Matildakay Redux: Noveltown newsletter Volume 1, Issue Two: Noveltown Presents 'Stories From Dust' With Tim Z. Hernandez.

“Shhhh…. Quiet. I have to read this poem about a mama’s boy.” I said to my friend who was sharing her latest drama as I read Hernandez’s machismo identity conflict poem Mama’s Boy.

“What! I can’t believe you’re reading a poem about a mama’s boy!” she exclaimed.
I smiled.

My ploy had worked. The subject had been changed from her drama to provocative literature. I thought looking up from the poem I was reading in Tim Hernandez’s book of poetry, Skin Tax.

“A mama’s boy! Why on earth would you want anything to do with a mama’s boy?” She asked dramatically.

“It’s not about a mama’s boy like you’re thinking, it’s about MACHISMO!” I explained.

“It’s about being a man in a machismo culture and being taunted as a ‘mama’s boy’ for being his mother’s son, for being what he thought a man was.” I continued.

“Hmmm…” She mumbled.

“Here, read it yourself.” I said handing her my copy of Skin Tax.

“Well? What did you think?” I asked her when she finished reading it.

“A mama’s boy… sounds like a man I might like.” She replied grinning.

There’s a story in all of us. The story of where we came from. How we grew up. Our culture. These are our Stories from Dust… In a literary/music event on June 28, 2006 from 7-9pm at Russo’s Books at the Marketplace; Noveltown with Russo’s Books and supported by Poets and Writers, Inc., brings you Stories From Dust, a night of stories from the California Southern Central Valley featuring Russo’s Poets, N.L. Belardes, Matt Munoz of Mento Buru, special guests and guest poets, Metamorphoses journal release, and special honored guest poet author of Skin Tax, Tim Z. Hernandez. Partnering with Russo’s Books, MAS Magazine, Bakotopia, and Cerro Coso Metamorphoses, Stories from Dust are voices from the Central Valley.

Who would have thought I could get my friend to read such a provocative machismo poem. I thought smiling.

Skin Tax’s Mama’s Boy is just one part of Tim Hernandez’s Stories from Dust. A story where he rejects the culture of machismo in which he was reared, especially that culture’s notions of men as tough and unfeeling.

Hernandez tells an honest, bold, provocative, poignant, aggressive story through his poetry in Skin Tax. A story that leads you through, around, and uncomfortably close to the edge of machismo culture. His words are a lyrical conversation that resonates and draws you into the page.

(Listen to the Buck City Podcast Episode 34: Valley Writer’s Unite to hear Hernandez recite a poem and lead a poetry workshop).

I wonder what stories of machismo Hernandez will perform at the Stories from Dust literary/music event on June 28, 2006…

I could have used Skin Tax as a cultural marriage handbook…

Growing up in a protestant white family in the Central Valley, I was not prepared for the machismo culture that I married into. A culture where machismo sometimes dominates women and men often use the word ‘honor’ as if it was a matter of life or death.

Machismo! A culture I didn’t understand but had experienced first hand.

Machismo! A culture I survived and made me the woman I am today.

Machismo… a culture I have a better view of after reading Tim Hernandez’s profound poetry in Skin Tax.

What other insights into the machismo world will Hernandez share at the Stories from Dust literary/music event? I wondered.

Hernandez is a unique performance artist and poet that invokes inspiration and creativity through his storytelling. You can feel his energy in the room… it’s a force that won’t be ignored. His energy affected me greatly in the poetry workshop he taught at the Great Valley Books Writers Conference in Merced. I was inspired!

You won’t want to miss his Stories from Dust!

But machismo is not all Noveltown has in store for you on June 28th…

There will be acoustic music provided by Bakersfield’s own beloved band, Mento Buru. And Ska King Matt Munoz will be sharing some Central Valley Stories from Dust of his own.

Novelist and blogger, N.L. Belardes, author of that creepy corrupt Bakersfield book Lords: Part One, will also be sharing his own Thick White Crust Central Valley Stories from Dust.

Russo’s Poetry Group will have their own Central Valley Stories from Dust to share along with a few other guest poets.

That’s a lot of Central Valley stories people! That’s a lot of great music! That’s a lot of inspiration!
If you want to be inspired… you’ll listen, you’ll participate in the Stories from Dust literary/music event on June 28, 2006 at Russo’s Books at the Marketplace.

The Stories from Dust literary/music event is the first of many Noveltown events in its continuing cultural vision of helping fuse California’s Southern Central Valley arts into one community.

