MAMA, MI’JO, AND ME VOL 31, NO. 31 APRIL 27, 2016 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com In new memoir ‘Black Dove,’ Ana Castillo explains herself Ana Castillo at home in New Mexico. BY LIZ BAUDLER important to chronicle. Essays began to assemble themselves. There are joy and sorrow in Black Dove, but far more of the Celebrated Latina author and feminist Ana Castillo is a woman latter. Castillo writes of growing up in Chicago a lonely child. of many identities—some acknowledged and lauded, some She’d never before written about being raped or attempting unspoken. suicide in her teenage years. “But I’ve been teaching memoir “I’m not really sure what it was about the public that in- writing for about five or six years now to the general public, sisted in, first of all, boxing me into Chicana; then I was a and it was time for me to walk my talk, which was, you gotta woman—and they still see me that way,” Castillo said. “They go where you have to go,” she explained. don’t see me as an American writer. I was born and raised The hardest essay for her to read is about her vibrant son, in Chicago. We have to categorize people to try to under- called Mi’jo throughout, being arrested and jailed for a rob- stand them, I think and I was categorized as a Chicana and a bery—a stark departure from the creative, successful young woman. Maybe the rest was too much.” man Castillo thought she was raising. “It’s definitely the hard- Black Dove: Mamá, Mi’jo, and Me, her recent memoir in es- est essay because I gave everything, most of my adult life to says, confronts many of these identities. “The memoir genre being a mother, and I have the greatest expectations for my requires a lot of introspection, a search for something—may- son, but seeing him suffer the way he’s suffered and spiraled be a mystery in one’s life, a conundrum, and it requires go- was really just heartbreaking,” she said. “It’s even difficult ing back, it requires investigation, comparing your memory now to talk about it without feeling that sadness. And then PURPLE REIGN with other people’s memories, and most of all, a desire to be the disintegration of our little family during that time. It was honest. At all times I was trying to be as honest for my own the biggest heartbreak of my life, I think, and just to see your Looking back at the life of Prince. sake in telling the story,” Castillo said. The centerpiece of the child suffer in any form is difficult, but that was very pain- Photo of Prince from 1980 at Chicago’s Uptown Theatre by Vern book began as a piece about her mother’s time in Mexico as a ful.” Her son is doing better, but the hurt still remains. Hester 14 young child. As time went on, Castillo realized that her shift- An aspect of Castillo’s work that she feels is often ignored ing identity, from daughter to mother to grandmother, was Turn to page 20 TINY HOMES KITTY GENOVESE BON FOSTER Summit looks at youth-homelessness issue. Lesbian’s murderer has died. Lambda Legal’s annual event has Photo by Hal Baim Photo courtesy of FilmRise different feel this year. 12 5 Photo of Jim Bennett by Kat Fitzgerald 10 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com 2 April 27, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES WINDY CITY TIMES April 27, 2016 3 WINDY CITY TIMES INDEX NEWS Court rules for trans Va. teen; column 4 DOWNLOAD Lesbian’s murderer dies 5 THIS ISSUE Your Voice! Your Health! profile 6 AND BROWSE THE ARCHIVES at Coalition wants Servin firing, CSU funding 9 Lambda Legal’s Bon Foster 10 WWW.WINDYCITYTIMES.COM Engendering Change workshops 11 Tiny Homes Summit 12 A look at the life of music icon Prince 14 Views: Lee Lynch; Rev. Irene Monroe 16 MAMA, MI’JO, ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS Scottish Play Scott 17 AND ME VOL 31, NO. 31 APRIL 27, 2016 Ana Castillo 20 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com In new memoir Knight at the Movies: Mother’s Day films ‘Black Dove,’ 22 Ana Castillo NIGHTSPOTS 24 explains herself Chicago Force prepares for season Ana Castillo at home in New Mexico. 