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Morton Marcus: Good evening everybody, this is The Poetry Show and this is your host Morton Marcus, and tonight we have got a special group of Chicana poets, who will be giving a reading on the 16th of this month down in Watsonville,

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and will be introduced and talked about- the whole event will be talked about in fact by Elba Sánchez. Elba welcome once again to The Poetry Show. Elba Sanchez: Thank you, Morton. I just want to correct you, it's

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not the 16th, it's Saturday, the 13th of October. And you're right it starts at seven o'clock Morton Marcus: Right Elba Sanchez: At La Manzana, which is at 521 Main Street in

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Watsonville. And I want to thank you very much for having us come here tonight. We have with us three different poets besides myself, Marcia Rincon-Gallardo, Maria Perez, and Maribel Cuervo. And Maribel and Marcia, and Maria are all presently living

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in Watsonville. This is their community and as you know, and other people might know, I'm living here in Santa Cruz. Morton Marcus: Well, it is great to have you on the show again and I know there are other people who are supposed to be

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here and are not here right now. So why don't you tell us some how this reading came about and then we will get into talking with who is the poet who was here. Elba Sanchez: Okay. This reading came about - it's co-sponsored

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by El Andar, which is the bilingual newspaper in Watsonville; this station KUSP, which once again is supporting the arts and poets and the written word; Matrix, The Women's News Magazine; and the Santa Cruz Monterey Chapter O-

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Local Seven of The National Writers Union. And this is in coordination with The National Writers Union multi-city, coast to coast readings, and they're having readings the week of October the 13th, readings for free speech, for freedom, and

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for unfettered refunding of the NEA. So this is one of the events that The National Writers Union has sponsored and all of the other newspapers that we talked about. And this is a chance for Chicana poets- for Latina poets to share some of

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their work, and hopefully to inspire, and to get other people involved in writing, and then working as a community of writers. We have many, many writers and artists here in the- in Santa Cruz County.

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Morton Marcus: And who is the poet who is sitting to your left? Elba Sanchez: To my left is Maribel Cuervo, I can have her tell you a little bit about herself.

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Morton Marcus: Okay Maribelle? Maribel Cuervo: Maribel Morton Marcus: Maribel- Are you from Watsonville? Maribel Cuervo: No, I'm originally from Mexico City.

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Morton Marcus: And how long have you been here? Maribel Cuervo: I'm been here for about two years. Morton Marcus: Okay. Maribel Cuervo: Living in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and right

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now I live in Watsonville. Morton Marcus: Ah, great. Are you going to school down here? Maribel Cuervo: Yeah, I'm a student of Cabrillo College. Morton Marcus: Great place.

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Maribel Cuervo: Yes, really good school. And I'm working in the community of Santa Cruz with the Santa Cruz Women's Health Center as a volunteer. This was what I'm doing now.

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Morton Marcus: Well, we will be hearing from you on the 13th. But right now, so the people out there will be interested in coming, why don't you read us a poem or two, and we will come back to you also.

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Maribel Cuervo: Okay, I want to start with one of the most recent poems that I wrote. Actually, I wrote it in English and Spanish, but I want to read in Spanish tonight because I think it's primarily my first language and I think it is the

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best way to [unidentified] so the name of the poem is: OTRA VEZ, it's called ONCE AGAIN Otra vez, bajo de [unidentified] de luna, rica y de pasión y nostalgia en una noche que es pones su certeza. Otra vez, an

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llorando, llorando, el calor de una caricia, el dulce sabor de una esencia. Otra vez, creando realidade de suspiro, y reteniendo del amor que desborda, el irresistible ritmo vital. rimo de la vid. Otra vez del amor enamorado, la poseído

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pasión, de y este arte del ritual y la magia. Morton Marcus: Are you going to read mostly in Spanish on the 13th? Or will it be half and half? Maribel Cuervo: I have a some of the bilingual staff, but I won't

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be able to read in- trying tonight because I am reserving for the night. But I have a- yes I have a bilingual- Morton Marcus: Would you like me or Elba to possibly read one or two of the translations of these poems?

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Maribel Cuervo: Sure! Morton Marcus: I know you're not feeling too well. In fact, it's very nice that you've come out tonight. But I'm sure your voices sound much more melodious than mine.

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Elba Sanchez: This is the poem that Maribel just wrote and the title in English is: ONCE AGAIN Once again on the desire of a moon, rich in passion and

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nostalgia in a night that exposes her certainty. Once again, scratching and yearning, the warmth of a caress, the sweet flavor of an essence. Once again, creating reality between sighs, retaining love that overflows, the irresistible

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vital rhythm. Once again, enamored of love, possessed of passion, and this art of ritual and magic. Morton Marcus: Did you do the translation yourself? Maribel Cuervo: Well, actually I'm working on the stuff in the-

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in the Cabrillo- Cabrillo class. Morton Marcus: Which class is this? Maribel Cuervo: It‘s a- I‘m taking an ESL, English as a Second Language. And I'm doing this work in the lab.

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Morton Marcus: Oh, that's great. Who is your teacher? Maribel Cuervo: My teacher is Laura Morton Marcus: Laura, I should know her last name. Maribel Cuervo: I think you know her.

