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I'm thrilled beyond words that my bilingual book Adela Zamudio: Selected Poetry & Prose was selected as a Finalist for the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation! PEN America awards are the Oscars of the U.S. literary world. Of course I (and my Fuente Fountain Books' editors Tania Cano and Michael Favala Goldman) will travel to NYC for the March 2nd gala Awards Ceremony! Here's more about the book: First book in English showcasing the life and writings of
Bolivia's most celebrated writer and educator, Adela Zamudio. Her birthday is a national holiday in Bolivia. Self-taught,
Zamudio was the mother of feminism and women's education in Bolivia,
and was active for Indigenous People's rights. The President of Bolivia
crowned her with gold laurel leaves in honor of her cultural
contributions. Adela Zamudio: Selected Poetry & Prose, translated
from the Spanish by Lynette Yetter, presents a bilingual overview of
Zamudio's work, much of which was previously untranslated. Several
chapters, including the Prolog by Bolivian Zamudio scholar
Virginia Ayllón, outline Zamudio's biography and the cultural context in
which she wrote. Adela Zamudio's celebration of lesbian love and her
ironic cultural critiques continue to resonate today.
Creative flow. Translating Adela Zamudio (1854-1928), Bolivia's most celebrated writer. Her birthday, October 11th, is a national holiday. I'm fortunate to be the first translator of much of her work into English. My translation of her poem "Poeta" was published in Stanford University's issue 20 of Mantis: A Journal of Poetry, Criticism & Translation. Fuente Fountain Books recently published my bilingual book Adela Zamudio: Selected Poetry & Prose. I'm thrilled that the book right now is in the second round of judging for the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation! November 30th I gave a talk (in Spanish) where I analyzed Zamudio's allegorical story "Yesterday's Meeting." (It's possible that Zamudio's story inspired George Orwell's later similar work, Animal Farm.) The Seminario Internacional Perú XIX "Autoridad, ciudadanía y cuerpos: desplazamientos y fracturas en la modernidad" in Lima Peru will have video recordings of the conference available soon on https://www.facebook.com/RielPeruXIX/videos. It was a trip for me to get up at 5 am in Portland, Oregon to present my paper via Zoom at 6 am (9 am Lima time). I love how virtual conferences let us connect with interesting folks all around the world--folks who are passionate about the same sort of stuff we care about. I enjoyed sharing a synopsis of my Reed College Master of Arts in Liberal Studies thesis, Domination and Justice in the Allegorical Story "La reunión de ayer" by Adela Zamudio (1854-1928), Bolivia. I'm honored that in early 2023, Sinister Wisdom: A Multicultural Lesbian Literary & Art Journal will be publishing my English translation of Adela Zamudio's love poem to her sister, "Yesterday Afternoon." I feel like I've mind-melded with Adela Zamudio. It feels deep and powerful, tender and awe-inspiring. And fun. Adela Zamudio has a great sense of humor! I hope you enjoy reading Adela Zamudio as much as I (and the many people whose praise fills the opening pages of Adela Zamudio: Selected Poetry & Prose) do. * * * La creatividad fluye. Estoy traduciendo Adela Zamudio (1854-1928), la escritora más célebre de Bolivia. Su cumpleaños, el 11 de octubre, es un feriado nacional. Tengo la suerte de ser la primera traductora de gran parte de su obra al inglés. Mi traducción de su poema "Poeta" se publicó en el número 20 de Mantis: A Journal of Poetry, Criticism & Translation de la Universidad de Stanford. Fuente Fountain Books publicó recientemente mi libro bilingüe Adela Zamudio: Selected Poetry & Prose. ¡Estoy encantada de que el libro ahora mismo esté en la segunda ronda de evaluación del Premio PEN de Poesía en Traducción! El 30 de noviembre di una charla (en español) donde analicé el cuento alegórico de Zamudio "La reunión de ayer". (Es posible que la historia de Zamudio haya inspirado el trabajo similar posterior de George Orwell, Animal Farm). El Seminario Internacional Perú XIX "Autoridad, ciudadanía y cuerpos: desplazamientos y fracturas en la modernidad" en Lima Perú tendrá grabaciones de video de la conferencia disponibles pronto en https ://www.facebook.com/RielPeruXIX/videos. Fue dichoso levantarme a las 5 am en Portland, Oregón para presentar mi ponencia vía Zoom a las 6 am (9 am hora de Lima). Me encanta cómo las conferencias virtuales nos permiten conectarnos con personas interesantes de todo el mundo, personas apasionadas por el mismo tipo de cosas que nos importan. Disfruté compartiendo una sinopsis de mi tesis de maestría en estudios liberales de Reed College, Domination and Justice in the Allegorical Story "La reunión de ayer" by Adela Zamudio (1854-1928), Bolivia. Me siento honrado de que a principios de 2023, Sinister Wisdom: A Multicultural Lesbian Literary & Art Journal publicará mi traducción al inglés del poema de amor de Adela Zamudio a su hermana, "Yesterday Afternoon". Siento que me he fusionado mentalmente con Adela Zamudio. Se siente profundo y poderoso, tierno e inspirador. Y divertido. ¡Adela Zamudio tiene un gran sentido del humor! Espero que disfruten leyendo Adela Zamudio tanto como yo (y las muchas personas cuyos elogios llenan las primeras páginas del libro bilingüe Adela Zamudio: Selected Poetry & Prose).
“We break windows. We burn things. Because war is the only language men listen to,” Maud says in Suffragette, now playing in theaters across the U.S.
 |
| SUFFRAGETTE
is the first ever feature film to tell the inspirational story of the
foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who risked everything in
the fight for equality. Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep. Now showing in
theatres across the U.S. |
Director Sara Gavron said, “Working (class) women often are the vanguard of change, and they’re often not recognized for that.”
 |
| Mary
Pickford as “Tess of the Storm Country” out for a walk. Notice the body
language, of swinging her arms wide commanding lots of space. |
Another woman not recognized by history is Mary Pickford, the most
famous woman in the world at the time the Suffragettes were breaking and
burning things.
Maud and the other Suffragettes would have been very familiar with
Mary Pickford and her films, where she broke female stereotypes.
