Out NOW: MARIPOSAS - A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry

New this week, from Floricanto Press, "MARIPOSAS: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry" edited by Emanuel Xavier.

Here is what people are saying:

Just as blood curses through our queer Latino veins, so does a complex and sometimes contradictory history. The words captured in this volume of poetry perfectly capture a moment in time in which we all are in flux and yet still very much grounded in the moment. Personally, these poems speak to my being, my sexuality, my erotic desires, my future hopes and my wishes for new generations and yet they also stand for the danger that those words might also be fragile and easily forgotten. It is up to the reader to make these words count for something. And, simply said, it's just an amazing and moving collection of poems that truly represents who we are as queer Latinos at this crucial moment in time.

Oh wait! I think I wrote that! Embarrassingly, it ended up on the book jacket! Well, I meant it and don't just take my word for it.

Here's the legendary Felice Picano:

An 800-year-old tradition of Hispanic poetry gets a substantial augmentation, and at the same time, a wondrous makeover, with the rich, varied, sensual, often bi-lingual work in this collection. It helps that the translations by Xavier are so true; and that the poets amassed from all over the Americas, are mas o menos gay in subject matter and attitude.

And here is reviewer Richard Labonte writing in his Pride Source column "Book Marks:"

The 17 writers collected in Xavier's dynamic anthology of contemporary Latino poets make up a real mosaic. Some are American-born, others hail from Argentina, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Their poems are in English, in Spanish, even in "Spanglish"; some are bilingual, and a few Spanish-language poems also appear in English, translated by Xavier - a vibrant diversity connected by mutual queerness and common themes. One such theme is sexual desire: "Why, my God, do I like men so much?" Daniel Torres wonders, and "Suddenly, our sex lives were full of safety drills," Rane Arroyo laments. Another is defiant anger: "There are not enough hate crimes/ to kill us all," Yosimar Reyes declares in memory of murdered queens, and "You call me wet back/ Yes my back is wet/ Wet of sweat/ Wet of blood," Xuan Carlos Espinoza-Cuellar cries in the face of immigrant-bashing. Xavier is a generous editor: instead of compiling a "greatest hits" sampler of one or two poems by many poets, he has opted to limit the number of contributors, giving each a real showcase for his talent.

Anyway, it IS a great book and you should really get yourself a copy. It's exclusively available here.

Related links:

• Floricanto Press
• Emanuel Xavier

Glam Slam X: Flotilla does Macy Gray's "I Try"

Michael Musto, who I've photographed before for Wockner News and who even caught me being extremely politically correct in one of his columns a couple of years ago (a true honor as much as I love his columns), has posted his thoughts on last week's final House of Xavier's Glam Slam which Blabbeando promoted in June.

An excerpt:

I've done this gig many times before, but this year—the last one before the event takes off for the UK—seemed extra looney and special. For example, the "loss poem in blue" category brought out a weirdo who screamed drug regimens and time announcements in between railing about "Angela" Jolie. Later, we realized he'd interpreted loss as in "lost my mind." Brilliant! There was also a Jamaican guy who dropped his pants and kept chanting about how his sperm had turned blue. We took his word for it. At other times in the night, Flotilla cleansed the crowd's palette with a brilliant Macy Gray impression

Hm, Michael might not have video of the scandalous night but - guess what! I do!

Here is Ms. Flotilla DeBarge doing that brilliant and respectful 'fromage' of Macy Gray's greatest hit "I Try."

Flotilla DeBarge MySpace

Related:

• Emanuel Xavier official site
• Emanuel Xavier MySpace

My New York: The FINAL EVER Glam Slam is amongst us

All good things sometimes must come to an end and so does the annual House of Xavier's Glam Slam which will be bowing out after a decade of ballroom scene antics combined with poetic debauchery.

The soiree is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7pm and will be held at The Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan (308 Bowery, btwn. Bleeker & Houston). It's cheap! $10 bucks to get in. Scheduled appearances by Michael Musto and Flortilla DeBarge.

