Self-taught musician John Costello. (Tim Valencia/Courtesy of John Costello)

EL PASO — Standing over six-and-half feet tall, musician and singer/songwriter Johnny Costello looks like he should be dunking a basketball instead of strumming a guitar.

Even though Costello can still jam a hoop as he did when he was a forward playing AAU basketball in high school, his passion for music has changed who he is today.

Many musicians play because of the love and passion they have for the art. For Costello, his music reflects not only who he is, but also the journey that brought him to the realization that one day everyone will hear his tunes.

His life experiences have shaped the music he sings and writes. Born in Germany and raised in Dallas, Texas, Costello learned his craft in church playing sheet and cord music on an acoustic guitar.

He describes his music as, “…say your cup of water is folk music, and the little lemon on top of the glass is blues. It’s just got a little blues influence on it.”

Over the years Costello has strived to perfect his musical talents but he remains his own harshest critic. “You never really realize that you can do this as a career and you’re always very critical of your music. You go off the response of your audience and ask yourself —can you see yourself doing anything else? And the answer is usually no,” he said.

After doing a great deal of traveling over the years, Johnny came to El Paso two years ago to continue his education at the University of Texas at El Paso. The move to the Sun City was an unexpected blessing to his music career.

Costello credits El Paso for helping him turn his hobby into something he wants to do for the rest of his life. Of all the cities he’s lived in, Costello says the stillness of El Paso helped him focus on his music.

“There weren’t that many distractions in El Paso to where I couldn’t do what I wanted to do,” says Costello

Costello also has come to know some of the talent that resides in El Paso. Musician Nicole Smith and the bands Lucitania and The Dirty River Boys all have helped Costello grow as a musician since he came to El Paso.

Though El Paso has helped Costello continue his dream, he really found an appreciation for his genre in Chicago.  It was in Chicago were artists Neil Young and Daniel Johnson helped influence Costello’s own music.

A self-taught musician, Costello learned to play the guitar, harmonica and piano on his own and has written and performed more than 40 songs. And everything he learned plays a role in his songs.

“I want people to remember the balance of my music. I don’t want to be seen as a great voice or just a great guitar player, rather I want my guitar and voice to strengthen what I’m trying to say in my music collectively,” says Costello.

Costello said he hopes that one day he can land a record deal to further his dream, but he knows that for now he’s doing exactly what he loves to do.

He’s focused right on being an artist; everything else like the fame and the money will soon fall into place. I wouldn’t bet against him.

The senior running back from the University of Texas at El Paso compiled 1,594 yards and 18 touchdowns in his junior season with the Miners. Not only did he run the ball, Buckram, broke a UTEP record that stood since 1948, held by former Texas Western (now UTEP) running back Fred Wendt.

Donald Buckram (Jeff Darby/Courtesy of UTEP Athletics)

Buckram didn’t always aspire to play football. Growing up in Copperas Cove, Texas, he idolized another sport other than football. Young Donald wanted to become a track star.

“I watched and wanted to be like the track stars like Maurice Green and Michael Johnson growing up.”

Little by little Buckram began to enter the world of football through video gaming.

“My friends would be playing video games and be playing football on there. I began to like the video games and liked football.”

Buckram began playing football and running track in Copperas Cove High as well.

The Miners would eventually play Buckram as a freshman and he caught his one touchdown that season from former UTEP QB Jordan Palmer in a nationally televised game on ESPN2 against the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Buckram would be redshirted the next year as he tried to break into the depth chart.

“I needed to earn a trust factor so that they would give me the ball.” said Buckram.

Practically nothing would be heard of him until his huge game against the nationally ranked # 12 University of Houston Cougars on October 3^rd when he ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns upsetting the Cougars and giving UTEP its first win over a ranked opponent in 13 years.

Donald Buckram (Jeff Darby/Courtesy of UTEP Athletics)

“It felt like another day when someone told me ‘you’re gonna hit 200 yards’ and I just kept on running,” Buckram said.

The Miners would finish the season a disappointing 4-8 and eventually frustrated a city as well. Buckram wants to change that this upcoming season and have the team ready for his senior year.

“We have to make a statement that first game (Arkansas Pine Bluff), we need to play for us and El Paso,” said Buckram.

Buckram says the team has been working hard over the summer and he is trying to reach a weight of 205 before the summer camps start.