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Morton Marcus: Laura. Okay. Maribel Cuervo: Yeah. I'm sorry, Laura. Forgot your last name- Morton Marcus: I'll think about it within the next five minutes or so. Why don't you read us another one, please. And your

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last name is Maribel Cuerba? Cuervo Maribel Cuervo: Cuervo, yes. Well, I'm gonna read another- a short one, because I want the rest of these people to read

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also. And I wrote this poem when I just came to the States and I was living in San Francisco and it's called: EN LA NOCHE, IN THE NIGHT Fugas en quento de amantes que se pierden, se illuyen. La vez

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levante clavida sen fin de Antoine. Irrantine se requierdo, con un beso, raza de almas, [unidentified] de un estandarte todo de la [unidentified] que esta noche lo se para. Morton Marcus: Very nice and you have a translation for that?

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Maribel Cuervo: Unfortunately no. Morton Marcus: Well, after hearing the first one, I agree, unfortunately. Because the first one was beautiful and sounded like a very good translation. Does it sound that way to you?

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Elba Sanchez: Very much so. Morton Marcus: Very nice. That's great. Good old Cabrillo. Good thing to do in an ESL class, translate your own poem. It's great, wonderful. All right, let's move on, we will be back

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to you, so prepare other poems. Elba, who's next? Elba Sanchez: Okay. We also have Marcia Rincon-Gallardo. And she has read before, I believe last year we did a poetry reading for El Andar, it was a benefit for El Andar at La Manzana. And

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Marcia's work has been published in different anthologies. A couple of her poems have been published in Revista Mujeres, which is the publication that I am co-editor of. at the University of Santa Cruz, California. And we're presently

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working on a poetry anthology, which we hope to put out before January. And this is the poetry anthology that is also including the work of Chicanas and Latinas, many, many of them locally. So we're publishing several more of Marcia‘s poems

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in that anthology, so I'd like to introduce Marcia Morton Marcus: Welcome, Marcia. Um, where are you from originally? Obviously not Watsonville, or now are you gonna say yes, I am from Watsonville.

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Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: Well, I live presently in Watsonville and have so for the past six years. I'm originally from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, and I grew up in Southeast LA in a town by the name of La Puente utill the age

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of 17. So I've been up and down the state, you could say. Morton Marcus: It's interesting between you and Mari. To me- Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: Maribel Morton Marcus: What goes on is is the struggle of language

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here, to keep, you know, the Spanish, to keep the language that you dream in. And then to come over to another country and a battle you fought, I'm sure are still fighting -- Elba, that you're still fighting -- everyone here, is how do you

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keep the culture? How do you keep the language and everything that it has come to represent down thousands of years, and have this roller coaster of English, this everyday world you live in, you know, how do you make them react together? And I

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think this is one of the really exciting tensions that's going on in Chicano in Chicano poetry. And so we get you and Marie here and you can see the tensions on two different levels, you know, really fascinating. And Mari just not even wanting to go into

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English, let's say for our first two poems and translating out of, so it will be very interesting to see how you have united both languages. Alright, and so let's hear something from Ma- Marcia Rincon-Gallardo.

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Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: Okay. The title of this poem is: RITUAL TO EL SOL Winter at 7:30, el sol esta llamando, the sun is calling, making way through corridors, a glimpse of rays silently request

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attention, stretched across the land face up, eyes to the sun, the soul reveals the inner circle, accepting the rush, the wave of stimulating chills entering every pore with soothing warmth. There is silence and the spirits

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surrender to healing light, smoothing lines made wrinkles, shedding burdens for each shoulder, cleansing bodies and souls. Quiet, tranquil moments of praise to the four corners, unmasked profound respect to the forces of natural powers that

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allow for heat against curves left cold to the winter, providing shades of color on breast, nipples, and thighs, freeing suffocated curves under layers of interlock threads. Ultimately infusing energy for the visions and actions that

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must take place. Winter at 7:30, el sol esta llamanda, the sun is calling. Morton Marcus: Very lovely Elba Sanchez: I think that one of the things that you‘ll find

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is, you say- is that there- I don't know if I call it so much a tention, I guess it is a tension of sorts between the the use of Spanish and English. And I think that for all of us who were lucky enough to have grown up in in Mexico and- or in a

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Latin American country and where Spanish is our first language there is a real struggle to maintain that because that is, as you say, how our dreams come, that is the language that we dream in, that where we have our initial first words and our

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first expression of ideas, and I think we all feel- I mean I can speak for myself, many times when I'm writing poetry, my poetry- major part of my poetry is in Spanish and- and then I translate it or have someone translate it for me into

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English. And I find, maybe Maribel, and Maria, and Marcia can talk about this, but I find sometimes a translation very frustrating because it doesn't quite touch the right nerves that the Spanish does for me. And that is the language that

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you know, I can fight in, I can express anger, and I can yell and scream and shout in, and I can also be very tender with or or sensual, or very much in tune with nature, the world around me. So I don't know how you- how you see that Marcia our Maribel,

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if you feel the same way. Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: I think it's true. I think I've struggled definitely over -my first poems all would come out in Spanish and at no point did I ever even think about

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translating them. And at this point, I still don't have it close to my heart to wanting to translate some of those early poems. Although at this point in writing poetry, I've realized that it excludes certain people from being able to appreciate

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the poetry that I write, and so it's been definitely a process of evolution, personal evolution to write bilingually. And- and when I write bilingually, there's certain words that I still can't translate, but that have its meaning for being in

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Spanish. So I think we all struggle with it. I think, Francisco Alarcón has an excellent poem about how he wakes up in the morning and sometimes he wants to only write in Spanish, and how he wakes up another morning and only wants

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to write in English, and I think we all go through that. The bilingualism that in many ways we're forced to have to do here in this country is very strong in all of us. Morton Marcus: But you also hit on the fact that you would

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exclude without the translations a lot of times those people who would want to understand the poetry, and want to live it as closely as they could; even though they won't be able to get to the Spanish, at least, through translation, you'll be

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able to reach them, and they'll be able to share in this efflorescence that's going on, and that seems to be very important. Elba Sanchez: And I think that [crosstalk] oh sorry, Marci-, I

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think that our reality is, is a bicultural one and so we come to terms with both cultures, you know, we have to come to terms with both cultures every day. And so- and so having to do that and wanting to have other people hear our anger, or have other

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people hear our joy, or our frustration, or the things that we're experiencing every day forces us in many ways, you know, to do that, to do- to direct poems in Spanish and in English, because we are a bi- a bicultural society really.

