Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Book Deal!
I apologize for not posting. First it was the call of the great outdoors and gardening. Gardening feeds my soul in a way nothing else does. It also helps me recover from the long Chicago winters which I am finding more and more difficult to endure. Next came a couple of really nasty emails about my teaching at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Both people felt I should not because I am not Mexican. These perplexed me.I wish I could also say that they did not bother me, that I have grown past caring, but it did. Lastly, I got a book deal! So I have been interviewing, writing, researching, and editing for 8-12 hours a day. This also shows that once you get out of the habit of doing something, it's tough to get back. However, I promise I will post more often as I have a lot to share and this blog is important to las puntadas del alma. You'd have to kill me if you didn't want me to support them. Happy creating! Life is full and good.
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I'm sorry you received nasty emails, that is just so sad!!
ReplyDeleteHuge congrats on the book deal!! Yahoo!!
Congratulations on the book deal! As far as the teaching at the National Mexican Museum of Art....well, my suggestion is for the nastymailers to suggest someone who has the qualifications, is willing to for the salary you're given and to put in the necessary amount of hours and emotion and is Mexican to come forward. If they can find such a person who is willing to do this, then more power to them.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I was once taken to task for being offered a commission to work on Torah covers because I'm not Jewish. There are always plenty of people to offer criticism, few people to stand in the breach.
Thanks for the kind words especially about teaching at the NMMA. I just don't get it. hugs!
ReplyDeleteI think that the origin of the insisting that someone who teaches quilting at the NMMA, or in my case with the Torah covers is this: it is a case of reverse discrimination based on lack of opportunity. When a group has been excluded for so long, there is a push to then only allow those of the group within it to "be a star" so to speak... I think I'm explaining this badly, and in reality, I think that you do understand this and I'm just whistling Dixie!
ReplyDeleteIt's like this: When I was in grad school, we had an ardent feminist in the group with us. She pointed out that the Phi Alpha Theta's (history honorary society) induction ceremony was extremely sexist and couched in 19th century terms of blood, brotherhood and other such nonsense. She moved that we re-write it, rightly so. When the group was being put together to do so, I suggested that one of the members be male, so that we were inclusive. She snapped at me saying "THEY were the ones who WROTE this, they have no right to be included." I felt that this was just continuing the same sexism just in the opposite direction, and I sense that the NMMA issue is just one and the same. Reverse discrimination isn't right and in this case, it's being highly unrealistic and cutting their nose off to spite their face.
I do understand and agree with you. I think the writers of the emails don't understand many things. The people in the group are not all Mexican. I was invited to teach because I cared so much about Los hilos de la vida. No one else has ever asked to replace me. The women love me and I love them. They have no problems with me. They have told me many times that I have a Mexican soul which I take as a great compliment. I hope one day we can all just think of each other as human beings.
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