(The following poem, from my collection Shattering and Bricolage, was quoted in “Innocence,” episode 14.4 of the CBS drama Criminal Minds,) Like a hammer deliberate Or careless, jostling child, Life tumbles us From safe, oblivious heights To smash to shards And scattering dust. Yet, though shattered, We may have the fortune To feel…
Last night I was quoted on the show Criminal Minds on CBS. In the final moments of the show, Penelope García says the following line. “‘When wounds are healed by love / The scars are beautiful.’ David Bowles.” The words are from “Kintsukuroi,” a poem from my collection Shattering and Bricolage, which is…
Once a millennium, twins are born with the ability to shapeshift and to wield the might of savage magic. When Carol and Johnny Garza discover their powers, they find themselves fighting to save their family…and the world itself. Books The Smoking Mirror (2016 Pura Belpré Honor Book) A Kingdom Beneath…
I’m launching my Fall 2018 on-line Classical Nahuatl course on September 19. If that sounds at all interesting, here’s a basic overview of how the class will work. Basic Classical Nahuatl 101 is a thirteen-module, self-paced course that requires no previous knowledge of the language. Each module consists of four elements:…
Kirkus has released their review of They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems online. Here’s a sample of what they say: “In this slim verse novel, Bowles splendidly translates border life via loosely connected vignettes in an eclectic mix of poetic forms. Güero’s voice brims with humor, wit, and bits of…
Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico has received a starred review from School Library Journal! Thanks to the ancestors whose voices I tried to echo with my mestizo tongue. Tlazohcāmati, in antonānhuān in antotahhuān.
Say hola to my middle-grade poetry book They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems, featuring the amazing art and lettering of Zeke Peña, the 2018 Boston Globe–Horn Book Non-fiction Winner for Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide (along with author Isabel Quintero). Tomorrow I’ll reveal the wrap-around. Big shout-out…
Mexican myth in the house! Today is the official publication day of FEATHERED SERPENT, DARK HEART OF SKY! PRAISE FOR THE BOOK “Bowles’ dense yet lyrical prose raises the narrative to a level suited to high mythological tradition and illuminates the foundations on which contemporary Mexican culture is laid.” —Kirkus…
A great way to start Children’s Book Week is reading this wonderful blog post by Janet Wong up at Colorín Colorado, which features poetry by Pat Mora, Francisco X. Alarcón, and yours truly! Fantastic ideas for helping teachers “honor the many voices in our students’ lives.” http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/hearing-our-voices-honoring-our-selves
Here is my schedule for the Texas Library Association conference and the San Antonio Book Festival this week, for those attending and interested. Wednesday, April 4 Public reading at 6:30 pm at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Thursday, April 5 (Texas Library Association conference in Dallas)…
