Triumph Journal Entries

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• IF
  by Pilgrim

  I very much like the Kiplying poem IF. Which contains many fine lines but perhaps no f…

  I very much like the Kiplying poem IF. Which contains many fine lines but perhaps no finer than: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same” With these sentiments in mind it is possible to (or at least try to) hold a steady course through life’s storms. While one never welcomes disaster it can be less spiritually disturbing than triumph. In disaster we tend to turn to a higher comfort. Whereas in triumph we tend to celebrate of our own (hollow) greatness. The ego puffs and wisdom fades. During my bumpy ride through dotcom 1.0, I met many people who more than drank their fill of Cristal as they celebrated some triumph or another. The parties often had a desperate ring as we dreamed somehow that all of this was sufficiently important that an ultimate bedrock of joy might be found. And when it all collapsed in on itself, those who lost everything seemed no more forlorn than those who managed to escape with a few quid clenched in their hands.

• Time of Triumph
  by Ronald Chavez

  PRESS RELEASE AND REQUEST FOR A BOOK REVIEW… For Immediate Release: January 15, 2008 / Book Title: Time of Triumph / Author: Ronald P. C…

  PRESS RELEASE AND REQUEST FOR A BOOK REVIEW… For Immediate Release: January 15, 2008 / Book Title: Time of Triumph / Author: Ronald P. Chavez, “The Taos Poet and Route 66 Storyteller” / Contact: Sandy Penny, Santiago’s Gallery, 751-3902 or Ron Chavez, 758-3390 “Time of Triumph is about the tragedy and triumph of the human spirit; the passion and pain of love that defines the heart. It’s about the horror of war and how ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances overcome injustice and adversity. It’s about hope drawn from the beauty of nature and a lust for life that sweetens the soul. All this is captured in Ron Chavez’s short stories and interwoven with his poetry in both Spanish and English. Time of Triumph grabs your mind, heart and soul, and ignites your emotions.” Noted Taos author and poet Ron Chavez’s long-awaited collection of short stories and selected poems has just been released by Booksurge Publishing. It is available online at www.Amazon.com, and will also be on www.BookSurge.com, www.Abebooks.com and www.Alibris.com by the end of January 2008. It will be noted on www.BooksinPrint.com and www.GlobalBooksinPrint.com. It can also be purchased in Taos at Santiago’s Gallery. / / Chavez’s short stories allow you to feel, understand, cry, laugh and rage about the human condition. His poems reflect the character of the poet and his take on life and nature. This is the essence of Time of Triumph. Chavez has created a spark of renewed interest in Hispanic literary tradition. He reaffirms the indomitable human spirit by drawing from the real breath of life and breathing it into characters who will stir your deepest emotions with their journeys of chance and fate, and ask you to dig deep into the pit of your soul in response. Ron is a native of New Mexico, and Taos is his chosen home. He rose to national fame as owner of the Club Café on Route 66 in Santa Rosa. While serving up the best chili, sourdough biscuits and gravy along the Mother Road, his free side dish of road stories were welcomed by all who were lured in by the Fat Man billboards. When his restaurant fell on hard times after corporate fast food hit the freeway, he was forced to close, a victim of the blanding of America. Disillusioned, depressed and displaced, he wandered New Mexico until he landed in the mountains above Taos where his depleted spirit was revived. Reconnecting with the land and himself, he rose from the ashes of blandness like a beautiful Phoenix: brilliant, bold and flying high again. Many of his works are set in and around Taos, and he says the town and the mountains played a major role in his healing while inspiring him to keep writing. “Resting Place of Tears” explores the sad truth of the white crosses planted by family and friends along the roads for their too soon departed loved ones. “Time in the Trees” acknowledges the dual power of this land to destroy and to heal. “Seeking the Light” portrays the Taos Spirit as a journey that resonates with the Taos landscape but originates within. “Cry Hope” is a desperate dark-night-of-the-soul plea to be able to laugh again. “The Loneliest Road” is a light-hearted departure from the intensity of Chavez’s journey. At the end of the book, you are grateful to be released from the emotion of the experience, but by the next day, you can hardly wait for his next book. / HIGH PRAISE FOR RON’S WRITING… FROM THE AUTHOR OF BLESS ME: ULTIMA, RUDOLFO ANAYA … “Ron Chávez writes el corazón de Nuevo México. His passion for the people and the land vibrates in his prose and poetry.” FROM AUTHOR, BILLIE BOLTON … “Ron, yo creo que no hay nada de mas bello que una poema en Español.” It seems that every time I read your poetry, you go deeper and deeper into yourself. But the language gets subtler and subtler, so that you make me feel it, instead of telling me what to feel.” FROM THE TAOS NEWS … “Sometimes a good idea only needs someone to create a spark, then patiently fan it into a burning success. Ron Chávez created a spark of renewed interest in Hispanic literary traditions with one of the most successful bilingual poetry readings ever in Taos, NM.” – Jerry A. Padilla, Editor, El Crepúsculo, The Taos News FROM THE FORWARD to Time of Triumph … “Although I have some familiarity with the style and repertoire of Chávez’s poetry, I was delighted to hear his vocal interpretations of poems recently completed. For this recital, the poet shared a thematic perspective: the concept of soul. In my view, the word soul, when used in a non-religious context is more related to the Greek meaning of psyche. However, Chávez seems to be referring to something more comprehensive in meaning, or what may possibly be interpreted as the very core of our being-our persona. From his first selection to the last, we feel the theme of the soul emerging again and again, cautiously threading its way from one poem into another, but at the same time, revealing something new and exciting.” Mitchell M. Masters, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Higher Learning, Arkansas State University FROM THE Time of Triumph EDITOR … “Sometimes you get lucky. Working with Ron Chavez has been one of those times for me. As I edited and designed Ron’s book, I got to read his poetry and stories over and over, and the more I did, the more I grew to love them. Their simplicity, clarity, and sometimes heart-wrenching truth brings me closer to knowing what’s important in life and how integrity can make all the difference. “Back Side of Glory” and “The Loneliest Road” are just two of the stories which call to me and pull me in with their uncanny frankness and stark, sometimes brutal, reality. Knowing Ron Chavez personally has given me a renewed sense that there are people who say they care and really do care; I am thankful for his ability to put it down on paper so well.” – Heidi Ratner-Connolly, Author, Editor, Book Designer – Harvard Girl Editing Services – Heidi@harvardgirledits.com http://www.harvardgirledits.com/ READER REVIEW BY SANDY PENNY, AUTHOR, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: / As an editor, publisher and author for over 30 years, I can truly recommend this collection of inspirational stories by Ron Chavez. His defining moment stories of the common man facing life-changing circumstances offers insight into their choices. He asks us to deeply consider what makes a good man and presents opportunities to review and possibly shift our position on many personal and collective paradigms. As an obvious student of human nature and a keen observer of life, he tells a good story and captivates us with his characters and dilemmas. His emotions run the gamut, and give us a mirror for our own foibles. Although quite serious in most of his tales, “The Loneliest Road” shows a lighter side, while his poetry reveals his passionate nature. For a first book, Ron has set a high bar for future works. Can’t wait to see his novel in progress. / / BACKGROUND & BIO-SKETCH – RONALD P. CHÁVEZ Ron Chávez was born in the valley of Puerto de Luna on the banks of the Pecos River in New Mexico. In Santa Rosa he was the owner of the famous Route 66 Club Café. During that epic time, Chávez’s Route 66 story telling and his Route 66 café enjoyed fame in world wide major media which included: “Route 66, The Mother Road” by Michael Wallis was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and has sold over a million copies. / • “Searching For 66” by Tom Teague / • Japanese Playboy / • Chicago Sun Times / • Denver Post / • Dallas Morning News-Twice / • Entertainment Weekly Magazine / • New Mexico Magazine-Three times / • Life Magazine / • Good Morning America-Route 66 Special / • PBS: American Playhouse-Things American / • Tom Brokaw Evening News-Special on Closing of the Club Café / • Eye on L.A Television / • Route 66 Magazine (Arizona and Nevada) A bus load of teachers from Tulsa, Oklahoma traveled to Santa Rosa to hear Chávez read from MAN OF HONOR and eat at his Route 66 Club Café in Santa Rosa. Michael Wallis accompanied yet another bus load of Smithsonian patrons to hear Chávez tell Route 66 tales. At that time, his writings also began to catch fire. His short story, “Man of Honor” was published in the anthology “Voces” by UNM Press. Also, in those first years of writing, a string of his short stories appeared in the “Guadalupe County Communicator”. Here in Taos, he began writing poetry for the first time. His poems have been published in “The Herencia Magazine”, “Talk Back”, “The Masters Quarterly”, “El Crepúsculo” and in “The Taos News Tempo. The American Memories Project out of New York will be presenting Chávez in a documentary about American Poets to be exhibited in film festivals. Channel 22 in Taos ran “Spanish Passions de Taos” by Chávez the last week of September, 2006. The same gig can be viewed on the web at http://www.its-happening-in-taos.com/RonChavez.html. In Taos, Chávez has hosted and presented many poetry recitals in various venues, including SAMOS and National Public Radio. His poetry reflects passions of love and life in an earthy but edgy style and spirit. Chávez writes and recites in both English and Spanish. He has also written a feature length movie script adapted from his short story “The Loneliest Road” first published in “Talk Back”, which is being looked at by several film makers. Presently, Chávez is writing his first novel, set in Taos where he currently lives. Chavez and his younger brother, artist Santiago, operate Santiago’s Gallery in Taos, New Mexico below Ogelvie’s on Taos Plaza where Ron’s writings and Santiago’s art are on exhibit. There, Ron does recitals and book signings. Go to www.TaosPlazaArt.com and discover a world of wonder in art, prose, and poetry. # # #

