Yasmin Hernandez has made this beautiful art piece – specifically for tonight’s FUNraiser — one lucky winner will walk away with this gorgeous piece!

“La bella muerte” (Beautiful death), 2011

Yasmin Hernandez

Acrylic on canvas

24” x 18”

Portrait of Frida Kahlo, with a palette inspired by her Caza Azul. The images are inspired by el día de los muertos and Frida’s brave and enthusiastic anticipation of her own death as a source of liberation. Also the leaves/ roots are inspired by doodles in her journal and similar references in her body of work.

 

“La bella muerte” (Beautiful death), 2011 Yasmin Hernandez

JOIN US TONIGHT

FUNraiser for La Casa Azul Bookstore

Join us at East Harlem Café on Friday October 21st for a fun get together in support of the ‘40K in 40 days’ campaign. Meet amazing Latino authors, participate in fabulous raffles, and contribute to the campaign while you hang out with fellow book lovers and bookstore supporters.

Friday October 21st, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

East Harlem Café, Lexington Ave and 104th Street

Suggested donation: $10

RSVP: lacasaazulbookstore@gmail.com

Bookstores are an important part of the fabric of any community – please consider making a contribution and bring us one step closer to opening La Casa Azul Bookstore in East Harlem. Join the Founder’s Circle by Sunday October 23rd, to guarantee a dollar for dollar match!

La Casa Azul Bookstore in 'BOOKSELLING THIS WEEK'

Campaign to Open East Harlem Bookstore Gains Momentum

By Elizabeth Knapp on Thursday, Oct 20, 2011

EXCERPT:

Anaya-Cerda knows that it takes more than seed money to open a bookstore, and she is committed to learning as much about current trends in bookselling as possible before opening her store. To prepare for this venture, she has been attending workshops and reading about the book industry on a regular basis. She has worked and volunteered in five bookstores, taken countless business classes, and attended bookselling school twice. She has traveled the country meeting booksellers and studying business models, establishing relationships with publishers and authors nationwide.

“The response from the community has been incredibly positive and supportive,” said Anaya-Cerda. “Many contributors can’t wait to have an independent bookstore in their neighborhood and have already offered to volunteer at the store. Book lovers, teachers, and authors are waiting for the store to open.”

FULL ARTICLE:

http://news.bookweb.org/news/campaign-open-east-harlem-bookstore-gains-momentum

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Contributions are coming in from New York to California, Australia, Peru, Korea, and UK!

I am deeply grateful for your support and generosity. Your contribution to the 40Kin40days campaign means that you want to see an independent bookstore in East Harlem and that you believe in the mission of La Casa Azul Bookstore. 

Every contribution and message posted is a reminder to keep moving forward - thank you for believing in me.

Welcome to the Founder’s Circle:

Carla Moscoso

Dolores Prida

Eileen Reyes Arias

Guadalupe Carrilo

Guadalupe Verdin

Jo Umans

Kesi Foster

Lina Puerta

Stephanie Anderson

Junot Díaz on the importance of community bookstores

‘A neighborhood bookstore is only a business by accident; what it really is a place where a community can gather over ideas, over art, over learning; it is a place where readers are made and nurtured, a place where stories are kept for those who would find them.  G.K. Chesterton said "People must have houses, they must have conversations and they must have stories."  For readers and would be readers a neighborhood bookstores provides all three.  A neighborhood without a bookstore is like a house without windows.’

Junot Díaz

Author of Drown & The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

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Join us at East Harlem Café on Friday October 21st for a fun get together in support of the '40K in 40 days' campaign. Meet amazing Latino authors, participate in fabulous raffles, and contribute to the campaign while you hang out with fellow book lovers and bookstore supporters.

'40K in 40 days' FUNraiser!
When: Friday October 21st, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Where: East Harlem Café, Lexington Ave and 104th Street
Suggested donation: $10
RSVP: lacasaazulbookstore@gmail.com

Join the Founder's Circle by Sunday October 23rd, to guarantee a dollar for dollar match!

To join the Founder's Circle, visit the '40K in 40 days' campaign site: 

 

www.indiegogo.com/lacasaazulbookstorenyc  

Bookstore website: www.lacasaazulbookstore.com

What are authors saying about La Casa Azul Bookstore and the #40Kin40days campaign?

Can’t wait to do a reading in your bookstore! ¡Pa’lante!

- Esmeralda Santiago

Aurora has been an incredible support to Latino authors for years. Now’s our chance to reciprocate. Let’s make this space happen together; the children of East Harlem deserve it!

- Michelle H. Mulligan

My deepest admiration to Aurora Anaya-Cerda, for her tireless work to promote literature and letters!

- Stephanie Elizondo Griest

  

Looking forward to Casa Azul Bookstore’s grand opening!

- Bill Santiago

May there be many more “casas azules” full of ideas and the essence of your love for books, Aurora.  

- Anjanette Delgado

Sending you wishes for success, Aurora. You’ve been working tirelessly towards this and I will be so happy to see your dream come to fruition. Your Casa Azul will be a home for many of us writers; I humbly give you this little brick. ;)

- Glendaliz Camacho

Let’s make it happen!!!!

- Alberto Ferreras

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Newest Founder’s Circle members!

Contributions are coming in from NY to CA, Australia, Peru,  Korea, and UK!

I am deeply grateful for your support and generosity. Your contribution to the 40Kin40days campaign means that you want to see an independent bookstore in East Harlem and that you believe in the mission of La Casa Azul Bookstore. 

