ZOZOBRA is 95!

95th annual burning of Zozobra

Friday, August 30, 2019

2019 ZOZOFEST SCHEDULE

 

How tall is Zozobra?  50 feet 6 inches tall.

How much does Zozobra weigh?  Approximately 2,000 lbs.

What is Zozobra made of?  Wood, wire, poultry netting, muslin, nails, screws, pulleys, plywood, shredded paper, spray paint, pizza pans and duct tape!

How old do children need to be in order to become a Gloom?  Gloomies are children from 11 to 14 years old. Click here to learn more

What and when is ZozoFest?  The FREE 7th Annual ZOZOFEST & ZOZOBRA ART EXHIBIT is a welcoming, family-friendly community event taking place Friday-Sunday, August 23-25, 2019 in the former Sports Authority space, located on the western end of Santa Fe Place Mall.

When is the Zozobra Art Show?  The Annual Zozobra Art and Photography Show is part of the 7th Annual ZozoFest, August 23-25, 2019. Also on display and for sale will be historical artwork, photography and contemporary works by local Santa Fe artists, sculptors and photographers signed posters and official Zozobra merchandise will be available!

No More Bullies! Owl in a Straw Hat!

Review from Publisher Marketing:

This masterfully written children's book by New Mexico's favorite storyteller is a delightful tale about a young owl named Ollie who lives in an orchard with his parents in northern New Mexico. Ollie is supposed to attend school but prefers to hang out with his friends Raven and Crow instead. Ollie's parents discover he cannot read and they send Ollie off to see his grandmother, Nana, a teacher and farmer in Chimayó. Along the way, Ollie's illiteracy causes mischief as he meets up with some shady characters on the path including Gloria La Zorra (a fox), Trickster Coyote, and a hungry wolf named Luis Lobo who has sold some bad house plans to the Three Little Pigs. When Ollie finally arrives at Nana's, his cousin Randy Roadrunner drives up in his lowrider and asks Ollie why he's so blue. "I'm starting school, and there's too much to learn, and I can't read," Ollie says. "I can't do it." Randy explains that he didn't think he could learn to read either, but he persevered, earned a business degree, and now owns the best lowrider shop in Española! Ollie finally decides he is ready to learn to read. The characters and the northern New Mexico landscape in Owl in a Straw Hat come to life wonderfully in original illustrations by New Mexico artist El Moisés.

Contributor Bio:  Anaya, Rudolfo
Rudolfo Anaya, considered the father of Chicano literature, is the author of the beloved classic Bless Me, Ultima, which was adapted into a major feature film in 2013. In 2016, Anaya received the National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama. His children's books include Rudolfo Anaya's The Farolitos of Christmas, The First Tortilla, Roadrunner's Dance, The Santero's Miracle, and Serafina's Stories. Anaya is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico where he taught for thirty years. He lives in Albuquerque.

Latino Heritage: Nuestra Herencia

Celebrate Latino Heritage
September 15-October 15

Books are on display at public libraries during this time to recognize the histories, cultures, and contributions of individuals with ties to countries in Latin America, South America, the Caribbean, and the country of Spain during National Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year. 

Rafael López, winner of two Pura Belpré Award medals for illustration for Drum Dream Girl (2016) and Book Fiesta! and Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, celebrates the differences that makes each of us unique.

Noche de Cuentos in the Library of Congress National Hispanic Room

Noche de Cuentos

Celebrating the Power of Storytelling to Unite Communities

Featuring award-winning authors and storytellers in an enchanting evening of performances celebrating and affirming the richness of Latino heritage and culture.  What a beautiful room and opportunity to listen to the authors/storytellers at ALA in Washington, D.C.  History was made and archived for future visitors.