The Miner’s main goal this season to turn the corner and go to a bowl game, something that hasn’t happened since 2004.

“ We need to fire on all cylinders and you need a balanced team to win games. We just need to be more united as a team. Last year’s collapses were flukes and they aren’t going to happen again,” Buckram said.

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Un grupo de jóvenes corre por el campo de fútbol en Bristol, Tennessee, gritando jugadas y palabras de aliento a los demás. Lo que están diciendo es comprensible, pero su acento no suena igual. Eso es porque este grupo de varones es un crisol de estudiantes de todo el mundo.

Muchos jóvenes de todo el mundo vienen a los Estados Unidos cada año para asistir a la universidad, una oportunidad que no es una hazaña fácil. Vienen de todas partes para proseguir su educación y experimentar el estilo de vida americano. Estos estudiantes encuentran muchas maneras, no sólo para venir, sino para darse el lujo de vivir aquí. Una de esas maneras es a través del deporte.

Los jugadores internacionales de fútbol de King College Raul Laparra, Michael Johnson, Jessus Ebanks, Tom Winspear, Danny McBride y John Simmons. Los atletas internacionales de King College dicen que las montañas y el clima del noreste de Tennessee hacen que sea un lugar ideal para asistir a la universidad. (Jennifer White y Michael Thorton/Cortesía de El Nuevo Bristol Herald Courier)

En el equipo masculino de fútbol de King College, los Tornados, siete de los 25 jugadores son extranjeros, y la mayoría tiene beca. Vienen de Inglaterra, Escocia, Guatemala y las Islas Caimán. Los jugadores tienen que mantener un promedio de 3.0 para permanecer en el equipo y, para algunos, para permanecer en la escuela.

Los deportes ofrecen motivación

“Esto me da un enorme incentivo para conseguir buenas notas,” dijo John Simmons, un estudiante de segundo año de Billericay, Reino Unido, que estudia historia. “Si no me va bien en clase, estaré en un avión de vuelta a casa y no podré volver.”

Para Simmons, así como algunos de los otros en el equipo, la oportunidad de jugar al fútbol en una universidad americana era la única manera de venir.

“El fútbol es la única razón por la que estoy aquí, de lo contrario estaría trabajando de 9 a 5 en Londres,” dijo Simmons. “Sin el fútbol, nunca habría siquiera pensado en venir a América, y mucho menos ser capaz de pagarlo.”

En su mayoría, fuera de los EE.UU., los deportes universitarios no son la norma. Si un atleta quiere jugar su deporte, él o ella tienen que hacerse profesional. Las universidades son más académicas y no tienen deportes en la forma que se realiza en los Estados Unidos.

“La mayoría de los estudiantes internacionales aquí son atletas,” dijo Elvin Brown, el director asistente de reclutamiento de atletas de King College.

“En Guatemala, al iniciar la universidad, tienes que decidir si quiere seguir jugando al fútbol o estudiar, porque es muy difícil hacer las dos cosas al mismo tiempo,”dijo Raúl Laparra, un estudiante de cuarto año de la Ciudad de Guatemala que se especializa en administración deportiva.

Laparra asistió a una universidad comunitaria en California, cuando llegó por primera vez a los EE.UU. hace tres años, antes de transferirse a King para terminar sus estudios. Al igual que Simmons, Laparra dice que sin el fútbol no estaría aquí.

“Además de querer jugar al fútbol,” dijo, “la beca que recibo por ello me permite quedarme aquí. Las universidades aquí son mucho más caras que en mi país y yo no podría pagarla si no fuera por mi beca.”

Las montañas de Tennessee: la ubicación ideal

¿Por qué eligieron la parte noreste de Tennessee, en vez de cualquier otro lugar del país? Este grupo muy unido de compañeros del equipo internacional parece estar de acuerdo en que las montañas y el clima hacen de la zona un lugar ideal.

“Había unas pocas áreas diferentes que me interesaban,”dijo Simmons, “pero estar entre las montañas de Tennessee sonaba de otro mundo. Las montañas nevadas en el invierno y el clima cálido y soleado durante casi todo el resto del año. ¡Me enamoré del lugar incluso antes de llegar aquí!”