On screen, Pickford’s characters fought, choked, kicked, hit, bit,
and broke chairs over the heads of men about twice her size — and won. I
wonder who inspired who? Did the Suffragettes inspire Mary Pickford, or
did she inspire them? Or was it that women’s reality was actually
portrayed in the movies?
Like Maud in “Suffragette,” Mary Pickford starting working at the age of seven. She was born in 1892 into a working class family.
By the age of twelve Pickford financially supported her mother and younger siblings as a traveling stage actor.
At the age of fifteen she started working in the movies and went on
to start her own studio — United Artists, together with three friends.
She starred in hundreds of movies, which almost all were the top
grossing movies of the era.
The roles Pickford chose to play were of working class women, since
that was her reality. Most of her audience were working class, like Maud in “Suffragette.”
But today’s reality is very different. Women and our stories have been erased, marginalized and ignored in movie-making.
In an interview
with Sarah Gavron, the director of “Suffragette,” Women-in-Film PDX and
Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival founder Tara Johnson-Medinger
stated,
I think you’ve created the quintessential
film that women in film are striving toward: to have a strong ensemble
of women cast, incredible actors, along with such a strong female crew,
the writer, producers, yourself…
Director Sarah Gavron responded,
I have to say, it’s very rare, sadly. The
statistics are bleak. There’s so few films directed by women and so few
films with female protagonists. . . . We’re half the population and we
want to see our stories reflected. We buy over half of cinema tickets
that sell these stories. Let’s get them made by women and refracted
through the lens of women.
That’s what Mary Pickford was
doing while the Suffragettes were agitating for women’s right to vote —
she was making movies with female protagonists and thousands and
millions of people were watching them.
But like Disney reducing the 50 year struggle of the Suffragettes
into the single character of Mary Poppins flying around with her
umbrella, (male) film historians have similarly marginalized, ignored
and erased from history the screenwriter, movie-mogul, and first movie
star, Mary Pickford. They reduced her to only her most insipid of
movies–Pollyanna and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
Male film historians ignored Mary Pickford’s hundreds of other movies, especially her favorite character, “ Tess of the Storm Country” (1914 and 1922).
 |
| Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country” tackles a bad guy. |
 |
| Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country” chokes a bad guy. |
 |
Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country” solo climbs barefoot up the stone “chimney.”
|
“Tess” is one of the many movies in which she brawls and does most of her own athletic stunts.
In “Tess of the Storm Country” Mary Pickford, just five-feet tall,
dives from a cliff into a fast-flowing river to save a drowning woman.
She free solo climbs barefoot up a “chimney” of a rock wall, while
wearing a dress, to visit her falsely-imprisoned father through his jail
cell window.
 |
| Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country” usurps the role of Priest and dips her hand in the font of Holy Water. |
 |
Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country” baptizes a dying baby.
|
And she even usurps the role of Priest. She interrupts his service by
walking up front demanding he baptize the dying infant in her arms.
When he hesitates, she acts as her own Priest, dips her hand in the
basin of Holy Water and baptizes the baby in front of the shocked
hundreds present in the church.
In the movies of Mary Pickford, Suffragettes could see powerful
female role models on screen while they took to the streets. In the news
they could read how Pickford negotiated her contracts to have complete
creative control and the highest salary ever.
Mary Pickford and the Suffragettes demanded their rights and got them.
When will we see equal representation of women protagonists in films made by women?
According to a study
done by the University of Southern California, Sundance Institute, and
Women in Film, we are over 50% of the population yet we direct only 5%
of the top grossing movies, because of the male-controlled economic
power structure of Hollywood.
The study also noted,
…Female producers and directors affect
the prevalence of girls and women on screen, they also impact the very
nature of a story, or the way in which a story is told. Examining more
than 900 motion pictures, one study found that violence, guns/weapons,
and blood/gore were less likely to be depicted when women were directing
or producing, and thought-provoking topics were more likely to appear.
Thanks to the Suffragettes, yes, we have the vote. But our voice
continues to be silenced. The boys still tell most of the stories,
whether it is on the big screen or in the White House.
One exception is Bolivia, where women hold 50% of the seats in parliament. That story, too, has been ignored or marginalized in the U.S. by the male-dominated media.
Sara Gavron’s movie “Suffragette” is a huge step in the right direction.
Support women — go see “Suffragette.”
First published as "Film Legend Mary Pickford and Sara Gavron's 'Suffragette'" on BlogCritics.org.
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¿Cuándo fue la última vez que asistías un conversatorio
con el presidente de un país?
 |
| Ceremonia para abrir la Conferencia Mundial del Peublos sobre el Cambio Climatica y en Defensa de la Vida, en el coleseo de la Universidad del Valle, Tiquipaya, Bolivia,
10 de octubre 2015. Foto: Freddy Zarco |
Eso es lo que hice 10 al 12 de octubre en Tiquipaya,
Bolivia en la Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático.
Evo Morales, el presidente de Bolivia, demostró su
compromiso con haber voces de la gente sean escuchadas. Invitó a todo el mundo
que quisiera participar por venir, de forma gratuita. Todo lo que hice fue
llenar mi formulario de inscripción en línea y ser presente.
 |
Los delegados pasan a través de las puertas de la
Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático, Octubre 10-12,
2015 en la Universidad del Valle, Tiquipaya, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Foto:
www.conclusion.com.ar
|
Yo era una de unos 7.000 delegados que participan en la
Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático.
Los documentos resultantes de nuestras docena Mesas de
Trabajo van con Evo a la cumbre climática de la ONU, COP21, en París, 30 de
noviembre.
 |
| Cantando el Himno Nacional de Bolivia en la ceremonia de
apertura de la Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático. El
presidente Evo Morales (centro) con laureados con el Premio Nobel de la Paz
Rajendra Pachauri y Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (izquierda). Foto: Fernando Cartagena |
Yo estaba en la Mesa de Trabajo # 1, sobre la globalización.
Aquí está un informe de algunas de mis experiencias en Tiquipaya II, en la
Universidad del Valle en el valle andino de Cochabamba, más de 8.000 pies sobre
el mar.
