Community News

Award-Winning Author Sandra Cisneros at BABEL on October 10

Sandra Cisneros, author of “The House on Mango Street,” to Inaugurate New BABEL Season BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Just Buffalo Literary Center’s BABEL series is proud to host award-winning author Sandra Cisneros in Buffalo on Thursday, October 10, for an engaging conversation at Kleinhans Music Hall. The event starts at 8:00 p.m., with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at justbuffalo.org. The event is a component of Just Buffalo’s participation in the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read initiative, which seeks to “deepen our appreciation of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the pleasure of sharing a great book.” Guiding Buffalo in the communal reading of Sandra Cisneros’s renowned novel “The House on Mango Street,” Just Buffalo is partnering with the Hispanic Heritage Council to coordinate a sequence of events themed “Where We Live,” to be celebrated across Western New York during Hispanic Heritage Month. Sandra Cisneros, an acclaimed poet, short-story writer, novelist, essayist, performer, and artist, delves into the lives of the working-class through her work. Her extensive accolades include NEA fellowships in poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, multiple honorary doctorates, and a host of national and international book awards such as Chicago’s Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, and the National Medal of Arts. Recently, she was honored with the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship, listed among The Frederick Douglass 200, received the PEN/Nabokov Award for international literature, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize from the Poetry Foundation, and the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award from the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation. Her classic, coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, has sold over seven million copies, has been translated into over twenty-five languages, and is required reading in elementary, high school, and universities across the nation.Beyond her writing, Cisneros has nurtured the careers of numerous aspiring and emerging writers via two non-profits she established: the Macondo Foundation, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2020, and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation, which operated for fifteen years. Additionally, she organizes Los MacArturos, a group of Latino MacArthur fellows who are community activists. Her literary works are archived at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in Texas. Tickets, which also include a virtual link for the option to watch from home, are available to the general public for $40; $35 with library card; $10 with student ID. Patron VIP tickets, which include an author reception before the event, are $100. For tickets or more information, visit justbuffalo.org or call 716-832-5400. BABEL: Sandra Cisneros Thursday, October 10, 2024 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.)Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle$40 general public, $35 with library card, $10 studentTickets available at justbuffalo.org About Just Buffalo Literary Center: Just Buffalo Literary Center’s mission is to create and strengthen communities through the literary arts. For over 45 years, the organization has brought the world’s greatest writers to Buffalo, hosted poetry events and readings, and supported the development of young writers. For more information, visit justbuffalo.org. For Information:Myari Ware, Communications Coordinatormware@justbuffalo.org716-249-1902 Read More From Buffalo Latino Village All Post Community News Award-Winning Author Sandra Cisneros at BABEL on October 10 September 17, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More FROM OUR CITY ACTION BUFFALO: MAYOR BROWN ADVANCES TO CEO AS CITY’S CHALLENGES PERSIST  September 9, 2024/No Comments The long-rumored departure of Byron Brown from Buffalo’s mayoralty has been confirmed. After nineteen years filled with controversy and accusations… Read More PRESIDENT BIDEN DROPS OUT, ENDORSES HARRIS TO LEAD THE TICKET July 22, 2024/14 Comments President Joe Biden has announced that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. In a letter released on social… Read More Load More End of Content.

