Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Before the Rain, by Luisita Lopez Torregosa



Luisita López Torregrosa, author, columnist at the International Herald Tribune, and former editor of the NY Times, was with us last Thursday to read a few passages from her recently published book Before the Rain: A Memoir of Love and Revolution.

At the reading, we were introduced to the spark that led the author to follow fellow journalist Elizabeth to the Philippines, where their relationship developed in the midst the revolution of 1986. An attendant at the reading described the book as the telling of ‘a revolution inside and out’.The author added it is ‘a love story between two people, but also a romance with journalism.’




After the reading, we talked to López Torregrosa about her writing process, her almost photographic memory, the allure of being a foreign correspondent in the 80s, the publishing industry nowadays, and her upcoming projects.

We were so taken by the conversation that we almost forgot to ask the López Torregrosa what other books at La Casa Azul she recommends. We remembered just before saying goodnight and she pointed out:
Finding Mañana by Mirta Ojito 
In the Time of the Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent by Julia Alvarez

Follow the author at: https://twitter.com/luisitalt
Find, also, her earlier memoir entitled The Noise of Infinite Longing.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Our FIRST Small Business Saturday!



If you live in the U.S., you surely know about Black Friday and its convenient offspring Cyber Monday. But do you know that between these two we now celebrate Small Business Saturday?



Small Business Saturday, as the name suggests, is a date organized to raise awareness and encourage neighbors to shop local. (http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday)

We celebrated Small Business Saturday at La Casa Azul Bookstore with support from El Museo del Barrio, the Ballet Hispánico and Aroma Boutique Café and Bakery. Anyone who shopped at the bookstore on Saturday got a chance to enter a raffle to win tickets to a performance of the Ballet Hispánico or a reception at El Museo del Barrio. All visitors also got to enjoy cupcakes by Aroma Boutique and Bakery (along with coffee La Casa Azul Bookstore set out).



We asked a customer browsing through the memoir section whether she knew it was Small Business Saturday. Turns out she did! Erica Lubliner, from California, was happy her trip coincided with the date. She’d been following the progress of the store online and was excited to visit La Casa Azul Bookstore because she believes it fills an important niche in our community. Also, as a small business owner herself (http://www.facebook.com/pages/MÍO-Designs/121770916916), she knows the importance of community support.

Small Business Saturday is now a few days behind us, but, as you know, every day is a good day to support your local independent bookstore!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Supporting VONA and writers of color



¡Hola! My name is María Richardson and I’m an MFA student who’s recently joined the team at La Casa Azul Bookstore. I’ll be writing about events at the store and keeping you updated on new arrivals to our shelves. La Casa Azul Bookstore is alive with the works and visits of talented authors from our community. We hope you’ll stay tuned to find ways of approaching these new and established works and artists.

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Last Thursday November 15, La Casa Azul Bookstore hosted a fundraiser for VONA/Voices. VONA is the only multi-genre workshop for writers of color in the U.S. As Aurora, the bookstore owner, noted, there is a strong link between VONA and the bookstore, both working to nurture and promote the work of writers of our community.

The value of VONA was evident on Thursday, as faculty and alums read poems, short stories and excerpts from novels and memoirs. We traveled to Ethiopia, considered the force of Sandy, faced difficult medical diagnoses, moved through the blues, and were led through furtherspaces, situations, and states of mind.   

It was a night of talent and appreciation. VONA’s alums described the workshop as ‘a week that felt like a semester’, a place of ‘synergy and community’ and, as many coincided, ‘life-changing in the most positive way.’

VONA needs support to continue its work.
To donate to VONA’s indiegogo campaign go to:

To learn more about the workshops go to:
  
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To find a list of Thursday night’s readers (and discover what book at La Casa Azul Bookstore they recommend) look below:

Stacey Evans
Recommended book: Woman Hollering Creek: And Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros

Grace Lee
Recommended book: Burro Genius: a Memoir by Víctor Villaseñor
 
Sunita Durandar
Recommended book: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Álvarez

H’Rina De Troy
Recommended book: Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

Vanessa Martír
Recommended book: How the García Girls Lost their Accent by Julia Álvarez

Jeffery Renard Allen: http://www.jefferyrenardallen.com/ 

Maaza Mengiste: http://maazamengiste.com/

Willie Perdomo: http://willieperdomo.com/
Recommended book: The Latina’s Bible by Sandra Guzmán
  

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Meet the artist: Paul Lambermont



Paul Lambermont
Two Codices


Elizabeth Rossi, Curatorial Intern at La Casa Azul Bookstore sat down with Paul Lambermont to learn more about the inspiration behind the show, Two Codices.