And, if you are in the mood to be a contestant, here are this year's open categories:

* BEST LOVE POEM IN RED
* BEST LOSS POEM IN BLUE
* BEST LUST POEM IN UNDERWEAR, LINGERIE OR LESS
* WIG-A-POEM

$100 Grand Prize:

* BEST VERBAL VOGUE

The rules? Each contestant gets up to three minutes to share an original selection featuring the required props within each category. Winners must be prepared to read a second piece to compete for Grand Prize. Grand Prize category only open to the winner of each Open Category. Repeat poems will not be allowed.

To confirm participation e-mail houseofxavier @ emanuelxavier.com

Ad design by Rodney Allen Trice, photo of Mother Diva Xavier and Emanuel Xavier courtesy of Derek Storm.

For more info, emanuelxavier.com or myspace.com/emanuelxavierartist.

Spic Up! Speak Out! This Spring at El Museo del Barrio

El Museo del Barrio launches its "Spic Up! Speak Out!" Spring performance series this Saturday, March 15th, with the wonderful, stupendous, mellifluous, confrontational, sexy, sensual, tough and sensational Mariposa as MC. In observance of Women's History Month, Mariposa will oversee a night of spoken word goodness from women poets melleSOL, Alba Hernandez, Sheila Maldonado and Sandra Garcia Rivera.

Future performances will be curated by queer poet and performer Emanuel Xavier (April 19) and hip hop poet Oveous Maximus (May 17th).

Now, a minor dust-up has arisen with Mariposa telling the Village Voice “I would not have chosen this as the title of the series; I prefer to think of the empowering acronym by Puerto Rican poet and playwright, Frank Perez. He states that S.P.I.C. stands for Special People of International Character.”

The Voice easily dismisses Mariposa with a few words: "Well, whatever. The point is to showcase urban poets while providing a platform for audience members to let loose on the mic."

Not so much Emanuel Xavier who explains over at his blog:

As a Latino artist, the use of the word 'spic' within my own work is used purposely as a re-appropriation of a derogatory term which has been used throughout the years to demean our people. The use of the word as part of a title for a series of eminent spoken word poetry events, Spic Up! Speak Out!, presented by El Museo Del Barrio pushes past boundaries and is appropriate within the context of this title. Without denying its controversy, when we use it ourselves as artists to establish empowerment for our work and move beyond its oppressive implications, it strengthens our voices within the community and empowers our vision for unity. It is important for us to reclaim this word as artists and continue to provoke and create unabiding dialogue which is in the true spirit of the spoken word poetry movement. I would never lend my name to anything that subjugates my vision as an artist or as an individual. Therefore, these events have my full support.

Emanuel is the author of Pier Queen and Americano, and editor of Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry and Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry.

My New York: Glam Slam 2007

Last night I headed to the 9th annual Glam Slam competition organized every year by The House of Xavier.

A few days before the event Emanuel Xavier expressed concern that some of the local gay publications had shown little interest in profiling the event so I wasn't expecting too many people to know about it. If anything, though, the Bowery Poetry Club was packed with people and I had to remain standing during the performances since there no seats were left.

The performances were varied, some very good, and Emanuel who not performed but also produced the show's lighting and sound, was visibly giddy and happy about the turnout.

I managed to catch a small video of Mother Diva Xavier of the Loose Control Comedy Group a/k/a Chulisi a/k/a Andre Rodriguez (above) doing his thing as mc. Love him!

Emanuel fillis in the details over on his MySpace page here. He's also threatening to make next year's 10th annual Glam Slam the last one evah! I hope it's not but, if it is, I am sure that it will go out with a bang. Great night all around. Also at the event, the amazing percussionist Joyce Jones.

More videos courtesy of MEER MUSA here.

