B as in Beauty

Trailer for "B as in Beauty," the new novel by Alberto Ferreras. Produced by CRAFTV and Latino Media Works.

Puerto Rico Sun is participating in a book giveaway.

The first five PRSUN readers who send me an e-mail requesting the "B as in Beauty" book at prsuncom (at) yahoo.com will be entered for the giveaway.

What you need to do: Please send your name and complete mailing address and Hachette Books will mail you a copy.

First-come, first-served.

About the author:

Alberto Ferreras is a New York City based writer, filmmaker and performance artist.

About the book:




Everyone in the world, it seems, is either prettier or thinner (or both) than Beauty Marie Zavala. And the only thing "B" resents more than her name is the way others judge her for the extra 40 pounds she can't lose. At least she has her career. Or did, until she overhears her boss criticizing her weight and devising a scheme to keep her from being promoted. Enter B's new tax accountant, a modern-day matchmaker determined to boost B's flagging self-esteem by introducing her to rich, successful men who will accept her for who she is. As B's confidence blossoms, so do her fantasies of revenge. But will B find true happiness or true disaster when she unwittingly falls for the one guy she shouldn't?


More info at www.albertoferreras.com or www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

Cinema of Puerto Rico: Challenges/Implications of a Rising Cinema

Community calendar

The Havana Film Festival New York 2009 & Centro for Puerto Rican Studies presents
Cinema of Puerto Rico: Challenges and Implications of a Rising Cinema

5 p.m. Tuesday, April 21
IDA K. LANG RECITAL HALL @ HUNTER COLLEGE: 424 Hunter North,
68 Street (Between Lex & Park Aves), Manhattan

DIOS LOS CRIA II/GOD CREATED THEM. NY Premiere

Jacobo Morales. Puerto Rico. 2004. MiniDV. Fiction.135 min.

Legendary director, Jacobo Morales once again combines drama and comedy with satire and unexpected endings. Corruption, ethical conflicts, human solidarity, and machismo are among the film's central themes.

Jacobo Morales vuelve a combinar el drama y la comedia con la sátira y los finales inesperados. La corrupción, los conflictos de orden ético, la solidaridad humana y el machismo son algunos de los temas tratados en las tres historias de este filme.

Director present for Q&A.

7:30 p.m. -- Panel Cinema of Puerto Rico: Challenges and Implications of a Rising Cinema

Participants for this panel include filmmakers: Jacobo Morales, Lilian Rosado, Pedro Perez-Rosado y Juanma Fernandez. Moderator: Soledad Romero - Stage actress; Lecturer on Puerto Rican Studies and Spanish at Queens College CUNY. Reception to follow. Sponsored by Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College

This is one of many events planned for the Havana Film Festival.

The Havana Film Festival New York will celebrate its 10th anniversary from April 16-23 in various locations throughout New York City. This year's selection appeals to different age groups, fostering an appreciation of Latin American culture.
For more information on the Havana Film Festival, go to
http://www.hffny.com/2009/home/index.php

PRSUN continues its online drive for ASPCA

Puerto Rico Sun has gone orange in support of the ASPCA's Go Orange for Animals month or Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month.

This is a friendly reminder to contribute to the PRSUN for the ASPCA drive at www.change.org. PRSUN's goal is to raise $500 for the ASPCA's general fund. Donations have been slow, but PRSUN hopes to reach its goal with your generous contribution for a good cause.

Thanks so much for your support - and please don't forget to forward this page to any friends you think might be interested.

Here's the link: http://change.org/profiles/prsun

El Principio del Camino

The reading corner

6:30 p.m., April 16, book signing
Luis Aórokobori
author of "EL PRINCIPIO DEL CAMINO"
Admission: Free
Cemi Underground in NYC's El Barrio

For more information about this and other events at Cemi, go to www.cemiunderground.com.

Taino art and brunch

Community calendar

There's an old saying in Puerto Rico that says: Donde come uno, comen dos!

Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26 enjoy an art show by some of NYC's Latino artists and a two course Taino brunch meal

Confirmed visual artists include Ivy Rivera, Reina Miranda, Olga Ayala, Aguilar Marrero, photography by Ramon Martinez.

There will be special Taino history presentations and poetry performances by Taino Spirit.

