Authors
Alejandro Cabada Fernández
Alejandro Cabada Fernández writes poetry and short story. His work has been published in a diverse series of publications in Mexico and the US. Proud of his Mexican heritage, he likes to promote the Spanish language in the Valley through his literary work and his music. He has a BA in Spanish and is currently pursuing a Masters in Spanish Literature at the University of Texas Pan American. He is the author of Escarlata: Un libro de poemas (2009) and Días de púrpura (2011), the second book in the Colors Trilogy, both from Editora Campamocha.
Amanda Bloodgood
Amanda Bloodgood is a native Virginian residing in and loving sunny Austin, Texas. She also loves poetry, photography and animals. She is a perpetual student of the human condition. Her grades are questionable.
Angel
Angel Rodrigiez is the very first Sun Fish Artist with many gigs and experience under his belt and an extensive background in recording and audio production. He is the head recording engineer as well as The President of Sun Fish Records. A newfound source in the Rio Grande Valley scene both in music and audio production, Angel strives to help the local musicians with every facet of their career.
Arturo Saldaña
Arturo Saldaña is the proud son of María López Saldaña and Agustín Cisneros Guillen. Born in McAllen, Arturo sauntered through life as a Chicano activist, an agricultural migrant worker, a student with three degrees, a truck driver, a United States Army veteran, and mucho mas things. Suffice to say, Arturo enjoys life as he casts images with the spoken word.
Beto Conde
Beto Conde has written a series of short stories and poems about his Vietnam experience titled “Moonlight Faces.” One of the poems was selected for the tribute at the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. which he read at the event. He currently lives in the Valley and writes poetry and short stories.
Ken "Bluetown" Trevino
Ken "Bluetown" Treviño is a husband and a father who teaches English at Port Isabel High School. He is a poet and playwright. Bluetown is a member of the Narciso Martínez Cultural Arts Center Writers Forum and a co-founder of the Laguna Madre Writers Forum. His passions include poetry, music, and surfing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Incarnate Word College and an Associate of Arts in Behavioral Sciences from San Antonio College. He is most proud of his wife Susy and his two daughets: Otilia Doralee and Kendra Susset.
Brenda Nettles-Riojas
Brenda, in her own words: "I write in order to breathe,it's as simple as that or maybe not. Working on master’s degree of Fine Arts in creative writing through the University of New Orleans. Completed three summer residencies - Madrid, Spain (2007), San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2008); Ezra Pound Center for Literature at Brunnenburg in Merano Italy (2009) Poetry has been published in a number of publications including di-verse-city (Austin International Poetry Anthology), Ribbons (Quarterly Journal Published by the Tanka Society of America), 2008 Texas Poetry Calendar, Interstice and Ezra -- An Online Journal of Translation."
Christian Salinas
Christian Salinas is an online content creator for Border Perspective, which is an independent digital media company based in South Texas. He is also content editor for the news website www.rgherald.com based in Starr County Texas.
David Bowles
David Bowles was born in 1970 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, but has lived the majority of his life in South Carolina and the Río Grande Valley of south Texas, where he presently resides with his wife and children. Since 1994 he has worked in public education, as a teacher, administrator and university professor. A writer of young adult fiction, Latino-themed magical realism and politically speculative science fiction, Bowles launched his D'Angelo Chronicles in 2009. In April of 2011, Absey & Co. published The Seed: Stories from the River's Edge, a collection of YA short stories the author collaborated with his wife, Angélica Maldonado, to create. He is also the editor of Along the River: An Anthology of Voices from the Río Grande Valley and Donna Hooks Fletcher: Life and Writings. He is presently one of the editors of the magazine Flashquake.
David Reyes
Lives here in the Rio Grande Valley, near Elsa, Texas. 50+ years old and been a wannabe writer for years. A poem has been published and a short play David wrote was performed several years back.
