What if you realize you’re in love with your best friend…?

Published on www.cellstories.net, October 2010

Lainy placed her index fingers into the belt loops of the JC penny jeans I was trying on. I felt her eyes in the gap between the stretched out jeans and my panties.  She muttered a half-ass comment on how I had lost weight, but her gaze lingered just a moment too long and I hoped beyond hope it was something more. The tension was exquisite, with her tugging me closer by my pants the tips of my nipples just barely brushing hers. I stared to get real hot, and moist if you know what I mean…  I wanted Lainy to yank the curtain closed, push me back against the mirrors and put her tongue between my teeth.  I imagined myself tapping the inside of her incisors wrapping my lips around her tongue and taking her inside.  Instead, she just wiggled her fingers inside the belt loops, than pulled them out, incidentally tracing her fingers down my hips.  I got a chill from the base of my spine to the nape of my neck. I turned away from her and glanced at myself in the three mirrors.  I felt so sexy, with her around.  I turned back just in time to watch her cross her arms over her chest upside down, so she could grab the bottom of the shirt she was wearing, she pulled the end of the shirt up over her naval, until her head was shrouded but her round breasts (they looked to be a fistful each) were exposed.  She took the shirt off, entirely unconscious of my wanton eyes.   She wore a baby blue cotton bra (that I’m sure was soft to the touch).  I longed to touch her.  I wanted to squeeze that layer of skin over her hips in my hands as I pulled her to me.

click here to download a PDF of the complete story.

Check them out at:

http://www.cellstories.net/

I  have had the distinct honor of working as a contract writer for the Division of Global Affairs of the American Dental Association.

It has been a wonderful experience.   I was hired for my creative abilities as a writer and editor.  My main role has been to compose and edit persuasive and heartfelt copy to help in Haitian disaster relief efforts in the oral health sector. I am filled with pride to know my words have helped secure funding for crucial programs that will help rebuild the oral health infrastructure in Haiti.

In addition to my  work on Haitian relief,   I’ve had other assignments all of which  (to my delight) have been philanthropic in nature.  I have been given  various writing and editing jobs to assist the international relations of members and staff of the ADA.  I created content for the international webpage.  I edited and composed myriads of correspondence, meeting notes, reports, and miscellaneous copy.  I also headed several research projects culminating in well-written detailed reports.

Here are two sample letters I composed for the ADA.

Disclaimer:   I have blacked out, and replaced with Xs,  all the names of  individuals in order to protect their privacy.   All copy remains the property of the American Dental Association and is only posted here as evidence of my ability as a writer.    None of it may be reprinted without the express permission of the American Dental Association.

Letter written for the ADA asking for the support of a fundraising program for oral health disaster relief in Haiti

Letter written recognizing the achievement of dentist who volunteered overseas with a certificate

Here’s the article.  It was originally published in the November 2006 issue of the Near West Gazette, now known as the Gazette, Chicago.

You can download a PDF of the article here

Community leader Bland takes on Turner in
9th House District

By April Galarza

Arthur Turner has served the community for 25 years as 9th District State Representative, but Republican candidate Myra Bland thinks it is time for a fresh approach in Springfield. Turner disagrees, believing that after all of his years serving he has a true understanding of the district and its needs. The Nov. 7 election will decide who will represent the Near West and West Sides.

Democrat Arthur L. Turner was born and raised in North Lawndale. He still lives there, a half a block from his childhood home. He holds a B.S. from Illinois State University in business administration. Before being elected State Rep in 1981, Turner served as an investigator in the State Attorney’s Office.

As a State Representative, Turner has promoted fair housing legislation. He spearheaded a trust fund to buy and renovate housing to make affordable units available to low income families. The fund averages about $18 million per year and helps families statewide.

One of the biggest challenges Turner faced last term was legislation to reclassify ex-felons. Before this issue was brought to light, ex-felons were prevented from working in most professions. For instance, a man or woman who cut hair in prison, once released, was no longer allowed to cut hair. More than 52 occupations have been adjusted under the law to allow hiring of ex-felons so they can earn a living.

Turner also supported tougher restrictions when deciding whether a repeat domestic violence abuser should be let out on bail.