Cortitos: Carlos Mencia still lame, Los Globos for sale, Glam Slam 2007

Comedy Central comedian Carlos Mencia's lame attempt at humor in light of accusations that he's stolen jokes from other comedians - and how the controversy has increased his fame: "I can't wait 'til I'm really popular and the rumors come up that I'm gay. That's when I'm going to really be famous!" (The National Ledger, May 11, 2007)

Club los Globos, a grungy straight Latino night spot in Los Angeles that used to be a hangout for the pioneering Gay Liberation Front is on sale (Curbed LA, May 4, 2007)

Best Bush Bashing Poem in Cowboy Hat & All American Colors, one of five categories at the all new, all glittery, all fabu annual House of Xavier's Glam Slam. I'm sure the website will be updated soon with entry rules and a list of categories. For now you can find out all about it at Emanuel Xavier's blog (The actual event will take place on Wednesday, June 20th at the Bowery Ballroom in the Lower East Side from 7pm to 9:30pm).

Update: Emanuel Xavier back from Florida

Steve Rothaus, a Miami Herald staff writer and member of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), profiled Emanuel Xavier back on February 21st.

The reason? Emanuel was in Miami, Florida, as part of a week-long residency with SpeakOut which seeks to inspire gay youth.

Unfortunately, as Emanuel explains on his blog there was some drama:

The only serious incident occured yesterday after someone from Michael Krop High School complained that my work was too graphic for high school students.

Word spread quickly throughout the area and by the time I arrived at Coral Reef High School, school officials asked me to tone it down or I wouldn't be allowed to take the stage. A video clip of my first Def Poetry appearance was not approved for presentation.

The school dean even sat in the back throughout my performance to make sure I didn't cross the line and the police were on stand by.

Nonetheless, I managed to get through the presentation and the students, who were already familiar with most of my work, knew which words and sentences I was forced to leave out. They bombarded me afterwards to sign books, pieces of paper, even tee shirts and take pictures with me.

It felt very Marilyn Manson, Eminem and Madonna to walk out of there with mad props from the students after being censored by faculty. I suppose in the end, the students could go on line or buy my books or see me perform elsewhere to get the full experience. It's nothing they haven't already been exposed to before and censorship only serves to pique their interest.

All in all though, a good experience. So, congratulations Emanuel!

A year ago today...

"It's been a year now since I was attacked on the streets of Bushwick by a group of more than a dozen teens," writes Emanuel Xavier, "Today, I only have a scar left on the back of my head, the inability to tear out of my right eye and the hearing loss in my right ear which requires a hearing aide I am resistant to get. Otherwise, most people forget with the flash of a smile I am happy to still have thanks to the doctors."

The police never caught the assailants and Xavier says that the memory of their faces has blurred with time and, even though this was not a hate crime, Xavier aks us to remember the "battles that we must still fight in our own city."

"It was only months later that Kevin Aviance was attacked in the East Village and just recently that Michael Sandy was killed. Let's not forget Sakia Gunn and Eddie Garzon and Rashawn Brazell and so many others of our brothers and sisters lost to hate and violence on our very own streets or struggling to survive like Dwan Prince. This is not to mention the many others that were simply not covered by the mass media. Stay safe and remember there is still a place in the world for love and peace."

A new poem, "Writer's Block" over on his MySpace blog (click here).

PHOTO CREDIT: Shane Luitjens

Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano talks to Mandrake Society

Lately, we've been linking up to some great interviews with community leaders in other blogs. For a while, I've thought about featuring a few profiles of people I consider to be amazing individuals in the Latino LGBT community and that may come down the line.

For now, it's nice to point out that Mandrake Society Radio has uploaded a podcast interview with the amazing Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano (pictured, deep in thought) from Austin's ALLGO (which began as a local Latino lesbian and gay organization and has developed into a state-wide people of color queer rights organization).

Lorenzo discusses the history behind ALLGO, other Latino LGBT organizing efforts, the issue of marriage rights for same-sex couples and how it plays in our communities and, finally, the dynamics of identity politics (the interview begins close to the 6-minute mark of the podcast).