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Morton Marcus: Well, you know that many people and I don't know whether it's Anglo poets or what, but they have named the language and they call it Spanglish, which is the combination of Spanish and English, which has, in many ways

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been fostered by Chicano poets for the last 20-25 years. Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: I would also like to put a call out that- that when this poetry is read that it challenged people to wanting to learn that one word that stuck out in the poem

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by Elba or by Marcia by Maria or Maribel, and to really investigate it and say, "Hmm, I wonder what that meant," to be able to put the whole piece of the poem together. So that it not only be our responsibility to translate our works, but also

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that it'd be the responsibility of those others who don't speak Spanish to try to learn it. And so I- you know, I put that call out. Morton Marcus: I think that's a great call. I love English,

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obviously, and have been raised on it, though my roots are not Anglo at all. But what interests me, and when I feel such great envy for you, see, is that you people can switch into this other language to see it- this is the other side, which is so

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beautiful and has such power, you know. I mean, just to hear someone read in Spanish, I don't even have to understand it, that sounds terribly gauche. But the truth of the matter is that I've been in love with Spanish as a language for years and years and

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years. And so I envy Francisco or Elba when suddenly they can turn a friend- a Spanish phrase or a whole 2 or 3- 4 lines, just dammit, I can't do that. So, but yes, learn the Spanish, a great language, tremendous energy, which reinvigorates our rather

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bloodless English. I mean, the temperaments are so different, and the way that it even sounds are so different. Let's- let's hear another poem. Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: Okay, this one is called

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HOME Anxiously awaiting to arrive, a place, mi casa, snake- safe, snug, and known. Retridado del mundo afuera, a conscious effort of things female, womanist, revolutionary statements,

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surrounded by life, lived in, very much alive, remnants of a large, scattered scrapbook, hand-me-downs from the past. Morton Marcus: Let us go on, we will introduce the third of our poets and I will ask her- her name is what? Why don't you

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introduce her? Elba Sanchez: Okay, this is Maria Perez and she's also living and working in Watsonville right now. Maria, why don't you tell people something about yourself?

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Morton Marcus: And Maria you've got to speak directly into the front of that. Maria Perez: Okay Morton Marcus: Very close. Okay, I'll tell you whether you're on.

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Go on. Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: Yo estory en linea, okay, right now? Okay. Well I'm- right now I'm living in Watsonville and I work in a domestic violence program doing some social work

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for- providing services for women who are affected for this social problem, and I have been living in Watsonville since 1986, and that's what I do right now. Morton Marcus: Okay. It is obvious, and I've known several

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people here that- commitment, social and political commitments are very, very large part of all of your lives and that is something certainly, that Anglo poets [inidentified] who have problems with getting, let's say politics into poetry and things

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like that, and how our politics really a part of their life. And this commitment is- with all of you, because I've seen you down at El Andar, down in Watsonville. So if you would, Marcia-

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Maria Perez: Maria Morton Marcus: Maria. Maria Perez: Yeah. Morton Marcus: Would you like to read one of your poems for us?

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Maria Perez: Okay. This is one of the poems that I have write down to a woman because I'm a lesbian and so I do poems obviously love poems to the woman. So but it's it's- it doesn't have a name, It's just a woman talking to another woman.

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Let's see how it sounds in Spanish. My primary language I have to clarify that is Spanish. Morton Marcus: Well, I should have asked you also, obviously it sounds like you are from Mexico, too.

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Maria Perez: Yeah, I'm from Mexico. Morton Marcus: And how long have you been in the country? Maria Perez: I say that I am started living in this era in 1986

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Morton Marcus: I see and you came directly from Mexico. Maria Perez: Yes. Morton Marcus: Okay, great. Maria Perez: Yeah.

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MUJE, tu no sabes tocar me pier, tu pier, tu no sabes sentirme como sientes, tu no sabes amarme, yo te amo, soy mujer. Morton Marcus: Okay. Do you have a translation? Maria Perez: I can try to translate it right now, but I

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don't know- I don't have it. Morton Marcus: Okay. Well, I don't want to put you on the spot. Maria Perez: No

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Morton Marcus: Elda could you translate it really quickly? I Elba Sanchez: I have to go- listen to- maybe she can give us understood most. a synopsis of the poem.

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Maria Perez: Yeah, is it says it‘s something about- well, I'm gonna try to translate it, but it's not gonna sound really poetic. Morton Marcus: It‘s not going to be poetry

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Maria Perez: Yeah, it's: Woman, you don't know, touch my skin with your- yours. You don't know how to feel me in the way that you feel. You don't know love me. I love you. I‘m a woman. Morton Marcus: Very nice.