En el equipo masculino de fútbol de King College, los Tornados, siete de los 25 jugadores son extranjeros y la mayoría tiene beca. Los jugadores tienen que mantener un promedio de 3.0 para permanecer en el equipo y, para algunos, para permanecer en la universidad.(Jennifer White & Michael Thorton/Cortesy of El Nuevo Bristol Herald Courier)

Los entrenadores americanos buscan frecuentemente jugadores en otros países.

“Oímos hablar del deporte en los EE.UU. en una clase de educación física en la escuela y me pareció increíble,” dijo Simmons. “Un amigo y yo estábamos realmente interesados en esto, porque ir y experimentar el estilo de vida americano y jugar al fútbol, parecía algo increíble de lograr, de hecho difícil de creer.”

Simmons y su amigo encontraron una empresa en el Reino Unido que promueve atletas que están buscando irse al extranjero. Al trabajar con esa compañía, fue buscado por varios entrenadores de diferentes universidades en los Estados Unidos.

“Hasta que la idea de ser un atleta universitario surgió en la clase, nunca hubiera sabido incluso que existía la posibilidad de hacer esto,” dijo Simmons. “Sin esta oportunidad, yo no estaría en King, en América, o estudiando en la universidad.”

Los jugadores internacionales coinciden en que les gusta jugar en un equipo con tal diversidad.

“Algunos de mis amigos juegan en equipos de por aquí, pero que no son diversos internacionalmente, como nosotros,”dijo Danny McBride, un estudiante escocés de tercer año que estudia historia y ciencias políticas. “Simplemente no podría hacerlo.”

Afortunadamente para los Tornados de King, no hay demasiadas barreras idiomáticas o de acento.

“A veces estamos corriendo por el campo y alguien dice algo y todos preguntan ‘¿Qué?’ Pero no hay problema,”dijo McBride.

La mayoría del equipo es de habla inglesa, pero Laparra habla español.

“Mi mamá y mi hermana hablan inglés, pero mi papá no,”dijo Laparra. “Aprendí inglés en la escuela cuando estaba en Guatemala.”

Planes para el futuro

A Laparra le gustaría permanecer en los EE.UU., cuando termine la escuela, si es posible.

“Todavía no sé lo que quiero hacer cuando me gradúe,” dijo. ”Estoy tratando de encontrar un trabajo aquí, pero si no puedo encontrar nada, creo que voy a volver a casa.”

“Yo quiero quedarme aquí en los EE.UU.,” dijo McBride. “Si pudiera jugar al fútbol profesional aquí, sería impresionante. Si yo me quedara aquí para jugar, no sería muy difícil que me patrocinen en el proceso de solicitud para una tarjeta de residencia, que es bastante caro.”

Estos internacionales están encantados de haber tenido la oportunidad de experimentar el estilo de vida americano, y sin sus habilidades deportivas, tal vez no la tendrían.

“Esperemos que, si tengo que volver a Europa,” dijo McBride, “pueda volver aquí en unos pocos años.”

Una vez que los estudiantes extranjeros comienzan a vivir el “Sueño Americano,” tienen que encontrar una manera de pagar por ello.

Sus opciones de trabajo son limitadas cuando llegan a la universidad debido a las restricciones de VISA puestas por el gobierno. Ellos no pueden conseguir un trabajo en cualquier lugar, la única opción es trabajar en el campus.

_____

Nota del editor: Esta historia fue publicada previamente en El Nuevo Bristol Herald Courier.

The bottom line comes down to the fact that soccer’s simplicity may be the contributing factor to its lack of popularity and exposure in the United States. It is a game that can be played anywhere in any environment much in the same way that it is played on a pitch.  Only needing a ball, a flat surface and objects to act as posts, one has all they need to play the game. This allows for even the poorest nations to play this game from the slums to the schools, so long as there is a space big enough and flat enough to play on.

Boys play street soccer in old Havana. (Courtesy of David Smith-Soto)

There is a sense of soccer in the United States clearly seen in the cities where a multitude of youngsters play peewee soccer, teenagers can play in some high schools or city leagues and even sometimes, adult city leagues. Something is missing still that does not allow this sport to propel itself to the top of the American sports world.  The lack of high caliber clubs in the United States is clearly why many struggle to identify with teams that are so far from home. The lack of scoring is a big factor for Americans, clearly something should be done about that (other than changing the make-up of the ball), but they do see the drama in low scoring as somewhat exciting.

