The Tomas Rivera Endowment and the Deparment of Creative Writing Present: THE SEARCHERS Poetry Reading Series

A new school year means a whole new slate of events! This year, the Tomas Rivera Endowment and The Department of Creative Writing, along with the Inlandia Institute, Chicano Student Programs, and CHASS F1RST present THE SEARCHERS Poetry Reading Series.

Confused about "the searchers?" If you are, don't fret. It refers to an epic poem that Tomas Rivera wrote, dealing with the many meanings of searching, like searching for home, for work, for a purpose, for a life better than the one migrant workers had.

For our first inaugural speaker, we have RENATO ROSALDO.

Here's a little info on Renato Rosaldo:

An internationally known cultural anthropologist, Renato Rosaldo started writing poetry in English and Spanish while recovering from a stroke in 1996. His first book of poetry, Prayer to Spider Woman/Rezo a la mujer araña received an American Book Award (2004). Individual poems have won the El Bandar poetry contest (2000) and the Many Mountains Moving poetry contest (2005). Currently a Professor of Anthropology at New York University and Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences Emeritus at Stanford University, and also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He will be at the University of California, Riverside on the following dates:

WEDNESDAY -October 28, 2009 POETRY READING

Time and Place -12:00 PM –1:30 pm @ CHASS INTS 1111

THURSDAY -October 29, 2009 “HOW POETRY CHOSE ME”

Time and place -12:00 Pm –2:00 PM @ CHASS INTS 1109

We'll be hosting many speakers in the following months, so make sure to stay tuned to this blog for the latest updates.

Back from Summer Hiatus

One of the things I love about working in the creative writing department, as an administrative assistant, is the amount of creative control I have. For instance, I'm lucky enough to do this blog for Professor Juan Felipe Herrera. This thing is pretty much a hands-off thing - I write pretty much anything related to work the way I want to do it, with very little interference (other than the occasional tweak here and there, such as remembering to credit pictures to photographers).

One unfortunate thing about this is the fact that I was not officially employed during the summer (and it got really scary with all the school budget cuts), so there is a huge gap of time between this update and the last. I should probably finish off talking about the last event that we had in the Spring, which was the movie showing and reception. Pictures are below!

Photo by Michael J. Elderman

The reception for the main event, which was a screening of Under the Same Moon. UCR provided the catering for the event, as seen with Selena Pao (the girl in the red shirt) of UCR Catering helping to serve food.

Photo by Michael J. Elderman

A number of attendees mingling.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Meanwhile, music was provided.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Adan Avalos in formal attire, in front of his burlap truck.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Professor Juan Felipe Herrera conversing with an attendee.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Carlos Cortes.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Concha Rivera.



Photo by Michael J. Elderman

A good number of people attended the screening of the movie, which was a relief given that it was on a Friday and most people usually head home by this point.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Spoken word along with guitar.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

A eulogy for Tomas Rivera by Carlos Cortes.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

A tender moment of reflection.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Ligiah Villalobos answering questions after the movie screening.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

She also tied in elements of the workshop into the discussion after the screening of her movie.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Professor Juan Felipe Herrera thanking everyone who attended.


Next up: The Tomas Rivera Endowment and the Department of Creative Writing Present - THE SEARCHERS Poetry Reading Series

Ligiah Villalobos and the Screenwriting Workshop

One of my favorite events from the Tomas Rivera Conference was the free workshop, provided by Ligiah Villalobos, a writer who has worked in both television and motion pictures. A writer for the television series "Ed" and "Go, Diego, Go!" she is most well-known for writing "La Misma Luna," which translates into "Under the Same Moon." I will go into more details about that particular movie, which she had a screening of later that day, in a future blog entry. Needless to say, however, it was very entertaining, as the student responses (posted earlier) indicated!
















Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Here is Miss Villalobos, writing on a chalkboard. Here, she is demonstrating the difference between television shows.

