During Homecoming weekend the UTPA Alumni Association celebrated by putting together an evening to remember with past and present Broncs in attendance. Chuy Ramirez was pleasantly surprised and proud to be an honoree at the UTPA Alumni Ball on Friday, February 17th, 2012 where several Alumni were honored under the title of Pillars of Success.
The honorees were selected by the President’s Executive Committee from a list of nominees. The "Pillars of Success” exhibition will feature photos and success stories of the distinguished alumni and will be on display in the university’s Visitors Center for the next five years .
The Alumni Ball featured cocktails and dancing and the opportunity to reunite with other Alumni and friends. The elegant evening was held at the new UTPA Alumni Center on campus. Mr. Ramirez would like to thank the Association for this honor and looks forward to future UTPA Alumni Association events.
-M.Espinola
http://www.firsttexaspublishers.com
http://www.strawberryfieldsramirez.blogspot.com
http://www.exploremcallen.com/events/calendar/details/2012-02-17/utpa_alumni_ball.aspx
http://www.utpa.edu/newsletter/alumni/archive2012/feb-2012.html
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Holiday Season is here! ~BUY NOW~ Strawberry Fields for any book lover
Immediate Release
November 7th, 2011
Strawberry Fields, A book of short stories
(McAllen, TEXAS) –This holiday season make a smart buy. Pick up a Strawberry Fields for a loved one or a friend.
Ramirez grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, attended Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He practices law in McAllen and Strawberry Fields is his first fictional work.
November 7th, 2011
Strawberry Fields, A book of short stories
(McAllen, TEXAS) –This holiday season make a smart buy. Pick up a Strawberry Fields for a loved one or a friend.
A perfect gift for a book lover this holiday season Strawberry Fields is available in paperback or on kindle.
Strawberry Fields, A book of short stories tells a tale of three generations of a Mexican family as they make their way from Northern Mexico to South Texas,” says Ramirez. The book is written like a novel but readers can read chapters as independent vignettes. The book is also a murder mystery. Most of the focus, though, is on that period in the 1960s when the “baby boomers” begin to come of age. Strawberry Fields is symbolic of both the strawberry fields in Michigan at which farm workers labored to improve their lot, as well as an abstract place that represents the dreams and ambitions of a young Joaquin, the protagonist.
Ramirez grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, attended Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. He practices law in McAllen and Strawberry Fields is his first fictional work.
For reviews of the book and more information on the author visit www.firsttexaspublishers.com or www.strawberryfieldsramirez.blogspot.com The book is available for purchase at Barnes and Noble for order and in Kindle format and paperback at www.amazon.com.
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The Examiner's Karen Tanguma reviews Strawberry Fields
Karen Tanguma of San Antonio Literature Examiner, writes, “The intriguing novel, “Strawberry Fields,” features the migrant journeys, experiences, and memories of Joaquin (attorney), as an adolescent farm worker from South Texas. Similar to the migrant stories of Tomas Rivera, Chuy Ramirez entwines different aspects of Mexican American migrant history with a variety of fictional elements in the telling of his story. For instance, the author attempts to unravel the mystery of the strawberry fields’ murder by meticulously building suspense in the novel with a series of short stories.
The jingle “Grandfather tree, grandfather tree, why don’t you tell your secrets to me” foreshadows the mystery behind the murder of Joaquin’s first intimate acquaintance (a blond migrant girl) and Joaquin’s upcoming self-reflective journey toward transformation into mainstream society and enlightenment about his own identity. Through a hero’s quests, Joaquin (attorney) accepts the challenge to depart from his familiar surroundings of the courtroom and revisit (comes to terms with) the trials and tribulations of his past.
The jingle “Grandfather tree, grandfather tree, why don’t you tell your secrets to me” foreshadows the mystery behind the murder of Joaquin’s first intimate acquaintance (a blond migrant girl) and Joaquin’s upcoming self-reflective journey toward transformation into mainstream society and enlightenment about his own identity. Through a hero’s quests, Joaquin (attorney) accepts the challenge to depart from his familiar surroundings of the courtroom and revisit (comes to terms with) the trials and tribulations of his past.
The author, Chuy Ramirez, ignites Joaquin’s passion to revisit his past and embrace his own heritage through his childhood memories, while creatively featuring them independently throughout the novel’s chapters. The novel opens with Joaquin nostalgically reflecting on his past (unsolved murder) and upcoming vacation (road trip) to Michigan and Indiana. In its entirety, the novel reveals pivotal moments of Joaquin’s life in short stories, such as his first communion, his experiences salvaging and riding a tricycle, and his non chalaunt attitude (unresolved issues) toward burying his estranged father. In closing, the novel maintains suspense with the unsolved murder mystery. So, stay tune for a possible sequel!