Every contribution and message posted is a reminder to keep moving forward - thank you for believing in me.

Welcome to the Founder’s Circle:

Alberto Ferreras

Alyssa Aguilera

Amy Holman

Andrea Arroyo

Andrew Yu

Brittany Owens

Carmen Pelaez

Celeste Semmere

Charlotte Gossett

Chiquis Barron

Christine Licata

Dennis Higbee

Elisha Miranda

Esmeralda Santiago

Gabriel Alvarez

Gabrielle Lopez

Genevieve de Bose

George Colon

Guadalupe Gonzalez

Heimy Roa

Ingrid Matias

James Estrella

Karen Carter

Khanh Nguyen

Lauren Poole

Leslie Shipman

Lettycia Terrones

Limarys Caraballo

Lizzet Alvarez

Mario Picayo

Marisela Turcios

Mary Ann Wincorkowski

Matthew Washington

Megan Creasley

Melina Garcia

Micaela Diaz-Sanchez

Michelle H. Mulligan

Myra Hernandez

Paul Lambermont

Rachel Kliegman

Robert Smith

Roberto Espinoza

Rocio Ortega

Ron Kavanaugh

Soledad del Rio

Tamara Czycyk

Vicky Rosales

Zoila Carrion

The Lucha Libros Jar

My involvement in the '40K in 40 days' campaign started the day after I met Aurora at Esmeralda Santiago's book signing at El Museo del Barrio last month.

I played the campaign video for my students and they were sold! They are so eager to have La Casa Azul Bookstore in our neighborhood that they've been bringing in their pennies, nickels and dimes to donate to the LUCHA LIBROS JAR. My students are so determined to be part of the change they want to see in East Harlem that they would rather go without a snack from the bodega after school to contribute to the lucha.

Writers like Esmeralda Santiago and Julia Alvarez opened the doors to a new world for me. Reading their books gave me a sense of identity and belonging as I was trying to navigate in this foreign world. I don't want my students to wait until they are in college to discover writers they can identify with.  

Some of my students dream of being published writers but they are afraid to dream big, they feel under represented. By supporting this campaign, my students are building their own home. It is their dream to one day have their own book reading en La Casa Azul Bookstore, en la comunidad que los vio nacer y crecer.

Students stop me in the hallway or see me on the street and ask 'How is the campaign coming along?', 'How much are WE up to?' This started off as Aurora's vision and it has become the dream of our community.

Ven y lucha con nosotros... 

Egli A. Colón, Ed.D. 

Cristo Rey New York High School

East Harlem, New York

 

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Please consider being a part of the Founder's Circle. The '40Kin40days' campaign ends on Sunday October 23rd and guarantees a MATCHING investment from a generous benefactor. There are perks for the different contribution levels, plus the satisfaction of knowing you took part in the opening of an independent bookstore in El Barrio.

To become a part of the Founder's Circle, visit: www.indiegogo.com/lacasaazulbookstorenyc

East Harlem Turns Page With Planned Bookstore

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! La Casa Azul Bookstore in DNAinfo.com!

East Harlem Turns Page With Planned Bookstore

October 18, 2011

HARLEM—Despite East Harlem's rich arts culture, there's no place to buy a book.

It's something that has bothered Aurora Anaya-Cerda since she moved to El Barrio several years ago from East Los Angeles.

…

After five years of planning, including studying the independent book sales model and interning at other independent book sellers, Anaya-Cerda is in the final week of trying to raise $40,000 to launch La Casa Azul, an independent book store she plans to open.

"Every time I travel, my first stop is at a bookstore. I talk to them about what works and what doesn't work," she said.

…

A recent retail survey conducted by Community board 11 found that more East Harlem residents would shop in the neighborhood if the goods and services they wanted were there. Among the types of stores residents said they wanted were bookstores.

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20111018/harlem/east-harlem-bookstore-works#ixzz1bAjsre5c

40K in 40 days campaign link:www.indiegogo.com/lacasaazulbookstorenyc

Web: lacasaazulbookstore.com

Twitter: @lacasaazulbooks

Blog: luchalibrosnyc.blogspot.com

Email: lucha.libros@gmail.com

FINAL WEEK of the 40Kin40days campaign!

On September 14, I launched the '40K in 40 days' campaign to open an independent bookstore in East Harlem. Since then, the '40K in 40 days' campaign has received media attention from NBC News, New York Daily News, Huffington Post, El Diario La Prensa, CUNY TV, and blogs nationwide.   

As we enter the last week of the campaign, I share very exciting news. During these next 7 days, every contribution will have three times the impact because the benefactor has agreed to match, not with $1, but with $2, every contribution up to a total of $40,000. You give $40, they give $80!

This 1:2 match is for ALL contributions made between Monday October 17 and Sunday October 23, 2011.

If you love independent bookstores and believe in the mission of La Casa Azul Bookstore, please consider making a contribution this week and share the news of the 1:2 match with friends. With your support, we can reach our goal!

Join the Founder's Circle by Sunday October 23rd, and bring us one step closer to opening La Casa Azul Bookstore in East Harlem.

With gratitude, 

Aurora Anaya-Cerda

40K in 40 days campaign information:

Indiegogo campaign link:www.indiegogo.com/lacasaazulbookstorenyc

Website: www.acasaazulbookstore.com

Twitter: @lacasaazulbooks

Blog: luchalibrosnyc.blogspot.com

Email: lucha.libros@gmail.com

Thank you for your contribution to the 40K in 40 days campaign!