During the workshop, she brought up the idea that most comedy shows are shot in either two ways - single camera and multiple cameras. Traditional situations comedies (sitcoms for short) such as Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, or How I Met Your Mother use multiple cameras, and typically have a studio audience as well. She went on to explain that I Love Lucy was the first sitcom to pioneer the use of multiple cameras. Examples of single camera shows, where movement is less restricted, included shows such as Scrubs, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and The Office.














Photo by Michael J. Elderman

One of the things I am most proud of regarding the Tomas Rivera 2009 Annual Conference was the attendance. As seen in the picture above, we actually managed to fill the room for a change - something that is much harder to attain, as UC Riverside has a tendency to have low turn-outs for events held on campus, due to factors such as a higher percentage of commuters. However, thanks to agressive promotion, we were able to get many interested students the opportunity to attend a professional workshop, free of charge!
















Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Third year Creative Writing major Carolyn Stephenson taking notes, while in the background Professor Juan Felipe Herrera, Tomas Rivera Endowed Chair, sits in.















Photo by Michael J. Elderman

First year UCR student Alicia Lin listening intently to Miss Villalobos.















Photo by Michael J. Elderman

Miss Villalobos discusses the elements of a successful screenplay.

Miss Villalobos decided to make the workshop into two distinct sections: for the first half, she talked about the ins and outs of writing for television. One important piece of advice that she gave us was the idea that we should try to keep track of which television shows look like they are popular and long lasting. She mentioned that it was a bad idea to try to write for a show like LOST, because it was a show that was already ending very soon. In contrast, she advised us to try and write for a show like The Mentalist, which was not going anywhere anytime soon. She also advised us to be able to work in different genres of television, such as procedurals (Law and Order, CSI) and serials (LOST, HEROES) and sitcoms. It was a good idea for writers to have writing examples showing that they have a wide range of skills - it was preferable to have written a script for all three of those different genres to show to prospective hirers.















Photo by Michael J. Elderman

A student taking notes on his laptop and a pad of paper.

For the second half of her workshop, she talked about writing for movies, which work differently compared to television shows. She mentioned that it was very hard for speculative scripts (spec scripts) to make it in Hollywood, and that usually writers would have to work on properties given to them by the studios. She also mentioned that motion picture writers tended to make a lot of money - sometimes up to half a million dollars, if they played their cards right.
















Photo by Michael J. Elderman

A student looks at one of the many handouts that Miss Villalobos handed out.


Miss Villalobos went over many other things in regards to constructing screenplays, such as structure, conflict, characters, and much more. Overall, it was probably one of the most entertaining sections of the Tomas Rivera Conference, especially for the many Creative Writing majors and minors who attended the workshop.

Next up: The reception, the eulogy, and the movie screening of Under the Same Moon.

Also on the agenda: A monthly writing contest for UCR writers!

Student responses to the Tomas Rivera 2009 Annual Conference!

Apologies for the lateness of this post, I've been busy setting up school and setting up a writing contest, which all of you readers should enter!

And now, the STUDENT RESPONSES for the Tomas Rivera 2009 Annual Conference!

I really liked the movie at the conference. It brought a lot of us to
tears because it created such a powerful connection from the
characters to the viewers. I was amazed that it was an independent
film and was put together so well for the amount of money they could
use. I learned a lot about how much really goes into making a movie.

- Caroline Nicholas

I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining the conference was.
During the eulogy I was sitting behind who I believed to be Rivera's
widow (not positive it was her) and it was so touching and sad when
she began crying. It really made the eulogy even that much more
meaningful. I learned a lot about Rivera himself, like that he died at
a pretty early age and the impact that he made in the Chicano
community and the big step he took in education overall. But, my
overall favorite part of the night was the movie. It was completely
unexpected. I really didn't expect to enjoy it so much. I cried about
three times, and the sarcastic comments by Enrique's character made
the movie hilarious. I also fell in love with the little boy. He was
so adorable and played the part perfectly. I didn't really want to go
to at first, but I'm very happy I was able to experience such a
wonderful night.