Jefe Deer de los originarios canadienses, compartió una
tecnología nativa para evitar el egoísmo. Abren todas las reuniones con un
plato ceremonial de alimentos y una sola cuchara. El objetivo es comer, pero
dejar suficiente para que todos los presentes se comen un poco también.
 |
| Evo Morales, presidente de Bolivia. El primer presidente
indígena en las Américas en 500 años. |
El presidente Evo Morales habló de una manera abierta,
amable, y franco. "¿Cuáles son las causas de tanto daño a la Madre Tierra?
. . . El sistema dominador del capitalismo es la causa principal del cambio
climático. . . . El capitalismo es un cáncer en la Madre Tierra. . . . Debemos
erradicar este cáncer con el fin de salvar la Madre Tierra y la humanidad. . .
. En los países capitalistas, las empresas y los bancos gobernar. . . . .
Guerras contribuyen al calentamiento global. . . . Nuestra tarea es unir a los
movimientos sociales del Norte y del Sur."
Evo encargó a los delegados con la responsabilidad de
diálogo y llegar a conclusiones para enviar a COP21 en París.
Laureados con el Premio Nobel de la Paz, activista de derechos
humanos Adolfo Pérez Esquivel y especialista climático, Rajendra Pachauri,
presentaron pruebas sobre la necesidad de cambiar rápidamente la estructura de
la sociedad y los estilos de vida, antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
Curtis Doebbler, un abogado internacional de derechos
humanos, propusó la creación de un Tribunal Internacional sobre el Cambio
Climático, cuyas decisiones serían vinculantes y forzada.
 |
El Papa Francisco envió sus saludos a la Conferencia
Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático en Tiquipaya, Bolivia, 10 de
octubre 2015
|
El Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas, Ban
Ki-moon, elogió a Evo y Bolivia para la creación de ejemplos positivos para el
mundo. Ban mencionó que aunque Bolivia iba a ir a cero las emisiones de gases
de efecto invernadero al día siguiente, tendría ninguna diferencia con el
cambio climático, porque Bolivia es tan pequeño; los países grandes y ricos son los que tienen que cambiar sin
demora.
El Papa Francisco envió sus saludos, y el ex presidente
de Uruguay, José Mujica, compartió su apoyo a través de vídeo.
Sentí un propósito y visión compartida de todos nosotros
que se preocupan por nuestra Madre Tierra. Todos se hablaron mucho de la
necesidad de cambios estructurales de los sistemas económicos a ser más
igualitaria, y para los ricos consumir menos y vivir más en armonía con nuestra
planeta.
Durante las últimas dos décadas los gobiernos han reunido
anualmente para discutir la reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto
invernadero. Pero los mayores contribuyentes al cambio climático se han negado
a firmar acuerdos vinculantes para cambiar sus maneras. Los glaciares se están
derritiendo, los niveles del mar subiendo y girando ácido, el clima es más
extremo e impredecible, todo por culpa de los altos niveles de dióxido de
carbono en la atmósfera creciendo por la actividad industrial humana.
Los ponentes nos insta a tomar acción para presionar a
nuestros representantes elegidos para tener la voluntad política para llegar a
acuerdos vinculantes en COP21, para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto
invernadero. Los próximos cinco años son cruciales para reducir las emisiones
de gases de efecto invernadero y cambiar a tecnologías con bajo o sin carbono,
antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
Inspirado por esto, he creado una petición en línea. Voy
a presentar a la Casa Blanca y el Congreso de Estados Unidos y el Senado.
También puedo mandar nuestras firmas a gobiernos de otros países. Solamente
escriba su dirección en la sección de comentarías de la petición.
Domingo las Mesas de Trabajo se reunieron durante todo el
día. Aquí están unas notas sobre mi día en la Mesa de Trabajo # 1. Por la
mañana hemos elegido a un hombre y una mujer (uno boliviano y el otro de
nacionalidad diferente) para facilitar las conversaciones.
Nuestro Mesa sobre la globalización comenzó con una lista
de tres páginas de las soluciones propuestas que fueron desarrolladas a través
del correo electrónico antes de la conferencia.
Uno por uno, cada uno de nosotros tuvo la oportunidad de
hablar durante cinco minutos, añadir las propuestas de la lista. Los
facilitadores escribieron constantemente, documentando las palabras de cada
persona.
Durante nuestro almuerzo los facilitadores editaron
nuestros comentarios a un documento ordenado. Les tomaron mucho más tiempo de
lo que esperaban. Esperamos, pero no como ovejas a la espera de nuestro pastor.
Espontáneamente, una por una las personas se levantaron y
tomaron la palabra para hablar al grupo acerca de sus preocupaciones.
Un hombre de Chile dijo que el mar esta siendo
sobreexplotado por las empresas transnacionales, destruyendo la capacidad para
los pescadores locales alimentar a sus familias y comunidades.
Un productor de radio alternativa de Bolivia advirtió
sobre la televisión y la radio como herramientas de las transnacional manipular
el pueblo. Hizo un llamamiento para un mayor control de los medios de
comunicación por el pueblo.
Una mujer de Cuba dijo que televisión cubana es
comunitaria. Todos los programas están creados por la gente en cada comunidad.
Ella dijo que siente orgullosa de que la televisión cubana retrata historias
con actores que parecen como personas reales, en vez de rubias flacas
quirúrgicamente alterados.
Y hablamos entre nosotros. La mujer a mi lado me dio un
folleto en español de una conferencia internacional sobre Género y Cambio
Climático que asistió en mayo 2015 en Santa Cruz, Bolivia. La conferencia llegó
a la conclusión de que debemos diseñar e implementar modelos económicos
alternativos al capitalismo.
Cuando los facilitadores de nuestra mesa de trabajo
regresaron, proyectan nuestro documento colectivo en una pantalla para que lo
corregimos como grupo. Por desgracia, en un punto, el proceso de consenso quedó
secuestrado por un hombre. Él gritaba hasta que se adoptó su propio punto de
vista.
Yo no grite cuando mi propia propuesta desapareció en el
proceso de edición (otro mesa de trabajo dijo a nuestros facilitadores que se
incluiría en su categoría). En caso de que usted es curioso, mi propuesta es
para las emisiones de noticias incluir el número de la Keeling Curve diaria (el
nivel actual de dióxido de carbono en la atmósfera), juntos con la temperatura y
la bolsa de valores.