Admission is Free
**Optional two course brunch is $16 and includes a Mimosa drink.
This event is family friendly.
There will be original art for sale and raffles.

Capicu Cultural Showcase @
Taino Soleil Restaurant
121 Livingston St (between Boerum Pl & Court Sq)
Downtown Brooklyn

Good Friday in the Bronx

St. Pius V Good Friday outdoor procession in the streets of the South Bronx

To view more of my Holy Week photos, go to my photo page at www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the Holy Week '09 photo set.

'Confessions of a Rogue Teacher'

New novel highlights issues in inner-city schools

There have been many movies and T.V. shows that attempt to highlight, through drama or comedy, the issues that exist in America’s inner-city schools. But what is it like, really? "Confessions of a Rogue Teacher" (published by iUniverse) by novelist and retired teacher George Colon, employs plot as a vehicle to communicate the realities of life for an inner-city teacher.

"Confessions of a Rogue Teacher" opens with English teacher Manny Quesada hurrying back to his classroom from the restroom. He has just had what the reader finds out in Chapter 2, an altercation with one of his students, Wilson Contreras. In the course of this altercation, things turned physical and Manny hit Wilson in self defense. This fateful event will drive the entire plot of Confessions of a Rogue Teacher, not only for Manny but for the people around him as well.

As a result of Manny’s altercation, there is an inquiry. Manny is removed from the classroom pending a full review. This is a great blow to a man who had dedicated his life to teaching and at one time held to the ideal that he could help his fellow Puerto Ricans rise up from poverty through education. Now, after twenty years of teaching, Manny is felled by an altercation resulting in a momentary act of anger and impulse. Manny is instructed to report to the superintendent’s office. Unsure of where he stands or if he will even be allowed to return to the classroom, Manny is faced with a new reality: what comes next?

“I’ve been here three days now and don’t know why,” I complained. “I have union rights.” I’d called Peter Goldstein, who told me Joseph Arimet, roving troubleshooter, would contact me, but he hadn’t yet.
“You’ve been placed in this office,” he twiddled his moustache. “I didn’t send for you.” While he let these words sink in, his eyes bore down on me with the sneer of command. “Don’t know what you’ve done - don’t care.”
“I do.”
His eyes softened, though not his tone “When Minerva returns, she’ll talk to you. For now, man a desk, file papers, and handle the phone. Take messages and complaints. Give information. No opinions. Tell callers they’ll be contacted. Mario will break you in. He’s got a problem, too.”


George Colon is a native of Puerto Rico and grew up in the South Bronx. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s on Secondary Education, Colon returned to the South Bronx. He was a teacher there for 30 years. Upon retiring, he began writing. This is his first published novel. Colon has a wife and daughter and still resides in the Bronx.

source: press release

UPCOMING APPEARANCE IN THE BRONX
Join George Colon at the Meet the Writers at Small Press Night
7 p.m. April 17
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Bay Plaza
290 Baychester Ave., Coop City
For more information:
(718) 862-3945

Editor's Note: "Confessions of a Rogue Teacher is also available at the PRSUN aStore:




(photo of George Colon at a book event at Cemi Underground in East Harlem by Ismael Nunez)

PRSUN Radio interviews la Mamarazzi

Elena Marrero is a Bronx-based photojournalist who regularly documents the boricua/Latino community life in New York City. She is known as "Mamarazzi" of the community, documenting the people and the events that many of the mainstream media outlets overlook.

After retiring from the NYC Board of Education in 2005, she has focused on her photography and is passionate about what she does. She says it's a passion she inherited from her mother Helen.

For Marrero's bio, visit my blog at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

The show is 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

UPDATE: HERE IS THE ARCHIVED SHOW



(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

NCPRR NYC chapter to meet April 30 in Manhattan

Community calendar

National Congress for Puerto Rights (NCPRR) meeting
6 p.m. Thursday, April 30
Community Service Society, 105 E. 22nd Street,
4th floor conference room 4B
Manhattan

AGENDA ITEMS:
NYC CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP
NATIONAL CONVENTION UPDATES AND COMMITTEES
DISCUSSION ON NYC CHAPTER GOING FORWARD

For more information on the NCPRR, go to www.ncprr.us.