-Camille Calloway

I really really enjoyed the conference. My favorite part was the movie
and I think I really enjoyed because the whole day I was having bad
thoughts about even going. I figured it would be boring and just
painful. Actually it turned out to be great, the movie was amazing and
I learned different tools and information about screen writing and for
inspiring screenwriters. Also, based off the movie I was able to get a
clear and precise meaning of how hard it really is for Mexicans to
cross the border. Most importantly, people should always appreciate
their family members because you never know when they will be taken
away.

- Brittney Shelton

First I have to say I thought the food was delicious...even though it
was in small portions I was able to fill up on tons of those little
pocket sized foods....Wish more conferences had food like that. Next I
thought the man who gave the Eulogy was a very good speaker... I
really enjoyed his presentation. I learned a little more about Thomas
Rivera... I myself hope one day I can grow a brain like his and write
great stories and poems like him. Also I thought Under the Same Moon
was a great Movie. I had seen it before and it hit me a bit. I didn't
cry cuz I knew what was going to happen but there were parts that hit
me. I enjoyed how she spoke after and answered some questions...it
inspired me to continue my dream of making a movie one day.

- Jorge Sanchez

What I really like about the conference is the fact that Ms.
Villalobos actually took the time to answer all the questions that the
group had for her. Especially because she answered them sincerely and
was a down to earth person.

-Mayra Mendoza

Had a great time. Cried like four times wrote down some of her words ,
they will be in my response paper. amazing experience. She is a great woman, and she stole the show.
Muy bien.

- Michelle Mc Neary

I thought it was cool that so many people appreciated what Rivera did,
and I liked learning about him--because his book was my favorite one
out of all the books we read first quarter. The movie was amazing. I
thought it was exceptionally well-written and well-directed, because I
felt really tied in and was at the edge of my seat for most of it. The
Q&A at the end was very satisfying and thorough. A lot of other Q&A
type events I've been to don't really answer questions. Especially
ones about the making of and the actors, etc. So this was nice. I'm
glad that is where I spent my time on that Friday night.

- Wanda Wang

When I attended the Tomas Rivera Conference I learned a lot. What I
thought was very interesting was that Tomas Rivera was the first
Hispanic to become a chancellor at a UC. I thought it was interesting
how he came from a family who did not have a lot of academic
knowledge, but he was able to be successful. I learned that no matter
from what background we come from we can all be successful. I really
enjoyed Mrs.Villalobos conference. I really liked her movie. After
watching the movie it made me view and think things differently.. I
really enoyed the conference I thought it was very interesting, and I
am glad that I attended the conference.

- Melina Hernandez

I loved the movie and the food was really good. Although I had seen
the movie once before, it was very different watching it with Ligiah
Villalobos there to explain it all. I really liked her easy nature and
down to earth personality. It helped make people more open to asking
questions. I think all of her explanations were very clear and it was
funny how she would say things and then tell us she wasn't supposed
to. The movie almost brought me to tears in the end. It was also
impressive how great of a job they were able to do on such a limited
budget and how the movie ended up. The entire evening was delightful
with everybody that we had the luck and opportunity to share it with.

- Alma Paez

Well, the night started off cool with the reception. The appetizers
were really good and mostly everyone went dressed very nicely. I
really wished the Chancellor would have been there but, his wife had a
very nice speech too. Then, I enjoyed the eulology very much. I
thought that Prof. Cortés was a really good actor. His speech was
really cool. The guitar player was also very nice and peaceful, some
of the songs I have known since childhood and it was nice to hear
those songs in a beautiful duo of speech and song. Then, when we
started watching the movie, I was really excited because I have been
meaning to see the movie but just haven't had time. I thought the
movie was funny, dramatic, peaceful, fun, sad and every mix of emotion
you could imagine. I really enjoyed the movie a lot. However, I have
to say that the best part of the whole night was being able to talk to
Ligiah Villalobos. I learned so much about the movie and the "behind
the scenes" extra to it. I liked learning about how Ligiah got the
actors to act in the movie and how so many people helped to make the
movie happen and with such a low budget. I really liked learning about
the little things that made the movie, and especially thought it was
cool that she was able to make such a good movie with a low-budget. I
really enjoyed the night and hope to attend next year!!! =)

- Elizabeth Candia

I learned that if people follow their dreams and keep at it, they can
achieve it.

