Luis Alberto Urrea's Blog, page 21
November 18, 2011
Live Blog Talk Radio!
I'll be interviewed live on Hachette's Blog Talk Radio and you can call in and ask me whatever you'd like! More information is here.
Event Time: 2 p.m. EST
November 17, 2011
Book Tour: Fishtrap-in-Portland
Reading and signing at an open mic fundraiser for our beloved Fishtrap writers conference and literary non-profit. The evening will also feature a social hour, dessert potluck, and 4-minute readings by former Fishtrap participants. Luis will be a workshop leader at Fishtrap this summer; come say hello. Books will be available for sale.
Event Time: 6:30 p.m.
Book Page
Each scene in Queen of America unfurls gracefully like delicate wisps of smoke. Whether Teresita is being held captive in Northern California by a band of profiteering medical professionals, or being feted like a queen in New York's social circles, this epic novel paints a portrait of America—and its inhabitants—with grace and style. It will spark fire in readers' hearts.
November 16, 2011
Once More, With Feeling
And so it begins. Again. The roller-coaster car is clicking back up the incline and the next run is about to start. The first boxes of Queen of America have arrived from New York. It's hard to believe we have come this far, Teresita and I.
The book is so pretty. Little Brown truly outdid themselves this time. And I like to think that I did, too!
How do you talk about your own work? All I can really tell you is that I put every ounce of what I could do and every second of what I had to learn into the book. I tried to write it with respect, but without fear. And now, 26 years worth of discovery and struggle are over. Teresita and I have a little celebrating to do and then she will allow me to go write my own stuff for a while. There is so much to write! I can't wait. But first, Cinderella and I will go on book tour -- yes, it's the Amazing Race Urrea Edition. Hope we come to your town. The tour schedule is at the bottom of this page.
About the awesome splash page that opens the website now:
First of all, thanks to the incredible talents of Ricardo Galvez and his boys at six pound pixel, designers of my new website. We just gave him some ideas and he ran with it.
The images are, of course, of Teresita. Of particular interest to me are the pictures of her hands, showing you how she healed. Curious to see what reiki practitioners think of the positioning! The pictures of her hands came from a newspaper story about Teresita at the height of her fame. The line drawing is another contemporary newspaper sketch. She was never fond of newspaper sketches of herself because she felt they made her seem plainer than she cared to look. The fancy Gibson girl photograph is believed by many, including myself, to be a photograph of Teresita in her New York City phase. It first surfaced in Clifton, AZ. The woman in the picture was known as The Clifton Mystery Woman until family members identified her as Teresita.
The thing I find most magical/powerful about the splash page is Teresita's autograph. It's one thing to look at pictures, but to see her actual handwriting makes her spring to life for me and I can almost hear her voice. That autograph, in fact, appeared in a microfilm archive at Texas Tech where we were trying to find a lost actual wire recording of her voice. Although this legendary snippet hasn't yet been found, I trust that one day the archivists will uncover it for me. Until that day, we have her handwriting.
The newspaper background is a real newspaper that in the 1930s ran the first full history of Teresita's life.
Though the official release date isn't until Nov. 28, it's being shipped out now and I think already on some shelves. The book's about to pop on Kindle (and other e-readers) and soon the audiobook -- read by yours truly -- will be available. I have to say hearing a recording of me giving birth to a baby is an unexpected treat in life!
For those of you I won't get to see on tour, we just got a new shipment of bookplates. We have two Teresita plates and one plate that features a sketch of mine. Just write if you'd like one.
Even better, autographed books make great gifts! I've arranged with my local indie, Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, to make personally inscribed books available to you. Just contact Anderson's and tell them what you'd like in the inscription. I'll stop by there and sign it and they'll send it to you.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, but eager to share Queen of America with you. Tell me what you think. Even better, if you're feeling so inclined, tell everyone what you think and leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Thank you for your support and good wishes. They mean the world to me.
Luis
Tags: Queen of Americabookplatesbook tourTeresita
November 11, 2011
Book Tour 2011!
Book Tour 2011!
We were so excited to get the first copies of Queen of America this week! Isn't she beautiful?
We're bringing her to you! And can hardly wait to share the story.
The complete schedule (along with links and pertinent info) is at the bottom of the website. but here is Book Tour 2011:
Nov. 20, 3 p.m.
Miami Book Festival
Panel with Leslie Marmon Silko and Alan Cheuse
Nov. 29, 7 p.m.
Naperville, IL
Anderson's Bookshop
Dec. 1, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Public Library
Dec. 2, 7 p.m.
San Diego, CA
Warwicks Bookstore
Dec. 3, 3 p.m.
San Diego, CA
Barrio Star
Dec. 5, 7 p.m.
San Francisco, CA
Book Passage
Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley Arts and Letters
Dec. 7, 12:30 p.m,
Portland, OR
Stargazer Farms
Dec. 7, 7:30
Portland, OR
Powell's Bookstore
Dec. 8, 7 p.m.
Seattle, WA
University Bookstore
Dec. 9, 7 p.m.
Seattle, WA
Elliott Bay Books
Dec. 12
Portland, OR
Open Mic Fishtrap Salon
Dec. 14, 7 p.m.
Brooklyn, NY
WORD
Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia, PA
Free Library of Philadelphia
Jan. 11, 7 p.m.
Chicago, IL
Chicago Tribune Tower
Jan. 17. 7 p.m.
St. Louis, MO
Left Bank Books
Jan. 18, 7 p.m.
Kansas City, MO
Rainy Day Books
Jan. 19, 7 p.m.
Austin, TX
Book People
Jan. 20, 7 p.m.
Dallas, TX
Museum of Art
March, 9-12
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Festival of Books
November 10, 2011
Book Tour: Elliott Bay
Excited to see the new store and old friends! For more information
Event Time: 7 p.m.
November 9, 2011
Jamie Ford
A magnificent work of literary alchemy, so masterfully infused with myth and history, you will feel these characters in your heart, your gut. You will grieve for their immortal souls.
Author, "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"
Stewart O'Nan
"'Who is more of an outlaw than a saint?'" one of Luis Urrea's characters poses. The answer is this ferocious, ribald romance of the border. Jaunty, bawdy, gritty, sweet, Queen of America has a bottomless comic energy and a heart large enough to accept-even revel in-all of human folly."
Author "Emily, Alone," "Songs for the Missing
Publishers Weekly
Urrea delivers a rich mix of Wild West and magic realism.