Like Tomas Rivera, Chuy Ramirez uses his experiences (field laborer) and his talents to honor the cultural heritage of Mexican American migrants and the American Dream with “Strawberry Fields.”
The author of “Strawberry Fields” Chuy Ramirez grew up in the city of San Juan in South Texas and is presently an attorney in McAllen Texas. He attended Pan American University in Edinburg Texas and the University Texas Law School, before settling in as a partner in the law firm of Ramirez & Guerrero.
http://slhwnotes.blogspot.com/
ISBN: 978-0-615-32672-6
The author of “Strawberry Fields” Chuy Ramirez grew up in the city of San Juan in South Texas and is presently an attorney in McAllen Texas. He attended Pan American University in Edinburg Texas and the University Texas Law School, before settling in as a partner in the law firm of Ramirez & Guerrero.
http://slhwnotes.blogspot.com/
Susana De La Pena reviews Strawberry Fields, A book of short stories
I just finished reading Chuy Ramirez' Strawberry Fields. As a native Texan from the Rio Grande Valley,I can relate to much of what Ramirez remembers about this place and its past. I felt as if I, too--along with Ramirez' protagonist, Joaquin--had gone on a nostalgic, and ambiguous, journey back in time, and back in place.
I am so happy to find a book like this--written by someone of my own generation--that is written so well (even poetically at times), so tellingly, and with such accurate attention to detail and cultural truth, about this unique place and its own cosmos of humanity. Strawberry Fields is a delight to read because Ramirez grasps, and conveys, a masterful "ear" for the authentic, unique, and rich language of the people of this place; only a native South Texan, like Ramirez, who has long listened to the inhabitants of this place could have written this. Moreover, although my family did not migrate to the Midwest from South Texas as the family in Strawberry Fields does, reading this book took me on a journey, along with the main character (Joaquin) through the geographical and psychological/emotional terrain that can be said to be South Texas. Additionally, although I live in Southern California, now, Joaquin's journey took me back, personally, and I, too, as I read this, was reminded of much of my own growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, with the great spirit and sense of humor that people from here have.
The first couple of chapters, only, seemed a bit slow for me (but that could very well be my own fault/not that of the book). I didn't immediately care for the characters introduced (again, I may have been distracted while reading in the beginning)--but I stayed with it, and am glad that I did. Very soon the pace picks up and then it's hard to put the book down. His fascinating, recurring nightmare, and the haunting image of the "blonde girl" from his (Joaquin's) past, seduces one to the very end--to those very last pages when we discover the truth. Or think we do. There is much ambiguity in this novel-in-stories that is not only intriguing, but which also makes for such a rich story about a most complex time in our American histories (U.S. and Mexico). Ambiguity and ambivalence are key to the text, as we are led through some rather surreal dreams and scenes that would be a field day for any Jungian depth psychologist--leading us, together with the protagonist, to critically examine that which is true, imagined, or dreamt (both in the text, and perhaps even in our own memories ). The non-linear, circular structure of the narrative supports the weavings in and out of dream and reality, of past and present, that occur within Joaquin's consciousness and in this novel-in-stories.
Strawberry Fields is a mystery story. It is also indeed a journey on many levels--of both the internal and external landscapes. It is a psychological thriller, as well as a memoir (or autobiographical fiction) and bildungsroman/coming of age story. And it is both a nostalgic--and starkly illuminating--return to a way of life that is at once "the way it was, back then" and the way it very well is, still, for many. (Just like our memories, and our own demons, when finally faced head on/dealt with--by us, in our present--in other words....) The dramatic changes that do occur--especially within the protagonist--also reveal a truly American story. As we witness Joaquin's amazing rise from migrant worker to professional lawyer, we become aware of an America, and an American story, all too often relegated to the margins. Thank goodness that Chuy Ramirez gives voice to (and raises many questions about) this oftentimes inspiring, as well as problematic, American story.
One finds both the specific and the universal in Strawberry Fields--both the mythic, universal themes of father/son conflict, for example, as perceived through the lens of specificity that is the Rio Grande Valley, with its own particular cultural codes of conduct and manhood. It is a hero's quest, and a people's pilgrimage; it is the story of one individual's consciousness and journey towards awareness, as well as a collective migrants', and Mexican-American/Chicanos', tale. In this regard it reminds me of a sequel to, a more recent continuation of, the classic Tomas Rivera's And the Earth Did Not Devour Him/y no se lo trago la tierra (Rivera being another South Texan).