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Okay, um, let's have another one and we've got a lot of time. So we will be back around and we will be getting around at least two or three more poems from each person. Maria Perez: This poem was writing down- obviously, I write

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down everything I have an opportunity to think of poetry. Sometimes I don't have time, sometimes I use cash a piece of paper wherever I am, and I use write down my thoughts and some poems used to stick like that and never- never get fixed, or

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whatever. Some of them don't, don't, I do. So this is called: SUSPIROS Extraño una mirada de tu da de tus ojos claros, un bes son un corado por tos labios quiertos. Andanzas mudas, esperanzas

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muerta, muchas nuda ilusiones [inidentified] frases de amor callada como floral de soja, suave viento suspiro siento. Morton Marcus: I'm not gonna ask you to translate that. It's gonna be a little more difficult than-

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Yeah, it's kind of difficult Elba, do you happen to have any poems? Morton Marcus: I didn‘t know whether you're gonna bring in any. Elba Sanchez, who I have assumed everyone knows out

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Elba Sanchez: Mhm. there, teaches Spanish literature at the University, is really one of the fine poets who is in the area, and we've bee delighted to have on the sho around two other times. We'l

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have many more time Elba Sanchez: Third time. Actually, I teach for the Spanish for Spanish Speakers Program, and one of the things that I do is very close to my heart, which is- which is what

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we're talking about right now. I teach Spanish to Chicanos and Latinos, students who have spoken it but never studied it formally, so that it becomes a way for them to express their ideas in written as well as more confident with their verbal

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form, so that is what I do. And you know, some of the things that include- it includes Chicano literature, and it includes poetry, and short story, and socio-political readings, and history. So it's a little bit of everything. Yeah,

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just to clarify that. Thank you. Morton Marcus: And you will be reading in the reading on the 16th? Elba Sanchez: Yes, I am the M-

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Morton Marcus: The 13th Elba Sanchez: The 13th. You must have a big date on the 16th Morton. Morton Marcus: My wife's [inaudible].

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Elba Sanchez: Okay, sorry. Yeah, the 13th, I'm going to be the MC and I will also be some of my- be reading some of my poetry. And by the way, I'd like to tell people that two of the other poets who will be there on Saturday are Simona Siceros(?),

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who is also an artist and Carmen Morones, who is a short story writer, as well as a as a poet, and whose work has been published in different anthologies. This first poem that I'm going to write is called ‘’Lizard‘’. And it's a

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poem that I wrote originally in Spanish first. But I translated into English because I felt that we all of us have this kind of lizard in our person. And I wrote it thinking about myself, trying to liberate myself as a woman, and trying to see myself,

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I guess, as a lizard of sorts, who is not afraid to deal with herself. And I think we all have that sense of liberty of ourselves and acceptance of who we are with all our mistakes. And so this is my:

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LIZARD Here I am, contented lizard. I spend my days belly to the sun, stretching out without fearing the darker of my imperfections. I am who I am. I awoke from a long dream, ate the spider webs

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that entangled my eyelashes, blindfolding me, I do not eat flies anymore, nor am I cold blooded. I am my own midwife showing off scales of earth and copper from head to tail. I give birth to myself.

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Morton Marcus: Now, though, you said you translated that, obviously you bring it into English, but then you try to use English to the best of your ability, you try to make it a poem in English, because I- If you had told me that, you know,

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you had not written it in Spanish, I would have never guessed it. Do you- do you happen to have the Spanish too, or did that-? Elba Sanchez: Yes. No, I do have the Spanish.

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Morton Marcus: Would you like to read it? Elba Sanchez: I'd love to read it. LAGARTIJA Aquí me bes la lagartija contenta. Me paso mis días panza

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al sol, cuerpes tendió sin miedo a oscuro des mis imperfecciones. Soy quien soy, desperté de un largo sueño, me comí las telarañas que enredaban mis pestañas, vendándome los ojos, ahora ya no como ya no como moscas, ni soy de sangre fría.

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Yo misma, mi propia partera mostrania escama de cobre de [unidentified], de cabeza cola me doy a luz. Morton Marcus: And what a difference. Elba Sanchez: That's where my people always tell me, that when

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I read in Spanish, I tend to read with more feeling and I guess that's how it- how it is with some of the poems. Morton Marcus: That the music is there. I mean, in all your voices, the music is, is there. It's just the example I love to

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give is, how can you translate or even talk about the difference between cinco de la tarde and five o'clock in the afternoon? I mean, just- you can- you get the meaning but the music is just not there. And when it is chanted again and

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again that is it as it is in that Lorca poem, it's just impossible. Well I'm going to send this up for grabs, anyone want to read one poem, and then we will be off for our musical break. One short poem?

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Maria Perez: I can do that. Morton Marcus: Okay. And we're now going to hear once more from Maria Perez. Maria Perez: This is one of my first poems writing down

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directly in English. Elba Sanchez: Oh good Morton Marcus: Great, that's wonderful. Maria Perez: One of the first ones. I only have like two or

00:27:20.680 - 00:27:40.390

three, maybe two, actually. It's called: RETROSPECTIVE. Looking for love, I found me. Looking for someone, I found you. Looking for life, I found us.