If elected, in his next term Turner would focus on education funding and distribution. He feels it is crucial to “get away from property tax reliance and reanalyze the entire education funding system,” he said. Turner suggested obtaining the bulk of funding from income tax revenue instead because a slight tax increase of ½ percent “could offset a large portion of the gap in funding presently caused by the large differences among school districts’ property values.”

Turner added, “My track record is one that says that I would serve the people well, based on seniority in the evolution of laws and law that are made. I still have energy and commitment, I am forward thinking, and I am adaptable to changes in the economy.  I truly represent the wishes of most people in our district.”

Turner’s opponent, although new to politics, said she is the fresh approach the district needs. Myra Bland grew up on Chicago’s West Side and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas.

Bland has a background in education and community service. A former State of Illinois Community Leader of the Year winner who logged more than 20,000 community service hours, along with the Red Cross she partnered with another organization to raise funds for disabled people in her neighborhood. She also served on the Professional Women’s Advisory board of Who’s Who International, where she formed an international database of strong, educated community leaders that was used for networking to pair human and financial resources.

Bland considers inactivity to be “the bane” of most political offices and vowed to “work harder than any other political leader” if elected. Bland also believes the education funding system needs to be amended, but she said the problems are internal; her education background gives her an inside perspective on funds distribution.

“Plenty of money is set aside for schools,” said Bland. “However, once administrators get a hold of it, most ends up in their pockets and there isn’t enough left for buying textbooks.” She suggested an honest, independent administrator with an educational background be hired to oversee funds and their distribution.

Bland opposes deportation of immigrants, believing it costs more to deport them than to create a program helping them attain citizenship. If elected, Bland would offer local businesses incentives to sponsor immigrants wishing to become citizens.

About gang-related crime, she feels neighborhoods would be much safer if people could pass information anonymously to police. Often, she said, traditional questioning is fruitless because citizens are afraid to talk to police. If elected, Bland would set up an untraceable way for citizens to communicate crucial crime-solving information to law enforcement officials.

Bland implored voters to consider candidates carefully before voting. “Look at the candidates and look at what they have done,” she said. “In every party there are active and inactive people. You cannot judge the entire party by the candidate. You have to vote based on the candidate.”

 My voice is featured in Librivox.org’s  Short Poetry Collection 062 reading The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes.

You can enjoy this and other lovely poems read out loud by brilliant auditors here.

About LibriVox: 

LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. Our goal is to make all public domain books available as free audio books.

A hip new Chicago literary magazine, Two With Water featured yours truly in their ’Rx Reading Series” on Friday March 26th at this nifty little gallery/radio station/book store/performance space, Transistor. 

I read my flash fiction piece ‘Civic Duty,” a  wild dream story about an austere general commanding actions of war and glory and sudden realizations about the meaning of peace.  Hopefully to be published soon in a literary magazine near you…. 

An excerpt of my novel, “La Manda” is forthcoming in issue #2 of Two With Water.   The excerpt is called “Ghost Games” and will be published in October of 2010. 

Here’s what “Ghost Games” is about:

Growing up in a haunted house is challenging enough, nevermind having to deal with the disolution of her parent’s marriage, but then Lucia’s mother decides that 13 is the perfect age to reveal their family’s hidden secrets.

Columbia College Chicago’s Demo Magazine

Link to original article: Portfolio: In Our Own Front Yard

Photo Credit: Alberto Galarza

“My husband, Alberto Galarza, got downtown around noon when the crowd was just beginning to gather. I joined him around 4:30 p.m. coming from the suburbs. I had to run all the way from Union Station because they were starting to let people in and I had our ticket. I arrived just in time completely out of breath and red faced. I nudged and excused myself through the people lined up to get inside to my husband who was waving his arms. Despite the long wait to get in the mood was electric.

“Thanks to Al’s perseverance in standing in line we were able to get spots about four rows behind the barricades separating the average crowd from the VIPs. We had to go through metal detectors and baggage searches. We had to stand for over eight hours shoulder to shoulder like at a rock concert, but the tears and hugging and the overwhelming sense of joy and hope from the crowd made every aching muscle insignificant. This moment lives in history and we were there to witness it. A Jumbotron and enormous speaker blasted the results state by state. The crowd erupted in bursts of cheers and applause for every state called for Obama. By the time Ohio was announced we knew it was clenched but no one wanted to say anything. It wasn’t over until it was over.