27 BY LIZ BAUDLER important to chronicle. Essays began to assemble themselves. There are joy and sorrow in Black Dove, but far more of the Celebrated Latina author and feminist Ana Castillo is a woman latter. Castillo writes of growing up in Chicago a lonely child. of many identities—some acknowledged and lauded, some She’d never before written about being raped or attempting unspoken. suicide in her teenage years. “But I’ve been teaching memoir “I’m not really sure what it was about the public that in- writing for about five or six years now to the general public, sisted in, first of all, boxing me into Chicana; then I was a and it was time for me to walk my talk, which was, you gotta woman—and they still see me that way,” Castillo said. “They go where you have to go,” she explained. don’t see me as an American writer. I was born and raised The hardest essay for her to read is about her vibrant son, in Chicago. We have to categorize people to try to under- called Mi’jo throughout, being arrested and jailed for a rob- OUTLINES stand them, I think and I was categorized as a Chicana and a bery—a stark departure from the creative, successful young woman. Maybe the rest was too much.” man Castillo thought she was raising. “It’s definitely the hard- Black Dove: Mamá, Mi’jo, and Me, her recent memoir in es- est essay because I gave everything, most of my adult life to says, confronts many of these identities. “The memoir genre being a mother, and I have the greatest expectations for my Calendar Q 28 requires a lot of introspection, a search for something—may- son, but seeing him suffer the way he’s suffered and spiraled be a mystery in one’s life, a conundrum, and it requires go- was really just heartbreaking,” she said. “It’s even difficult ing back, it requires investigation, comparing your memory now to talk about it without feeling that sadness. And then PURPLE REIGN with other people’s memories, and most of all, a desire to be the disintegration of our little family during that time. It was honest. At all times I was trying to be as honest for my own the biggest heartbreak of my life, I think, and just to see your Classifieds 30 Looking back at the life of Prince. sake in telling the story,” Castillo said. The centerpiece of the child suffer in any form is difficult, but that was very pain- Photo of Prince from 1980 at Chicago’s Uptown Theatre by Vern book began as a piece about her mother’s time in Mexico as a ful.” Her son is doing better, but the hurt still remains. Hester 14 young child. As time went on, Castillo realized that her shift- An aspect of Castillo’s work that she feels is often ignored ing identity, from daughter to mother to grandmother, was Turn to page 20 TINY HOMES KITTY GENOVESE BON FOSTER Summit looks at youth-homelessness issue. Lesbian’s murderer has died. Lambda Legal’s annual event has Photo by Hal Baim Photo courtesy of FilmRise different feel this year. 12 5 Photo of Jim Bennett by Kat Fitzgerald 10 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com online exclusives at www.WindyCityTimes.com HAY THERE Soulful singer Kata Hay—who competed on the most recent season of The Voice— talked about the show and what she’s learned. Photo by Tyler Golden/NBC AGENT OF CHANGE The Engendering Change workshop also brought out UIC’s Rod Ferguson, who delivered the keynote address. (See more on page 11.) Photo by Carrie Maxwell THE WHEEL DEAL Gaywheels looks at the 2016 Chevy HISTORY LESSON Volt. FIVE ALIVE Darryl Pinckney’s book Black Deutschland is among Five Worth Finding. THAT’S SHOW BIZ Find out the latest about Jeff Lewis, Caitlyn Jenner and Mariah Carey. Gay artist Geoffrey Hendricks (right, above) and out art historian David Getsy plus held a talk at Northwestern University. DAILY BREAKING NEWS Photo by Vern Hester 4 April 27, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES Court sides with Va. transgender teen GUEST VIEW In Richmond, Virginia, the U.S. Court of Ap- who use public restrooms less likely. The ruling BY WILLIAM KINGSTON peals for the 4th Circuit ruled that a trans- could invalidate core aspects of the anti-trans gender high school student can sue his school bathroom measures contained in North Caro- board on discrimination grounds because it lina’s HB2 and similar practices and measures banned him from the boys’ bathroom. in other states.” Do you know your fair housing rights? In supporting the case of high school ju- Jennifer Levi, transgender rights project di- nior Gavin Grimm, the court deferred to the rector for GLAD, said in a separate statement, I am a student working at the John Human Rights Act as the actual U.S. Department of Education’s position that “The decision marks the first time a federal ap- Marshall Law School Fair Housing Clinic or perceived state of bisexuality, transgender students should have access to the peals court has affirmed that Title IX protects hoping to spread awareness about LGBTQ homosexuality, or heterosexuality and bathrooms that match their gender identities students on the basis of gender identity.