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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
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
Strange rumblings are emanating from downtown SanTana, where the perpetually squabbling merchants of Fourth Street seem to be sobering up to the reality that a new wave of invading immigrants--hipsters, artists, and young professionals with disposable incomes--is nibbling away at their bit of the most Mexican city in America. The long-dormant Yost Theater--for decades the center of entertainment life for Latinos in Orange County--is getting readied to become a multipurpose theater that boosters
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