More than any other country, the United States should take interest in this game since it is such a recognized sport on the global stage and they are often behind in talent. Lately, interest has grown since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea and the Gold Cup in 2008, but only after putting up great performances. The nation is waiting for a hero and it’s only a matter of time before the US breaks through the football world to become an international powerhouse.

This World Cup could be the spark the US is waiting for to gain the attention from the media it desires. The controversial call made by Koman Coulibay late in the second half against Slovenia could cause exactly what football in the US needs. One thing is certain, Americans do not like to get cheated. Something tells me that the US may be getting more involved in the game as a whole due to this infamous call made by Coulibay.

“The big guy on the playground just got hit with the ball and he wants to know why,” says Franck Alexis, a young French footballer I met while in France. Alexis went on to say, “this maybe exactly what Americans need to become more interested in the sport.”

Many people around the world are feeling a mixture of fear and wonder as they see the wealthiest nation become involved in a sport that champions the poor. “They will certainly begin lobbying for some sort of replay system and to do something about flopping,” says Ray Moreno, an eastsider that watched the US-Slovenia game at home with his family. Moreno and his family can’t wait to see what will happen with US soccer in the next ten years, “talent is definitely out there, but the programs and competition after the U-14 leagues are not.”

The Moreno family may represent exactly what is happening and what fuels the growing interest in US soccer. Latin-American families are growing every year in the US, and so is the interest in soccer. However, it is not only Latin-American families that are growing, so are many others, many from countries where football is life. Little can be done concerning the coverage because it is where it needs to be, but the schools are really playing catch-up with the game. Being the most popular sport for boys and girls for more than 30 years has not proved to be enough to propel the sport any further than its counterparts.

What the future holds for the sport in the US is uncertain, but one thing is, interest has been sparked. The infamous call, beating powerhouse Spain in the Gold Cup, and increased media coverage are all going to take this sport into the next era of American soccer. “Wait until we get a guy like Kobe Bryant playing soccer for us, or better yet, Adrian Peterson,” says Moreno.

“Good afternoon, AM 1230 KXO. I’m Traci Lyon-Ramirez broadcasting. We’ve got some great stuff coming up for you this afternoon. It’s lunch time. Be careful while you’re on the road. It’s right here, AM 1230 KXO.” Lyon-Ramirez flips a switch on the audio board to dull the little red light, and “The Doors” sounds out over the airwaves.

Traci Lyon-Ramirez, on-air at KXO radio in El Centro, Calif., says that DJs live by the clock. "Everything has to be timed right so that there's no dead air." --Photo by Kaylene Sutton

KXO has been on air continuously since 1927 in the Imperial Valley, making it the longest-running radio station in this agricultural mecca of Southern California. Other radio stations have come and gone while KXO has persevered. Locally owned and operated, KXO radio broadcasts on both AM and FM frequencies.  It’s the granddaddy of the few radio stations here.

Much like metropolitan radio, local radio has its stars and its loyal listeners, although it does not necessarily have the stability and longevity like large-city stations have, nor do the jobs in local radio.

The second oldest radio station in the valley, Brawley-based KROP 1300 AM, went silent in April 2010 after 64 years of country music and news/sports talk.  Owner Cherry Creek Radio Corp. moved KROP’s sister FM station, Q96, to San Diego three months before and left KROP without the competitive advantage of a FM station.  Consequently, Cherry Creek silenced the valley’s long-time sports, news and country station KROP.

“It’s sad, but the owners didn’t consider the community when they made this decision,” said Lyon-Ramirez, a 23-year veteran at KXO. Devout KROP listeners must now resort to other methods to get their country music fix. KPLM 106.1 FM, also called the Big 106, based out of Palm Springs 90 miles away, is now the only country radio station that reaches the Imperial Valley, and not always clearly.

Tony Driskill, station manager for KROP and Q96, is now running Q96 from Lake Tahoe, California. Q96 has no disc jockeys in the studio, nor any commercials to interrupt the music. According to Driskill, “It’s all music all the time.”

“In a good month, Q96 would bring in about $100,000 in Brawley,” Driskill said. “In San Diego, it has the potential to make six times that amount.” He estimates that if the station were sold in Brawley, it would have been worth $5 million. In San Diego, it has the potential of selling for $20 million.

