Ana Castillo and Alicia Gaspar de Alba

Ana Castillo and Alicia Gaspar de Alba will read, discuss and sign their latest novels on Sunday, August 16 from 2 to 4pm.

Book signing will follow reading. Writers will have books for sale. Artist will have prints, posters and magnets for sale.

This all will happen at my studio at 711 South Kern Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90022.

As you notice if reading this, the date changed from Friday to Saturday. We didn't want anyone to have to brave L.A. traffic under August heat.

For those of you who write me here under "Anonymous," I don't know how to reply to you.

See our wedding pictures on Courage Campaign Fidelity ad in Spanish

Dos Mundos

My sister Leti and I have decided to share a small storefront in a minimall in East L.A.  She will use it as an office space for her business.  Of course, I will use it as a studio and occasional gallery.

We are considering calling our space Dos Mundos for the fact that we are two sisters with two different uses for one space.

The grand opening for the gallery space will be a reading by Ana Castillo and Alicia Gaspar de Alba.  Both have published extensively, and many of their books will be available for sale during the reading event.

This event will take place on Friday, August 14 at 7pm at Dos Mundos, 711 South Kern at Hubbard in East Los Angeles. 

Calligraphy of the Witch by Alicia Gaspar de Alba

Please check out the trailer I just put together for Alicia Gaspar de Alba's novel Calligraphy of the Witch on youtube.com at below or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEnxHoH3cTY. 

Special thanks to the incredibly talented Adelina Anthony.  Also making a special cameo is Luna Azul. 

This was my first time making a book trailer.  Most importantly, it was my first time using green screen.  It was a learning experience, especially since my external hard drive failed.  After all the drama, it was really well worth the time and effort to learn to use this special effect. 

Name Change After Marriage

I decided to legally change my name.  My new legal name is Alma Lopez Gaspar de Alba.  Of course, I carefully considered this important decision.  

Honestly, it was just easier to not change my name at all.  I wouldn't have to stand in waiting lines at Social Security or DMV.  Nor would I have to pay for a new driver's license nor a new passport.  Not to mention all the other documents I will need to update.  

Aside from the time consuming and economic issues, there is also the unpracticality of having a REALLY long name.  Alicia usually has to mispronounce her name as well as spell it several times.  

So why would I want to add her last name to mine?  Well, sometimes I am realistic and practical.   I know that I live in a homophobic world. This is a fact made evident by such things as Proposition 8.  The only purpose of this proposition is to restrict rights.   I am hopeful that Californians will vote NO on Proposition 8 in November, and that all the same gender couples who married these last few months will be able to remain legally married.

When I was considering my decision whether to change my name or not, my good friend Lindsey told me that the countless hospital trips as well as the funeral arrangements for her late husband were made a little less difficult by not being constantly questioned, "and who are you?" 

This story convinced me the most.  I know that unfortunately health issues and accidents happen. And since, we travel frequently due to our work, something may happen when we aren't in a state which recognizes our marriage.  That is highly likely, since there are many more places which don't recognize same gender marriage.  I'm hoping that being able to easily prove that we are family who share a last name may make a hard situation just a little less difficult.

Dia de Muertos at Self Help Graphics

This year's Dia de Muertos exhibition is curated by Reina Prado.  The theme is "A Call To Witness: All Is Not Forgotten."  This event celebrates Self Help Graphics' 35 year anniversary. The exhibition opens to the public on Sunday, November 2 at 3pm and runs through November 29, close of day.  A preview of the exhibition will be held on Saturday, November 1 during the creation of the Community Altar, lead by Ofelia Esparza.

My friend Rigo Maldonado invited me to collaborate with him on an altar installation.  We have been friends for over 10 years.  We met while he was an undergraduate at UCLA.  He is currently pursuing an art education degree at CSULB.

Although we are both saddened about the current Self Help Graphic's financial and building circumstances, we are glad to be collaborating on this exhibition.  After multiple working discussions, we decided to make a community altar titled "Nepantla 35."  We appreciate that our lives are so much fuller because of our friends, and we recognize that at times our friends are closer to us than any family member.  This altar is dedicated to all of our families, including those which we make as we live.

Our altar will consist of hanging pine wood box frames.  Each box frame will hold a photo and some will hold personally meaningful objects for that person.  The photos are of our own family members and friends as well as family members and friends of our friends.  The pine wood boxes remind us of the boxes we live in (our homes), the boxes we travel in (our cars, buses, planes and trains) and the boxes we rest in (our coffins and urns).