Nuestro proceso de consenso no era perfecto, es un arte
que estamos aprendiendo. Me siento orgulloso de ser parte de un movimiento
hacia lo que Riane Eisler llama la estructura de compartir (poder con), en vez
de nuestras estructuras de dominación (poder sobre).
Al salir de la universidad, llena de la canción de aves,
un joven me entregó un folleto con la imagen de Jesús. Fue de un grupo llamado
Alfa y Omega. Alfa y Omega pide la gente a vivir como lo hizo Jesús, en
solidaridad con los humildes, mansos, y pobres. Entre sus cincuenta y un
propuestas, Alfa y Omega llama por la igualdad y la justicia para todas las
personas, viviendo nuestra vida cotidiana en los medios naturales más simples,
y evitar el consumismo. Animan a los gobiernos a tomar inspiración de las leyes
igualitarias de la Naturaleza.
Lunes por la mañana los delegados se reunieron de nuevo
en el coliseo de la Universidad. Los facilitadores de las docena mesas de
trabajo leyeron las declaraciones colectivas.
 |
| El nuevo coliseo en Quillacollo, el más grande de
Bolivia, con capacidad para 12.000 personas. Foto: gobernaciondecochabamba.bo |
Después de almorzar en restaurantes locales al aire
libre, viajamos en autobuses fletados para un coliseo en Quillacollo para la
clausura.
Las puertas del coliseo estaban abiertas y gratis a
todos. Las gradas estaban decoradas con banderas traídas por los miembros de la
audiencia. Algunas fueron pintadas a mano. Una era de una asociación de
vendedores ambulantes. Otra fue del grupo femenina Bartolina Sisa, el nombre de
una mujer indígena mártir que encabezó una resistencia contra la ocupación
española.
Grupos musicales famosos, entre ellos Llajtaymanta,
dieron un concierto gratuito. Bailamos en los pasillos.
 |
| Representantes de los movimientos sociales presentes el
presidente boliviano Evo Morales y el presidente ecuatoriano Rafael Correa con
ponchos tejidos a mano y guirnaldas de hojas de coca. Foto: eju.tv |
Discursos mezclaron con la música. Los presidentes de
Ecuador, Rafael Correa, y de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, y el canciller de Cuba,
Bruno Rodríguez, dieron charlas.
Criticaron la estructura capitalista dominador que ha
causado el cambio climático. Pidieron una nueva estructura económica, una
estructura igualitaria que honra a nuestra Madre Tierra.
El discurso final fue por el presidente Evo Morales.
Señaló que el día de hoy, 12 de octubre de 2015, fue el 523o aniversario de
Colon invadir las Américas, llevándose nuestros recursos naturales para
enriquecer a otros.
Él dijo: "Estados Unidos sigue haciendo lo mismo. .
. Los EE.UU. llevan los más brillantes desde Bolivia, los capacita, y luego los
vuelven a Bolivia para poner en práctica las políticas estadounidenses
imperialistas. . . al igual que los parásitos en los intestinos del león que lo
matan".
Evo afirmó que está llevando los documentos que hemos
creado al COP21 en París, para presentar y defender la voz del pueblo.
Las ceremonias cerraron con una canción del ritmo tinku, y muchas bailaron con Evo.
Fue publicado primero en inglés como "Tiquipaya II, People's World Conference on Climate Change" en BlogCritics.org
When was the last time you got to attend a brainstorming session with the president of a country?
|
| Opening ceremony of the People’s World Conference on Climate Change, in
the colesium of the Universidad del Valle, Tiquipaya, Bolivia, October
10, 2015. Photo: Freddy Zarco |
That’s what I did October 10-12 in Tiquipaya, Bolivia at the People’s World Conference on Climate Change.
Evo Morales,
the President of Bolivia, demonstrated his commitment to having
people’s voices be heard by inviting anyone who wanted to participate to
come, free of charge. All I did was fill out my registration form
online and show up.
 |
| Delegates
pass through the gates for the People’s World Conference on Climate
Change, October 10-12, 2015. Photo: www.conclusion.com.ar |
I was one of about 7000 delegates participating in the People’s World Conference on Climate Change.
The resulting documents that our dozen working groups developed
through consensus brainstorming are going with Evo to the UN climate
summit, COP21, in Paris, November 30th.
 |
| Singing
the Bolivian national anthem at the opening ceremonies of the People’s
World Conference on Climate Change. President Evo Morales (center) with
Nobel Peace Prize laureates Rajendra Pachauri and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
(left). Photo: Fernando Cartagena |
I was in Working Group #1, globalization. Here is a report of some of my experiences at Tiquipaya II, held on the campus of Universidad del Valle in the Andean valley of Cochabamba, over 8,000 feet above the rising sea.
First Nations chief Deer from Canada shared a Native technology to
avoid selfishness. They open every meeting with a ceremonial bowl of
food and a single spoon. The goal is to eat from the bowl, yet leave
enough so everyone present gets some, too.
|
| Evo Morales, President of Bolivia. The first indigenous president in the Americas in 500 years. |
President Evo Morales spoke in an open, friendly, and frank way.
“What are the causes of so much damage to Mother Earth? . . .
The
dominator system of capitalism is the number one cause of climate
change.
Capitalism is a cancer on Mother Earth. . . .
We must eradicate
this cancer in order to save Mother Earth and humanity. . . .
In
capitalist countries, business and the banks govern. . . . .
Wars add to
global warming. . . .
Our task is to unite the social movements of the
North and South.”
Evo tasked the delegates with the responsibility to
dialog and come up with conclusions to send to COP21 in Paris.
Nobel Peace Prize laureates, human rights activist Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and climate specialist Rajendra Pachauri, presented evidence that emphasized the need to quickly change the structure of society and lifestyles, before it is too late.
Curtis Doebbler,
an international human rights lawyer, proposed the creation of a World
Court on Climate Change, whose decisions would be binding and enforced.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon,
praised Evo and Bolivia for creating positive examples for the world.
Ban mentioned that even if Bolivia were to go to zero emissions of
greenhouse gases the very next day, it would make no difference to
climate change because Bolivia is so small; large rich countries are the
ones who need to change without delay.
 |
| Pope Francis sent his greetings to the People’s World Conference on Climate Change in Tiquipaya, Bolivia, October 10, 2015 |
Pope Francis sent his greetings, and former president of Uruguay José Mujica shared his support via video.