00:28:58.210 - 00:29:17.300

Unknown: [Music] Morton Marcus: And we are talking this evening with the beautiful music behind us. Mercedes Sosa, isn't it? Isabel Elba Sanchez: No perdon, Violeta Parra

00:29:14.440 - 00:29:33.820

Parra? Morton Marcus: We are speaking with 1,2,3,4 Chicana poets, who will be four of the six poets who will be reading on the 13th of October at La Manzana. And we're going to talk with again

00:29:33.850 - 00:29:50.860

Elba Sanchez, who is also going to be our first reader for this period of the show. Elba, tell us again about this reading. Elba Sanchez: Well, this reading is in coordination with The National Writers Union. They're doing reading- poetry readings

00:29:50.860 - 00:30:06.790

in several cities across the United States. And this particular reading, this is for the week of October 13, beginning of the week of October 13, this particular reading in Watsonville is being held at La Manzana, which is at 521 Main

00:30:06.790 - 00:30:25.960

Street in Watsonville, and it's being co-sponsored by El Andar, by Matrix, by KUSP, and by the Santa Cruz, Monterey, Local Seven of The National Writers Union. So we hope everybody will come out and and listen to the poetry. I think it promises to

00:30:25.960 - 00:30:38.980

be a very exciting and a very bicultural, very bilingual kind of affair. Morton Marcus: I was just looking in the book and the way it is advertised here is: "Six voices that Jesse Helms doesn't

00:30:38.980 - 00:30:56.650

want to hear." That's a very good way to put it. It's especially in this time, we've talked about this before, in fact the last time you were here, of increased censorship and bottling up the arts. It's good to have this as part of it,

00:30:56.650 - 00:31:08.860

and of course a big victory in Cincinnati for the arts when the Mapplethorpe photographs were declared not obscene, possibly unpleasant, but not obscene. And there is a difference, folks. Elba Sanchez: Big difference.

00:31:08.890 - 00:31:18.150

Morton Marcus: Yup. Okay, Elba always a delight to hear you and I'm sure the people out there, why don't you read us some more poems? Elba Sanchez: Okay, this poem I'm going to read in Spanish and

00:31:18.150 - 00:31:32.040

only in Spanish but by the time people get La Manzana on Saturday, I should have it translated into English. So this is an invitation in- kind of a little fish hook to have you come out and listen to this poem in English. I was in a- recently

00:31:32.070 - 00:31:49.260

performed in a- in a play that was written on Frida Kahlo by Claire Braz-Valentine, who is another very talented poet and playwright here in Santa Cruz. And the play was entitled ‘’When will I Dance?‘’ And out of this play came lots of challenges to

00:31:49.260 - 00:32:05.460

my- for myself as a- as a writer and as a performer. I think that writing and reading poetry is performance, and this poem was written out of inspiration from that show, and I can tell you a little bit about it in English and then I will read it in

00:32:05.460 - 00:32:25.500

Spanish. The title of it is ‘’Espejimo Mujer y Poesía‘’ And espejimo is a mirage of sorts, it's looking at the mirror and seeing a reflection of yourself. And the reflection here is the mujer and the poesía, the poetry and the woman as one, but

00:32:25.500 - 00:32:42.240

looking at itself, in this mirror. And I think many times in the past women have been expected to write a certain kind of poetry, maybe sometimes poetry that is more flowery, maybe poetry that is more romantic, more lacy, more, you

00:32:42.240 - 00:32:54.870

know, acceptable as woman's poetry, and this poem is saying, it's not going to be any one of those things. This poetry is not going to give you the lace and it's not going to give you the flowers, it's going to tell you things as it sees them, the

00:32:54.870 - 00:33:13.060

truths as it sees them. So: ESPEJIMO MUJER Y POESIA Esta novena gala nada vestia de cajes, ni tampoco viene compelos de la lengua. No, esta no llega o nada de florecitas, arroz

00:33:13.060 - 00:33:35.710

[unidentified] rosa. No, Señor, esta bien. Bien [unidentified] puño, piedra, [unidentified] pelo, espuma, reyes tallos, manos, brazos, espinas la cuerte en la lengua. A vezes frases, y los venir flor del naranjo, a veces a roja de neno. Esta, esta

00:33:35.710 - 00:33:49.960

bien y adarte testimonia espresar su delor, abierto a puerto su realidad. Gretando verdades, abrasando fuertamenta su pasion So I promise I will have that translated.

00:33:50.170 - 00:34:03.130

Morton Marcus: Well, I kept up with around a quarter of it. But that's a great idea for a poem and not only semantically but dramatically too. Let me say, and you've heard me say this before, I've seen that play. In fact, my ex-wife was the

00:34:03.130 - 00:34:09.430

director, who you resemble enormously. Did you notice any of that? Did you- Elba Sanchez: No Morton Marcus: No one's ever said that?

00:34:09.610 - 00:34:18.880

Elba Sanchez: No Morton Marcus: I was struck by this immediately, but you were just absolutely wonderful. Is there- Is that play going to be possibly presented again this year? Is there any talk of that?

00:34:19.390 - 00:34:31.780

Elba Sanchez: There isn't any talk, but I'm sure if someone's interested, Claire would be very interested to talk to them. Morton Marcus: It really was just overpowering and so many of the men in the audience, including yours truly, were just

00:34:31.780 - 00:34:38.260

absolutely brought to tears. Elba Sanchez: Yeah Morton Marcus: I mean, it was like, for the first time you really touched a woman's soul and in that scene when you're

00:34:38.260 - 00:34:48.700

sitting on the bed, and both of you touch hands, and the painting comes on in the background, oh, boy, that's just a great moment of theater. But you are wonderful. Elba Sanchez: Thank you. I just want to say that the Cultural

00:34:48.700 - 00:35:01.030

Arts Council of Santa Cruz County did come through with the grant so that the poem would be translated into Spanish. And that was my project for the summer and I have finished the first translation and I'm doing today touch-ups of it. And it

00:35:01.030 - 00:35:12.490

will be available for schools in the area to perform and you know if what- if they want to, at the schools and whatever other local agencies might want to do it in Spanish. Morton Marcus: This is for the Frida Kahlo.

