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poetry, Victor Martinez memorial

Memorials to Victor Martinez, Chicano Poet/Author

Mona Alvarado Frazier
This is from Letras Latinas Blog. It is edited for length purposes. For full article please visit LLB:

by Francisco X. Alarcón
WHAT IS A POET ?

in homage—
Víctor Martínez
(1954-2011)

by Francisco X. Alarcón
translated by the author with Francisco Aragón

a question roaming
here and there—a cat
in a darkness so complete…

a door opened
—no lock no key—
to face the sea…

a lamp
that burns
from dusk to dawn

a voiceless voice
that is at once joy
and rage

a persistent monk
who in keeping
words lit turns

himself into
a living torch
lighting the world…

an unending gaze
keeping vigil over
the fate of others

an honesty so fierce—
not ceasing till it gets
at the naked truth

a perennial presence
that confronts
any given absence

a conversation
without end
between life and death

a butterfly flitting
a humming bird hovering—
here but never bound…

when a poet dies
his poems unfurl
inside your chest

Guatemala City
February 20, 2011

 Mission District photographer Linda Wilson, long time staff member of El Tecolote, the bilingual newspaper of San Francisco, called me at home to let me know that my friend of more than 33 years, Chicano poet/author Victor Martinez had passed away.  I am very saddened by the passing of this great poet, author of the celebrated novel Parrot in the Oven which was awarded the 1996 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature among other prestigious literary awards.
I first met Vic at Stanford University in 1977 where he held a Wallace Stagner fellowship in the Department of English.  At Stanford University I had also met Juan Felipe Herrera at the International House during Orientation Week at the beginning of Fall Quarter of 1977. Victor Martínez became a very active member of the tertulias literarias that were regularly held at Chicano poet/muralist/visual artist José Antonio Burciaga’s home in Menlo Park, near Stanford, with his wife Cecilia Preciado also hosted always so graciously.  Bernice Zamora, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Gloria Velázquez, Gary Soto, Lucha Corpi, Emy López, Javier Pacheco, Francisco Santana, José David Saldívar, Orlando Ramírez, were some the writers who were part of his circle of literary friends.
Later Vic moved to the Mission District as Juan Felipe Herrera and I also did. The three of us lived and passed on to each other the same apartment we had rented at different times on Capp Street in the heart of the Mission District.Vic was one of the regular writers and editors of La Revista Literaria de El Tecolote, contributing stupendous book, theater, and film reviews. One outstanding film review that comes to my mind at this moment was a collective film review of El Norte that Victor Martinez, Juan Felipe Herrera and I did together and  which included an interview with its acclaimed director, Gregory Nava.
I am including below a biography, a book review, and the transcript of a PBS interview done one day afer Victor was awarded the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 1996:


 Biography:
Victor Martinez was born and raised in Fresno, California, the fourth in a family of twelve children. He attended California State University at Fresno and Stanford University, and has worked as a field laborer, welder, truck driver, firefighter, teacher, and office clerk. His poems, short stories, and essays have appeared in journals and anthologies. Mr. Martinez was awarded the 1996 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for Parrot in the Oven, his first novel. He now makes his home in San Francisco, California.
Victor Martinez was born into an impoverished family in west Fresno, California. It was here, growing up with his eleven brothers and sisters, that he formed his Hispanic identity and began to mentally record events for his eventual writing. Despite their monetary struggles, the Martinez family remained strong, avoiding the pitfalls that plague project housing. 11 out of the 12 Martinez children all hold B.A.s or higher; Victor attended California State University and Stanford.
Martinez’s literary career didn’t come easily. His first poem was tossed away to the trash can by a grade school teacher who didn’t mind shaming him in front of the class. Self-described as a “student who sat in the back of the class” and as someone who wasn’t “that high of an achiever”, it took some time for his skills to get recognized. In 1996 however, Parrot in the Oven won the National Book Award and got him major recognition for YA literature.
Parrot in the Oven is Martinez’s first novel and only major publication. In 1992 he did publish a collection of poetry titled Caring for a House with Chusma House Publications, but it has since gone out of print. Many of his works have been published in other various collections and anthologies. He lived in San Francisco with his wife, Tina Alvarez, and writes six hours per day.
books on writing, Writing

A Few Books on the Craft of Writing

Mona Alvarado Frazier
Stephen King quote on writing
Stephen King, “On Writing.”
     On one of my early writer’s group retreats, our group leader brought in the book “On Writing” by Stephen King. I’m a horror wuss, so I don’t read or watch horror material, the lasting effect of seeing “The Exorcist”  when I was a teenager. My horror prejudice worked against me; I had never read King’s book, “On Writing,” published in 2000.
     During our free time at the retreat, I picked up the book and skimmed through the first part, which talked about his early attempts at writing, the rejection letters, and his problems with drugs and alcohol. I don’t believe the latter was the result of the former. 
     Section Two contains practical advice on the craft of writing. He gives tips on idea development, characters, editing, and the use of adverbs (stay far away from them). This was helpful; he provided his original version of “The Hotel Story” and then showed his revisions. It’s a good book that offers an exciting story about a fascinating writer.
     King recommends “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White. It’s been around so long that there is a 50th Edition; it’s sometimes called the bible for good writing and all things grammar. It’s written in a direct no holds barred style. You probably used this book in high school or college if you were lucky enough to have a good English teacher. It’s a keeper. 
     Now, between the styles of King and S&W, you’ll find Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird.” She starts giving you sound advice right in the beginning. She quotes her father telling her 10-year-old brother, who is lamenting about a project he procrastinated on, to take it “bird by bird.” Start small and take it one piece at a time. 
     Ms. Lamott has a sense of style and wit that makes for easy reading, even though she does give you assignments in the book. Her perspective on character and plot is exciting and well worth reading. A valuable contribution I often thought of when I worked on my first novel is “Shitty First Drafts.” I read that chapter and thought, ‘hot damn,’ she (a famous author) has given me permission to have a crummy first draft. I can write several pages (really only two-it’s the Virgo in me) before I feel the pull to self-edit.
     The last two books are what I should have purchased before I began writing. I could have saved time, stress, and premature and embarrassing submission to a writer’s class. The first book is “Sol Stein on Writing,” by who else but SS, and “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” by Renni Brown and Dave King. There is too much information about Stein’s book; it’s over 300 pages but worth reading.
Mine is dogeared, highlighted, and sprouting pink and green Post-It Page Markers. “Self-Editing,” is valuable reading and re-reading. The chapter on the point of view, which I struggle with, is smudged with my fingerprints and tears. 
     I’ve read a couple of more books on writing: James Frey’s (not the one that was on the big O) “How to Write a Damn Good Novel,” and one of my favorites (from the 99 cents store) “Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing.” It has excellent illustrations and was a fantastic buy. 
     Whatever you find on the craft of writing, the point is to read, read, and then read some more until you find a book that is understandable, memorable, and hopefully bargain-priced. Or you can go to your next writing group and swap or trade books. Someone might have the 2000 Stephen King “Book on Writing” and is willing to swap; after all, the 10th Anniversary Edition just came out in July 2010. Or you can treat yourself and buy your own.