I felt a shared purpose and vision unite us all who care about our
Mother Earth. There was much talk of the need for structural changes of
economic systems to become more partnership–egalitarian, and for changes
in lifestyles–for the rich to consume less and live more gently on the
planet.
For the past two decades governments have gathered yearly to discuss
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but the biggest contributors to
climate change have refused to sign binding agreements to change their
ways. Glaciers are melting, ocean levels rising and turning acid,
weather is more extreme and unpredictable, all because of skyrocketing
levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from human industrial
activity.
The speakers urged us to take action–to pressure our elected
representatives to have the political will to make binding agreements at
COP21 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The next five years are
crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and switching to low- or
no-carbon technologies, before it is too late.
Inspired by this, I created an online petition, which I will present to the White House and U.S. Congress and Senate.
Sunday the working groups met all day. Here are snapshots from my day
in Working Group #1. In the morning we elected a man and a woman (one
Bolivian and the other a different nationality) to facilitate our
conversations.
Our globalization group started with a three-page list of proposed
solutions developed by group-member-email contributions before the
conference. One by one we each had the opportunity to speak for five
minutes, to add proposals to the list. The facilitators wrote
constantly, documenting each person’s input.
During our lunch break the facilitators edited our commentaries into a
tidy document. It took much longer than they expected. We waited, but
not like sheep awaiting our shepherd.
Spontaneously, one by one people stood up and took the floor to
address the group about their concerns. A man from Chile talked about
how their seas are being over-fished by transnational corporations, destroying the ability for local fishermen to make a living and feed their families and communities.
An alternative radio producer from Bolivia
warned about television and radio as brainwashing tools of
transnational corporation globalization. He called for more control of
the media by the people.
A woman from Cuba shared that they have local community television
stations, with all the shows created by people in each community. She
said she was proud that Cuban television portrays stories with actors who look like real people, instead of surgically-altered skinny blondes.
And we talked among ourselves. The woman next to me gave me a pamphlet
in Spanish from an international conference on Gender and Climate
Change she’d attended in May 2015 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It concluded
that we must design and implement alternative economic models to
capitalism.
When the facilitators returned, they projected our collective
document on a screen for us to proofread as a group. Unfortunately, at
one point, the consensus process got hijacked by one man. He yelled down
all other people until his own point of view was adopted.
I did not yell when my own proposal disappeared in the editing
process (another Working Group told our facilitators it would be
included in their category). In case you are curious, my proposal is for
news broadcasts to include the daily Keeling Curve number ( the current level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere) along with the weather report and the Dow Jones average.
Our consensus process was not perfect–it is an art we are learning. I am proud to be part of a movement towards what Riane Eisler calls partnership structure–of power with, instead of our existing domination structures–of power over.
As I left the bird-song-filled campus, a young man handed me a pamphlet with a picture of Jesus from a group called Alfa y Omega.
Alfa y Omega calls for people to live as Jesus did, in solidarity with
the humble, meek, and poor. Among their fifty-one proposals, they call
for equality and justice for all people, living our daily lives in more
simple natural ways and avoiding consumerism. They encourage governments
to take inspiration from the egalitarian laws of Nature.
Monday morning we delegates met again in the University’s coliseum.
The facilitators of the dozen working groups read the collective
statements.
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| The new coliseum in Quillacollo, the largest in Bolivia, seats 12,000 people. Photo: gobernaciondecochabamba.bo |
After lunching at local open-air restaurants, we traveled by
chartered buses to a coliseum in Quillacollo for the closing ceremonies.
The doors were open for free, to anyone who walked through them. The
stands were decorated with banners brought by members of the audience.
Some banners were painted by hand. One was from an association of street
vendors. Another from the women’s group Bartolina Sisa, named after a
martyred indigenous woman who led a resistance against the Spanish
occupation.
Famous musical groups including Llajtaymanta gave a free concert. We danced in the aisles.
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| Representatives
of social movements present Bolivian President Evo Morales and
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa with handwoven ponchos and garlands
of coca leaves. Photo: eju.tv |
Speeches punctuated the music. The presidents of Ecuador, Rafael
Correa, and of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the chancellor of Cuba,
Bruno Rodríguez, each spoke.
They criticized the dominator capitalist structure that has caused
climate change. They called for a new economic structure, a partnership
structure, which is egalitarian and honors our Mother Earth.
The final speech was by President Evo Morales. He noted that this
day, October 12, 2015, was the 523rd anniversary of Columbus invading
the Americas, taking away our natural resources to enrich others.
He said, “The U.S. is still doing the same thing. . . The U.S. takes
Bolivia’s brightest, trains them, then returns them to Bolivia to
implement U.S. imperialist policies . . . like the parasites in the
lion’s bowels that kill it.”
Evo affirmed he is taking the documents we created to COP21 in Paris, to present and defend the voice of the people.
The ceremonies closed with a tinku song, to which we and Evo danced along.
First published as Editor's Pick "Tiquipaya II, People's World Conference on Climate Change 2015" on BlogCritics.org.
Native people and friends filled the pews and stood along the walls of Reed College chapel on Wednesday, listening in rapt attention to Louie Gong (Nooksack), Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) and Jessica Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) discuss U.S. companies who "are guilty of misusing Native American sacred iconography," and pointing out who is doing good work. I'll simplify the argument as good -vs- bad.
According to the panel, these shoes are good.
And this outfit is bad.
Why? They seem so similar. Both are items of clothing manufactured in factories (probably in China). What's the difference?
The shoes are good because they were painted after-market by Louie Gong, a Native Artist. But the totem pole outfit is bad primarily because it was designed by a non-Native artist.
Appropriation of Native imagery is an insult to Native people. I agree. Gong argued that we should only buy Native iconography directly from Native artists. That sounds like a good idea.
But it's not the end of the discussion. What about when Native American artists are appropriating from Native people in other parts of our Mother Earth, Pachamama?
Here's a "good" story the panel presented, which I find has "bad" hidden within it.
Back in September Paul Frank threw a racist powwow fashion event and sold tee shirts about it. Both Jessica Metcalfe and Adrienne Keene wrote blog articles protesting this appropriation of Native sacred iconography, asked for apologies and Jessica suggested that Paul Frank collaborate with Native designers in the future. To their great surprise the president of Paul Frank talked with them on the phone, apologized and agreed to hire a Native designer to its team.