(more on who we are...)


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Matildakay Redux: Noveltown newsletter Volume 1, Issue Two: Noveltown Presents 'Stories From Dust' With Tim Z. Hernandez. “Shhhh…. Quiet. I have to read this poem about a mama’s boy.” I said to my friend who was sharing her latest drama as I read Hernandez’s machismo identity conflict poem Mama’s Boy. “What! I can’t believe you’re reading a poem about a mama’s boy!” she exclaimed. I smiled. My ploy had worked. The subject had been changed from her drama to provocative literature. I thought looking up from the poem I was reading in Tim Hernandez’s book of poetry, Skin Tax. “A mama’s boy! Why on earth would you want anything to do with a mama’s boy?” She asked dramatically. “It’s not about a mama’s boy like you’re thinking, it’s about MACHISMO!” I explained. “It’s about being a man in a machismo culture and being taunted as a ‘mama’s boy’ for being his mother’s son, for being what he thought a man was.” I continued. “Hmmm…” She mumbled. “Here, read it yourself.” I said handing her my copy of Skin Tax. “Well? What did you think?” I asked her when she finished reading it. “A mama’s boy… sounds like a man I might like.” She replied grinning. There’s a story in all of us. The story of where we came from. How we grew up. Our culture. These are our Stories from Dust… In a literary/music event on June 28, 2006 from 7-9pm at Russo’s Books at the Marketplace; Noveltown with Russo’s Books and supported by Poets and Writers, Inc., brings you Stories From Dust, a night of stories from the California Southern Central Valley featuring Russo’s Poets, N.L. Belardes, Matt Munoz of Mento Buru, special guests and guest poets, Metamorphoses journal release, and special honored guest poet author of Skin Tax, Tim Z. Hernandez. Partnering with Russo’s Books, MAS Magazine, Bakotopia, and Cerro Coso Metamorphoses, Stories from Dust are voices from the Central Valley. Who would have thought I could get my friend to read such a provocative machismo poem. I thought smiling. Skin Tax’s Mama’s Boy is just one part of Tim Hernandez’s Stories from Dust. A story where he rejects the culture of machismo in which he was reared, especially that culture’s notions of men as tough and unfeeling. Hernandez tells an honest, bold, provocative, poignant, aggressive story through his poetry in Skin Tax. A story that leads you through, around, and uncomfortably close to the edge of machismo culture. His words are a lyrical conversation that resonates and draws you into the page. (Listen to the Buck City Podcast Episode 34: Valley Writer’s Unite to hear Hernandez recite a poem and lead a poetry workshop). I wonder what stories of machismo Hernandez will perform at the Stories from Dust literary/music event on June 28, 2006… I could have used Skin Tax as a cultural marriage handbook… Growing up in a protestant white family in the Central Valley, I was not prepared for the machismo culture that I married into. A culture where machismo sometimes dominates women and men often use the word ‘honor’ as if it was a matter of life or death. Machismo! A culture I didn’t understand but had experienced first hand. Machismo! A culture I survived and made me the woman I am today. Machismo… a culture I have a better view of after reading Tim Hernandez’s profound poetry in Skin Tax. What other insights into the machismo world will Hernandez share at the Stories from Dust literary/music event? I wondered. Hernandez is a unique performance artist and poet that invokes inspiration and creativity through his storytelling. You can feel his energy in the room… it’s a force that won’t be ignored. His energy affected me greatly in the poetry workshop he taught at the Great Valley Books Writers Conference in Merced. I was inspired! You won’t want to miss his Stories from Dust! But machismo is not all Noveltown has in store for you on June 28th… There will be acoustic music provided by Bakersfield’s own beloved band, Mento Buru. And Ska King Matt Munoz will be sharing some Central Valley Stories from Dust of his own. Novelist and blogger, N.L. Belardes, author of that creepy corrupt Bakersfield book Lords: Part One, will also be sharing his own Thick White Crust Central Valley Stories from Dust. Russo’s Poetry Group will have their own Central Valley Stories from Dust to share along with a few other guest poets. That’s a lot of Central Valley stories people! That’s a lot of great music! That’s a lot of inspiration! If you want to be inspired… you’ll listen, you’ll participate in the Stories from Dust literary/music event on June 28, 2006 at Russo’s Books at the Marketplace. The Stories from Dust literary/music event is the first of many Noveltown events in its continuing cultural vision of helping fuse California’s Southern Central Valley arts into one community. (more on who we are...)