Dennis Sumrak
Dennis Sumrak was born in Fort Worth, TX where he learned to fish, hunt, and play football. Dennis moved to El Paso in 1961 at the age of fourteen and started learning Spanish because "I felt comfortable with Mexicans and their culture". His education comes from UTEP and Ciudad Juarez. Dennis has been a pilot, air traffic controller and a home builder. "I love sailing. I am interested in writing, travel and photography. In the past six months I have had three magazine articles accepted by history publications. I am currently based in the Dallas-Fort Worth during the winters and in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico during the summers."
Don Clifford
Don Clifford is an armchair historian and archaeologist who has traveled through many of the countries that provide locales for the story's main character, Abel ben Solomon. He is also, a retired USAF officer who trained as a navigator. While researching ancient navigation techniques, which are featured in the story, he learned the old ways are still practical with an added boost from Crichton E.M. Miller's book, "The Golden Thread of Time."
Dustin David Pickering
From Dustin Pickering, editor at Harbinger Asylum, a Houston-based literary magazine. It is co-edited with Alex Maass. The contributors vary: "I want something that challenges the status quo and reveals the inner workings of human compassion. As editor of Harbinger Asylum, I don’t mind offending religious sensibilities, churches and/or bigots of all stripes and colors. I am neither clown nor coward. I despise hate speech, but I also hate political correctness."
Edgardo
Born in Houston, Texas and moved to Raymondvile, Texas in 1969. Family bought a radio station and helped with the family business until it was sold in 1997. Since then started an agency and mostly writes about experiences in Deep South Texas. Writers of the Rio Grande founder, editor and contributing author.
Edward Vidaurre
Edward from Facebook: "I write poetry. I invented a weird twitch. I try not to think about penguins. I used to pretend I was a robot. I repeat the same word over and over until it loses its meaning. I scratch myself. I watch TV and repeat everything said in an Italian accent. I rule Sodoku. I make prank phone calls ever since Lilly said I looked like a crank yanker. I learned to kiss with a girl who regrets it. I take virtual vacations twice a year.I listen to texts. I read books. I have a tattoo. My daughter thinks I'm real, real handsome. My wife just thinks I'm plain ol' HOT! I hate people that honk in traffic, I'd rather you stick out your finger. I hate people who pronounce me name wrong. I love a well-executed gancho in Argentine Tango. I love bean soup. I love new shoes that don't squeak. I once spelled "cheap", "cheep" and lost a spelling bee. I love saving the day at my job. I love flat tires. I'm a trend setter. I love pugs. And Jesus is my friend too".
Erika Said Izaguirre
Erika Said Izaguirre is a Mexican writer born and raised in Tampico, Tamaulipas. She attended the University of Chihuahua where she earned a degree in Spanish Literature. Her poetry and short stories have been published in Mexican newspapers, magazines and books, including the anthologies “Overview of Young Mexican Poetry” (2009), “Women's Cry: Rebel Poetry” (2010), "Hell is a caress" (2011), "Poetry of the Chaos" (2011) and “The voice that sprouds: a Tamaulipas poetry retrospective” (2010). She was adopted by Texas State, and has lived in El Paso, McAllen and San Antonio. Her writing is inspired by dreams, music, metaphysics, sociology and love. She’s a Sagittarius, cat lover, eighties fan and is currently working as a cultural journalist for "El Mañana".
Erin Madden
Erin Madden is a graduate student and research and teaching assistant from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is currently working on her Doctoral Thesis on Border Health and conditions along the border.
Gene Novogrodsky
Eugene “Gene” Novogrodsky has lived in the Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville for 21 years. He is a co-founder of the Narciso Maritinez Cultural Arts Center Writers Forum in San Benito. He says he has rarely been published; he fears rejection! Instead he loves to read his work in Savory Perks, in the Writers forum, and the Valley International Poetry Festival events. What he enjoys most is reading to several friends, or even strangers in small groups. He is married to his friend and companion, Ruth E. Wagner, who is also a poet and craftsperson. He does write letters to both print and online publications and has been a good friend to Writers of the Rio Grande.
Irma Guadarrama
Professor, Department Chair, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, The University of Texas Pan American, Edinburg, Texas, USA.