Pictured above is one of the box frames with a photo of Antonio Gaspar de Alba.  He is Alicia's father.  His box has a deck of cards because he was a blackjack player.  Alicia says, "He was lucky until the last day of his short 52 year old life."

Traditions and rituals such as Dia de Muetos teach us that life and death are on a continuous cycle.  Our community altar not only remembers and welcomes the spirits of family and friends, but also acknowledges and honors concepts of extended families and our interconnectedness with each other. The lines are blurred between family and friendships, between beginnings and endings, and between life and death.

For more exhibition and event information visit Self Help Graphics at http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/events/diadelosmuertos.php

I'm also participating in the Dia de Muertos exhibition curated by artist Barbara Carrasco at Avenue 50 in Highland Park.  For more information, visit www.avenue50studio.com

Our Lady of Controversy

Alicia and I are working on editing a publication of essays titled Our Lady of Controversy: Alma Lopez's Irreverent Apparition.  Please read more about the Our Lady image and the controversy on my website at http://www.almalopez.com or http://www.almalopez.net.  Either address leads you to the same site. 

If you are an artists (or if you know an artist, please forward) who has created an image using the icon of the Virgen of Guadalupe, please submit your work for consideration to be included in the DVD which will accompany this book.

This publication with DVD will be published by the University of Texas Press (Chicana Matters Series) in the Fall of 2010.

Our Wedding and NO on 8

Alicia Gaspar de Alba and I were married on Saturday, August 16.  We selected this date because it was a full moon with a partial eclipse earlier that day.  Also, the Electra yacht in Newport Beach was available that night.  It was a small wedding.  We shared this day with only 50 family members and friends  We wanted to keep the wedding ceremony, dinner and dance on the yacht intimate and comfortable.  So, unfortunately, we weren't able to invite many more of our friends.

In this photo, Alicia and I are accompanied by Alicia's mom and sister, our best women (my sister Leti and Alicia's aunt Margot), our four madrinas/godmothers (Ayde, Lindsey, Deena, and Alicia's cousin Blanca), our ring bearers (my niece Amber and Alicia's godchild Bianca), and our flower girls (my nieces Sydney, Sarah and Allison).

The ceremony was performed by Captain Chuck Pieper.  He and Alicia worked closely tailoring the ceremony for us.  I read a poem by Francisco Alarcon and Alicia read a poem she wrote for us.  We had a sand ceremony.  The sand vase currently sits in the center of a bookshelf wall in our living room.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, our family and friends blew bubbles as Alicia and I danced down the isle to "I Believe in Miracles/You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate.

For the dinner tables, the madrinas helped us make recuerdos consisting of two refrigerator magnets and chocolate covered sunflower seeds in small boxes.  We also made our own orchid centerpieces and personalized candles.  Everyone, even our vegetarian friends, said they enjoyed dinner.

We had a three layer cake.  The bottom layer was white with lemon cream cheese and fresh raspberries.  The center layer was white with chocolate truffle and fresh raspberries.  The top layer was carrot cake with cream cheese.  Unfortunately, Alicia and I only had a tiny bite size slice each of the bottom layer while we posed for the cutting cake ceremony pictures.  We ate some of the top layer in our hotel room after the wedding.  We are looking forward to our one year anniversary complimentary cake from Cinderella Cakes next summer.  It's going to have to be the white with lemon cream cheese and fresh raspberries.

Alicia and I danced all night long.  Our first dance was "El Vals de las Mariposas" performed by Chalinillo.  The money dance,  I think was "La Pollera Colora."  Well, at least the first money dance song.  The money dance just seemed to go on and on.  The flowers girls kept borrowing $1 bills from all the guests to dance with us. 

August 16 was an amazingly beautiful and memorable day for us, our family, and friends.  We feel so fortunate to have each other to share the rest of our years together.  We are so glad that the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of same gender marriage. 

Alicia and I are very happy together.  How can our happiness and our marriage affect heterosexual marriages negatively?  I don't see how.

But, you can help save our happy marriage.  Please vote NO on California's Proposition 8 in November.

New Blog

I did something horrible.  Something which I'm sure is never done.  I deleted my old blog.  For a year, I had been unable to make new posts because I would get an error message.  Over the last year, I tried several times to figure out the problem.  

My logic in deleting my old blog was to start new with the same address, but that logic backfired.  I am unable to use that address because it is unavailable.  Today, I write this with some regrets for not saving at least some of the posts.  On the other hand, I am glad to be able to continue my blog here.