this: Just behind world-famous authors Haruki Murakami and Stuart Woods and ahead of nonfiction giants Greg Palast and John Stossel is OC Weekly's own Gustavo Arellano. Yesterday, Scribner published Gustavo's Ask a Mexican, and a mere day later, Amazon.com is ranking the book No. 81 in nationwide sales for new releases. The book has grabbed national and international attention. How do I know? Beacuse Gustavo's voice is, well, loud—he literally crawls under his desk to do phone int

  May 2, 2007

• Libreria Martinez--Closing :-( ?

  *Updated with new info on the bottom... You know we live in dark times when a Macarthur Genius-winning mensch like Rueben Martinez has to close his legendary Libreria Martinez, the country's premier Latino-themed bookstore visited by every author from the legendary (Carlos Fuentes) to the terrible (yours truly). Am about to board a flight to Kansas City, so much more to come. Just two thoughts for y'all: hey, Santa Ana Mayor Papi Pulido: instead of allocating $1 million for a FREAKING ANTEATER

  April 23, 2008

• Oscar de la Hoya=Vendido

  I never thought East LA boxer Oscar de la Hoya was a sellout like so many other wabs—not after he beat Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez, not after he recorded a fruity music album, not after he supposedly wore fishnet stockings, not after his career as a pugilist proved more unfulfilled promise than actual accomplishments (forget the various world titles—the guy's boxing style is softer than pudding). But now, after all these years defending the poor sap, the guy can go to la fregada. This

  June 16, 2008

• Orange County: A Personal History Signing Set For Sept. 18 at the Yost Theater

  When I had my first book signing for ¡Ask a Mexican! at Librería Martinez last year, more than 300 people showed up, and many more were turned away because we crammed the store like illegals in a Chevy trunk. Let's hope as many people show up, if not more, on Sept. 18. That's when I have my first Orange County book signing for my new book, Orange County: A Personal History, my take on our crazy county and my retelling of my family's four-generation zacatecano invasion of Anaheim. Instead of ho

  August 24, 2008

• First OC Book Signing for Orange County: A Personal History Mucho Success

  With apologies to Orange County Register sports genius Randy Youngman, notes, quotes and observations from my Sept. 18 book signing at the Yost Theater for my new book, Orange County: A Personal History: *About 500 people showed up to hear my lecture! About 500! I add the qualifier because the Yost's bottom shell seats 500--there were empty seats, but not many, and there were also a lot of people standing in the lobby or in the aisles. Gracias to everyone who attended; to everyone else, you mis

  September 20, 2008

• OC Faux Pas of the Millennium!!!

  Setting: West Hollywood Book Fair, 'round noon, Librería Martínez booth. Protagonists: Me, Librería Martinez volunteer Jess Baudillo, and a gaggle of gals from the Mission VIejo Public Library. Scene: They had just invited me to speak at some author's festival they're proposing for next year. I, having a new book to hawk, graciously accepted. I told them I had a successful book signing a couple of weeks ago sponsored through Librería Martínez. Silence. "You've never heard of Librería M

  September 30, 2008

• Libreria Martinez Not Closing, But Moving :-)

  One good bit of news to report in this young year: Librería Martinez, the main stomping grounds for Macarthur Genius-winning barber-turned-bookstore owner Reuben Martinez isn't closing as previously feared, but moving next door from their current location. Over the New Year's Day weekend, Martinez wrote to customers in a mass e-mail that the store will reopen February 1 at 1200 N. Main St., Ste. D, with the same hours and phone number (714-973-7900) as the old store."Thank you all , and rest as

  January 5, 2009

• Ain't Dead Yet

  October 2, 2008

• Shop on Main Street

  October 2, 2008

• Si, Se Puede

  September 18, 2008

• This Is Your Life: A Companion Guide/Shameless Propaganda for 'Orange County: A Personal History'

  September 11, 2008

• [¡Ask a Mexican!®] Mexicans. Assimilation. Believe It

  May 1, 2008

• Rueben Martinez's Librería Martinez Close to Closing Para Siempre

  May 1, 2008

• [¡Ask a Mexican!®] Special Paperback Edition

  April 24, 2008

• A CLOCKWORK NARANJA

  August 11, 2005

• Almost Famoso

  May 3, 2007

• [Summer Guide] Reuben Martinez of the Relocated Librería Martinez Offers His Top 10 Summer Reads

  June 4, 2009

• !Ask a Mexican!

  Special book edicion

  April 26, 2007

• Poem for Leibniz

  October 19, 2006

• Art

  January 12, 2006

• !Caliente! !Caliente! !Caliente!

  June 30, 2005

• Of National Politics

  June 2, 2005

• Genius in Our Midst

  September 30, 2004

• Best Entertainment, Nightlife and Music

  October 30, 2003

• Scorecard

  July 3, 2003

• L

  October 24, 2002

• Barrio Writers to Present at Librería Martinez This Sunday

  Who says good things don't happen in SanTana? Mostly me, but I praise when need be, and much love toward a great event this Sunday at world-famous Librería Martínez. Over the summer, the bookstore hosted Barrio Writers, a group of about 30 local high schoolers who kept journals ala the Freedom Writers of Long Beach fame. Mentoring them along the way was local author Sara Rafael Garcia, author of the acclaimed Las Niñas, which details her recollections of growing up in SanTana during the early

  August 20, 2009