- Jahi Johnson

I enjoyed the conference overall. At first, I was upset because I
couldn't go home on Friday like usual, because of the conference, but
I am SOOOOO glad I stayed. The movie was GREAT! I cried like three
different times! Worst part is it’s like the 4th time I watch
it...but it still gets to me every time! She was great in answering
all of our questions. She was very inspirational, and made me feel
like ANYTHING is possible if you work hard for it. I trulyyyyy enjoyed
it. And omg, when they had that eulogy for Sr. Tomas Rivera, it was
sooo cute...the whole lil’ act...it really was good.

-Alma Delia Renteria

I really liked learning from Ligiah. In her workshop, she wasn't just
teaching, but she was interacting with us as well. I can see what she
meant when she said that as a kid she wanted to teach. I can see her
being a professor. She has such passion and is very dedicated to her
work and it really showed throughout the day.
I think the part I enjoyed the most about the whole day though was how
it all revolved around the same theme -- "From the Fields to the
Stars." In remembrance of Tomas Rivera, I was able to see how he went
"from the fields to the stars." I was also able to see how Ligiah
followed in his footsteps in her own way. Both have a common
background in one way or another, to being famous for just being
honest about their lives and the lives of others. Overall, I liked how
the whole conference really emphasized that common theme.

- Paula Vargas

I think Ligiah is an amazing screenwriter and it was awesome to hear
her input and her personal experiences developing as a screenwriter
and how much of herself she puts into her work. I thought her workshop
was very helpful and insightful for future screenwriters and writers
in general. I do enjoy writing so I found myself completely engaged
and loved that I got to learn something new from a pro!! I think
everyone agrees that the movie was awesome and awe-inspiring and
moving and soo well-written and emotional so I won't elaborate on that.

- Lacey Pickering

The Rivera conference was great. I loved the movie, and I loved the
insight into the process Mrs. Villalobos gave us. The eulogy given
before the movie was very beautiful, and also gave me some insight
into the life of Thomas Rivera.

- Matthew Shoop

The Tomas Rivera Conference was very interesting. I enjoyed my time
there, and learned a lot about Tomas Rivera and how he was the first
Hispanic to become a chancellor at a UC. First of all, the food was
delicious. The lemonade was good, and they even had a man playing the
guitar outside and inside during the presentation. It was very
interesting to learn about Tomas' background, and how he became UCR's
chancellor. I also enjoyed listening to Ligiah’s comments about the
movie. I loved the movie, and being the first time I saw it, it made
my eyes watery with it's profound message.

-Christy Oropeza

What I enjoyed the most was definitely the movie. It was my first time
watching it and I thought it was a really good movie. I also enjoyed
having Ligia Villalobos answering some of the questions we had for
her. I really liked how she went out of her way to come and talk to us
about the film. If she wouldn’t have come we wouldn't know about the
kid who plays Carlitos being overworked or that the girl who plays
Carlito's Mom had turned down the part but then came through. I guess
I can say it was an inspiring experience having to watch the movie and
having the writer of the movie there.

-Ana Gutierrez

I really enjoyed the Rivera Conference. It was nice to get to know
Ligia Villalobos. It was cool knowing that some of her family members
participated in her film. Also it was amazing the way screen writing
works. I was impressed on how easy she made it seem although it is a
long process.