What inspired your work that is featured at La Casa Azul Bookstore?
I've always been interested in nontraditional book forms. My piece, Codex Paradoxa Metamorphosis is inspired by Mesoamerican accordion fold codices. I also wanted to use some images that I thought referred to both Day of the Dead (Marigolds) and the current miraculous cultural fluidity that I perceive as an important part of life in New York (food labels and phone card). New York is a city of millions of Diasporas.  The Lives of the Saints is simply a book that never got around to being bound as a book so its identity is much more flexible and fluid than a bound book. Both pieces are autobiographical.

What do you want people to gain from your work?
I would like people to have some sort of pleasurable visual experience. I'd like people to recognize how much people share despite separation in time and space.

Why have you chosen the life of an artist?
I didn't choose it. Like stigmata and the thug life, it chose me.

If your art was a person what kind of personality would it have?
If my art was like a person, it would be complex and full bodied. It would be full of contradiction. It would have an intense relationship with color and other forms of sensory information. My art would understand suffering but not be caught up in it. 



http://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif

About Two Codices
Books inform my creative process to a great degree. I am fascinated by the forms that books take, such as scrolls, Meso-American screen fold codices, Asian accordion books and South Asian palm leaf manuscripts. I find those book forms particularly resonant in their non linear depiction of time, of the sense that the events depicted are all happening simultaneously with no separation between past, present and future.  I make paintings and installations that reflect those forms. I also make artists books and keep elaborate journals.

I am interested in the art and myths of many cultures and time periods. Despite separation of geography and time, images are constantly repeated. My work consists of juxtapositions of imagery across the spectrum of time and space. In my work, it is common to see drawings of old sculpture next to advertising images, anatomical diagrams, photographs from newspapers and drawings of toys.  My source materials, while carefully chosen,also reflects the saturation of images that surrounds all of us.

About the artist:
Paul Lambermont was born in Butler, Pennsylvania, thirty miles north of Pittsburgh.  When he was seven, he had the life changing experience seeing a reproduction of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus in a book.  From that moment onward visual art has been his major preoccupation. Paul studied printmaking at Slippery Rock State College for two years prior to transferring to Pratt Institute. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting with a minor in Art History from Pratt in 1983. Paul continues to create and exhibit art.

Paul has been a visual arts educator since 1985, working with students from kindergarten age to adult. He has taught in after school programs, public, private and charter schools, summer camps and museums.  In 2003, he received the Lotos Club Award for Excellence in the Arts for his work with the Boys and Girls Harbor Junior Education After School Program. In 2010, Paul was awarded a Community Arts Fund Grant from the Queens Council on the Arts for his project Twelve Lives in Queens County: A Collaborative Zine.

Exhibit on view: Saturday October 13 - Sunday December 16
Paul Lambermont’s Online Presence: http://lambermont-lambermont.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Book of the week: Mixturao and Other Poems by Tato Laviera

Art brings our clever inner selves to life! 

In my opinion, art is everything from the way we speak, dress, walk, to the way the clouds are shaped.
Art means different things for everyone. So stop today by La Casa Azul Bookstore, enjoy your new book of the week, and let the magic of art transport you to the journey waiting to be explore.
- Yajaira




Title: Mixturao and Other Poems
Author: TatoLaviera

Genre:  
Poems (Bilingual –English and Spanish)

Synopsis:  
 “In the title poem of TatoLaviera's fifth poetry collection, "Mixturao," he celebrates the mix of diverse cultures and languages that make up America, and challenges those who advocate a monolingual existence: "We who integrate/urban America/simmering in each other's/slangs indigenous/nativizing our tongues'/cruising accents/who are you, English, /telling me, 'Speak only English/or die?'" Laviera deftly combines English and Spanish in this poetic celebration of his own bilingual, bicultural existence and the ever-increasing use of both languages in all fields, from music to technology…” 
(http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qsort=p&page=1&matches=0&author=Laviera%2C+Tato&browse=1&qwork=10976313&first=1&full=1)

Friday, August 24, 2012

Internship opportunities at La Casa Azul Bookstore!

Internship opportunities at La Casa Azul Bookstore!
Deadline has been extended to Sunday September 2nd at 8:00pm
 
La Casa Azul Bookstore is currently looking for a few good interns who wish to learn the ins and outs of running a business while enriching lives through reading, writing, and the power of books!

