“Teopisca Boys,” 1st Runner-Up, National Geographic Traveler Travel Writing Contest

I don't enter a lot of writing contests, mostly because many charge a fee to enter and since I am truly a down-on-my-luck writer, I can't afford to. But I entered this one, both because there was no fee and it was sponsored by a legitimate organization - National Geographic Traveler magazine. I was pleased to be named First Runner-Up, even though it comes with no financial award.

You can find my essay on the contest Web site at:

http://www.travelwritercontest.com/essays2.html

I have also posted it here, along with the photo I took of Rico.

“Teopisca Boys”

First Runner-Up: Christine Steele
Goucher College

A boy with a leather messenger bag slung over his shoulders rode into town on a too-big, black bicycle. He eyed me as he climbed off and leaned it up against an iron fence. I was standing in the zócalo of a village in southern Mexico. Rico strode over full of eleven-year-old curiosity and asked where I was from.

An outline of Che is spray painted on the leg of his jeans. I ask about him. Revolucioniario, he says. Héroe. Do I know him? Yes, I nod.

Rico politely tries to sell me a bag of tortillas and when I decline, seems just as content to ask me questions. How many brothers and sisters do I have? Do I have a husband? Niños? My Spanish is enough to carry me, so we chat as his friends look on. Before I know it I am surrounded by a circle of boys. Each has a bag of something to sell. Rico has tortillas, a dozen to bag, made fresh that morning by his mother. The others have cookies, candies, sweets, all homemade. I start asking their names, how old they are, why they are not in school, where is their mama and papa, where am I, what is the name of this village? Rico takes my notebook and pen and writes in neat letters: Ciudad Teopisca chiapas. Ricardo, 11, Jovani, 12, Daniel, 11, and Jorge, 6, tell me they go to school from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. Mornings they sell food in the square to help their familias. Rico let me take his picture standing stoic but proud, holding his bag of tortillas. A solemn, dark-eyed boy, who has had to work too hard and grow up too fast. The same for all the Teopisca boys. I wonder what Che would say.

Harlan County......

It's a lovely snowy Saturday afternoon in Denver and last night I watched the documentary "Harlan County, U.S.A.," about the 1973 coal miners strike in Kentucky. Today as I'm lazing around my cozy apartment watching the snow fall outside my window I decide to search youtube for more on the strike...and it's like the reverse of "Six Degrees of Separation." I find this video below, which I thought was kind of cool, which led me to the video below it. On the video below, the guy wrote that he wrote the song about his ex-wife. I found it to be unexpectedly beautiful and it made me cry on this snowy day.

Beauty comes in so many forms......

Books and Independent (read: Punk Rock) Culture....

Look who was making an appearance at the The New York Center for Independent Publishing's Book Fair:

2:00pm-2:50pm
Ian MacKaye on Independent Culture: Q&A with an Introduction by Ian Svenonius

A Q&A with Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, The Evens and co-founder of Dischord Records). Bring your questions regarding the parallels between the worlds of independent music and book publishing, sustainable models for truly independent companies, and anything else that’s on your mind.

3:00pm-3:50pm
Keep Your Eyes Open: Ian Svenonius Interviews Photographer Glen E. Friedman, with Slide Show Presentation

Glen E. Friedman, considered one of the most important photographers of his generation, became well known for working with such rebellious artists as Black Flag, Ice-T, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Misfits, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, Run-D.M.C., KRS-1, and Public Enemy. Many of his photographs are recognized as the subjects’ definitive portraits. His most recent book, centered around the band Fugazi, is titled Keep Your Eyes Open (2007). Ian Svenonius has been the singer and spokesman for various music groups, including Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, and currently Weird War. Svenonius is also the author of The Psychic Soviet.

Billy the Kid Documentary....not what you think....

Games People (Hate To) Play....

Because I hate rules....and most games....I haven't posted this one yet but I'll stop dragging my feet and just do it dammit...

So, I’ve been tagged. And as much as I hate games of most types (excepting baseball, of course) I decided to play because:

a.) I’m new to the blogging game so it is something to get me started, though I find I have no
shortage of things to talk about – even if I exclude myself – just a shortage of listeners.

b.) I was tagged by the lovely, talented and creative dogfaceboy, and I wouldn’t dare dis her.

So here they are, the rules, so to speak. And if you know me, you know I pretty much believe that rules were made to be broken, so do as you like and feel free to break or make them however it suits you.

1. Write your meme (described below).
2. Include your rules or lack thereof.
3. Link to the person who tagged you, then link to the seven (7) random people you have tagged.
4. Let those seven (7) random people know they've been tagged by commenting in their blog. Also say something nice about their post, unless of course, you can’t think of anything nice to say to about them or their post. In that case, tag someone else.

And now the meme:
Share seven (7) random and/or weird things about yourself.

* * * * * * *

Seven (7) Random and/or Weird Things About Moi...

1. I have lived in five different states, in two different time zones, over the past ten years.

2. I have written for five different newspapers in three of those states in those two different
time zones in the past five years.

(Still with me? Good. Numerologists, is there some sequence of lottery numbers I should be playing here?)

3. I am naturally shy, but curious. Journalism has given me a good excuse to pick up the phone and call strangers to satisfy that curiosity.

4. It is unlikely that anyone who has ever met me would use the word “shy” to describe me.
I guess you could say I’ve done a good job of overcoming that. Or something like that.

5. I can not imagine a scenario that would ever cause me to develop either the interest or desire to watch football. No matter what he looks like.

6. I have actually received hate (e)mail in response to a personal ad I posted on Craigslist.

And lastly,

7. I swear I saw Philly Leotardo (of Sopranos fame) getting coffee in the bagel shop this morning. (oh, hell it was the other day okay? Can you tell I’m a procrastinator?)

Last month it was Junior Soprano I swear I thought I saw. He was crossing Colfax Ave. near the Ogden Theater wearing a Rockies hat and carrying a cane.

You're it. Now you play too, dammit.

Here are the folks I’ve tagged:

http://elsewhere.typepad.com

http://www.memrymotel.blogspot.com

http://arizonawriter.blogspot.com

http://downandout.wordpress.com

http://www.notitles.com

http://www.adoggyslife.blogspot.com

Yes, I know there are only five (six if I include the person who tagged me). It’s a sad state of affairs that I don’t have seven friends to play tag with in the blogging world.

A dressing down.....

What do

From Slate, this great medley of moments from "When Rock Show Banter Goes Wrong."