00:35:12.510 - 00:35:25.980

Elba Sanchez: Yeah, this is the Frida Kahlo, it will be translated into Spanish, so I think it will be available or accessible to a much larger audience here in California. Morton Marcus: That's great. Okay, another one, I guess we're

00:35:25.980 - 00:35:41.360

going two, two, two, two, okay. And I think that Maria loses because she has short poems. Elba Sanchez: She has to get longer poems. This poem is called "Urge." And this is a poem that I wrote in English and

00:35:41.360 - 00:35:53.060

in Spanish URGE I have this urge lately to take my shoes off and dig my toes into the cool dark earth. [unidentified] de mis

00:35:53.060 - 00:36:17.480

antepasados pasados, shawl of my ancestors, my toes open wide, and dig deeper. Aquí estoy Madre Tierra, here I am life giver, olor a canta y agua de pozo, who smells of earthenware and well water. Estory hambrienta, I am hungry, Madre Tierra. I have

00:36:17.480 - 00:36:35.970

this hunger lately for grinding Earth between my teeth. Para probar el baron tigo, muerte y la vida, to taste the ancient clay nests of death and life. Morton Marcus: Okay, that was Elba Sanchez, one of four

00:36:35.970 - 00:36:45.280

Chicana poets who are here and we'll be reading at La Mandan- Elba Sanchez: La Manzana Morton Marcus: Which is- what is the address Elba Sanchez: 521 Main

00:36:45.280 - 00:36:57.510

Morton Marcus: 512 Main Street in Watsonville. And if you've never gone down to a reading there, one of the performances- will it be music this time? Are we just reading? Elba Sanchez: No, it will be mostly- all of it is poetry,

00:36:57.930 - 00:37:06.270

mostly it's all poetry Morton Marcus: And it will be in the covered over section right which can be very comfortable and really lends itself to festivities.

00:37:06.940 - 00:37:15.430

Elba Sanchez: The last time we read there it was raining and storming and hailing and we were all in there a very cozy group Morton Marcus: Right in fact, I previewed Elba Sanchez: That's right you were there.

00:37:15.450 - 00:37:22.390

Morton Marcus: Yeah, I previewed my ‘’[unidentified] De La Cruz‘’ poem. Elba Sanchez: That's right. Morton Marcus: Which since then has been really done and

00:37:22.390 - 00:37:36.370

polished and has been read in several places, and people have gone wild over it, I'm gonna show that to you. Anyway, enough of that. We're moving on and we go backwards and we're going to now talk to Maria Perez once more, you see we're going

00:37:36.460 - 00:37:56.000

reverse fashion here. And Maria is going to read us poems. She has been reading a short poem so far, which are very, very pithy and meaningful, very dramatic, though. Maria Perez: Wow. This is one poem that I don't have a

00:37:56.000 - 00:38:24.500

translations, obviously, but I use one- tell you want it says mainly and as kind of summary of that. It is dedicated to those people those woman who are in La Lucha, you know, who are struggling against the political system that oppress poor people,

00:38:25.970 - 00:38:49.820

who oppress, especially those countries that go to- well, I want to clarify is that not only in the field of the-, the- the system permits acting or political activities. I'm talking about more- more of those people or those women who-

00:38:50.060 - 00:39:10.610

who are doing really clandestine, in danger, political war and the- en la lucha. That's it- it's called QUE PAÍS PASA Es miedo que me que de moria de distrara torturada vejada de

00:39:10.940 - 00:39:32.900

dostrada por la lucha por popular levierta ayer. Se mecourpiar de nada, la saber de camarada, [unidentified] involucrada, que quita pasa me da miedo, el delo que se separe para la [unidentified], meda miedo el su piento, que no

00:39:32.900 - 00:40:02.570

apasado pero que quita pasa, quieta sepasa. This is a second poem and it's more kind of a love poem. Also, it is- this- this poem represents most of the oppression that women receive when they love women, love a

00:40:02.570 - 00:40:17.510

woman is itself an oppression, and not only in this country, with many countries, and in my country it's especially, especially difficult to be in love with a woman and to express those feelings not only poetry but in many- in many other ways,

00:40:17.510 - 00:40:38.240

it's very difficult thing even to see a woman with a- with your eyes. So, this is- this poem says something- it says something like- like that, you know, and how difficult is to love a woman and it's dedicated to a to a woman that‘s special.

00:40:39.860 - 00:41:00.100

Once that I was, una de esa veces, you know, one one of those times that I was in love, too many times maybe. Puedo decir que midando de mi piernas en una sueno de amor mudo y secreto. Por que llevo de llarmes de secreas de mirate

00:41:00.100 - 00:41:23.890

menos a los ojos. Por que mi stave dado pronunciate amo pra ti es falsa ferase. Es una falsa. Para ellas, es una [unidentified] lo rado que se siente para todos es un instante de te los cura extáticado para me. Para mi solo es una mas de

00:41:23.890 - 00:41:35.050

mis verdades que decir no puedo. Morton Marcus: You don't have a translation of that I think? Maria Perez: No Morton Marcus: Yes it must be, and when you said, you know,

00:41:35.050 - 00:41:52.870

that identified yourself as a lesbian with the- all of the things that Latino women are doing, Latina [unidentified] one of the most difficult, it seems to me, is to express oneself and break with that very strong male dominated society and to say

00:41:52.870 - 00:42:07.850

that one is free and self. That is certainly the most dangerous expression of it I would think, much, much more so than for an Anglo woman. Elba Sanchez: I think you know, let's see, how do you say that?

