by Stan Raines
Once again, Joel and I, the Long Time Coming crew, will be providing entertainment for the Fish Fry at Harley’s Country Store and Beer Garden. We’ll start at 6:30 or so and the fish will be ready at 8 or so. Come on out, enjoy some good music and some nicely done fish [...]

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from Gene’s Notebook
…and I ask the maid from Durango, here many years, if there might be more than a dozen eggs; she tells me to wait, so I sit down, look at the trees and plants bend in the southeast wind and scribble some notes, thinking about how many stories I could write about crackers [...]

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from Virginia Gause
The Weslaco Museum and Cinesol Film Festival will sponsor a screening of the new documentary film, “Crawford” on Wednesday, January 28, at the Eugene A. Braught Memorial Theater, 525 S. Kansas, at 7 p.m.
The theater is adjacent to the Weslaco Public Library. Attendance at the screening is free, but donations for the [...]

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A poem by Rudy H. García
Walk slowly, walk slower… take my hand
Listen, as I whisper sweet secrets for your ear
Stroll with me in the cool perfume scented eve
Or is it gardenia fragrance flowing off your wind brushed jet hair I smell, as I hold you tenderly near
Lets keep this moment to stand in tranquil silence, [...]

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From Gene’s Notebook
…near 10 p.m., and it is dark, very dark, and off to the southwest, over Mexico is white-hot-yellow Venus, ready to slip below the trees and railroad tracks and communication towers; Venus will return the next night, higher, and then later, to retire …. …alone and together, and together and alone, I turn [...]

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by John Goggin
Cooking time: 1 hr, and then several more.
Total time: depends, doesn’t it?
Caveat: Don’t start this after 6PM
Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken, 4-5 lbs.

A fine roasting chicken. Not some skinny fryer, but something with big breasts and strong thighs. Something you’re excited about bringing home. Something you’re not ashamed to let your neighbors see you bring [...]

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from Virginia Gause
The Philippine Nurses Association of the RGV will hold its Fifth Annual Gala and Fundraiser supporting nursing scholarships on March 14 at the Echo Hotel and Conference Center, 1903 Closner, in Edinburg, Texas, from 7 pm to midnight. The public is invited. Attire is formal.
Please contact Normita at 929-3042, Marian at 533-4796, Madelene [...]

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From Virginia Gause
Brownsville Museum of Fine Art will present Waves of Form & Voice, a concert by Daniele Lorio, soprano, winner of the 2007 Grieg Competition hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Dr. Patrick O’Donnell, pianist, featuring music on the themes of Love and Nature by Purcell, Rorem, Obradors, Heggie, Grieg, Duke, and Ravel.
3:00pm January [...]

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From Virginia Gause
Poet Minerva Villarreal, one of the top poets of Monterrey and northern México, will be reading from her latest poetry collection at the University Ballroom January 29 at 7:00 pm. Author of several collections of poetry and the recipient of the Premio a las Artes from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo [...]

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From Gene’s Notebook
…and after three sour faces, all within my wanderings, I recall …. The bluebonnets, star-petals, silvery drops of misty rain trapped in tiny coves, white the drops, diamonds … blue nearing

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by Stan Raines
“Frost/Nixon” might aptly be subtitled “The Tragedy of Richard Nixon” for it is tragedy in the old sense, the fall of the high and powerful due to his (or her) own failings.
As with ancient Greek tragedy, the major action occurs off camera. “Frost/Nixon” begins with several minutes of clips from news programs of [...]

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From Virginia Gause
STC Library Art Gallery Pecan Campus in McAllen proudly presents “Meditations on Place” from January 29 to February 27, 2009.
“Meditations on Place” is a Video/Digital Media Installation exhibit featuring works by artists, Michele Monseau, Leslie Raymond, Sarah Roberts and Connie Swann.

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From Virginia Gause
Another Music Festival, to be held April 18th and 19th in the Entertainment District of Downtown McAllen is looking for volunteers. Those interested in applying can visit www.mcallenmusic.com for more information and applications.
“We need about 100 volunteers to help make AMF a great success. Volunteers must apply to be considered and [...]

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From Virginia Gause
South Texas College inaugurates its celebration of Black History Month February 2 at 7 pm in the Rainbow Room of the Pecan Campus Library with awards and receptions followed by a presentation on “Blacks in the Rio Grande Valley” by University of Houston historian, Alberto Rodriguez.

Other presentations will include:

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From Virginia Gause
Sunday, January 25, 2009 from 11 am – 2 pm, join the India Association of the Rio Grande Valley in the 60th Republic Day of India Celebrations at the McAllen Convention Center Ballroom (West Expressway 83 & South Ware Road). Admission is $15/person for non-members of the India Association of Rio Grande [...]

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from Virginia Gause
CineSol Film Festival will be having a special free screening of the documentary CRAWFORD.
Wednesday, January 28th at 7pm
Gene Braught Memorial Theater
525 S. Kansas, Weslaco
What happens to the 705 residents of Crawford, Texas when George W. Bush moves to town?
Crawford’s characters are by turns bizarre, entertaining and tragic. Shoved into the spotlight for political [...]

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from Virginia Gause
The University of Texas Pan American is offering it’s Winter Writers’ Workshop on weekends beginning Saturday, February 7 and running to March 13. Topics offered by instructors Emmy Pérez and Dr. Phillip Zwerling run from Memoir Writing through Flash Fiction, Screen Writing and Poetry Writing. For more information, visit UTPA’s Continuing Education page.

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from Virginia Gause

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An announcement from Marianna Nelson

Byliners Writers Workshop at TSTC, Harlingen, Sat., Feb. 14, 2009, 8 am-5 pm
Learn how to produce illustrations and cover art for your book(s). Instructors from the TSTC Department of Digital Media Design Technology will present a half day on Adobe Illustrator and a half day on Adobe Photoshop. A computer will [...]

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by Stan Raines

I received an email this morning from Patrick Alcatraz, previously unknown but often mentioned on Jerry McHale’s tribute to scurrilousness, El Rocinante, with a link to the new blog Next… The tagline for Next… is “The Chronicle of Border Satire.” The opening edition had several well-written pieces including a take-down on an unhappy [...]

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An announcement by Stan Raines
Put it on your calendar! There’s a FISH FRY at Harley’s Country Store and Beer Garden outside of Bayview, Texas. Music will be provided by Long Time Coming, with Joel Humprhries and Stan Raines playing  a lively mix of country and western tunes.
People will start gathering around 4:30 and the entertainment [...]

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by Stan Raines
I’m pleased to announce that we’ve made arrangements for NunnaYerBizness Today’s First Anniversary Party to be held at the Galeria 409, 409 E. 13th, from 6:30 to 10 pm. Many thanks to Mark Clark.
And music will be provided by Emilio Crixell and  The Bluzanos.
Many details still need to be worked out, but the [...]

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A Poem by Ken “Blue Town” Treviño
“The Words of a Man” was inspired by watching a Jesse Borrego play, “The Artist Who Danced With Death,” at Incarnate Word College, in San Antonio, on March 19, 1991. I wrote this poem as a reflection on my childhood. It’s a great play, and it moved me to [...]

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by Stan Raines
And congratulations to the citizens and voters who, despite everything, persevered and persisted in supporting change. May that change be what you and I have desired and may our beloved country find it’s way through our current travails with President Barack Hussein Obama.

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From Gene’s Notebook
…I usually do not explain where my ideas begin – do we ever really know …? But concerning “The Wall” and West Loop Toll Road, there are several explanations; Ruth Wagner, friend, wife, companion, confidant and more, was in front of me on her bike in Hope Park, and I saw her trembling, [...]

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