The journey upon which Chuy Ramirez takes his readers is well worth it. In the process of the reading, one might even discover one's self along the way. Enjoy the ride.
Susana de la Peña, Ph.D.
I am so happy to find a book like this--written by someone of my own generation--that is written so well (even poetically at times), so tellingly, and with such accurate attention to detail and cultural truth, about this unique place and its own cosmos of humanity. Strawberry Fields is a delight to read because Ramirez grasps, and conveys, a masterful "ear" for the authentic, unique, and rich language of the people of this place; only a native South Texan, like Ramirez, who has long listened to the inhabitants of this place could have written this. Moreover, although my family did not migrate to the Midwest from South Texas as the family in Strawberry Fields does, reading this book took me on a journey, along with the main character (Joaquin) through the geographical and psychological/emotional terrain that can be said to be South Texas. Additionally, although I live in Southern California, now, Joaquin's journey took me back, personally, and I, too, as I read this, was reminded of much of my own growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, with the great spirit and sense of humor that people from here have.
The first couple of chapters, only, seemed a bit slow for me (but that could very well be my own fault/not that of the book). I didn't immediately care for the characters introduced (again, I may have been distracted while reading in the beginning)--but I stayed with it, and am glad that I did. Very soon the pace picks up and then it's hard to put the book down. His fascinating, recurring nightmare, and the haunting image of the "blonde girl" from his (Joaquin's) past, seduces one to the very end--to those very last pages when we discover the truth. Or think we do. There is much ambiguity in this novel-in-stories that is not only intriguing, but which also makes for such a rich story about a most complex time in our American histories (U.S. and Mexico). Ambiguity and ambivalence are key to the text, as we are led through some rather surreal dreams and scenes that would be a field day for any Jungian depth psychologist--leading us, together with the protagonist, to critically examine that which is true, imagined, or dreamt (both in the text, and perhaps even in our own memories ). The non-linear, circular structure of the narrative supports the weavings in and out of dream and reality, of past and present, that occur within Joaquin's consciousness and in this novel-in-stories.
Strawberry Fields is a mystery story. It is also indeed a journey on many levels--of both the internal and external landscapes. It is a psychological thriller, as well as a memoir (or autobiographical fiction) and bildungsroman/coming of age story. And it is both a nostalgic--and starkly illuminating--return to a way of life that is at once "the way it was, back then" and the way it very well is, still, for many. (Just like our memories, and our own demons, when finally faced head on/dealt with--by us, in our present--in other words....) The dramatic changes that do occur--especially within the protagonist--also reveal a truly American story. As we witness Joaquin's amazing rise from migrant worker to professional lawyer, we become aware of an America, and an American story, all too often relegated to the margins. Thank goodness that Chuy Ramirez gives voice to (and raises many questions about) this oftentimes inspiring, as well as problematic, American story.
One finds both the specific and the universal in Strawberry Fields--both the mythic, universal themes of father/son conflict, for example, as perceived through the lens of specificity that is the Rio Grande Valley, with its own particular cultural codes of conduct and manhood. It is a hero's quest, and a people's pilgrimage; it is the story of one individual's consciousness and journey towards awareness, as well as a collective migrants', and Mexican-American/Chicanos', tale. In this regard it reminds me of a sequel to, a more recent continuation of, the classic Tomas Rivera's And the Earth Did Not Devour Him/y no se lo trago la tierra (Rivera being another South Texan).
The journey upon which Chuy Ramirez takes his readers is well worth it. In the process of the reading, one might even discover one's self along the way. Enjoy the ride.
Susana de la Peña, Ph.D.
Monday, August 1, 2011
A Picture in Pictures: Chuy Ramirez's Literary Portrait of Life in The Valley
A Picture in Pictures: Chuy Ramirez's Literary Portrait of Life in The Valley
Andres Aceves Reviews "Strawberry Fields"
The Texas Rio Grande Valley has long been a reservoir of cultural and artistic fertility. Caught in a limbo between two separate realities, The Valley embraces an identity of cultural sovereignty reflected in the region's language, music, food, and literature. A Valley resident and native son, Chuy Ramirez adds to the region's literary overture a book of impassioned scope: Strawberry Fields.
