Complimentary Takes on Arizona: Meeting Jeff Biggers at the Texas Book Festival

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Melinda Palacio

Melinda Palacio and Jeff Biggers 

I had the pleasure of being on an immigration panel withJeff Biggers at the Texas Book Festival last month. The panel, moderated byErica Grieger of the Texas Monthly, felt more like conversation pulled in twodifferent directions since I was representing the truth as fiction in Ocotillo Dreams, my novel on the INS sweeps of 1997 Chandler, Arizona, and Jeff Biggers was representing the stories that make upArizona in his non-fiction book, State Out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream. Ultimately, both takes on Arizona, fiction andnon-fiction, are about story. Of Jeff's Book, Luis Alberto Urrea writes:
"Jeff Biggers has the unblinking gaze of the honedjournalist, a novelist's sense of image and story, and a prophet's cache ofoutrage. He stands in my very short list of American literary heroes. WithState Out of the Union, Biggers shows us he can write anything-and do it well.His aim is true."

Erica Grieger, Melinda Palacio, and Jeff Biggers before the panel on immigration in Arizona.

Biggers is prepared to take on the good fight in hisnon-fiction books. The award-winning writer has authored three books, includingAuthor of State Out of theUnion, Reckoning atEagle Creek, The UnitedStates of Appalachia and In the SierraMadre, and numerous articles in venues such asthe New York Times, Washington Post, The Nation, Atlantic Monthly and Salon. He has worked as a writer and educator across the United States,Europe, India, and Mexico.
Growing up in the 1970s in Tucson, Biggerswitnessed the state's first and only Mexican American governor, the leadershipof Cesar Chavez, and the music of Linda Ronstadt.


Biggers' State out of the Union: Arizona and the Finalshowdown over the American Dream offers an account of the stories that haveshaped Arizona, both facts and the myths that Governor Brewer, a Californiatransplant, who ascended to power when President Obama plucked Janet Napolitanoto head the Department of Homeland Security, and Sheriff Arpaio, the son ofItalian immigrants, have used their own shortcomings to create the state'sxenophobic hysteria and suppress the story of Mexican and Native people ofArizona.
The important take away in Biggers's bellweather book is itsoptimism for Arizona's future. What's even more powerful is Jeff's presentationof the book. His performance monologues veer from the scripted page as Biggersanimates stories from his book in an impressive read that left me with a desireto offer a stronger aural performance of my work.
"As a cultural historian, I try to cross boundaries andthat's the beauty of History," he said in an recent chat with La Bloga."It comes down to our stories, the ones that have influenced us."

Jeff Biggers performing scenes from State Out of the Union.

Jeff's book tells the story of immigration in Arizona and thelaw HB2281 which shuts down Mexican-American Studies in schools and bans ourbooks in Tucson's Unified School District. His personal story as an Arizonaninvests itself in optimism for a state ruled by extremist politicians in a book that was named Publisher's Weekly, Top Ten Social Science Titles, 2012, State of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream. "Their actions would give rise to a game-changing shiftin Latino activism to reclaim the state from its extremist interlopers-or,rather, to bring Arizona back as a state in the union."

Jeff will be doing an epic event in Athens, GA on Wednesday, Nov. 14th, on behalf of Freedom U. Georgia, uniting the immigrant/civil rights and environmental justice movements: https://www.facebook.com/events/113588158801402/. Visit Jeff's website for future books, articles, and tour dates.




For those in California, Tia Chucha Centro Cultural has a great weekend coming up with Xanath on Saturday and Reyna Grande and Pilar Marerro on SundayWhen:  Saturday, November 10, 2012What:  Writing Workshop led by Xánath CarazaWhere:  Tia Chuca's Centro Cultural BookstoreTime:  12:30-3:30p.m.
What:  Xánath Caraza reading from her book, ConjuroWhen: (same day--Saturday, November 10th)Time:  5p.m.Where:  Tia Chuca's Centro Cultural Bookstore

News from the Fire Tour

After a ten day pause, Melinda Palacio will resume the Fire Tour.
While I am away, listen to a pre-recorded interview on KUNM's Espejos de Aztlan, November 12 at 7pm.

Melinda is going to Cuba, but will be back in time for Lalo's interview on the Pocho Power Hour.


November 16, Pocho Hour of Power Radio Show, Live, 4pm.
November 17, National Hispanic Cultural Center, History & Literary Arts series, 2pm, Albuquerque, NM.
November 18, LA Palabra, Avenue 50 Studio, Highland Park,131 North Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042, 2pm.
November 20, How Fire Is A Story, Waiting book signing at Chaucer’s Books, Santa Barbara, 7 p.m., 3321 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.