Props to Mandrake Society's JW Richards for featuring Lorenzo.

Besides, Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano - How cool is that name? Love ya, Lorenzo!

Additional info:

• Lorenzo blogs blogs (yes, I wrote "blogs" twice for a reason)
• Lorenzo poetizes

Music: Brujeria from da Bronx

La Bruja (photo by Rosalia Rivera)

Dance music bible, Mixmag Magazine from the UK, has a surprise in their current August 2006 issue: In their Urban Tunes page they single out a new release by underground Bronx poet and performer La Bruja (in collaboration with DJ Precision) and name it as their "Compilation of the Month."

From their five-headphone review:

Brujalicious mixed by DJ Precision (De La Luz records)
Former New York model strikes gold on break-out mix album
La Bruja (aka Caridad De La Lux) is pretty enough for most ladies to wonder if her talents match her looks. Well, doubt no more - having worked her socks off as a poet, activist and actress in New York, the ex-Levis model can also rhyme in both Spanish and English with sheer grace. 'Brujali­clous' beautifully infuses upfront hip hop and reggaeton with a unique blend of lyricism, all honed on the spoken word circuit. Highlights including a quirky cover of Madonna's 'La Isla Bonita' and more traditional Puerto Rican-inspired cuts like 'Boricua, Boricua'. Mixed seamlessly by DJ Precision and with guests including Jadakiss, Tony Touch and B-Real, this really shouldn't be slept on.

Pretty cool for a home-town girl! We've always had a soft heart for La Bruja's brujeria because she has done so much for the Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in New York over the years (I remember her electrifying performance at the Pa'Fuera Pa'Lante Latino LGBT Northeastern Conference and that was more than 7 years ago!).

More recently she was featured in the Bronx's own Fruta Extraña Television after performing some of the songs from the album at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance Out Like That! Festival. She also talks about the album and her community activism and work with Que Pasa online.

You can watch a video of her new single, Mi Gatita Negra, here, hear some tracks over on La Bruja's MySpace page, or, better yet, support her by buying the album here.

Butterflies with Emanuel Xavier and friends

Top to bottom: Emanuel Xavier with SOMOS... Project Director Francisco Lazala, MC Elizabeth Latex, Robert Ortiz and Dino Foxx (all photos by Andrés Duque except for top pic, courtesy of Emanuel).

On Saturday I headed to the Bowery Poetry Club for the Mariposas benefit on behalf of the SOMOS... Project at the Latino Commission on AIDS (the program fights homophobia in the Spanish-speaking Latino community of New York). Since October, when I got the news that spoken word artist and actor Emanuel Xavier had been attacked and beaten up badly, I had followed his progress closely and even wrote a cover story for Gay City News but I had yet to have a chance to see him face to face.

Emanuel sustained some inner-ear damage for which he is still being treated but he has begun to perform again as well as organize showcases for other performers. He first reached me in December with the idea of putting this benefit together and I suggested that he engage SOMOS... He wanted to name the event Mariposas (Butterflies), a word used in many Latin American to refer despectively to gays, and I thought it was fine not only as an appropriation of the term but also for what butterflies usually reprsent: A process of transformation and of inner beauty rising up.

The night was hosted by the legendary Elizabeth Latex, who also performed. Emanuel was joined by percussionist Joyce Jones and spoken word poets Robert Ortiz and Dino Foxx (an Austin, Texas native making his New York City debut - you can hear some Dino's poetry by here).

For an early Saturday night, a lot of people showed up and, while both Robert and Dino expressed initial nervousness, they seemed to warm up as the night went along. The crowd was great with Diva André from the House of Xavier sitting up front and calling certain performances "crunch!" And, despite Robert's boricua background and Dino's Chicano background, their poetry touched amazingly similar themes of family unity and disunity, ethnic bonds and divisions, assimilation and displacement as well as sexuality and love. Both were extremely moving in their own ways.

