just words vol one : no one 04.01 present future past Author's Note: As I reviewed past stories in order to determine a theme for the inaugural issue of just words, I felt a little like an archaeologist going back and digging through a series of recurring questions. Where are we? Where were we? Who can we be? Here are some articles I have written about others who were also asking these questions. I hope you enjoy them. VP 01/15/00 The Boys are Back in Town Culture Clash celebrates 15 years of nuttiness with "Anthology" at SD Rep read story 09/16/99 Say It Loud, I'm Brown and I'm Proud! "Latino" explosion is more than chicks and salsa read story 08/23/99 PBS documentary series "The Border" updates image of controversial region read story 12/93 Los Anthropolocos: Desenterando Güeros Artists Richard Lou and Robert Sanchez prove that "rasquache" means never having to say you're sorry. read story poem: to a cholo dying young read
	10/31/00 A terrible beauty is born Luis Valdez's "Mummified Deer" is a powerful and profound new work by Victor Payan The stage is stark. It is barren. Truncated branches that could be limbs, that could be antlers jut out from dry sloping walls that are adorned with cave paintings. There is the sense of raw nerves exposed. Behind a hospital bed on which an old woman lies is another network of nerves, translucent and winding toward the sky. They beat. Blood red. Like a drum. We are in a womb. And a silent deer dancer struts and prances, leaps and lunges, bouncing off the walls. He is waiting to be born...more
	Mummy Dearest An interview with Luis Valdez during the writing of "Mummified Deer" May 21, 1999 San Diego Repertory Theatre (Note: This interview was conducted after a historic tour of California by then-Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, which was intended to promote partnerings between Mexican and Californian high tech and telecom corporations. His visit was met with protests by civil, labor and immigrants rights groups, who argued that Mexico still had many uresolved low-tech issues to deal with. The Hollywood movie "The Mummy," a digital-effects laden monstrosity, was being heavily advertised. Valdez was working on a draft of his new play, which at this point was still called "The Mummified Fetus." I had actually come by to interview him about his play "Bandido" and a series of moderated discussions he was doing called "The Sun Belt Dialogues." I seem to recall my only notes on the subject of mummies was to ask him what he felt about the movie. Good thing I had fresh batteries in the recorder.) Read Interview	FROM GREGORIO CORTEZ TO GREGORY NAVA San Diego Latino Film Festival tears down border between commercial and independent Latino filmmakers October 1, 1999 by Victor Payan It's 7pm on a Saturday and the line of brown bodies snakes through the lobby and down the gilded grand staircase of the United Artists Horton Plaza theaters in downtown San Diego. At the foot of the stairs, scurrying volunteers try to match pace with the steady stream of arriving patrons. A healthy cross-section of the America of Tomorrow is gabbing in inglespañol about everything from Salma Hayek to the latest sale at Crate and Barrel...more back to top this site is still under construction. © ALL WRITINGS ON THIS SITE ARE COPYRIGHT VICTOR PAYAN email