00:42:08.060 - 00:42:21.560

I think that it's relative, of course, you know, but I think for more traditional cultures in general, I think women have a certain place, and they are not expected to move out of the frontiers of this place. And I think even within this country,

00:42:21.560 - 00:42:33.770

you know, the women have been able to break many- many barriers, the fact is that women are still very oppressed, and they are expected to stay in their place. And you can see that just in terms of legislation and the kinds of

00:42:33.770 - 00:42:48.230

things that had happened to women in the US the last, you know, 10 years through the Reagan and Bush administration's, how women's rights and women's voices are, you know, being threatened at this point. So yes, I think it's

00:42:48.260 - 00:43:05.030

historically for women in- no matter where they are, the fact that they are willing to defy, the fact that they are willing to define themselves and speak for themselves becomes a threat to the dominant male culture, it's a patriarchy on a worldwide

00:43:05.960 - 00:43:19.610

level. And I think that that conflict has been there and will continue to be there until women are given the recognition and the respect. Maria Perez: But Latina woman how- I mean, I decided to

00:43:19.610 - 00:43:36.860

become- I don't define myself to start with with being a lesbian, but I do run out for political reasons, obviously, because I want to get people from our community, and I'm talking about the gay community, to get a voice, you know, and break the

00:43:36.860 - 00:43:54.410

silence practically because we need to break the silence and we have to come up out of the closet and all the labels that we can- And obviously I respect all the labels or where women are, but especially lesbians are and how they define themselves,

00:43:54.650 - 00:44:10.190

but I would like to invite them to to come out of- out of the closet, you know, to come out of the closet, and engage, get their voices, hear from people, for people, you know, people need to know- to know about us.

00:44:10.000 - 00:44:20.680

Morton Marcus: Well, a good way to do all of this, of course, is to come out and hear your poetry, Saturday, that's the thing. That's the kind of support and sharing of communication that is all important. Well, we are ready to

00:44:20.680 - 00:44:36.160

move on to Marcia Rincon-Rallardo Marcia Rincon-Gallardo: Gallado There you go. And speaking our minds is something that's very important, definitely in the way that I've written poetry over

00:44:36.160 - 00:44:56.410

the years. And recently, I wrote a poem about abortions that I will be reading on Saturday, which I'm very scared about reading because there's still a lot of compañeras who are against abortion. But I do it for the same reasons that Elba

00:44:56.410 - 00:45:12.820

was speaking and Maria- that speaking our minds and doing things to be in solidarity with those of us who do have to go through those decision making processes is very important to validate all the life cycles that we go through. And so I

00:45:12.820 - 00:45:25.960

will be presenting some of that work that I've been doing recently. And I hope that you will all come and hear. This poem is called: IM LEAVING MY CHILDHOOD [unidentified]

00:45:28.330 - 00:45:50.740

Between 11 and 13, at the time of the regla, and anxiety over acne, a child's heart stopped. Unfortunately, no one knew nor understood why. La vida was just overwhelming, daydreams of playing, riding bikes, and going to the hideout on bumpy road,

00:45:51.070 - 00:46:09.700

were broken by [unidentified], taking care of the little one, and staying at home, inside. One could count on the imaginary audience to come through, yeah, you know, the one that looked down from above, the one that filmed, went away, visits to

00:46:09.700 - 00:46:30.760

nowhere, and who eventually motivated torn souls to heal, drying the rivers of tears. Mhm. Between 11 and 13, almost overnight, a child became a woman, maybe sooner than her time, and really, too late to change.

00:46:33.970 - 00:46:56.320

The next poem is sort- sort of a love poem in the sense that I think my love poems tend to be in- in verification or validity of long distance relationships. I think that in many people of colors, culture, we've had to say goodbye to loved ones,

00:46:56.320 - 00:47:15.580

particularly our lovers and our wives and husbands due to the mobility of labor, the labor force, and so, most of my poetry- love poems tend to be for long-distance, the yearning of that person that is very far away. And this one's called:

00:47:16.000 - 00:47:34.600

THINKING ABOUT YOU Been days of wanting to write a letter, knowing it will go nowhere, for lack of where to send it. Been days of convincing myself to write, even a poem meant to engulf the endless days

00:47:34.600 - 00:47:55.660

of missing you. Been days of remembering you, holding on to the clouding version of details to your face. Been days of desire to hear your voice over millions of miles conveying pleasing messages of affection. Been days of dreaming, leaping,

00:47:55.780 - 00:48:16.630

and flying to romantic conclusions, leaving behind dreams in the midst. Been days of daily routine, maintaining life and carrying on, finding momentary interruptions with thoughts of you. Been days of thinking about us, closing my

00:48:16.630 - 00:48:37.180

eyes, wishing on the spirits for a lifetime relationship with you, and sitting here at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, I only think of life, making love here on the sand with the ocean breeze and warm waves of salty water crushing against our naked

00:48:37.180 - 00:48:57.550

bodies. And then I asked myself, why do I spend time thinking about you? Morton Marcus: And we are now going to go back to the first poet as we make our circle and she has been looking anxiously

00:48:57.550 - 00:49:20.050

at the clock. She thought I missed that! Maribel Cuervo, we- you're on. Maribel Cuervo: Thank you. Well, I was still reading in Spanish. I think we have enough of English right now. And so this