But, that doesn’t answer why KROP had to be silenced. “I think the owners made the decision thinking that it would only be off for two days to a week,” explained Driskill. “I don’t think they planned on it being off for this long.”

“There are only so many radio stations,” Lyon-Ramirez said. “Nobody else can go back into Brawley and start a radio station; (Cherry Creek) took the signals.  It’s hard for small towns when they do that. I mean, did San Diego really need another radio station?”

Alex Sykora, also known as DJ Arox, puts together a mix with his disc jockey equipment. Sykora says that he's invested thousands of dollars into his equipment over the years. --Photo by Kaylene Sutton

Only five radio stations are licensed in the Imperial Valley, which makes livelihoods in the industry here hard to nurture.

“The problem is radio is kind of dying out,” said disc jockey Alex Sykora, also known as DJ Arox. “It’s a combination of the Internet age and the fact that there are now more mediums to listen to music with.” Sykora has nine years of DJ experience. He specializes in live shows, although he got his start jockeying at Q96 before he started a nursing education at Imperial Valley College in Imperial.

“I’m going to school for nursing,” says Sykora. “I want a job that actually makes money, something consistent. The entertainment business is too shaky.”

But, Sykora said he loves the live action of radio and private DJ gigs.  “I love sharing music with people,” Sykora said. “When the crowd gets going, it feels like I’m hearing the song for the first time.”

Live private shows for local bars, parties and other events are where most music DJs make their money—not in radio.

Rafeal Moreno, or 'DJ RM in the AM,' was a featured disc jockey at Club Envy in Brawley, Calif. before its closure at the beginning of the year. --Poster art provided by G2design

“I was always very passionate about music and liked to share it with other people,” says Rafael Moreno, who worked at Q96 before it was moved to San Diego County. Then he moved to Power 98 in Mexicali. “It can be an art form and a science to me because you have to learn a lot about electronic equipment, recording, mixing. There are a lot of little details that go into those things.”

Moreno, or as he’s called at the Power 98 station, “DJ RM in the AM,” performs both live shows and on the radio. “I prefer live shows because I get to see my audience,” he said. “But in the radio booth, I get to speak a little bit more. I like getting information out to the public and being entertaining for them.”

Performing live shows comes at a cost. DJs who perform live usually have to buy their own equipment, which can cost about $8,000. “Music costs a lot now,” says Sykora. “Some DJs bootleg or pirate, but if you want the quality sound, you’re going to pay for the track.”

As far as radio old-timers are concerned, the private party circuit and even the Internet will not outlive the traditional information and entertainment of radio.

Norman Germani, 82, a radio announcer for KXO from 1951 to 1955, refuses to believe radio—local or otherwise—will succumb to the Internet.

“After a windstorm here 60 years ago, TV antennas would get knocked over and people would tune into their radio for the news,” Germani said.  “It’s not much different today.  If you lose your Internet, and you will, well, we did in the earthquake, but we had our battery-powered radios for information.”

Norman Germani as a KXO radio announcer in 1952, El Centro, Calif. “The next time a big earthquake hits, do you really think you’ll turn into the Internet when you have no electricity to power your computer or your cell phone?” --Photo Courtesy of Germani Family

But long-time valley radio leader, KXO, was knocked off the air during the Easter Sunday 2010 7.2-magnitude earthquake that violently shook the valley and upper Baja.

“If KXO plays its cards right, they’ll get that auxilliary generator they should have had during the earthquake,” Germani said.  KXO reportedly did not have a back-up generator to counter the power outages leveled by the quake.  Consequently, information about the quake was lax for several hours.

“The next time a big earthquake hits, do you really think you’ll turn into the Internet when you have no electricity to power your computer or your cell phone or cell tower?” Germani posed. “No, you’ll find a radio to get the news.  That’s why radio is superior to the Internet.”

"The Collusion Series," by Imperial Valley teen author Alexandra Lopez, is stacked on local library shelves with classics like "Doctor Dolittle" and "The Call of the Wild." -- Photo by Marisol Diaz

The “Twilight” books, written by Stephanie Meyer, inspired the movie series and a cult following of both readers and movie-goers around the globe.  But during the last decade, that inspiration was not limited to just reading or watching the mythical and unorthodox teen romance stories; inspiration bled over into the minds of young writers, including those in the Imperial Valley.