Meg Medina

Meg Medina is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears, which was also a 2018 Kirkus Prize finalist. Her young adult novels include Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which won the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award; Burn Baby Burn, which was long-listed for the National Book Award; and The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind. She is also the author of picture books Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book, and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Yuyi Morales

Born in Yelapa, Mexico, where she currently resides, Yuyi Morales lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she still maintains close relations with booksellers and librarians. Professional storyteller, dancer, choreographer, puppeteer, and artist. She has won the prestigious Pura Belpré Award for Illustration six times, for Just a Minute, Los Gatos Black on Halloween, Just in Case, Nino Wrestles the World, Viva Frida - also a Caldecott Honor Book - and Dreamers. She also illustrated Sherman Alexies Thunder Boy Jr., a New York Times Bestseller.

 

 

Elvia Pérez Nápoles

Elvia Pérez Nápoles is a world-renowned storyteller, storytelling advocate, author, actress, and journal editor who has served on the Cuban National Cultural Counsel for more than two decades. Elvia has received many distinctions and awards for her contributions in the cultural arena, including the award Cuentacontigo, and the award Brocal given to her artistic trajectory by the Biennal de Oralidad.  Elvia is the author of From the Winds of Manguito, Desde los vientos de Manguito: Cuban Folktales in English and Spanish, Cuentos folklóricos de Cuba, edited by Margaret Read MacDonald (Libraries Unlimited 2004).

Congressman Ben Ray Lujan [D-NM-3] named REFORMA Legislator of the Year

REFORMA de Nuevo Mexico
National REFORMA

Washington, DC – This morning, REFORMA - The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking named Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico Legislator of the Year for his ongoing commitment to improving library services at the national and local levels. 

 Pictured: Chair of Legislative Committee, Mario Ascencio; Congressman, Ben Ray Luján; REFORMA President, Madeline Peña

 

Congressman Luján gained the attention of the REFORMA Legislative Committee when he introduced U.S. House Bill H.R. 3496 (Public Library Innovation Space Act) to promote the development of maker-spaces in public libraries. Although the bill did not become law, REFORMA and the library community acknowledges the work that Congressman Luján has done to improve library services for all, including the Latino and Spanish-Speaking communities in his area. REFORMA acknowledges the Congressman's actions to help secure and ship 1,500 titles from the Library of Congress after the La Farge Branch of the Santa Fe Public Library lost 2,000 children's books and Spanish books due to floods. In addition, REFORMA acknowledges his support for DREAMers by being a proud co-sponsor of the American Dream and Promise Act to keep the doors of opportunity open for DREAMers and to keep our families together; bringing stability to the 17,000 individuals across New Mexico and hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

 

"Congressman Luján has demonstrated enormous support for libraries at the national level and in our home state of New Mexico. We are ecstatic that he is receiving this honor,” said Flo Trujillo, President of the REFORMA de Nuevo Mexico Chapter and Youth Services Coordinator at the Farmington Public Library. “The Congressman always signed the Dear Appropriator Letters in the past to support LSTA funding and I know we can continue to depend on his support in the future,” said Mario Ascencio Chair of the American Library Association Committee on Legislation and Chair of the REFORMA Legislative Committee. “This is only the second time REFORMA has awarded this honor and we are excited to recognize Congressman Lujan's work for Latinos and libraries,” said Madeline Peña, REFORMA President.

 

The event was held in the beautiful Hispanic Reading Room located at the Library of Congress. REFORMA members from various parts of the country, including two of Congressman Luján's constituents from New Mexico, were present for the event. The announcement of the award was made the previous day during the one-day REFORMA Institute and at the onset of the American Library Association Annual Conference both held in Washington, DC.

 

During the acceptance speech, Congressman Luján shared:

“Libraries are the cornerstone of where learning should be taking place.”

 

“My advocacy comes from librarians who made a difference in my life when I was young. Librarians, everyday, you pull students aside--people of all kinds, answering questions about what this administration might do to them because they're afraid of what will happen to their life because they were born on the other side of the line.”

 

“Libraries, in my opinion, are the answer.”

 

Established in 1971, REFORMA has actively sought to promote the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino-oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support staff; the development of library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the establishment of a national information and support network among individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Latino population with regard to the availability and types of library services; and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests of Latinos. For more information on REFORMA, visit reforma.org.