Are you the type of person who delights at your guests looking through your books, but spends hours re-organizing them after they leave? Do you save money on your heating bill because the books covering your wall act as insulation? When you see someone using a e-reader on the train, do you wish it had a dust jacket on it so you could see what they are reading and strike up a conversation about it? Do you think of books as the ultimate social media? Are you fascinated by the rapidly evolving book industry? If so, you may be perfect for a position at La Casa Azul Bookstore!

The internships last for 12-16 weeks (longer internships available) and interns work 8 - 12 hours/week. Fall internship is September - December. Opportunities are available for undergraduate, graduate students and recent graduates who are considering careers in the arts, education, business and publishing.  College credit may be arranged.

3 intern positions available (please read full descriptions below)

1. Marketing & Communications intern
2. School Programs intern 
3. Operations intern


All internships are unpaid, but there are a number of great perks, including free books, flexible hours, fun-loving co-workers, and more. Most importantly, you will learn the ins and outs of working at both a bookstore, and a locally-owned, independent business. Plus, it will earn you a number of professional contacts, and looks great on a resume!

Qualifications include strong communication skills, an outgoing personality, superior organizational skills, and an infectious passion for the written word.

ALL applicants must submit:
1.      Creative cover letter
2.      Resume (with 2 references)
3.      Answer to question: Why are you interested in an internship at La Casa Azul Bookstore (1 page max, separate from cover letter)
4.      Schedule information (days/hours available from Wednesday – Sunday between the hours of 12pm – 8pm)

ALL Materials must be received by: Sunday September 2nd at 8:00pm , via email  
Email: lucha.libros[at]gmail.com 

Though we are never at a loss for something to read, we can't wait to read your application!


MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
The Marketing and Communications intern gets to be involved in a wide variety of Marketing & Promotions tasks, which include assisting with the promotion of various events, and a variety of in-house communications, processing and archiving media coverage; developing relationships with local and national journalists; and offering creative input in developing pitches. Additional support with marketing initiatives as needed.

Desired qualities/skills:
Dynamic, self-motivated, outgoing, highly organized individual with good research skills, including Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, and capacity for working with diverse populations. Ease with technology is a must, including knowledge of MS Excel, Word, Photo Shop, Power Point and social media (Facebook and Twitter).

Bilingual (English & Spanish proficiency).
Must bring your own laptop or tablet to work

APPLY BY: Sunday September 2nd at 8:00pm, via email  
Email: lucha.libros[at]gmail.com 
Subject line: MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN (Fall2012)



SCHOOL PROGRAMS INTERN
The School Programs Intern will assist with the development and implementation of new outreach strategies to teachers, principals, parents and parent coordinators.
Tasks will include corresponding with educational stakeholders, setting appointments, preparing materials for programs/meetings, responding to inquiries, and other projects as assigned.

Desired skills: The ideal candidate has an interest in education, the New York City Public School system and the arts. Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to prioritize responsibilities, and work well both independently and within a team. Strong organizational skills are necessary, as well as knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).

Bilingual (English & Spanish proficiency).
Must bring your own laptop or tablet to work

APPLY BY: Sunday September 2nd at 8:00pm, via email  
Email: lucha.libros[at]gmail.com 
Subject line: SCHOOL PROGRAMS INTERN (Fall 2012)


OPERATIONS INTERN
The Operations intern will have the unique opportunity to have direct contact with the general public, learn the ins and outs of working at both a bookstore, and a locally-owned, independent business.
 Tasks include: Providing excellent customer service including greeting shoppers, locating sections or titles, recommending books, and helping with transactions. Assisting with daily store processes and procedures including sorting books and merchandise, stocking shelves, and creating displays. Helping to plan and execute events such as storytime, book clubs, author sessions in the store, sales, and other projects as assigned.
Bilingual (English & Spanish proficiency).

Desired qualities/skills:
Dynamic, self-motivated, outgoing, highly organized individual with good research skills, including exceptional written and verbal communication skills, and capacity for working with diverse populations. Ease with technology is a must, including knowledge of MS Excel, Word, and social media (Facebook and Twitter).

Bilingual (English & Spanish proficiency).
Must bring your own laptop or tablet to work

APPLY BY:
Sunday Sunday September 2nd at 8:00pm, via email  
Email: lucha.libros[at]gmail.com 
Subject line: OPERATIONS INTERN (Fall2012)


No incomplete applications will be considered.
Please do not contact the store with further questions or to inquire about selection.


Thank you!
La Casa Azul Bookstore