Isaac Zepeda
Born and raised in South Texas, Isaac Zepeda is what he calls a observational-transience poet. While entering his junior year at the University of Texas @ San Antonio, he chose to leave school and pursue his writing full-time. The majority of his writing centers on deep-introspection, the human psyche, theological questioning, philosophy, and social commentary. His poetry carries the unceasing desire to celebrate and transcribe the “divine function” -the transient moments of giving or creating meaning.
Jack King
Jack C. King was born in Raymondville, Texas. After finishing high school he pulled a 3 year hitch in the Army, worked 18 months in steel fabrication, 5 1/2 years in building gas pipelines and started college at the age of 29. with an A.A. in architecture and B.A. in humanities, he worked for the Texas Dept. of Health for 10 years, taught high school English for two and art classes for 20. Currently residing near the Rio Grande with his wife and daughter writing short stories and emails to his son in college.
Joe Perez
A former drafting and English teacher, Joe Perez works as a technical writer. Self-taught musicians, Joe and Rosa Perez perform as a vocal and guitar duet they have named "Rumbo al’ Anacua". In a rustic style that speaks of a “voces y guitarras” heritage as it has been preserved among people living north of the Rio Grande, the spirit of Rumbo al’ Anacua keeps the tradition of music performed under backyard anacua trees throughout South Texas.
Juan Manuel Perez
2011-2012 Poet Laureate for the San Antonio Poets Association, Juan Manuel Perez is a native of La Pryor, Texas, and son to second Generation Mexican-Americans. He is also a former Navy/Marine Medic and currently a high school history teacher. Juan served in the First Gulf War earning the title of combat medic and extending his expertise to civilians in Florida in 1992 during the Hurricane Andrew operation. He enjoys reading and writing prose and poetry and poetry about Mexican culture, history, horror, science fiction, and his beloved comic books. He is also the author of 6 chapbooks including BENEATH THE TIGHTS (2006), WITHIN THE FUNNY COLORED PAGES (2006), and the SPIRIT OF MOTECUHZOMA II, 2nd. ed. (2006). The author is also a member of the San Antonio Poets Association, San Angelo Writers' Club, and the Science Fiction Poetry Association.
Julieta Corpus
Julieta Corpus has been writing since the age of eleven. She graduated from UTPA with a Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She’s been an elementary school teacher for the past eleven years, but has never stopped writing. She’s been published by UTPA”s Gallery Magazine, Tendiendo Puentes, a poetic anthology, Mesqite Review, STCC’s Interstice and Tierra Firme , and in the September 2009 issue of the Mcallen Monitor’s Festiva, Writers Edition. She also organizes poetry readings and is an active member and participant of the Rio Grande Valley Poetry Festival and the San Benito Writers forum. Julieta blames her penchant for the dramatic in her poetry to a life long addiction to Mexican soap operas. And she is a regular contributor to Writers of the Rio Grande
Kamala Platt
Much of the past two decades Dr. Platt has been in south Texas studying and/or teaching in academic departments--English, Bi-Cultural Bilingual Studies, and Women's Studies. Besides Westside, San Antonio, where Platt has established a permanent residence, she lived in New York City for two years, while teaching at Nassau Community College; in Eugene, Oregon, while researching women's environmental justice cultural poetics through University of Oregon's Center for the Study of Women in Society; in Albuquerque's South Valley, while at University of New Mexico, where she received support for further environmental justice research; and in the Rio Grande Valley, where she currently teaches at the University of Texas-Pan American.
Katie Hoerth
Katie Hoerth was born in rural Wisconsin, but moved to south Texas at an early age. She received her BA in English from the University of Texas Pan American and is currently pursuing her MFA in creative writing. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in various literary journals. Katherine taught English in a small south Texas border town for several years. Although she has traveled extensively through Europe, the Middle East, and Mexico, Katherine will always call this borderland home. She currently lives in Edinburg, Texas, with her soul mate and her many cats.