-Livier Hernandez

I learned that screen writing takes a lot of effort, time and patience
but the result is very rewarding. I learned interesting facts about
Tomas Rivera and really enjoyed his eulogy. It was very creative and
interesting. The film was my favorite part. I almost cried at the
ending because it was so heart warming :) Overall I really enjoyed the
conference.

-Erin Ogawa

Honestly I thought the conference was only going to be a lecture and I
was dreading it because it was going to last four hours. Yet it was
anything but a boring lecture. Learning about Tomás Rivera was
interesting because I did not know anything about him or his
contributions to UCR. Under the Same Moon was such a good movie. I had
seen commercials in the past but never actually saw the movie. It was
real yet touching and sad. Ligiah Villalobos did an inspiring work of
art.

-Erin Riley

First, I didn't know who Tomás Rivera was or what he did. After the
eulogy, I had a little insight about what he did. He inspired Chicanos
or Latinos to be strong and continue their educations. I had already
seen the movie before, but after watching it a second time I was able
to see small details that I hadn't seen before. Also, Ligiah
Villallobos talked about her film and what she had to do. She said
that they only had $1.9 million to make the movie. She also said that
their main focus was to get the film into Sundance. When the film
entered Sundance, it took only 24 hours for the film to be sold. She
also talked about the characters in the movies. She said that the
actors participated in the movie for little money. She also said that
the most expensive scene in the movie was when the people were
swimming across the river because she brought in helicopters and all
kinds of people, even though that part is only shown for about 2
seconds in the movie. I really enjoyed the conference.

-Melissa Quevedo

The conference was alrite. I learned many different things about Tomás
Rivera. How he became Chancellor of UCR. The eulogy the two men did
was pretty interesting, the guitar was pretty sweet too. The film was
great also. It had a controversial issue and great actors. The little
kid did an awesome job with the part of Carlitos. The film had some
funny parts and then of course some serious parts. It was also nice to
hear about Ligiah and how she created the film, all of the insider
information about the film. That was pretty cool to find out the big
companies she works for like HBO, Disney, and Nick. My fav part of the
conference was the movie. It was great.

-Elmer Hernandez

I thought we would be sitting and hearing someone talk for 4 hours
however it turned out to be very interesting and fun. Seeing how many
people honor Tomá Rivera is amazing. I can tell he has made an impact
on many people. then seeing the man talk and the musican sing was very
interesting my first time seeing something like that. Then the movie,
was great! I loved it and actually meeting the lady who wrote it was
even more amazing. It was cool to actually meet the person who wrote
it and getting her feedback of the movie

-Cindy Lim

I had a conversation with a couple elderly people. One was an old
California Legislator that went on and on about how things need to
change and how unions have too much power. The old lady was talking
about how she worked at UCR for 28 years and all the changes it went
through. She thinks the changes hurt the school but I think it just
changed its character. This was odd but educational. I only stayed for
the eulogy and the first few minutes of the film. I really wanted to
see it but I kept coughing cause I was sick so it was really
uncomfortable to try to be quiet and not disturb people. The eulogy
was interesting, my favorite part was how the guitar came in at all
the punchlines. "Adios, adios adios" what a great ending for that
part. I am gonna try and watch the movie.

-Patrick Lundy

I have to admit I enjoyed hanging out with Ligiah Villalobos,
Professor Herrera, and the guy from the Eulogy the most. They are
amazing people. Hearing some of Villalobo's stories was great. How she
met Gael Garcia Bernal in Cuba! WOW! I was so jealous! The movie and
the Eulogy was great. The movie made me cry and I love Eugenio Derbez.
The guy from the Eulogy surprised me when I found out he talked
perfect Spanish and he looked so white! I was so impressed. I enjoyed
it so much and I enjoyed learning more from Ligiah’s past in relation
to the movie and her present work.