Of course Metcalfe and Keene celebrated this great victory of having Native voices heard by someone in the oppressors' power structure. Perhaps it will even be co-panelist Louie Gong who will soon be designing for Paul Frank. While this does indeed seem like a cause for celebration, can it actually be a cause for concern?
What if we ask who manufactures Paul Frank products?
It turns out that at least some of Paul Frank products are made in China — most likely by oppressed Native people.
A quick look at Naomi Klein's book No Logo quickly sickens the heart of anyone who cares about our human family. The documentary "Manufactured Landscapes" shows us how we as consumers are unwillingly oppressing our brothers and sisters. Capitalist globalization (including Paul Frank) is appropriating Native people's labor in China and elsewhere to manufacture commodities for consumers to buy, and generate profits for the 1%.
Native Chinese peoples, especially young single women, are driven by desperation to go to barricaded fortresses of Free Trade Zones and offer long hours of exhausting labor in exchange for un-nourishing food, overcrowded shelter, and a mere pittance of money. Suicide is rampant in the Free Trade Zones. But China is not alone. Capitalist globalization has a domino effect on oppression. China then oppresses Taiwanese with Free Trade Zones there that demand structural adjustments, much like the International Monetary Fund demands from colonized Native peoples in Third World countries around the world. Structural adjustments that allow imports of products from more powerful countries, which will cripple then eliminate local production. This is an economic colonization that creates dependency.
Doesn't this sound familiar? How different is it from the way colonizers have treated Native people for centuries? If we didn't give in to bribes forming dependency, then we were kidnapped, enslaved, slaughtered, or relocated.
Relocated like the desperate Native people in China, Taiwan , Nicaragua and elsewhere, whose labor and bodies have been relocated into Free Trade Zones to grease the wheels of capitalism.
Is it truly something to celebrate that Paul Frank will collaborate with a Native designer? No. I argue that it is a cause to mourn — for Paul Frank now has the blessing of Adrienne Keene , which allows the company to continue oppressing Native people in Third World countries who have been driven by desperation to work in factories in Free Trade Zones.
By the way, Native designer Louie Gong suggested boycotting Pendleton because they are not Native owned and have been appropriating Native designs for more than a century. The audience gasped. Meanwhile, Gong specializes in painting Native designs on shoes, especially canvas tennis shoes. Where are those shoes manufactured? You guessed it. Most likely they are made in China.
What ethical difference is there, if any, between a non-Native appropriating Native iconography, and a Native appropriating the labor and lives of Third World Natives in Free Trade Zones to produce his or her designs? Are we unintentionally adopting the same mindset as the oppressor?
I suggest that instead of competing to get to the top of the heap on the sinking ship of globalized capitalism, we could better honor our Native Traditions by looking to the sustainable wisdom of our ancestors, like our brothers and sisters are doing in Bolivia.
President Evo Morales is the first Indigenous president in the Americas. Recently he proclaimed a new era, Pachakuti, in his December 21, 2012 speech, Manifesto of the Island of the Sun . In this speech he spells out 10 Commandments for dismantling capitalism and for living well based on ancestral wisdom.
I greatly admire Louie, Adrienne and Jessica's struggles to protect, revitalize and disseminate Native culture and identity. And I hope we will each read and reflect on President Evo Morales's speech, reconsidering what is truly worthy of celebration.
Article first published as Appropriation of Native American Iconography in the 21st Century on Blogcritics.
Book review by guest blogger, Tantra Bensko
Lynette Yetter’s novel draws from her own life when she went to the Andes, pulled by the sound of the panpipes as a tool for transformation. Yet it is fiction, in the way called for in David Shields’ Reality Hunger. It means more knowing she really did something truly audacious and death defying. Here, we get a glimpse of how close to reality it is, and how the fiction made it into the powerful book it is.
“Hurtling through space and time, the blue orb was rapidly self-destructing. Vital fluids pumped out of its innards burned in orgies of greed. The vapors ate away its luminous ozone skin.
Indigenous Elders, you might call them brain cells of wisdom, were ignored.
New synapses of fiber optic cable and satellite rays rationalized the destruction as ‘progress.’
Chaos surged like a flooding river.”
Thus begins the story in which Lucy goes to participate in the ancient culture of the Andes.
Her words continue to swell when she extends her viewpoint outward, such as “Each person, a black-clad spark of soul, pulled by the inexorable gravity of survival. Together the seething mass of humanity ran. In their black mourning clothes, they were like primordial darkness churning. The light of humanity in their hearts bound each to the other as if to birth a new galaxy of life, in Warrior Town.”
It’s obvious Lynette knows how to write powerfully. I also appreciate how real and down-to-earth the language is, how honest and wholesome this book. It’s hip in a DIY kind of way, with Lynette doing a tour on bike for this book as activism inspiring others to follow their dreams and stand up for peace, and play. It also is a great example of what David Shields call for in his manifesto Reality Hunger, which is taking the world by storm now. Lynette Yetter’s Lucy feels real, and the events occurred in the way that anything occurs in our memories—as fiction–stories we’ve told ourselves repeatedly and bundled into plot packages.
One of the things I like best is that she includes the vantage point of manifesting and finding our future—and doesn’t just include the times her intentions worked. Her idealism, naïve ideas of the simplicity of finding her heart’s desire are sweet, and ironic when faced with reality. She manages to keep her humor about the ups and downs that causes, though she feels such things very passionately, and they can shake her. Her naïve idealistic determination makes her follow the sound of pan pipes to Peru, where she plays in various venues, joining in with indigenous musicians, as she believes the sound can help create visions of harmony for others as it did for her. She believes she can make a difference to bring more peace to this world through them. But it’s just that quality, and her passionate empathy and love, that create the inspiring events of this book.
Lucy takes on oppression and segregation, pointing out the false flag of 911, the cultural imperialism of missionaries, the modern tendency to block people out of simply going out and camping under the stars, and she wonders at anomalies of government/military connections. In South America, she plays indigenous peasant music only recently made legal, and has no trouble associating with citizens in the Andes who disrespect unfair political authority, and encourages harmony in dangerous situations. Even in competitive traditions she fosters a sense of oneness.