Lisa Truett
Bio Lisa Truett is a Georgia native who spent much of her life in southeast Alabama. She enjoys bringing her subconscious to life with her art. She also enjoys writing and poetry. As a career she works between both worlds by doing computer repair and massage therapy. She becamse a therapist as a foundation for the other modalities she does on a regular basis such as energy therapy. She spents much of her free time with a paintbrush in hand experimenting with her latest inspiration.
Logan
As a writer, Hawkes was the recipient of the 1989 Hearst Writer's Award, has been published in magazines and trade journals and has served as a journalist, bureau chief, and executive editor of newspapers in Texas and served as a syndicated writer for major newspapers across the Southwest. Hawkes is also the video producer for all eleven of Penton Media’s Agriculture magazines and web sites and is editor for the largest and oldest agriculture weekly e-letters, Crop News Weekly. When not living on the Pojoaque Pueblo Reservation North of Santa Fe, he spends his time near the beach on South Padre Island with his partner and wife Grace Rivers, his travel show co-host, and his youngest son who serves the gaming industry as a voice actor.
Marianna Nelson
Marianna Nelson from the Valley Byliners wrote a story for "Tales Told at Midnight along the Rio Grande." Marianna helped keep the project on track with pertinent insights from the Byliner membership.
Meliton Hinojosa, Jr.
Born in El Sauz, Texas to Meliton Hinojosa and Guadalupe Hinojosa in 1948, he has a BA and an MA in education from Texas A & M-Corpus Christi and currently teaches automotive mechanics at San Benito High School.
Joni Montover
Joni Montover is the owner of Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, in South Padre Island, TX. Paragraphs is a full-service independent bookstore with a comprehensive selection of books to satisfy all readers and budgets. Comfortable Chairs, Free WiFi, Courtyard, and Gameboards are all available for your enjoyment.
Poeta Power
Erika Marie Garza-Johnson is La Erika is Poeta Power the poet with too many names. She received her MFA in Creative Writing in 2010 from UTPA. Her thesis is entitled “Poeta Power: The Poetic Jouney of La Erika.” She has been published in Bordersenses, LUNG, Texas Observer and has been featured in La Bloga.
Rachel Ann Vela
Rachel Ann Vela has been writing poetry since her adolescent years. She currently hosts WE NEED WORDS which is a Poetry/open mic night that seeks to celebrate local poets, artists and musicians. WE NEED WORDS happens the last Tuesday of the month at Al Basha on N. 10th St. McAllen TX. She has been in love all her life; her loves are England, poetry, books….and red wine.
Rudy H. Garcia
Rudy H. García, from Port Isabel, Texas, has a Master's in Education from the University of Texas at Brownsville and earned a B.A. in psychology from Pan American University in 1976. He is a participant in the Narciso Martínez Cultural Arts Center Writers’ Forum, and is a founder of the Laguna Madre Writers Forum. Rudy has also been featured on the radio program “Themes and Variations.” His poems are published with “Poets of the East Village” in New York and he has been a featured reader for the El Paseo Arts Foundation and is published in numerous other magazines.
Ruth Wagner
Ruth E. Wagner was simply an audience member at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center Writers Forum for several years. Three years ago she began to write poems and tell biographical stories. She is also the partner and wife of Gene Novogrodsky. She has many tales to tell.
Steve Hathcock
Originally from Sparta, Wisconsin, Steve Hathcock is a South Padre Island historian, having lived on the island since 1980.
Travis Whitehead
Travis M. Whitehead moved to Morelia in 2008 and spent eight months working on a book about the artisans of Michoacan. The book, ''Slices of Life - The Artisans of Michoacan" contains profiles of the artisans in this state west of Mexico City. Travis now lives in Brownsville, Texas and recently found a publisher, Otras Voces Publishing. Travis also writes poetry.
Twitter Bard
Alan Oak, Twitter Bard, is a professional writer, editor, poet and scholar. Currently senior editor and a graduate English student at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. Specialties: business writing, fiction, articles, editing, copy writing, copyediting, feminism, academics, English, science fiction, fantasy, poetry.
Vanessa Brown
Vanessa Brown is a local writer and poet in the Rio Grande Valley. Also a contributiing author to this project. Come back often for more entries from Vanessa.