-Maria Rangel

The conference was amazing. I have been blessed to be apart of this
class because without it I would not have attended the Tomás Rivera
Conference. I loved the movie, Under the Same Moon, and I told many
people about it over the weekend. Ligiah Villalobos has a very down to
earth personality and I was very excited to personally meet her.

-Sharmel Jackson

My favorite part of the Tomás Rivera conference was when the audience
had the opportunity to watch La Misma Luna. This fabulous film
brought me to tears, and trust me, I don't cry - ever. Humor and
drama were blended together so well throughout the movie that it was
difficult to take my eyes off the screen. It was also great that the
screenwriter, herself, was able to answer questions the audience had.
I love how she told us about the original version of the film and how
it was changed to make it more child-appropriate. It was a privilege
to attend this amazing conference and witness a brilliantly written
movie.

-Mary Pelleriti

It really was a touching moving. Carlitos's bravery and persistance is
impressive. I'm not sure I would made that travel. I might have just
gotten used to my mom not being there. He even took a job.. at the age
of 9. When I was 9... I only thought about having fun. One thing I
noticed is that the title is feminine. I guess that emphasizes the
maternal love Rosaria has for Carlitos (and that the author is
female). The title could have been under the same sun (el sol), or
under the same sky (el cielo). When you sleep, you can sleep looking
at the sky, not necessarily the moon. Maybe I'm just odd to notice
that. I also noticed that many of the stories that we've been in touch
with from Chass Connect (from Professor Lopez and Herrera's classes)
talked about the difficulties of migration. Or maybe simply because
we're focusing on Chicano history. Either way, I can't help but think
of my own migration story.

My parents decided to move here so we can get a better education, a
better life. For the past... 8 years, I have been dwelling on the life
that I had, that I might have had. I was (am) never greatly
appreciative to my parents for moving us here . I even questioned the
importance of this education (secretly of course). I slack because I
have no motivation. I'm generally not proactive toward my studies
either. (But I'm here, so that must mean that I'm not that bad of a
student.. haha). There's a saying in Chinese ( 身在福中不知福),
meaning that we (the said person/s) don't know to appreciate what we
have. We have a secure roof over our head, we don't need to worry
about our next meal, we get to continue with our education, and we
take everything (almost everything) for granted. Sometimes stories
like this open our eyes... but often, we return to our old selves. I'm
always puzzled, bewildered, to see some kind of passion, some kind of
determination...

-Grace Kang

Well, first off, I really really enjoyed the movie!!
I noticed that it followed the 3 Act steps.
I thought it was amazing that it was made in only 25 days and with
only $1.9 million.
I thought the writer was awesome and gave really good advice! :)
I also really liked the Eulogy!
It was really creative and powerful.
And from the Eulogy I learned a lot about Tomás Rivera that I didn't
know before.

-Jennifer Valdez

I REALLY enjoyed the conference actually. The eulogy to Tomás Rivera
was done really well. It taught me things about him that I never knew
before. I used to think that he was just some chancellor and that was
all, but from the eulogy I learnt that there was much more to him than
just that. The person who acted it out was amazing and if he hadn't
done such a good job, the eulogy wouldn't have been so powerful. The
movie was AMAZING!!! I fell in love with that movie. It was extremely
sad but the ending turned out happy! The actors were amazing and the
little boy was so good!! I think he really, really reached out to the
audience. I learnt a lot from this movie...the power of love, the
power of family, the power of being confident and believing in your
guts, and the power of being strong. A couple parts of the movie that
really touched me were: - the ending (of course), the part where the
man and the boy were traveling and the man helps the boy out, and the
very first telephone conversation as well. All the time I was watching
the movie, in the back of my mind, I was always thinking about the
three act structure. I see where each act ended and started

-Sravani Nichanamatu

I really enjoyed the screenwriter’s workshop. I learned a lot about
the biz and now I think I'd really like to write for TV. The movie at
the conference was awesome, I'm glad they fixed the subtitles
otherwise it probably wouldn't have been so great seeing as my Spanish
is pretty rusty... Oh, I also liked the food, it didn’t make for good
dinner tho..