Often seen as culturally dry as the desert it occupies, the Imperial Valley is home to several young authors who have crafted their own fantasies in the pages of books that are sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, at the local bookstore, and can be found in local libraries.  These youthful writers have not experienced the notoriety of Meyer – at least not yet.

Angela Ly, 16, is writing her second novel.  “The book is going to be about a different dimension, but in this world,” Ly said.  “There will be action and adventure, somewhat like Twilight.”  The Brawley High School junior self-published her first book, “Birds to Fly Me to You” in 2009.

Teen author Angela Ly, (right) and her best friend Rebecca Rodriguez look over "Birds to Fly Me to You." Said Rodriguez of her friend being a published author, “I liked her book. But it made me sad in the end.” --Photo by Marisol Diaz

Fantasy adventures like “The Way to Fairyleland” and “The Collusion Series” have sprung from the minds of local teen authors prolifically in recent years.  Publishing house Wandering Sage Books recently released a commemorative edition of “The Way to Fairyleland,” by Belén Ramos, and a third young writer, Alexandra Lopez, is penning her third and fourth books.

But fantasies can spring from just about any source.  Angela Ly, who writes under the pseudonym of Fantasy Angie, decided to write “Birds” as a result of her eighth-grade history lessons.  “I was learning about the war in history class,” she said about the idea for her first book.  The story takes place during World War II and centers around two girls of different ethnic backgrounds and the difficulties of their friendship.

Writing is “a way of spacing from reality,” said Ly, who writes anywhere she can translate her imagination into stories–at school, at home, and even at her mother’s nail salon, where she spends most of her after-school hours.  She said her second book  promises to have “a lot more action and fantasy” than her first, more realistic story.

Just like veteran authors, young writers want to fine-tune their works, draft after draft.  Belen Ramos had similar feelings about her third book—she wanted to make it more “teenage-ish,” according to her brother Omar, although he chuckled that he didn’t know what she meant by that.

Author Belen Ramos (left) and her brother, Omar, attending a Southwest High School musical in El Centro, Calif. shortly before Belen's untimely death. --Photo provided by the Ramos family

Belen Ramos was killed in an automobile accident outside of El Centro in February 2008.  At the time of her death she was writing the sequel to “Fairyleland” and a second draft of her third novel, “The Voice in the Box,” which her brother says the family would eventually like to see finished by a ghost writer. “I think my mom would really like that,” Omar Ramos said.

In the meantime, Belen Ramos’s publisher, St. Louis-based Wandering Sage Books, has released a commemorative edition of “The Way to Fairyleland.”

“I just felt like I had to do it,” said Dave Barlow, owner of Wandering Sage Books.  “There’s really a lot of talent missing in the world, and I think people should read Belén’s book because it’s proof that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve great things.”  The new edition of Belén’s book includes some of her poems and a letter to her parents written shortly before her death, Barlow said.

Barlow’s company, at the time called Emerald Falcon Press, bought “The Way to Fairyleland” when Ramos was only 15.  Her novel later won the publishing company’s “Young Author Award.”

“She tried going for the big publishers like Scholastic,” said her brother, Omar Ramos.  “She didn’t have a literary agent. She did all the lobbying herself. And she was ecstatic when she got the letter that [Falcon Emerald Press] wanted to buy her book.”  The book is about a young girl who accidentally trips one of her father’s inventions and sends her to Fairyleland.

Bonnie Olesh, owner of the Imperial Valley’s only mainstream bookstore, Fifth Avenue Books in El Centro, said she can think of only two local authors who have been published by publishing houses—Belen Ramos and Harold Bell Wright, who wrote the best-selling novel of 1911 and 1912, “The Winning of Barbara Worth,” from his El Centro farm.  Wright’s novel became a 1926 movie co-starring Hollywood legend Gary Cooper.

“When you self-publish, it’s difficult to market, and your target audience is generally only who you know locally,” says Olesh.  “I carry books from local authors as a community service. I don’t expect to make any money for it.”

Teresa Lopez (left), and her author daughter, Alexandra, look over a book from Alexandra's "The Collusion Series" in Imperial, Calif. Alexandra said she will write seven more "Collusion" books. --Photo by Marisol Diaz

Self-publishing, also known as “vanity press,” is the publication of a book at the expense of the author rather than at the expense of a publishing house. Both Angela Ly and Imperial, Calif. author Alexandra Lopez, 15, went the route of self-publishing after trying to find publishers to buy their works.