She acknowledges how magical the world is through synchroncities such as running into the man who wrote a song she was playing. Yet, this isn’t a treatise on creative visualization. The irony that can undercut such magic becomes obvious when she gets to know the song’s author. I love that combination. She’s not living out some formula, pretending it always works. So, when her intentions do manifest, her visions do come true, they are far more believable and powerful.
We learn about Andean folklore, such as the respectful relationship of miners to the Tios, earth spirits who live underground. We also learn that kusillos are androgynous entities who bridge the known and unknown. And we follow closely: shocking international business practices, the role of civil disobedience in social progress, and the involvement of the U.S. in civil war. This book made me cry for a long time, tremble, and even shout out loud.
David Shields would like her book. In his, Reality Hunger, which also came out in 2010, he claims “Most, perhaps even all, good work (or, okay, work that excited me) eludes easy generic classification: once we know it’s coloring entirely within the lines called 'novel' or 'memoir' or 'Hollywood movie,' I honestly don’t see how anything emotionally or intellectually interesting can happen for the reader. . . . Just as out-and-out fiction no longer compels my attention, neither does straight-ahead memoir.”
I asked Lynette about the fiction/memoir interface: “My book and reality. It is heavily based on my own personal experience in Peru and Bolivia.
In order to better tell the Truth, to express Reality, I chose to fictionalize my experiences. As an old hiking buddy and PhD in English once told me — fiction is where we express the deeper truths of life. In short, she said, ‘Fiction rocks!’ Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace started out as pure memoir — emails sent to friends and first person stories I told at performance spaces in Los Angeles.
But, it was too limiting to stick to chronological events and specific people.
By fictionalizing reality I can lump many people into a single character who then becomes an archetype. And in that process, new characters – 100% fictitious – are sometimes born. My favorite is Aunt Bert.
Aunt Bert came to me in a vision, you might say. I was riding in a bus along the shores of Lake Titicaca, when suddenly Aunt Bert appeared in my mind. She told me her life story. As I looked out the bus window at the scenery passing by, I was so moved by her life that I even cried at the sad parts. And when I got to where I was going, I wrote down what she had told me. That is how Aunt Bert came to be in the book.
Speaking of reality – to me, Aunt Bert is one of the most real characters in the novel – yet she is 100% fictitious.
Reality is so multi-dimensional. On one hand, it is the material world we can document with calendars and cameras and weights and measures. Yet it is also the invisible realm of the mysterious that animates all of life – is life. By fictionalizing the material world, I strive to reveal the deeper truths of what is invisible yet is the most powerful truth of all – our own lives.”
David Shields asks “A character is either ‘real’ or 'imaginary’?. . . . To be alive is to travel ceaselessly between the real and the imaginary, and mongrel form is about as exact an emblem as I can conceive for the unresolvable mystery at the center of identity.”
I can feel this book in my heart. I know Lynette bravely accomplished the amazing feats in this story, yet it isn’t a heavy handed recitation of her travels, or an SGI tract, but a call to go into our deepest selves, to cry, because there is a reality there that the fictionalization allows to live in a moving way, inside of us. There is no boundary between story and life, Lucy and Lynette, or our hands, wet with tears, and the pages they turn, which catch the light of the sun, that is not separable from the light of consciousness.
While fear of violence keeps most US tourists out of Mexico and Colombia, the young Austrian couple Andreas Huble and Anita Burgholzer bicycled and tent-camped all the way through these countries (and many others), armed only with friendly smiles. They are happily pedaling still.
I met them as they rested in Copacabana, Bolivia. We chatted about their almost two-year journey-in-progress.
What were your experiences in Mexico and Colombia?
As a rule of thumb we can say that 99% of the people ALL over the world are good! With a little bit of preparation and common sense you will be able to travel in most of the countries which are "oh so dangerous." We always try to carry our smiles, and even more important to keep our hearts open. Most of the encounters we have are positive.
The people in Mexico (and especially in Colombia) were always very helpful, enthusiastic and hospitable. We did not have any problems regarding safety.
In those countries, most of the criminal activity happens internally, between rival cartels, the police and para-militaries. If you avoid traveling in high-risk areas (locals will tell you where those are), you will most likely be safe. Even in the States, or in Europe, there's a chance of being robbed at night in the wrong 'hood.
In Colombia and El Salvador we felt extremely welcome. Very few tourists go there, and locals treated us like family members. In Colombia, we received many invitations into people's homes, and had a wonderful time. It was just great, far better than we expected.
How did you decide to do this journey?
Traveling and cycling have always been essential parts of our lives. We started saving money – just in case our dream would someday turn into reality.
I (Andreas) read a lot of books from other adventure cyclists and was fascinated by the way they see the world. Traveling by bicycle they are part of the environment, and get a much deeper understanding of a country and its day-to-day culture. These stories, written in a sensible and critical way in the natural voice of the author, created a lot of pictures in my mind. They fed my yearning for someday breaking out of the routine.
How did you prepare for this trip?
In 2008 we made our first "test-trip." We spent three weeks bicycle camping on the small island of Socotra (Jemen). It was such a wonderful experience that we decided to set off when the time was right.
At the end of 2009 we were no longer happy with our jobs (although now, after seeing how most people live, we have learned not to complain). We knew that we could not wait much longer as we dream of having a family one day. So we set a date (May 5, 2010), and communicated our decision to our families and friends – which was the most important step of the whole journey.
Why was that?
First, we figured out the logistics of what to do with our jobs, flat, etc. before we told anyone. That way when they raised objections, we could explain in detail how we would take care of those situations. Then, the reactions were stunningly good!
It was the most important step because once other people are involved in your plans, it gets more difficult to say, "No, it all has just been a joke."
The acceptance motivated us a lot. We knew that we were doing the right thing, and that our family and friends support us.
What were your jobs/careers?
I (Anita) worked as a Graphic Designer in a small advertising company. I (Andreas) worked as a purchaser for a company which produces solar panels.
Why do you prefer bicycling, instead of flying or driving?
It is the slowness of our travel that makes it so intense. You are urged to stop in small, remote villages – talk to people with different social backgrounds. Some are bitterly poor, and would give you their last piece of bread. But also many rich people showed us respect and were very hospitable.