Emanuel performed some of his best-known pieces including "Americano" and "Tradiciones" with the incomparable Joyce Jones backing him up on percussion. And, even though some of his darkest work has always had touches of humor, there seemed to be a lot more darkness in this particular performance than at any other times I've seen him perform. His newer poems dealt with issues related to community and family violence, the separation of a couple over the issue of expressing love in public and of being able to leave a legacy behind in showing the way for a younger generation of poets. In a biting and trenchantly sardonic piece, he also addressed writers like Harold Bloom who has dismissed spoken word poetry in the past and, in the most moving moment of the night, thanked his personal heroes in "Legendary," which he dedicated to Pepper Labeija and other children of the night who are gone.

All in all, an amazingly moving night. Thanks Emanuel.

[NOTE: For Dino Foxx's take on the night, go here]

Emanuel Xavier: New York Post OpEd

On Wednesday, January 11, the New York Post ran an OpEd piece by Emanuel Xavier in their weekly Latino supplement, Tempo. In "A Random Act of Violence" he writes:

A RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE

By EMANUEL XAVIER

January 11, 2006 -- Crime may be down in the Big Apple, but in certain areas of Nueva York, it's at an all-time high.

Three months ago, I was randomly attacked in Bushwick en route to visit my sick mother. I was brutally beaten and left with permanent nerve damage to my inner right ear.

While I am a gay man, it was not a hate crime. The group, made up of nearly 20 teens, stole my keys - which I was later told is a gang initiation rite. The gang responsible for my bruises had skin color much like mine and spoke a language that I could easily understand.

More than physically hurt, I was spiritually broken by the ignorance of my own hermanos.

Violence against anyone should be deplored. But in an age where we talk about abuse coming from others, we must also stop to look at the toll Latino-on-Latino violence is taking on our own. It's an issue that we, as a community, must address, because accountability lies on our doorstep.

Those of us who live in the barrios know that the war is not only abroad but in our salas. Like men and women willing to destroy themselves and others in the name of religion, our youth continue to commit acts of cruelty to prove their machismo.

As a familia, we must start talking about it, and find ways to curb this disturbing trend.

Youth violence - present in all classes, nationalities, religions and ethnicities - is a complex issue with no single solution. And I'm sure that years of discrimination have left our young men struggling to define what it means to be masculine.

But there is one sobering fact which remains - that a generation of our men (roughly one out of three, according to recent surveys) is being raised without their fathers.

Many of our boys lack father figures to teach them how to be real men and, as a result, look to the streets to seek out opportunities for male bonding.

As the largest growing ethnic group in the country, we cannot afford to lose any of our boys.

We should be able to walk through these calles unharmed and to raise our children to respect others.

Xavier is the author of "Americano." He's appeared on "Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry" and in the film "The Ski Trip."

What do you feel are the causes of Latino-on-Latino violence? Send your comments to Tempo, New York Post, 1211 Ave. of the Americas, N.Y, N.Y, 10036 or tempo@nypost.com.

Gay City News - Emanuel Xavier Cover Story

As I alluded to last week, on Thursday Gay City News ran an interview with Emanuel Xavier that I culled from the previous posts I did regarding the assault that happened a couple of weeks ago as well as some of the exchanges I had with him over the last few days. I have written OpEd pieces, a number of columns on dance music for a gay bar magazine in Queens, and a few letters to the editor, but this is the first time I write a full-fledged article for a newspaper. I was shocked, to say the least to have gotten the cover story and I thank editor Paul Schindler for giving me the space.

Even more daunting was having been given the responsibility to write on this specific issue - particularly because I felt I might have been too close to the story and lack some objectivity - but also because I wanted to do Emanuel justice in his retelling of what he went through. I hope the article answers some of the questions that have come my way regarding the attack and that it marks a stepping stone to moving forward.

I also thank Emanuel for sharing his story and leading by example. There is violence in our communities and we must not be silent about it.