• ParisVegas Series
  by Benjamin Padgett

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  My ParisVegas Series contains photos taken exclusively of landmarks in Las Vegas that are accurate replicas of landmarks in Paris, France. The most famous landmark is the Eiffel Tower, or La Tour Eiffel as the French say. The tower in Vegas is the most accurate replica ever constructed in the world, though it is at one-half scale. The Vegas version was precisely designed and constructed based on original engineering drawings by Gustav Eiffel from 1889. It is even painted the exact same shades of brown as the original, involving three shades, varying from light brown at the top to a darker brown at the base to give the illusion that the tower is of a uniform color while viewed from the base. With such faithfulness, photographs depicting the design of the replica in Las Vegas are, for all intensive purposes, also depicting the design of the original Eiffel Tower in Paris. Another intricate replica is the Arc de Triomphe. The Vegas version is an exact replica of the original at two-thirds scale. The original triumphant arch was completed in 1836 to commemorate major victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods, the names of which are engraved around the top of the arch. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are engraved on the inside walls. Generals whose names are underlined died in action. The fountain featured in my ParisVegas series is a replica of La Fontaine de Mers. The original bronze fountain was designed and built by Jacob Ignaz Hittorf in 1836 in the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris. The classic building featured in my photographs is based on the Paris Opera House designed by Charles Garnier and built in Paris between 1862 and 1875 on the orders of Napoleon III as part of the great Parisian reconstruction project carried out by Baron Haussmann.