Additional information
by Debbie L. Cole (Introduction by), Daniel García Ordaz (Author)
El Zarape Press presents its first collection of poetry by the eclectic Daniel García Ordaz, The Poet Mariachi, "the voice of the Rio Grande Valley" (Texas), an emerging voice in Latino and Hispanic American poetry.You Know What I'm Sayin'? is a celebration of the common experience of language and culture transfiguring time and place and juxtaposing the politics of urban hip-hop America with the lyricism of rural deep South Texas, a retelling of ancient history sung by a contemporary Chicano voice.With an introduction by Fulbright Scholar Dr. Debbie Cole, a linguistic anthropologist.Mainly English; some bilingual (English/Spanish) pieces. This book is being taught at university and high school campuses across the U.S., especially by linguistics professors and those seeking diverse new voices to connect with young Hispanic, Latino, Chicano readers.The first half of the book is very American-experience based; the second half has a more Mexican American experience flavor to it. The middle of the book has a monologue and a "Play On Words" that's meant to be enjoyed read though may be acted out: it's about preconceived notions and about how we hear and perceive communication.
Author Biography
Daniel García Ordaz was born in Houston, Texas in 1971 and raised in Mission, Texas. He is a teacher, song-writer, former journalist, photographicationisticator, and word-maker-upper. Daniel was one of five authors and the only poet chosen to participate in the Texas Latino Voices project in 2009 by the Texas Center For The Book, the state affiliate of the Library of Congress. He has also been a featured reader at numerous literary events, including the Dallas International Book Fair. He is also a founder of Art That Heals, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of encouraging cultural literacy in the Rio Grande Valley by promoting the arts and using art to help bring an end to the AIDS pandemic. García Ordaz also is a founder of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival and served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The University of Texas-Pan American. García Ordaz lives in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas with his wife, Gina, and their children where he continues to teach write, sing, and spend time in front of a crowd as often as he can.