A message from Emanuel Xavier

Last night on his website, Emanuel posted the following message:

I would like to thank everyone who sent letters via my website, left messages on my voice mail, sent flowers and gifts and has kept me in their prayers. Except for a black eye, headaches and insomnia, the physical bruises have healed quickly thanks to cosmetic medicine. I am on a steroid medication with the hopes of regaining hearing loss in my right ear due to inner nerve damage. Further audiology tests will determine how this will affect the rest of my life- which I am excited to still be able to celebrate.

Andres Duque, who first broke the news on his blog, is currently putting together an exclusive which will answer all questions regarding the attack.

I am still scheduled to appear on Tuesday, November 15th at VelvetPark Magazine's "American TranStand" benefit for the Silvia Rivera Law Project. It is people like Silvia Rivera that have made it possible for myself and so many others to continue fighting for our rights even when there are those who try to silence us. Please support this event which will be held at the Canal Room (285 West Broadway at Canal Street) from 8pm-11:30pm ($12.50 in advance, $15 at the door).

I will be judging the competition along with Murray Hill and Ilene Chaiken & Daniela Sea from The L Word. I promise you will see that my spirit has not been broken by what happened.

Expect some additional follow-ups next week.

Update:

• Gay City News Cover Story - Emanuel Xavier (November 15, 2005)

Previous posts:

• Emanuel Xavier brutally beaten, expected to recover (October 27, 2005)
• Dispeling rumors about the assault on Emanuel Xavier (October 30, 2005)

Update: Dispeling rumors regarding the assault on Emanuel Xavier

There have been some questions regarding the post on Thursday about Emanuel Xavier being attacked on Tuesday. Out of respect for Emanuel's privacy I have let him communicate with me as he sees fit. Unfortunately, the news has carried elsewhere and some of the postings on other forums have even questioned whether Emanuel might have brought the beating upon himself by walking on a street alone at night.

When my friend Eddie Garzon was killed, I also heard some people in the community question if he had brought it upon himself by walking home alone that night, never mind that he had been accompanied, most of the way, by a friend. People: No one that I know wishes to bring a beating or death upon themselves, even if they are walking alone down a sidewalk at night. Despite being despicable, those comments unfortunately shine a light on the internalized-homophobia that still afflicts so many of us so that we would rather place blame on the person that was attacked rather than the actual people who did the beating.

Below is a reply that was just posted to the original entry which addresses this point as well as others and gives an update on how Emanuel is doing:

From: Leo Toro
Sent: Sun 10/30/2005 7:46 PM
Subject: [Blabbeando] Emanuel Xavier brutaly beaten, expected to recover

Emanuel would like to thank the many people who have sent him their love, prayers and support. He is healing both physically and emotionally. Medical examinations determined everything intact and he is scheduled to see an audiologist regarding questions and concerns over temporary hearing impairment.

I would like to personally take this time to dispel certain rumors. Though one of his poems recently appeared in the Almighty Latin King & Queen Nation newsletter, [the attack] was not an "initiation" by the Latin Kings or premeditated attack by a rival group. Emanuel is not affiliated with any gang. This was not a hate crime or biased attack. It was completely random. Emanuel happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The incident occured on a street in Bushwick at around 8pm while Emanuel was on route to visit his mother. Despite a controversial past, Emanuel was not out hustling, buying or selling drugs or looking for trouble. He grew up, currently resides in Bushwick and has never feared walking the streets alone.

Emanuel has experienced much in life and has always persevered. He is a survivor and this unfortunate incident should only fuel his strength and courage to speak out against the injustices we all face in the world today.

