Hey folks, I wrote this for my Facebook page, but since we are low on news I am
sharing it with you too . . .

Like most of you, I have heard and enjoyed Robert Mirabal's music on
various Native radio programs, and have read of his awards in the
Native press. However, when Robin Carneen, of NAMAPAHH Radio
<http://www.blogtalkradio.com/NAMAPAHH_Radio> (takes a while to load,
be patient) sent me a press release about Robert's news book, "Running
Alone in Photographs," and suggested she might jointly interview Robert and I
for an upcoming blog talk radio program, I decided I better more familiar with
his work.

I first went to my county library's on-line catalog, where I found the
only thing of Mirabal's in their collection was a CD. I was surprised
to find that the CD, Red Moon, included work by Mirabal and Mary
Youngblood. Youngblood is someone else that Robin had mentioned she
was going to interview in the near future.

I suggested to Robin (not to cut myself out) that she might consider
doing a show with both Youngblood and Mirabal, and play the CD along
with the interviews. She thought that was a great idea, and got enough
information to request a review copy.

Meanwhile I requested a copy of the CD from my library, and put in a
request for an Interlibrary Loan for Mirabal's first book, "Skeleton
of a Bridge." I also passed the press release about Mirabal's new
book, "Running Alone in Photographs," to my librarian; with a request
that she order the book for our branch. And then I printed out the
list of his CD's from amazon.com, and gave them to the librarian with a request
that they also be added to our collection.

I just finished reading "Skeleton of a Bridge." The book is really a
small treasure, beginning with the layout and design, and of course
including the stories themselves. The stories are sparse, verging on
poetry, and they embrace all "the pain, joys, and love of our hearts"
(from the author's statement). The first story, about Starchy and his
orange customized chopper with a silver banana seat, many of us have
heard read by Mirabal on Native Radio. I found the sound of his voice
echoing through the other stories, with its rich deep resonance. I
look forward to "Running Alone in Photographs," and have added it to my eclectic
reading list . . .

What about the snow ball, you ask . . . here it is, I am handing it to
you. Select a Native writer who you love, admire, or simply want to
learn more about. Search for their work in your local library's
collection. If nothing is there, ask how to place an interlibrary loan
request. Once you have read the book, if you like it, tell your friends about
it; and request your library to add it to their collection.

Now imagine the snowball effect. If we each read one Native writer a
month, then share the information with our friends, and request our
libraries to add their work to their collections, our precious writers will be
read. Copies of their books will be purchased, tiny royalties will trickle in,
our words will spread, and we will all be enriched. Borrowing books from the
library and spreading the word doesn't cost a dime, but maybe it can change the
world. (Well, interlibrary loans generally cost a buck, but even I can afford a
buck a month.)

Below is the press release about Robert Mirabal's new book.

I am sure Robin will let you know when his interview is coming up. (Look for
info on the following web-sites:
NAMAPAHH First People’s Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/NAMAPAHH_Radio
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/nativeradio4all
Blog: http://namapahhmultimedia.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Robin-Carneen/690395451
email: robin.carneen @ gmail.com - take out spaces.)

And I will definitely let you know when she gets around to interviewing me!


Two-time GRAMMY Award Winner, Robert Mirabal, Celebrates the
Publication of his First Novel, Running Alone in Photographs

Book hailed as The Catcher in the Rye meets Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

TAOS, NM (November 2008)—For the past ten years, recording artist
Robert Mirabal has dominated the Native American music category like
none other. In that time he has created more than a dozen traditional
flute albums, rock, and spoken word CDs that have earned him most
every honor awarded in the genre, including two GRAMMY Awards for best
Native American Albums of the Year (2006, 2008). His 2001 PBS Special
Music From a Painted Cave remains one of public television's most
popular fundraisers of all time.
But using music to connect with his audience is only one of Mirabal's
many gifts, and his poetic new novel, Running Alone in Photographs,
(Red Willow Press, ISBN 978-0-615-23033-7) promises to open a window
onto contemporary American Indian life not seen before.

Writing in a style that blends memoir and historical fiction,
Mirabal's tale is set in Saint Teresa Pueblo in northern New Mexico,
and is the coming-of-age story of Reyes Wind, a young musician who
returns to her ancestral home for the funeral of her grandmother.
Dealing with themes of personal responsibility and empowerment, the
novel focuses on worlds in transition—the struggle between tribal
identity and life in modern society—and the courage and grace required
of her to live fully in each. The book is being hailed as a female,
contemporary The Catcher in the Rye meets Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
"Reyes has faith in the power of the unknown," says author Robert
Mirabal, "and in her journey of self-discovery. Ultimately that
journey leads back to her source, to that place of memory, revealing
the hidden power and wisdom of ancestry, family and home."
The novel also features eight pages of black & white photographs—a mix
of archival and contemporary—that parallel and illustrate Reyes' journey.

Four years in the making, Running Alone in Photographs was first
supported by a grant from the Sally R. Wagner Fellowship of the School
for Advanced Research in Santa Fe where Mirabal was a Wagner Fellow
during 2004-2005.

Mirabal published a book of poetry and short stories, Skeleton of a
Bridge, in 1994.
Media Contact: Andrew Flack, Buzz, Inc. 575-758-8900; flack@...

Format: Paperback, 258 pages
Publisher: Red Willow Press
On Sale: November 14, 2008
Price: $19.95 retail
ISBN: 978-0-615-23033-7
To Order: http://mirabal.com/shop/shop.php?cat=30&sc=1


For more information see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mirabal