-Quinn Pendleton

Well, I loved the conference. It was great from the start, with the
food. I LOVE SPRING ROLLS! Yum. Well I was scared at first that this
would be a long 4 hours. The eulogy was great. I loved the guitar and
I felt like I learned more about Tomás rivera. and I didn’t’
notice our library was named after him! Well, I thought the best part
was the film. The film was great. It in a way reminds me of Slumdog
Millionare. I don’t know why. But i loved it. I thought it was a
great movie. I can’t believe they made such a great movie with so
little money. I can’t believe the boy actually went to the US. I was
soooo scared that she was going to go back when he came here. I teared
up soooo many times in the movie and cried at the very end. The movie
was excellent.

-Linda Wu

I was very glad to go to the event :)
I didnt go to the morning workshop, I wonder who did go. But anyway I
attended the screen writing work shop, and it was very very
interesting :) I learn a lot from Ligiah Villalobos, she taught me a
lot of valuable things not just about screen writing but more about
how to be a creative writer. And i love her movie!!!! I don’t know
why there’s people don’t like the ending, I mean, the ending is
GREAT!!! I really really really like the ending!!! Can’t think of
another better way to end this movie!!! Anyway its a great movie, I
wonder is the dvd out yet? Cuz I try to find one online, but can’t
find it. The only thing made me really sad about this event is that I
did not took a picture with Ligiah Villalobos after the screen writing
workshop :(

-Alicia Lin

I really enjoyed watching the film at the Tomás Rivera Conference. I
want to be a writer someday and recently I have started to think about
doing screenwriting. This conference helped me to understand some of
the things that go into making a movie. I was really inspired by
Ligiah Villalobos and the journey she went on to make this movie. One
thing that scares me about being a screenwriter is that the chances of
getting my movie made are very slim. She showed me that if you want
something badly enough- it can happen. Ligiah Villalobos jumped
through hoops to get her story turned into a movie and her dedication
and passion is really inspirational to me and I am extremely grateful
that I had the opportunity to hear her speak.

-Allison Spillane

Adan Avalos and his Truck of Burlap

The first event of the Tomas Rivera 22nd Annual Conference 2009 was the construction of a life-sized burlap truck by Adan Avalos.

The burlap truck itself was a kind of dedication to the earlier life of Tomas Rivera. As the son of migrant field workers, he himself worked in the fields while attending school, until his higher education at college began.

Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Adan Avalos takes out all his materials from black bags.

Adan Avalos and Alpha Phi Omega volunteers arrived bright and early at 7 am in the morning, in order to construct the faux-vehicle. The burlap truck, ostensibly a recreation of a 1961 Ford Ranchero, started off with a wooden frame. The frame itself consisted of many individual pieces of wood, painstakingly numbered in order to dictate where they needed to be placed.


Photo by Michael J. Elderman
It's hard to see, but every piece of wood had meticulously numbers indicating their placement in the frame.


The actual burlap was treated with a solution of water and sugar. This idea came to him earlier on in his life, when he used it to create smaller models of things. I'm paraphrasing here, but he said something to the effect of, "if it can work so well on a smaller scale, why can't it be applied to something bigger?"

After constructing the frame, he and the volunteers went to work, applying different parts of the burlap shell, such as the trunk, the doors, windows, wheels, and even the bumper.
















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Applying the burlap wheels to the frame.
















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Even the interior components of a truck, such as this steering wheel, were included.

I was especially impressed that Mr. Avalos had the idea to actually create an interior - a piece like this would usually just have an outer shell. He actually put a steering wheel, along with interior seats to make the truck as realistic as possible.



















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Using a large screwdriver to put in one last screw.

Mr. Avalos later told me, while we were doing the arduous task of taking it all down, that putting the entire truck together was something he could only do so often, as it was a very exhausting task.

















