The Cha Cha files goes to New York!

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with Luis Rodriguez Poet Laureate of Los Angeles

Past Events
Oct. 5 Avid Reader at Tower Sacramento, CA

Oct.12 Pintura: Palabra Poetry Reading w Letras Latinas at the Sacramento Poetry Center

COMING UP!
Oct. 18 Voz Sin Tinta-Litquake @Artillery AG in San Francisco, CA

Oct. 20 Syracuse University, New York 6:00pm
Peter Grahm Commons Room 114, Bird Library

Oct. 21 Community Arts Network of Oneata 7:30pm & SUNY Oneata New York

Oct. 23 Colgate University Hamilton, New York

Oct. 25 La Casa Azul Bookstore Spanish Harlem NYC

Oct. 30 Reading and Film Showing Chicana/o Studies Conference Room (JR 153) Cal State University Northridge, CA 12:30-2pm

Nov. 15 East Bay Book Release With Special Guests! Studio Grand Oakland, CA 7pm

Nov. 18 Latina Studies Class, Laney College Oakland, CA

Nov. 21 Olympic College Bremerton, WA

Dec. 21 "Hitched" @ Beyond Baroque Venice, CA
5pm

2015
Jan. 29 Living Writers Series with Maya Chinchilla and Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano @ 6pm UC Santa Cruz, CA

February 27 RADAR Banned Books Series at Galeria de la Raza, San Francisco, CA

April 2-3 University of Puget Sound

May 5 Reading from the Cha Cha Files Sponsored by RADAR @ The San Francisco Library

The Cha Cha Files on Tour

On the Road

Happy fall everyone! I have so much good news to share.

After an amazing book release in June and a summer of writing in Social Action Writing Workshop in Monterey with teaching artists Luis Rodriguez, Evelina Galang, Kwame Dawes, Sharon Bridgforth and Aimee Suzara

and then teaching college writing in summer bridge, the Sacramento area called to me bringing me great gifts.

I started to teach as a lecturer at UC Davis in the Chicana/o studies department this quarter and was also invited two weekends in a row to do readings: First as a feature at "Mosaic of Voices" hosted by Nancy Aidé González, with invited local poet Joanne Villegas, an alumni of UC Davis. Joanne's work was so tender and honest; a welcome complement to my work.

Nancy Aidé Gonzalez, Joanna Villegas, and Me.

I was able to read a broad selection from my book and the audience was so so generous with their laughter and affection.

The following weekend I was honored to be invited to a weekend workshop with a host of local powerhouse Latino poets through PINTURA: PALABRA, a multi-year Letras Latinas initiative that seeks to foment and encourage the creation of new writing inspired by Latino art.

The poets taking part in PINTURA: PALABRA workshop shared poetry at the Sacramento Poetry Center Oct. 12 inspired by the travelling Smithsonian exhibit, “Our America: the Latino Presence in American Art." We wrote and presented new work inspired by the amazing Latina/o art at the Crocker Museum and while basking in the energy of this supportive multigenerational group of accomplished writers.

Next, after I read this Saturday Oct. 18 8:30-9:30pm as part of Voz Sin Tinta's sponsored Litcrawl event in San Francisco, I take off to New York State for a week to read, perform and guest lecture at Syracuse University (Oct 20 6-8pm Peter Grahm Commons, Bird Library), SUNY Oneata as part of the CANO Writers Salon (Oct 21 at Wilber Mansion)and Colgate University in Hamilton (Oct. 23).
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I will end my east coast journey reading at La Casa Azul Bookstore (rsvp rsvpcasaazul@gmail.com) in Spanish Harlem, New York. Please let everyone know that a Guatemalan Femme will be in NYC and if you are in the area I would love to see you on my first adventure with my book outside of the state!

Also check out this in depth interview I did with
Amelia Montes from La Bloga
"In her newly released collection of poetry, The Cha Cha Files: A Chapina Poética, each poem is a carefully crafted “bridge” the reader crosses, entering and journeying into and through a Central American/U.S. bildungsroman, a reflexive and powerful coming-of-age lyrical narrative."

I'm currently booking more readings for 2015. Contact me at chachafiles@gmail.com to bring me to a location near you.

I'll be selling books at any of my readings but you can always order them directly from Kórima Press,
www.thechachafiles.com which we prefer to amazonian corporations ;)

(With Vickie Vértiz, Sharon Bridgeforth and me)

Also help us out by writing reviews on Good Reads, inviting us for an interview, writing a book review for a journal or ordering the book at your local library or independent bookstore.

(with Chicana Artist Ester Hernandez)

I would love to hear from you!

So excited to hear that my book has been adopted to be taught at UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, Pitzer College, University of Northern Carolina, Syracuse University, SUNY Oneata, Colgate Univeristy, Olympic College, Laney College and University of Puget Sound in classes that range from American Studies, Chicano/a Studies, Latin American and Latino studies, Latino Literature, Central American Studies and Women and Gender Studies.

Send us a note or tag us #thechachafiles if you see signs of the book anywhere. Please stay in touch and I will share my adventures on my facebook, tumblr and twitter when I get a chance. Sending warm wishes and much inspiration on your own journeys.
xo Maya

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