May 13, 2004
It's all about me : Liza with a Z
by Liza Sabater
My name is Liza Sabater . I am a writer and cultural creative. I like to think of myself as a communicatrix-at-large, cultural creative and technofile.
I work with words as a Spanish & Portuguese languages and literature instructor, freelance journalist (Spanish & English), translator (Spanish/Portuguese/ to English, English/Portuguese/French/Italian to Spanish), literary editor and critic, marketing communications developer, software usability and technical writer, web designer & editor, creative consultant, actor and voice-over artist. I had my stint as an entrepeneur, working as a personal chef, adapting Mediterranean and Nuevo Latino cuisines for people with dietary restrictions. Add to the list the title of independent learning activist and unschooling parent and you can see the main focus of my work is on art, culture, education, media and tech.
I was born in New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital on a Sunday at about 11 am and with the aid of forceps (just in case you needed to know). On what day? Hmmmmm. Let's put it this way. The day I was born, Elizabeth Taylor appeared on the cover of Life Magazine as the lead of Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf? (What did you think, that I would make it easy for you to find out my age?)
I was raised in Puerto Rico (in Mayagüez and Bayamón). I am a (phenotypically speaking) birracial (technically ethnic) Puerto Rican (albeit very real) woman. Given the burundanga of races and ethnicities in both sides of my family : Free Negroes and slaved Africans, Spanish Roma, Native Caribbeans (Taino/Carib), Catalan, Castillians, I like to think of myself as a post-nationalist mutt.
In PR I did my tour of duty as a Catholic Girl and attended the University of Puerto Rico as an Economics major until I decided to switch mid-year to a BA in Latin American Studies. That decision brought me to New York and New York University.
While at NYU I became an atheist, fell in love with Nietzsche, the post-structuralists (Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Kristeva, etc.) and devoured anything on Baroque Aesthetics. I completed my graduate studies as an M.Phil in Latin American Literature, with a research focus on Baroque and Neo-Baroque literatures.
The thread that runs through my interests is very Barthes-ian. The one book that I keep referring back to his Mythologies. Even though it was the first book to look at every day life through the lens of semiotics, it is still relevant today; especially with the impact of digital media, and the endless aesthetic possibilities that it offers, on the production of every day life. Think PhotoShoped porno vis-a-vis the the "normality" of cosmetic surgery.
This blog's first intention was to explore the myths of every day life; defining it so as parenting, education, health and home economics. Life is difficult to parse out into select categories. These days, any practices, any events that I see as part of our culture's myth making machine, ends up commented or linked to through this blog. Someday, it will all come together as more developed thesea. For now, I'm happy to keep this blog as an open notebook.
If really needed to know, I drink too much coffee and love the occasional Gitane. They are habits which do not make me a good yogini. I love yoga. I swear by homeopathy and the power of massages. I stay away from soaps and shampoos. I go sleep way past my bedtime. I have naturally curly hair. I'm allergic to cats.
I still live in New York City and seem not to find a way out. I'm addicted to this place. I live with this guy and our two lovely spawns.
Posted by Liza Sabater in About
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Comments (9)
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Say it loud, say it proud!
You're very interesting person!Is this weblog your creation?
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Comment by: caren litherland at November 16, 2004 07:59 PM
hey! i stumbled on your blog completely by accident, after googling "bush rice affair." (i'm convinced that they're having an affair. c'mon, she spends every weekend—every friggin' weekend!—at camp david! what single, attractive woman spends weekends with her boss, unless...?)
love the blog, love its look-and-feel and, like another poster above, am struck by how much we have in common, starting with an implacable addiction to new york.
rock on,
CL
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Comment by: Marisol Mejil at November 17, 2004 05:09 PM
Hello Liza,
I was very impress with your articles and most importanly with your accomplishments. As Im reading your information about your family history it dawn on me that you are part of my family history too. If your interested about our Mejil Family Tree please email me at mmejil@yahoo.com. I would appreciate your time and efforts of helping all of us learned about our Ancestors. I will leave you with this in mind, " Have you ever heard of Simone Mejil? He was the first Chief of Police in Guanica, PR. in 1898. He was my 3rd generation grand dad...
Looking forward from hearing from you...God bless...
Your cousin Marisol
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Comment by: koren at December 6, 2004 10:46 PM
You make yourself look very crazy when you refer to black people as Negroes, particularly Colin Powell and Condi Rice who have clearly transcended that term- regardless of how you feel about their politics.
Let's discuss.
Otherwise, very interesting blog.
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Comment by: Eric at January 20, 2005 10:26 AM
Hi,
Nice blog, you write very well.
In response to the comment from Koren about your appearing crazy for using the term NEGRO to discibe Condi and Colin- Even as a self-avowed social liberal, I think the term is appropriate to discribe a person of any color/ethnicity that subjugates/denies the truth in to SERVICE to the MAN. The fact that they are Black makes it no more or less repugnant- But the term NEGRO harks back to a darker time in America when Blacks were expected to step aside for the White man, defer to the White man and do the White mans bidding. Is this not what Condi and Colin are doing? I think so. I believe they lie every day at Georges behest. They have not TRANSENDED that term, they have DESCENDED into it.
Are there White folks doing the same for George- You bet your ass there are. And NEGRO fits those folks too.
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Comment by: unimportant(birthname) at February 19, 2005 11:38 AM
i was listening to immortal technique, which is strange because its the only rap or hip hop i own, anyways i ended up online and found you.
i like to write myself, and i like the tone of your structure. i even dug your mans shitty art. oh and its shitty, but i still dug it. please take this with a light heart and dont write me and try to argue with me about what art means etc... i have an asnwer for everything, everything. but then again thats easy to say, its much more difficult to say i have a right answer for everything. as i was saying, i like your stuff, its such an honest non-annoying style. but remember to not perpetuate discrimination by lending hand to a plight. im not saying to not take a stand or anything like that, im just saying to be inclusive in your style, relate to everyone not just the people who already agree with you. if you dont make change then whats the point. ok, sure, youll make some change because its literally "literally" impossible to not, but dont forget that you can choose the size of your change and the speed of change. i havent slept so ive been writing, you were a nice intermission. good days to you.
oh and whats with all the people above here talking about what negroes, i beleive thats how they spelled it, i like how they are trying to find a way to distinguish one human from the other. just thinking about that makes me think of 3.14, good luck with finding a point.
im not going to reread this so if there are mis-spellings then mock me if it helps you.
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Comment by: APizzo at April 9, 2005 05:44 PM
So the Boondocks has been picked up by sony. The downside is all contact information has been erased or moved... we want to produce music for the score...Can you assist with getting in touch with your man? Nice blog site too... www.rawdialect.com
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Comment by: Gotham Image at May 7, 2005 07:23 AM
Liza - you sound very interesting- saw you on a friend's meetup page, and the went to check out the URL above your pic.
Stop by gothamimage and put your two cents in.
Regarding Condi- it may be fun to speculate, but it's not proven- but she does love him - love is not always consumated-go to my blog and read my post "condi luvs george," and you'll see.
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Comment by: Scott W. Somerville at August 3, 2005 02:58 PM
Liza, the future is in blogs and you're in the future! I'm very impressed with your site, zeal, and style. Consider me a fan.
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Comment by: Marina at September 1, 2004 05:53 AM