00:49:20.050 - 00:49:42.100

is the poem called UN DIA DE MAR SIN SOL, A DAY AT THE OCEAN WITHOUT SUN Perpleja sigo viendo el mar sin maquina de su todo, contemplando su la [unidentified]. Lores respirado por mis poros insierta

00:49:42.460 - 00:50:03.250

[unidentified] claro de todas existencia. algos so respira sientas su cuerpo y probos su frescuro sabor asalito en un [unidentified] perpleja, seguir en su [unidentified] de la [unidentified]. en gritades su sola descrites historia sobre

00:50:03.250 - 00:50:22.710

[unidentified] And the next one, I wrote this one recently, I was in Mexico, I went to Mexico this summer and I spent some time with my family. And I have a chance to travel with my brother and- and get in

00:50:22.710 - 00:50:46.260

touch with the people, with my people, with the Pueblo, traveling a train, and be[ing] there just makes me feel, and makes me remind my- my roots. I have- I have a [unidentified] my people always, but this is an image that I- I get from them

00:50:46.320 - 00:51:02.110

and I wrote down in the train, and it's called: VIAJANDO, TRAVELING El duernos se dedeo de gentes sin retorno, sin venir, [unidentified], pasado de suerto en letrvensido marcha

00:51:02.500 - 00:51:15.370

[unidentified] tren sin procedence. cual queno jugares muy buen estilo, para al cansador viajero [unidentified] flexible de [unidentified] tournament por los [unidentified] de su mente, de sur muerte.

00:51:21.010 - 00:51:26.890

The last one, I don‘t know, I don't think that I have time but um, well Morton Marcus: You do. Maribel Cuervo: Yeah

00:51:26.890 - 00:51:42.420

Morton Marcus: You do, Go. Maribel Cuervo: Okay. This is one of my first poems that I wrote three- out of three- actually three years ago. And I grew up in the city and this monstrous city that is Mexico

00:51:42.810 - 00:52:02.820

and then- well that makes me inspired to many things and the one of the reasons that I started to write was for the city. I was writing for the city and everyday I- I went to school, I went to college, and I traveled in the Metro, and

00:52:04.140 - 00:52:29.410

across the whole city, and the metro seems like it was my- my third home. And then this is one- one of the points that I wrote down there from- from all this structure and it's called: ESTACIÓN TRAS ESTACIÓN, a station, tra-

00:52:30.580 - 00:52:44.260

Elba Sanchez: After station Maribel Cuervo: STATION AFTER STATION, thank you Estación tras estación, casi bierdio el universal se rompe, el los [unidentified] de gente automatica, que hablas solas con

00:52:44.260 - 00:53:06.640

su tecnologia sobra lo reales, desda sociedad su tirania. quisa solo son reflejo desda gana de [unidentified] cielo y sol. Y el mar que nunca se cansa de llevar su rido, en finito la tido de que no [unidentified], necessito crear que sol y verdad, para

00:53:06.640 - 00:53:24.880

saber councio estacióntras estación. Morton Marcus: Thank you very much, that was a Maribel Cuervo, and we have heard- and the MC was Elba Sanchez, we've also heard right before that from Marcia Rincon-Gallardo, and

00:53:24.880 - 00:53:44.740

before that from Maria Perez, and this is for- these are four of the Chicana poets, who will be reading in one of many coast to coast readings on October 13, for free speech, and they will be reading at La Manzana in Watsonville at 7:30. Is that

00:53:44.740 - 00:53:53.240

correct Elba? Seven-thirty? Elba Sanchez: It starts at seven, actually. Morton Marcus: At seven. And, again, this is on Main Street is 512. Main Street-

00:53:53.270 - 00:54:02.480

Elba Sanchez: 521, five two one, Main Street. Morton Marcus: And I thank you all very, very much. Elba Sanchez: Thank you, Morton. Morton Marcus: An absolute delight. Let me say to the

00:54:02.550 - 00:54:18.170

people out there that Al Young will be talking about Jazz at 8pm on October 12, that is this Friday, the night before the Chicana reading in Watsonville, I urge you to be there. I also, if UCSC is listening, have received no word on Marvin

00:54:18.230 - 00:54:34.500

Bell's reading, which is going to happen between four and 6 pm next Wednesday, but I don't know whether it's the Provost House at Kresge or Porter, but he will be making a lightning-like reading here in Santa Cruz. And then the next night will be in

00:54:34.570 - 00:54:50.380

San Jose, and I don't have any announcement on that either. But this is the first time Marvin Bell's been out here in more than a decade. Oh, yes, I've got one more thing to say. And this is really important. Tomorrow night, Lend Me Your Ears

00:54:50.440 - 00:55:05.470

presents a rare recording of Jack Kerouac, which has been unavailable for 30 years and feature Steve Allen at the piano. Don't miss this hour poetry from a family member of the Beat Generation, this Wednesday at 9 pm right here on

00:55:05.540 - 00:55:20.760

KUSP on "Lend Me Your Ears." We do have a winner, Chris Fitz is the winner of the two tickets for the Al Young performance on Friday. Let me tell you to please stay tuned for "Out Front, Out Back" with Larry Blood, who is impatiently

00:55:20.830 - 00:55:35.400

waiting since I've gone over my time. I will tell you that this is KUSP Santa Cruz, Monterey, Salinas, a member-supported radio station and a member of National Public Radio. Thank you very much. Joe will be back next week.