What does "slowness" mean to you?
There's a saying which describes "slowness" perfectly: "The snail can tell you more about the way than the rabbit."
On your travels, what have you learned about human beings?
The most important thing for ALL human beings is being happy. For most people this means having good relations with their families and/or friends, a harmonic social environment. No matter if we are rich or poor, educated or "simple," settled down or nomadic – we all have to eat, sleep, love, cry, laugh. We all want to live in peace and harmony.
What countries have you bicycled through?
Austria, our home country - Czech Republic - Poland - Lithuania - Latvia - Estonia - Sweden - Norway - Denmark - Iceland - USA - Mexico - Belize - Guatemala - Honduras - El Salvador - Nicaragua - Costa Rica - Panama - Colombia - Ecuador - Peru - Bolivia.
We will continue our trip to Argentina and Chile. Around February 2012 we want to reach Ushuaia, Patagonia – the southern-most city on the Americas. After that? We'll see if we still feel wanderlust. Maybe we'll continue to India and return to Europe overland.
What have you experienced with people in different countries?
Generally speaking you can say that as soon as you enter a new country, the "energy" changes: the environment, nature, the weather and history, praegt – the people, everything.
Eastern Europeans are more reserved. It is not so easy to get in touch with them. But once a conversation is running, it can rapidly turn into deep friendship.
In Iceland we experienced a deep connection with ancient traditions and nature. Young, trendy Reykjavikians wear exactly the same, woolen sweaters as their grandparents wear. Ancestral mythology is still very much a part of everyone's daily life.
The USA was a completely different world for us. Everybody was talking to us, wanting to know more about our trip. We were fascinated by the easy way of making contact with people there.
In Latin American countries it depends on where you travel. In coastal areas people were mostly very emotional and outgoing. In the Andes, especially in areas with a lot of indígenas, it got a bit more difficult to get in touch with people. But nevertheless, our way of traveling helps us to meet and learn from people who often live a simple life in harsh conditions where there is not much time and space for an easy-going lifestyle. But be warned – once a fiesta starts, the indígenas turn into hedonistic, happy party-people!
What thoughts do you hold in your minds and hearts as you encounter new languages, cultures, people?
In Eastern Europe we mainly talked with our hands and feet. In Northern Europe the majority speak decent English. For more than a year we have only needed Spanish, which [we now speak] on an intermediate level.
Learning the language makes traveling and talking to people much easier.
Regarding cultures and people, with open hearts and no expectations, we have never been disappointed or surprised.
How do you think traveling by bicycle and tent-camping (rather than traveling in an RV) affects the way you perceive and interact with other people?
Our style of traveling lets us understand a little bit better about the conditions in which local people live. Sometimes the homes are very simple adobe huts with straw roofs at altitudes of more than 4.000 meters.
In Colombia we saw people living in huts made of trash. When we passed, it was pouring rain and the temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius. The water ran directly through their huts.
We personally would feel a bit bad if we traveled in such areas with a luxurious RV. On the other hand, our camping equipment is very good, allowing us to withstand very harsh conditions. Our gear is quite luxurious and unaffordable for most of the people here.
And many times we need help from exactly these people! In remote areas it is often necessary to ask locals for water, or for a camping spot. The conversations following our requests help us understand and learn from the people. They are happy to have contact with some crazy folks from a far-away country.
These moments make our journey unique for us. We experience and take part in the everyday life that has nothing to do with the "white" picture travel books, and TV shows.
How have your travels affected other people?
Two of our best friends are currently traveling overland from Europe to India. They always mention that if we had not made our dreams come true, they most likely would not have made the decision to travel in this way.
Also, our blog is a big success. For many people it has become essential to read our stories, and vicariously travel with us.
You can read Anita and Andreas' blog (in German), and see their photos. Maybe you, too, will become inspired to live your dreams.
Article first published as Bicycle Camping in Mexico, Colombia, and Beyond: An Interview with Andreas Hubl and Anita Burgholzer on Blogcritics.org
(Thank you Seattle Post Intelligencer, for running this article!)
Wow. It looks like I may be the first author to do her book tour by bicycle (with help from public transit). In the DIY spirit of simplifying life, starting October 7, I am pedaling "Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace, a novel" from Vancouver, BC, Canada to Southern California in order to inspire people to live their dreams. The calendar of appearances is on www.musicandes.com.
Musicians have also been Going Green and bicycling across the country. In 2006 the Ditty Bops bicycled their tour. Rocker Attica! Attica! did his Ditch the Van Bike Tour for Charity in 2009. Now Ben Sollee has strapped his cello to his bicycle and is pedaling from gig to gig. He has a sponsor to help video and promote his work. That's great!
 Anyone want to sponsor me?
Living our dreams can be scary business.
Sometimes I get nervous and even freeze in fear at what I am attempting. After all, I'm not a young rocker or a young cellist guy. I am a lone woman over 50 years old and fat. Maybe even obese (isn't that an ugly word?). But, hey, I already have followed the sound of the panpipes to the Andes, seeking the ideal society of which they sing, and wrote a novel about it. There were lots of scary moments in that journey, too. Don't believe me? Just check out the Warrior Town chapter of Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace.
When I freeze, I just make myself do something — like Daisaku Ikeda says — and take action. I answer the next email confirming a gig, pack the next box, chant nam myoho renge kyo and the fear passes. And then enthusiasm builds.
From South America I fly into San Francisco, in order to visit friends, pick up my bicycle and attend the 50-year anniversary celebration of SGI Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda's first visit to the Americas. Then I pedal to the Amtrak station, try out my new toolkit to disassemble my bike and put it in a box as I board the train to Vancouver for the October 7 presentation at Simon Fraser University, then on to Seattle, Oregon, and California.
Part of living simply, for me, is to not buy more stuff than I need. So, I am not buying panniers for my bicycle, or a bike trailer or anything like that. I will bungee cord my old backpack onto the rack and pedal to the next venue, carrying all my gear, books and musical instruments to present "Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace, a novel" to inspire people to live their dreams. I hope to see you soon at one of the events! The calendar is constantly being updated on www.musicandes.com.
Article first published as Fat old lady bicycles West Coast Book Tour to inspire you to live your dreams on Blogcritics.
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