Technically labeled a book of short stories, the individual chapters of Strawberry Fields read more like vignettes (few exceed five pages) and the final product leaves the reader with a narrative cohesiveness more akin to the novel than the story collection. Though the stories span generations and meander along different points of view, the collection, in its entirety, assembles a mosaic of images that paint the very believable portrait of a family, region, and way of life. Indeed the narrative invites suspicions of "semi-autobiographical" writing, not because the protagonist, Joaquin, practices law like Ramirez, nor because of the migrant-living-on-the-border lifestyle shared between author and characters; rather, such suspicions arise from the tactile authenticity Ramirez infuses into his characters and settings.
One might say that mystery drives the narrative; the tension that keeps the reader engaged comes from a desire to figure out the unknowns Ramirez seamlessly introduces in the early stories. Joaquin is presented as a character anxious to accept--or, at the very least, to understand--his past, an anxiety his siblings don't seem to share. Thus, it is unclear to his siblings, as it is to the reader, precisely what he wishes to discover on the trip to Michigan upon which he seems so eager to embark. Through a disjointed and unsequential series of vividly rendered moments from Joaquin's history, the mysteries unfold and harmonize for the reader as they do for the character.
Some vignettes take place before Joaquin's birth, and they stagger in time and place (in one, the character buries his mother and learns of his estranged father's death, and in the next, a much younger Joaquin shares a breakfast with mom, dad, and siblings) but it seems the author intends this to be a statement that every person's story is inextricably linked to history, and that his or her identity is formed not by a series of causes and effects, but by a collection of moments. Ramirez's structure, then, is not simply an attempt to let every chapter exist as a self-contained short story. It is a reflection of the process through which we all make sense of our storied and chaotic personal histories.
-Andres Aceves
Andres Aceves Reviews "Strawberry Fields"
The Texas Rio Grande Valley has long been a reservoir of cultural and artistic fertility. Caught in a limbo between two separate realities, The Valley embraces an identity of cultural sovereignty reflected in the region's language, music, food, and literature. A Valley resident and native son, Chuy Ramirez adds to the region's literary overture a book of impassioned scope: Strawberry Fields.
Technically labeled a book of short stories, the individual chapters of Strawberry Fields read more like vignettes (few exceed five pages) and the final product leaves the reader with a narrative cohesiveness more akin to the novel than the story collection. Though the stories span generations and meander along different points of view, the collection, in its entirety, assembles a mosaic of images that paint the very believable portrait of a family, region, and way of life. Indeed the narrative invites suspicions of "semi-autobiographical" writing, not because the protagonist, Joaquin, practices law like Ramirez, nor because of the migrant-living-on-the-border lifestyle shared between author and characters; rather, such suspicions arise from the tactile authenticity Ramirez infuses into his characters and settings.
One might say that mystery drives the narrative; the tension that keeps the reader engaged comes from a desire to figure out the unknowns Ramirez seamlessly introduces in the early stories. Joaquin is presented as a character anxious to accept--or, at the very least, to understand--his past, an anxiety his siblings don't seem to share. Thus, it is unclear to his siblings, as it is to the reader, precisely what he wishes to discover on the trip to Michigan upon which he seems so eager to embark. Through a disjointed and unsequential series of vividly rendered moments from Joaquin's history, the mysteries unfold and harmonize for the reader as they do for the character.
Some vignettes take place before Joaquin's birth, and they stagger in time and place (in one, the character buries his mother and learns of his estranged father's death, and in the next, a much younger Joaquin shares a breakfast with mom, dad, and siblings) but it seems the author intends this to be a statement that every person's story is inextricably linked to history, and that his or her identity is formed not by a series of causes and effects, but by a collection of moments. Ramirez's structure, then, is not simply an attempt to let every chapter exist as a self-contained short story. It is a reflection of the process through which we all make sense of our storied and chaotic personal histories.
-Andres Aceves
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Review of “Juana Macho” from The Heavens Weep For Us and Other Stories
Juana Macho is one of my favorites of Thelma T. Reyna’s collection of short stories. The title immediately drew me back to East First Street in San Juan, Texas. It was the early 50s and I was still not in school when mother referred to a woman walking down the street as Juana Gallo. I was familiar with the name Juanita. The diminutive (“ito” for the male; “ita” for the female) which Chicanos added at the end of a word, signified a softening. Sounds of words—the inflection—mattered. I had never heard of the name Juana. “Juana” sounded hard. And to my young mind, when combined with the masculine “Gallo,” and then properly inflected, the name had implied all kinds of nefarious and detestable character traits. A gallo is after all a rooster, and a metaphor for fighter or macho. Mom was showing her disdain for the woman by calling the woman a pachuca and a toughie or roughie. Her use of this code word to personify Juana has been imbedded deep in my sensibilities.Thelma‘s use of the character’s name as figurative speech is creative, and its use as a code word is an especially useful literary device for her older Chicano audience . For us, she effectively sets a historical time and place with the use of the name. Her technique is to use a uniquely Chicano artifact to set up the environment for her story. As a chicano and bilingual reader, I appreciate the depth of her work. For not only am I generally entertained by her story, I also feel a special affinity with the setting which makes the reading experience much more enjoyable—more of my senses seem to be involved.