Update: Gay City News Cover Story - Emanuel Xavier (November 15, 2005)

Emanuel Xavier brutally beaten, expected to recover

Emanuel Xavier at a recent police brutality protest

As far as exclusives go, this is not necessarily the type of news that you would want to hear. From the announcement that was just forwarded to this blog:

On the evening of Tuesday, October 25th, spoken word artist, openly queer activist and actor, Emanuel Xavier, was brutally beaten at random by a street gang in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. On his way to visit his mother, currently struggling with cancer, the poet was surrounded by fifteen to twenty young Latino men and punched several times in the face. The crime has not been labeled a biased attack and - though one of his poems is set to appear in King’s Court, the Almighty Latin Kings Nation newsletter - no gang affiliation has been established and is unlikely. Though he declined hospitalization, initial statements described him as badly bruised with possible hearing damage to his right ear

Emanuel had shared news of the attack with a few people yesterday and I think he was struggling with how public to go with it. I know that in one instance in which a knife was held to my throat during a mugging that took place years ago, I also struggled with going public with it (I never did 'til now). Yesterday, I found myself sharing that experience with Emanuel as well as the surprising sense of rage that rushed through me when the mugger let me go, perhaps at having put myself in a dangerous situation in a dark alleyway, as my knees started shaking and almost let my body go.

Yesterday, I told Emanuel that he should eschew political correctness and only speak up if he wanted to do it and felt ready to talk about it and not necessarily because he is a public figure and should be expected to do so. But we also touched on the importance of raising awareness about violence in our communities, whether it's bias-related or not. Ultimately, I think that this last concern was what brought up this morning's statement from his publicist. So, if I didn't speak up back then when I got mugged, I am now doing so as well and applaud Emanuel for taking the lead.

I have previously blogged about the annual House of Xavier, but my admiration for Emanuel goes back a bit further, starting with the moment I picked up his amazing first book of poetry, Pier Queen. As someone of Latino heritage who nevertheless grew up in the United States and who spent hours in Manhattan's now gentrified West Side Piers - which was and still remains one of the few sites were queer youth of color congregate in this city - I felt the shock of having lived some of the same experiences that Emanuel so vividly expressed through his poems. A shock that I know others have also experienced since it's rare to see these words reflected on any page. Emanuel would go on to author Christ-Like and Americano, and edit a collection of spoken word poetry by different authors called Bullets and Butterflies. He has also appeared in HBO's Def Poetry Jam and the film The Ski Trip.

I will post updates as I get them and wish Emanuel a prompt and full recovery and the best for his mother as well.

UPDATES (click on hyper-links):
· October 30, 2005: Dispeling rumors regarding the assault on Emanuel Xavier (thanks Leo for the update)
· November 4, 2005: A Message from Emanuel Xavier
· November 15, 2005: Gay City News Cover Story - Emanuel Xavier
· January 15, 2006: Emanuel Xavier: New York Post OpEd
· January 27, 2006: This Saturday at the Bowery Poetry Club
· January 30, 2006: Butterflies with Emanuel Xavier and friends

House of Xavier

A friend of mine, Emanuel Xavier , sent this message out this weekend. I'm happy to pass it along:

Out of all the things I have been fortunate enough to accomplish, the one that I am most proud of is creating the House of Xavier's annual Glam Slam. Back in 1998, the whole concept of a poetry ball and a House defined by spoken word was so new and fragile.Some of the earliest members weren’t even interested in poetry and were simply looking for a more traditional House to make names for themselves which, to their credit, they went on to do with great effect. At the time, fresh off the heels of Pier Queen and about to publish my first novel, Christlike, I barely had enough time to make my presence known at the balls and things looked very bleak.But I just kept doing my thing because the ultimate goal was to make a significant contribution through spoken word while, at the same time, paying tribute to the ballroom scene which had inspired me. Fortunately, I had Mother Diva Xavier on my side- one of the most incredible people I am blessed to call a friend.She believed in this and stood by my side even when everyone else doubted and questioned my motives. Without Mother Diva Xavier and everyone who supports these events, not to mention the amazing talent that comes out every year to spit on the mic, the annual Glam Slam would simply be history. Please check out the new website at www.emanuelxavier.com/hox.htm and, if you happen to be in "Nueva York" next year during Gay Pride, come check it out for yourself.