Hearts and Hands

Luis Rodriguez, poet, memoirist, and activist... let’s call him hero, and be done with it: he’s devoted his life to blasting holes in the prison walls allowing the poem to pass through. His 2001 book, Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times (Seven Stories Press ), is an inspiring vision of turning gang violence into creative energy.

With co-publisher Michael Warr, Rodriguez’ Tia Chucha Press is exemplary in staking out a poetics that shows the evolution of writing from high school body punches to old school wisdom trill. In 2001 he opened, with wife Trini and family, Tia Chucha Café Cultural in Sylmar, California. How does he do it? We caught up with him in 2002 on the Internet, of all places...

About Poetry: Now you’re opening a poetry club! How do you find time to write?

Luis Rodriguez: Doing Tia Chucha’s was a gamble -- my thing is to write. To write, I have to focus. To make sure I have time to write and think, to read and write. But I’ve always had the ability to do this and keep myself active in the community. As you know, I’ve done workshops in homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile facilities, schools, etc. I was active in the Guild Complex and with Youth Struggling for Survival. I kept Tia Chucha Press going and still had to have time for family, travel, and writing. So far, Tia Chucha’s Café Cultural has only enhanced what I’ve been doing all the time. I had another book come out in April 2002, a short story collection called The Republic of East L.A.: Stories (Rayo ), and I’ve been promoting this as well. I’m also be trying to finish another major book and a new poetry collection. It just has to be done. Also, TCCC has hired a manager and part-time help. And my wife Trini is the point person, operations head, for the partnership. My other partner is also there. Although I know my notoriety is the glue to this place, I have a lot of help.

What’s a typical week at Tia Chucha’s?

A typical week at TCCC is evenings, on Wednesdays, a film night for the community, families, and the many students/youth coming here. On Thursdays, special events like musicians, storytellers, dance. On Fridays, the Xicano Records and Film Collective and the Chicano hip hop group Aztlan Underground host a spoken word open mic (which I will do when I’m in town). The first invited group was a spoken word collective called Rudos Revolutionary Front (who wear Lucha Libre wrestling masks for their performances). On Saturdays, during the day from 10 am until 4 pm, we have kids, teens and adults’ workshops in art, dance, writing, mural painting, etc. In the evenings on Saturdays, special musical guests (well known Chicano bands like Quetzal, Ozomotli, Quinto Sol, Domingo Siete, Jarabe Xitlali, and others) play, usually as a benefit for Tia Chucha’s. We also have author talks and booksignings as well as art receptions on Saturday afternoons. On Sundays, we have author signings, special readings, poets, musicians. From 6 to 8 pm, local Mexika (Aztec) and Mayan activists have discussions and lectures for the community (exploring and understanding the indigenous roots of the Mexican and Central American population is very big here). For now, we’re closed Monday and Tuesday evenings, but we are open from 7:30 to 9:30 am Monday through Friday to get the morning coffee traffic.

What’s a typical Luis Rodriguez day look like?

When I’m in town, I hang around Tia Chucha’s, meet people, set up events, and act like the grateful host (which I am). During the day, I’m writing or taking care of other business, so the evening becomes my time to be at Tia Chucha’s and contribute to make this place happen.

What kind of music will we hear on the Tia Chucha sound system? What’s on the menu?

Our music ranges from the indigenous groups of Mexico and the US to Chicano hip hop to jazz and oldies -- there are some talented people in this area. We have a full expresso bar, made of Oaxacan, Guatemalan and other Mexican coffee beans. We have a Tia Chucha blend, roasted especially for us by our roaster. We also have juices, pops, pan mexicano (Mexican sweet breads), and on occasion, champurado (a Mexican chocolate drink), Orchata (sweet rice water), and other such drinks. We don’t prepare our own food -- it’s brought in by local businesses.

Can poetry pay the rent?

Not by itself. But there is such a great need for Tia Chucha’s -- for our kind of books, art, music, poetry, etc. -- that we’re able to do well so far. Poetry is at the heart of our venture -- supplemented by so many other arts and expressions.

Who are you reading these days?

I’m reading Li-Young Lee, Wanda Coleman -- her book Mercurochrome (Black Sparrow Books, 2001 ) is great, Jimmy Santiago Baca’s memoir on prison life -- A Place To Stand: The Making of a Poet (Grove Press, 2001 ), Lucille Clifton, and various literary books and anthologies. I’m also reading a lot of short stories -- I particularly like TC Boyle, Lorrie Moore, Dagoberto Gilb, Jorge Luis Borges and so many others. I tend to read five to ten books at one time. It may take a while, but I eventually get through them. I just finished Ed Bunker’s prison memoir, Education of a Felon (St. Martin’s Press, 2001 ). Also a good book on Vedic verse called Ka: Stories of the Mind and Gods of India by Roberto Calasso (Random House, 1999 ), and some Mayan Code books.

I am also writing screenplays. I did a treatment and screenplay for Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. (Simon & Shuster, 1993 ) And my first CD of original music and my poems came out in 2003: It’s called My Name’s Not Rodriguez (Dos Manos Records ) by Luis Rodriguez and Seven Rabbit, my poetry band. I’m busy, but doing good. As they say, it keeps me out of trouble...

Fuerte abrazos to all,
Luis