Those who attempt to write short stories can tell you how we dread the art. Juana Macho is an excellent specimen of a short story. It opens with action, moves through to the climax (and will make you weep, I assure you) and on to resolution. The story has none of the clutter or background noise that interferes with the reader’s desire to become one with the story and simply experience it as it proceeds.
Thelma T. Reyna initially misdirects the reader both with the use of her title in settling up the introductory scene. Her Juana Macho becomes the mirror image of my Juana Gallo. At first blush, Juana Macho confirms my ancestrally-coded disdain: this is the pachuca of East First Street. With creative brevity and compactness, Thelma quickly slaps us out of our fallible perceptions and preconceptions. How horrible we are to have judged this woman: this woman whose scars are not from hand-to-hand combat in beer joints with big, bullying lesbians. We have a need to apologize to this poor victim of a gas heater explosion who has been branded for life. The accident during her early adolescence left scars on her face and arms and tore away her breasts. Juana Gallo’s appearance has become her survival mask. She covers her femininity and internal “softness” with her façade.
Thelma, you make us weep!www.thelmareyna.com
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Writers Meet In Albuquerque
Writers Meet In Albuquerque
What vistas anAlbuquerque afternoon offers: vertical layers of texture, depth and color!
We were there for the Ninth Annual Latino/Hispano Writers Conference and felt right at home. Thanks to the organizers and all of the presenters. It is clear that they well understood and offered responses to the needs of fledging writers. In fact, the entire city welcomed us with open arms. The agents and publishers, in particular, held back nothing: getting published is next to impossible. Making a living at it is, in fact, impossible.
Despite all the expert advice, it is clear that the participants were not discouraged. They brought partial manuscripts, pitched ideas for publications, read excerpts and interviewed with agents. Somewhere among them, I am certain, is a future Hemingway or Stephen King. Writing is an art. Therefore, not everyone can excel at it. But we can all dream. Can't we?
Always humorous, Alurista read a tongue-in-cheek piece called "Orale!" It is an excellent, creative portrayal of how Chicanos can take one word and depending on its inflection° express entirely different grammatical categories. A student of languages would have been amazed at this man’s insight into language and speech.
Congratulations to Aztlan Libre Press, San Antonio, Texas and to Juan Tejeda and Anisa Onofre on their inaugural publication, TunaLuna, Alurista’s Tenth Collection of Poetry.
What vistas an
We were there for the Ninth Annual Latino/Hispano Writers Conference and felt right at home. Thanks to the organizers and all of the presenters. It is clear that they well understood and offered responses to the needs of fledging writers. In fact, the entire city welcomed us with open arms. The agents and publishers, in particular, held back nothing: getting published is next to impossible. Making a living at it is, in fact, impossible.
Despite all the expert advice, it is clear that the participants were not discouraged. They brought partial manuscripts, pitched ideas for publications, read excerpts and interviewed with agents. Somewhere among them, I am certain, is a future Hemingway or Stephen King. Writing is an art. Therefore, not everyone can excel at it. But we can all dream. Can't we?
The second day was somewhat nostalgic for me. Poet, Alurista, read from his latest book of poems. The first and only time I had heard him read his poetry was in Denver back in the 60s or 70s. Can't quite recall. Same guy. Same unique poetry. Sadly, unless one is bilingual (and, often, familiar with the historical and spiritual background of his poetry) it is difficult, if not impossible, to understand Alurista's poetry. But there are several poems in this latest collection that will withstand time and will be universally admired. Two of my favorites: “Ran” and “Gazing”.
Always humorous, Alurista read a tongue-in-cheek piece called "Orale!" It is an excellent, creative portrayal of how Chicanos can take one word and depending on its inflection° express entirely different grammatical categories. A student of languages would have been amazed at this man’s insight into language and speech.
Congratulations to Aztlan Libre Press, San Antonio, Texas and to Juan Tejeda and Anisa Onofre on their inaugural publication, TunaLuna, Alurista’s Tenth Collection of Poetry.
° In grammar, inflection is the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, aspect, person, number, gender and case.
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