Community News

FROM OUR CITY ACTION BUFFALO: MAYOR BROWN ADVANCES TO CEO AS CITY’S CHALLENGES PERSIST 

The long-rumored departure of Byron Brown from Buffalo’s mayoralty has been confirmed. After nineteen years filled with controversy and accusations of corruption, Byron Brown has announced his resignation. In a surprising and sudden turn of events, he has taken on the role of CEO at the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation, overseeing horse race betting in fifteen counties across Western New York, including Buffalo and Rochester. His departure appears to be an attempt to distance his tenure as mayor from Buffalo’s ongoing financial troubles. However, this seems unfeasible as his mayoralty and the city’s fiscal challenges are deeply intertwined. Brown’s tenure, characterized by prioritizing profits over people, self-described fiscal conservatism, and favoritism towards real estate developers and the influential elite of Buffalo, has left the city in financial ruin, with the consequences unfolding in the present.   Byron Brown’s announcement further highlights his policy of prioritizing personal gain over the needs of Buffalo’s residents. As he is poised to earn a substantial salary, Buffalo continues to be one of the nation’s poorest and most segregated cities. Moreover, Brown’s departure underscores the need for systemic change to strengthen democracy. Rather than completing a historic fifth term, he has engaged in reciprocal politics. His current exit strategy enables a political ally to assume the mayoral position, circumventing a democratic election by the people of Buffalo.  Despite all this, there is power in the present moment. Amidst a city rife with corruption, nepotism, and unfathomable incompetence, which will be the mayor’s legacy, community organizers and activists have resisted the worst of his profit-driven policies. Our collective movement for genuine equity, justice, and fairness in Buffalo has acted as a bulwark against the mayor’s millionaire shadow-cabinet, affirming year after year that a Buffalo for the few is not the Buffalo we deserve. While the Brown administration has focused on rewarding loyalists through patronage, grassroots community organizers throughout the city have successfully created spaces, policies, and funding that benefit the common good. They have also achieved the removal of several key public officials, facilitated the inclusion of women in the Buffalo Common Council for the first time in over 60 years for the Masten District, and rendered the mayor’s departure inevitable.  None of this would have been possible without India Walton challenging the political establishment in Buffalo in 2021, with a mayoral primary victory that set the stage. As the 2025 mayoral race commences, OCAB unequivocally opposes any efforts to substitute Byron Brown with a political confidant who rallied MAGA backers like Carl Paladino to overthrow the Democratic mayoral candidate in 2021, serving merely as an endorser of detrimental public policy and reckless fiscal plans. Chris Scanlon, with over a decade in elected office, is seen as partaking in Byron Brown’s record of unsuccessful leadership and administrative incompetence.  He is criticized for not embodying the city’s collective interests and for neglecting to engage with the viewpoints of dissenters. Essentially, Chris Scanlon is viewed as a symbol of outdated political favoritism, a relic from which there is no return. This transitional moment is filled with hope. It’s our chance to finally honor our nickname, “City of Good Neighbors,” for every single resident. Local elections are crucial. By donating to The People’s Victory Fund, you can help challenge the political norm and the imposed candidacy of the elite. Join us by signing up to reclaim our city in 2025 on our website. Consider donating today.    Read More From Buffalo Latino Village All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology FROM OUR CITY ACTION BUFFALO: MAYOR BROWN ADVANCES TO CEO AS CITY’S CHALLENGES PERSIST  September 9, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More RECEIVING WITH HUMILITY August 26, 2024/No Comments Have you ever felt uncomfortable receiving help or a gift from another person? Did you ever have difficulty asking for… Read More TALKING IS KEY TO SUICIDE PREVENTION August 26, 2024/No Comments “Un million de gracias! Por traernos un taller de prevencion al suiciding. Es importante! Es primordial. Debemos educarnos! Suicide prevention… Read More Load More End of Content.

Column

Positive Outcomes are Worth Remembering

Optimism makes hope possible. It’s the essential attitude by which you can turn those proverbial lemons into lemonade.  Optimism is vital to resiliency because it allows you to avoid rigid thinking and to maintain flexibility and adaptability. Optimism, like a well-tuned engine, provides you with the power, energy, and traction needed to bounce back and start moving again when things aren’t going as you envisioned or planned.  When things aren’t going your way, it’s easy to feel stuck and lose resiliency. Positivity breeds more positivity. When you feel down or have lost your zest and energy, recalling a successful and positive outcome from the past might be just what the doctor ordered to shift your mood in a helpful direction. Remembering and relishing a positive outcome from your past is not self-centeredness or bragging. Rather, it’s a useful reminder of how the big wheel of life constantly turns, and that change is inevitable. How to Recall a Positive Outcome: Get settled and centered in a quiet place and breathe in three calming breaths. Remember any situation where you enjoyed a positive outcome. This can be similar or different from the situation you now find yourself in. Recall your positive outcome in as much detail as you can. This could be anything from a positive relationship outcome to being proud of an accomplishment or reaching a material goal. Remind yourself that things always change. The secret is in knowing that the clouds will eventually clear away, and the sun will shine again. Locate a coping skill. While steeping yourself in your positive outcome, do you recognize any skill that helped you reach your positive outcome? Is that skill applicable here and now? Appreciate your resilience. Above all, appreciate the strengths and resources you have applied in your life. These are the keys to getting unstuck and moving forward. Use this practice of remembering a positive outcome anytime you feel stuck and would benefit from a resilience booster of confidence and positivity. No one is immune from life’s many obstacles. To live with a human body and a human mind means having to confront grief, loss, disappointment, frustration, and even illusion. Fortunately, that is only part of the story. You can decide how to best play the hand you have been dealt in this life. How you respond to life’s stumbling blocks and hurdles right here and right now can make all the difference.     Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology Positive Outcomes are Worth Remembering September 2, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More RECEIVING WITH HUMILITY August 26, 2024/No Comments Have you ever felt uncomfortable receiving help or a gift from another person? Did you ever have difficulty asking for… Read More INVESTING IN OURSELVES July 22, 2024/No Comments A minute can be very important in re-setting us! How many minutes do we really pay attention to? Did small… Read More Load More End of Content.

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