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Adan Avalos and Alpha Phi Omega volunteer Melissa Banez place the hood on the truck.

















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
In the back of the truck were a variety of tools, also made up of burlap, intended to emulate the tools that field workers would use.

















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Professor Juan Felipe Herrera dropping on to see the progress of the truck and conversing with MFA Dance candidate Hannah Schwadron.

















Photo by Michael J. Elderman
Later in the evening during the reception, Adan Avalos shows off the finished burlap truck.


One last anecdote:

When Adan Avalos and I were taking down the truck, a strange man approached us, proclaiming to be a professor - he talked to us about the end of the world and blamed a variety of different ethnic groups for it. As a testament to Mr. Avalos, he was extremely patient with the man, even though we were rushing to get everything back into his truck.

Next up: The screenwriting workshop with Ligiah Villalobos.

Soon: Student responses to the conference!

Later ideas: Getting students more involved in next year's conference.

Introductions

Some introductions, before we get to the good stuff:

My name is Brian Marcelo, and I'm the current Tomas Rivera Undergraduate Fellow. I'm currently a third year Creative Writing major, with an interest in fiction and playwriting/screenwriting.

Part of my duties included electronic promotion of the Tomas Rivera 22nd Annual Conference 2009 - this involved sending a massive amount of emails, not only to students on the UC Riverside campus, but to surrounding campuses in Southern California. I also dealt with helping to coordinate the conference, such as obtaining the appropriate permits, evaluating media services, finding volunteers and making sure the day of the event ran as smoothly as possible. Lastly, I am currently maintaining this newly created blog, which is dedicated to the Tomas Rivera Conference. Having these responsibilities allowed me to work closely with Professor Juan Felipe Herrera.

Professor Juan Felipe Herrera, a professor of Creative Writing at UC Riverside since 2005, is the current Tomas Rivera Endowed Chair. He has been involved with education for many years, graduating from UCLA and Stanford with a bachelors and masters degree, respectively, in Social Anthropology, as well as attending the University of Iowa (Writer's Workshop) and obtaining an MFA. He has written many books as well, his most recent one being 187 Reasons Why Mexicanos Can't Cross the Border.

As chair of the Tomas Rivera Committee, he deals in all aspects of the conference, from choosing the presenters and artists set to perform, budgetary aspects, promotional concerns, and many other things.

I must extend a special thanks to the Tomas Rivera committee, and the Creative Writing Department, especially to Tiffany Long, Yvonne Howard, and Janice Wilkins, as well as the Chicano Student Programs' Director Estella Acuna, for all of their hard work in making the 2009 conference such a success.

Coming up ahead will be pictures of the 2009 event! Up first will be pictures and some words regarding Adan Avalos' construction of a truck made up of burlap.

Here's a preview of things to come in the next few blog entries:


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Adan Avalos with volunteer Melissa Banez constructing the burlap truck.

Photo by Michael J Elderman

Rare photos of Tomas Rivera displayed on the fourth floor of Rivera Library.


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos conducting a workshop geared towards writing for the screen.


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Students, faculty, and committee members enjoying the food.


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Waiting for the performance by Carlos Cortes, followed up by a screening of Under the Same Moon.

Photo by Michael J Elderman

Remembering Tomas Rivera.

Welcome! This is the official blog in all matters relating to the Tomas Rivera Conference, which is held annually at the University of California, Riverside.

For those unfamiliar with the Tomas Rivera Conference, it is an annual event that commemorates the life of Tomas Rivera, the first Mexican-American to hold the position of Chancellor in the University of California system. Previous conferences have included events such as the construction of a truck made out of burlap, screenwriting workshops with Hispanic writers, and showcasing rare photos of Tomas Rivera at the Rivera library.

In the coming weeks, this blog will include photos and student testimonials about the 2009 conference! Be on the lookout!


Brian Marcelo
Tomas Rivera Undergraduate Fellow
Tomas Rivera Conference