Ly published her book through Xlibris for about $400.  Her mom, Linda Ly, was a big financial support in that effort.  “Her goal,” said Lee of her daughter’s literary aspirations, “is to be published by Scholastic.”

Both Ly and Lopez, who paid for publishing her book from money she saved, said they have recovered the costs of self-publishing their books through sales.

Lopez’s “The Collusion Series,” books one and two, are sold through Authorhouse.  But she said she doesn’t mind being recognized only locally as a self-published author.  “I just want to write for fun, not so it can be popular or so it can be the next hit series.”  Lopez said she plans to continue the saga with seven more books.  She is also in the process of writing several books unrelated to “The Collusion Series,” which is about two siblings who lose their parents and are introduced to a new family.  The characters are fictional creatures who are confronted with many challenges, but also experience magical adventures, which teach them a lot moral lessons along the way.

“I always knew that she loved to write,” said Teresa López, Alexandra’s mother and a grammar instructor at Imperial Valley College.  “What surprised me was that she was so determined and that she followed through.”

But, Angela Ly has a different goal.  She said she wants to be as successful as the award-winning German fiction writer Cornelia Funke.  “I feel that I’m one step closer to becoming America’s next top writer,” said Ly.

Slab City, just east of the desert berg of Niland, Calif., is home to wanderers and music lovers. --Photo by Melissa Opina

NILAND, Calif.–In a small secluded area on the outskirts of this desert town, a mish-mash of trailers and tents surround a big stage that unites the people of Slab City in a very unique way and brings their musical talents to life every Saturday night.

Slab City is a tiny “town” where there are no bills to pay, no running water or electricity, and when nature calls, you choose your bush.  And yet there are about 50 people who live here year round, even in the harsh summer months when temperatures can reach 118 degrees and “residents” spend a lot of time cooling off in nearby irrigation canals.

“Most of the people who live out here in Slab City have lost their home, money, and family, so they have nowhere else to go,” said Sean Paul, a U.S. Army combat veteran. “I can eat out of a can. I am used to this, but a suburban American might find living here a challenge.”

Paul said he arrived in Slab City about 13 years ago and he chose to stay because life at the Slabs is free. (Story continues following slideshow.)

The music is especially free, and easy.  Every Saturday night when the sun sets, Slab City becomes an ampitheater under the clear, starry skies and against the backdrop of the Chocolate Mountains that may just echo the tunes of Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane, among other artists of the hippie era.

Anyone and everyone with an instrument and/or a voice is invited to perform on Saturdays—winter, spring, summer and fall.

During the mild winter months the Slabs can be packed with thousands of travelers from all over the world living out of everything from their Harley-Davidsons to luxury RVs.  It is respite for weary hitchhikers like 24-year-old Alejandro, who asked that his last name not be used, a college student from Spain.

“I am doing a project on how Americans interact with each other,” Alejandro said.  “My friends and I chose this place because this is a different kind of scene than the regular party scene; it’s more a 70s scene.”

Nabila Gaines, a student and volleyball player at nearby Imperial Valley College, attended one Range concert in May.  “ It kind of looks like when we were young how we would put things together just to have fun.  Overall I had a great time, and mostly I felt free.”

Cesar Espinoza, 17, concentrates on his art work on Tuesday, May 25, 2009. He says he enjoys filling in the lettering of his drawings to make them more colorful by "bubbling in" with blue ink. –Photo by Alejandrina Rangel

CALEXICO, Calif.–When he sees empty walls, Cesar Espinoza starts to picture colorful art and he immediately wants to reach for his miniature spray can to paint graffiti.

The problem for this 17-year-old artist is that his passion is illegal – particularly when his canvas is private property.

“Tagging,” as graffiti art is called by its practitioners, “makes me feel good because I get to express myself,” said Espinoza. He explained that his creativity expands and his art gets better on the large space of a wall rather than on a piece of paper.

Many people, especially the property owners victimized by graffiti artists, might wonder who it is “tagging” their homes, fences, and even their vehicles.  Sitting at a railroad crossing, one might see elaborate lettering in vibrant colors on a train’s cargo cars and wonder what the message is and who the messenger might be.