“And then they called it. I cried with a big smile on my face. Al and I kissed passionately; our hope and relief overfilled us with emotion. Everyone around us was hugging and crying—even complete strangers! The applause was thunderous. We hugged Hola and Melissa, a couple that I had met at Biden’s announcement in Springfield who just happened to be standing by us that night. It was like the stars and moon were aligned. When the bishop quoted Martin Luther King Jr., I felt how much we had matured as a nation. I said the pledge of allegiance and stood for the National Anthem for the first time since before the Iraq war began. My boycott was over. This day I felt like an American again.”

In September of 2008 April Galarza was honored with an Apex Award for Publication Excellence in the Science Environment Writing Category for her article on the local impact of Global Warming published in the September 2007 issue of Gazette (Chicago).

(click Global Warming to download pdf)

Excerpt from article about the Apex awards from the September 2008 issue of Gazette (Chicago):

“April brought a great local perspective to an international subject, connecting the fight against global warming to initiatives by the City government, the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, the Chicago Transit Authority, and other local entities,” Valentino said.

Click here to learn more about the Apex Awards

A story about a young boy who is determined to lasso the ghost of La Llorona and prove she is nothing to be afraid of.

Published in 10,000 Tons of Black Ink in its debut issue:

December 2007

La Llorona

by April Galarza

When Señor Delajolla was a young boy growing up in Mexico, there was a story about why you should never go out past Don Alberto’s south pasture after dark. La Llorona was there and if you saw her face you would never know happiness again.

When Sergio first heard about the weeping woman, La Llorona, he couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious black ribbon flapping in the wind, caught in a splinter of wood on the gate. It was said she was back again wandering the dusty riverbed with her blood-red robozo wrapped around her shoulders and her black braid thick and swinging against her back like a snake hanging from a tree.

As he closed the gate behind him he saw the ribbon and clasped it in his hand, catching it from the wind. The second he held it the pain sharpened in his stomach like someone grabbed a fistful of flesh and was twisting it. It felt like he had been running hard and fast without taking enough breaths. He ran into the house clutching the ribbon in his fist like a moth that might fly away.

When he told his mother how he felt she admonished him for being so foolish. She stood on her tiptoes and pulled a green glass bottle from the plank shelf above the fireplace. She popped the cork of the bottle and held it under Sergio’s nose. It smelled of cilantro and honey and something earthy like moss. As the smell rose through his nose and inhaled into his lungs the pain in his stomach was eased. “Now get that thing out from under this roof before you bring La Llorona to our doorstep,” his mother said.

She sat him down on the bench and reminded him curtly that now that his Papi was gone he was the man and somewhere in the night, outside the shutters and white scrubbed walls of the little house were things no Catholic should ever lay eyes on.

click here to download pdf of complete story.

]]> http://aprilgalarza.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/la-llorona/feed/ 0 aprilwriter 10k_logo_sm1 http://aprilgalarza.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/for-her-information-chicago/ http://aprilgalarza.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/for-her-information-chicago/#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:28:58 +0000 aprilwriter http://aprilgalarza.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/for-her-information-chicago/ Continue reading →]]>  

This excellent woman’s magazine makes it cool to live green.

“To inspire women to take care of themselves so that they can then cultivate others and together, nurture the Earth.” (The mission statement according to FHI’s founder Beth Aldrich)

FHI was formerly published in print but now is online only in order to be more eco-friendly.

August 2007

A New Era for Working Moms

(Link no longer available)

A New Era for Working Moms

Are you a working mom or career woman who is considering having children?  If so it is time to make a decision about your future.  How do you plan to balance work and home life?  In the past women had limited options.  They could cut back on their hours, switch to part time, leave the workforce completely or buckle down and invest in childcare.   For most these options were barley viable never mind desirable. Because of the high cost of living and raising a family, simply cutting back hours or leaving completely is unthinkable for many.    Fortunately the work world is changing.   Employers are catching on to the fact that they are losing so many talented devoted workers.   Modern technology opens up doors to a different kind of working environment.  Telecommuting is now a practical and to some, preferable option.    Women who do choose to leave the workforce are no longer limited housewifery.  There are ways for them to supplement and even replace their income working hours that are conducive to raising a family.