Art songs at La Casa

Photo op



La Casa -- La Casa De La Herencia Cultural Puertorriquena, Inc. (The Puerto Rican Cultural Heritage House, Inc.) in East Harlem at 1230 Fifth Avenue is a not-for-profit cultural and educational institution founded in 1981. The cultural heritage of Puerto Ricans/Latin Americans is archived for all to share. La Casa also holds cultural events. In late March, “Art Songs by Classical Composers from Puerto Rico” was showcased. In this photo, director Leticia Rodriguez, at center, poses for a photo with the artists. That day audience members were treated to a live performance by Dominican-American mezzo soprano Anna Tonna and Cuban pianist Daniel Daroca performed songs by Puerto Rican composers from the past and present. – Ismael Nunez

PRSUN is going orange for animals

April is the ASPCA’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

One of the ASPCA's most important events is the celebration of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Each year, the ASPCA urges supporters across the country to “Go Orange for Animals” throughout the month of April—when the ASPCA’s charter was signed in 1866—to raise awareness for our cause. Going orange is a tribute to the work of the ASPCA and a celebration of compassion and kindness for all living things everywhere.
How Is the ASPCA “Going Orange” for Animals?
The ASPCA will kick off Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month on April 7, when iconic buildings and landmarks across the country will light up orange.
Puerto Rico Sun is going orange this month in support of the ASPCA as you can see.
Please consider making a donation to the PRSUN for the ASPCA drive via change.org too.

For more information on things you could do in your community, go to www.aspca.org.

The Enchanted Island Says 'Bienvenidos' to New Commemorative Quarter

United States Mint Releases Second Coin in District of Columbia & U.S. Territories Quarters Program Honoring the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheers rang out today in Old San Juan's La Arcada in Paseo La Princesa as United States Mint Director Ed Moy and Governor Luis Fortuno placed a mockup of the Puerto Rico commemorative quarter on a giant map, signaling the ceremonial launch of the United States Mint's latest coin release.
"Puerto Rico's striking quarter design evokes its tropical beauty, rich history and culture," Moy said. "With San Juan Bay as the background of the coin, the hibiscus flower and 16th century sentry box remind us that Puerto Rico stands for 'rich port.'"
Joining in the celebration of Puerto Rico's quarter-dollar were Puerto Rico's first lady Luce Vela and Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock who, along with Director Moy and Governor Fortuno, handed out the shiny new coins to children 18 years and younger. Adults exchanged their currency for $10 rolls of the new coin, which was released into circulation on March 30.
Puerto Rico officially became a United States commonwealth on July 25, 1952. The quarter struck in its honor is the second of six new coins in the 2009 District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Program, and the public can expect to see quarters bearing a new design in their change approximately every two months.
The Puerto Rico quarter reverse (tails side) design features a sentry box in Old San Juan overlooking the sea and a hibiscus, Puerto Rico's official flower. The design, by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna, includes the inscriptions Isla del Encanto (Island of Enchantment), E PLURIBUS UNUM and 2009.
On the eve of the launch ceremony, Director Moy hosted a Coin Forum at the Universidad del Este (UNE) -- Carolina Campus, Library Atrium, where the public had the chance to share their ideas about future U.S. coin designs.
Collectors can purchase two-roll sets (40 coins per roll), one roll each from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and Denver, and 100- and 1,000-coin bags at the United States Mint's Web site, www.usmint.gov or at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). The two-roll sets are $32.95, the bags of 100 coins are $32.95, and the bags of 1,000 coins are $309.95.
Free United States Mint lesson plans about the Puerto Rico quarter are available for download at www.usmint.gov/kids.

Lin Manuel Miranda -A year after- (New Interview)

Luis Salgado (Director of R.Evolucion Latina) interviews the Tony Award and Grammy Winner Lin Manuel Miranda weeks before his last performance at In The Heights On Broadway.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (born January 16, 1980) is an American actor (of boricua and Mexican roots), as well as a Tony Award winning composer and lyricist. He is most famous for writing and starring in the Broadway musical In the Heights, which opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in 2008.

R.Evolucion Latina: We are a collective of artists and activists committed to empower the artistic community in order to inspire growth within the Latino Community through collaboration, productions and educational support programs.

Founder/Director: Luis Salgado
Directors: Michael Balderrama
Co-Director: Gabriela Garcia

source: RevolucionLatina @ YouTube