Whatever you write will be left for eternity, so you should write everything with sincerity. Imagine your audience will hang up your words like a work of art. In order to become skilled in this martial art, you must practice. … Continue reading “Why Write? Skills (Part 5 of 7)”
Be good to the mountains, and they will be good to you. We write to know ourselves, to fight against ourselves, and to return somewhere inside of ourselves where we have never been. It all happens simultaneously. Evolution is a … Continue reading “Why Write? Imagination: Evolution, Revolution, and Roots (Part 4 of 7)”
Today I travel into my 20th year of teaching, learning, and sharing at City College of San Francisco. This is not simply my job; this is my life. This semester, like all past semesters, we will share some life, even … Continue reading “Why Write? Consciousness and Courage (Part 3 of 7)”
Fact and Fiction In the middle ofThe sentenceThe street He panickedHe smiledHe asked himself “AmIWriting the story orIs the story writingMe?” The Word is power. It is the primary staple of official intellectual and political power on planet earth—e.g. laws, … Continue reading “Why Write? Power: Fact and Fiction (Part 2 of 7)”
Why write? It is an overly simplistic question, yet it really does require deep discussion, especially in this era when text is more important than ever before. Note that text has always held a holy status, whether it is hieroglyphics … Continue reading “Why Write? Spider Symbols (Part 1 of 7)”
In this warCalled lifeMy weapon isLove There is no otherRoute toVictory Hate is a dull knifeSelfishness is a shameful smileEvil is a dead zombieNone of them workI knowI have tried them allThey cause youLoss In this warI must winMy life … Continue reading “My Revenge Is Love”
Now more than ever before, we must become better critical readers and writers. There is no escape: whether you like it or not, you are a reader and a writer. We are reading and writing more than any other people … Continue reading Pura Neta for Prisoners
Is there such a thing as too much lowrider love? 🙂 On Sunday, December 20, 2020, Santa Clause came in reindeers of gold, red, blue, metal-flaked lowrider Impalas, Monte Carlos, Cuttys, and Cadillacs with custom colorful murals and lots of … Continue reading San Fran Santa Cruise Lowriders Delivering Christmas Gifts to Families in Need, 2020 🙂
Tim Redmond, editor of 48 Hills news, reviews Pura Neta: “It’s half prose, half poetry, and all very, very real… It’s a powerful book and also a great read – the poetry gives music to the narrative, and it tells … Continue reading “‘Pura Neta,’ the Mission, and the Price of Gentrification” A Review Article in 48 Hills News
“It Is Forbidden To Be So Honest” Human beings are ugly That is our natural stateOur natural rootsBeyond languageYet with the languageWe useWe abuseSoRootsAre described asUglyBrown dirt shit My brother hadBrown and ProudTattooed on his stomachOn his right armHis knock … Continue reading “It Is Forbidden To Be So Honest”