Over 5.4 million mothers put their careers on hold to stay home with children in the United States.  That’s 22% of the workforce.    These substantial numbers are causing employers to rethink their current ideas regarding a strictly regulated 9:00-5:00 Monday-Friday workweek.

“What many women don’t know is that companies are starting to realize that they are losing out on some of the best possible employees…at every CEO table in the country right now executives are asking ‘How can we keep our new moms?’” says Alicia Bassuk an independent executive coach in decision-making and leadership management.  Her company, Ubica Strategy, helps dedicated professionals re-invigorate their careers.  A large portion of her clientele is working mothers or mothers-to-be that are seeking a solution to balance their career and family duties.

According to Bassuk, sometimes all it takes is a serious sit down with your employer to negotiate more flexible options.  Bassuk strongly encourages women to have this conversation well before children are on the way.  Trying to achieve an acceptable solution last minute is overly stressful.  Instead Bassuk recommends having an exploratory conversation with employers when you think you might have children.   You‘ll never know what you can work out with your employer if you never ask and simply quit.  Think about all the options you have beforehand.  Set up a plan based on those you choose.

You may be surprised with the results of such a conversation.  Many employers are starting to realize what has long been true.  Working mothers who have been given the opportunity to maintain a healthy balance between home and work are ideal workers. They tend to be loyal, reliable and have superior time management skills.  Often times they are so grateful to the company they go above and beyond whenever possible.

Some employers may prove to be inflexible.  It may be you have not gained enough seniority in your company or they simply hold fast to traditional ideals.  In any case if you decide that staying with your company is no longer advantageous, then there are other options to consider.  One option is to continue to do what you are already paid for freelance.   This will offer you more flexibility and the possibility to replace your income.  You can do this independently or with the help of two revolutionary new companies.  Mom Corps and HireMyMom.com are staffing agencies devoted to connecting mid career professionals with employers seeking to augment their workforce.    These excellent companies help working moms (dads and other professionals wishing for more flexibility) find temporary, part time and contract work in their fields.

“Employers are noticing a talent shortage. Droves of experienced professional women choose to leave the workforce and companies are starting to realize they are losing their best employees.   The time is ripe for companies and society in general to start looking at non-traditional work options.”  Says Dianne Michael, Midwest Regional Vice President of Mom Corps.  “Many parents can’t afford for one or the other to leave the work force, MomCorps is all about finding ways we can create a mutually beneficial situation that meets everyone’s needs”

HireMyMom.com has a similar mission, however in addition to placing individuals, they also offer assistance for moms interested in starting their own businesses.   They sell a business start up kit that helps fledgling entrepreneurs figure out what business best suits their needs and skills.    One of the prime services this kit provides is helping moms (and other professionals) calculate how much money they need to make.

Lesley Spencer Pyle, CEM (Chief Executive Mom) of Hiremymom.com and the Home Based Working Moms group encourages women to spend some time thinking about what they want in a business,  “Spend some time thinking about what you want …not how can I make money quickly. This tends to cause the mom to quit and restart… it is very wise to think through what you want to do and create an informal business plan.  Those who thoroughly consider all the facets of business owner ship before diving in are much more likely to stick with it and to succeed.”

Hiremymom.com also hosts also an online community where working moms all over can communicate with each other.   It can be used as a prime networking resource for locating other “momprenuers” near by.

“With 300 members nationwide, especially those who network and get to know each other, they can learn things that would take a lot longer to learn on their own.  The moms offer each other support. Sometimes its just good to know you’re not alone, that there are hundreds of other moms that are always out there.”

Bassuk agrees with Pyle and recommends mom’s steer away from business ideas that are drastically different than their current careers.  “Women who create a business based on what they already know how to do, what they were paid to do, will be more successful.” One option for a mid-late career professional could be setting up a consulting firm in which companies would pay for your expertise.

The working landscape is changing and there are now more options for working mothers than ever before.   We can start to envision a new future in which the workweek and the regular 9:00-5:00 are redefined.  Perhaps we may even create a society that values family needs as much as the bottom line.