Espinoza is one of those taggers, although unlike a lot of graffiti, Espinoza’s art has no meaning he said, and it is not an expression of claiming gang-related turf.

“I prefer to work alone and sometimes I will tag with one buddy because when cops see too many taggers standing by, it makes it seem like we are part of a gang,” Espinoza said.  “If I decide to invite a friend, it is just going to be the two of us,” he added.

Cesar Espinoza, 17, stands inside an empty pool in Heber, California, where a property owner gave him permission to paint his graffiti on the pool’s lining. He says he had time to concentrate on this particular artwork without the fear of being arrested. –Photo by Alejandrina Rangel

The junior at Southwest High School in nearby El Centro, who says one day he would like to be a U.S. Border Patrol agent, was arrested in January 2009 for defacing private property. “Somebody ratted me out,” Espinoza said.

Imperial County Sheriff’s deputies did not catch Espinoza in the act.  Instead, they had pictures of him from an unnamed source as evidence of his crime.  But when deputies came to arrest him, proud of his artwork, Espinoza admitted to painting the graffiti on apartment complexes near his neighborhood.

During his trial, the judge asked Espinoza if he was a gang member.  Defiant about his artistry he responded, “I get ideas in my head and picture colorful art on empty walls. I tag because I do not like to see plain walls.”

Espinoza’s mother, Alma Aguirre, admits that she felt “humiliated” by her son’s arrest, although she’s quick to defend him.  “He gets passionate about his work,” she said.

The judge gave Espinoza several options for paying the price of defacing property.  They were community service, writing a 500-word essay, offering a verbal or written apology, or facing an “alternative” court of his peers.  He and his family chose the latter.

The alternative court, known as a youth peer court, is comprised of juries of middle school and high school students.  “We didn’t know what to expect,” said Aguirre. “The court gave my son an opportunity. He received three years probation. This has made him think, and it is part of his growing experience.”

Francisco Garcia complains about the latest vandalism to the fence around his home in Calexico. He says the territorial graffiti is “ugly,” but he won’t paint over it anymore because he says the tagging will just keep reappearing. --Photo by Alejandrina Rangel

Homeowner Francisco Garcia, who lives in the Kennedy Gardens neighborhood of Calexico, might not be so lenient after covering up graffiti on his fencing twice.  He says the vandals are territorial taggers, hardly artists.

“You see ‘GARRA’ and it is crossed out and ‘KGS’ beside it,” Garcia said, explaining that the scrawled words all over his fence represent two feuding neighborhood gangs.

“If they see an empty fence, they just paint on it,” Garcia said.  “It looks ugly.  It’s not art.”  He’s decided to just leave the graffiti there, disagreeing with anti-gang authorities and studies that say immediate removal of graffiti discourages vandals.

Calexico Police Officer Carlos Ramirez said much of the graffiti around town is attributed to gang members and skaters, and if the they do enough damage the penalty can be much steeper than peer court, leading to felony charges and prison.

“It is not art,” Ramirez said.

Espinoza, whose probation will last another two years, said it makes him “happy” to see the graffiti he has painted on signs and buildings around town—graffiti, that is, that he did prior to getting caught.  But today, instead of sneaking his graffiti onto people’s property, he asks first.  He was recently given permission to tag the lining of a neighbor’s pool with a business-suited monkey and an elaborate symbol he can’t explain.

“There is no meaning behind my art,” Espinoza said. “I just like to draw and I find myself tagging my school work.” And he said his teachers like his drawings and encourage him to continue doing his art—on paper.

Oil paint by Paola Hernandez, a senior at Southwest High School in El Centro, Calif., May 2010

EL CENTRO, Calif.— The visual and performing arts have not always been a rich part of the culture in this desert region in Southern California’s Imperial Valley.  Riches here are normally measured in water, produce and geothermal, and experiencing the arts was typically done 120 miles away in San Diego.

But, the one and only arts magnet school—Southwest High School in El Centro—is producing a rich pool of future artists for local and global enrichment.  Students of computer animation, media arts, acting, and dancing are pulled from high schools in Imperial County as far as 30 miles away.

The following video showcases five outstanding artists from the Southwest Academy of Visual and Performing Arts at Southwest High School. They were chosen by faculty members based on their hard work and exceptional talent as artists: