Creative Arts inspired by the book

In Denver, Su Teatro did a theatrical production of Enrique's Journey in the fall of 2011. In Charlotte, North Carolina, readers put on a ballet version of the book.

In Logan, Utah, high school students were asked to interpret Enrique's Journey artistically. Before a crowd of parents, the students showed off ceramic sculptures and wooden carvings of trains. Others performed poems. Two students played piano concertos inspired by the book. Others sang songs they had written. The pieces were so heartfelt and beautiful that some parents were crying in the audience. The mostly white, Mormon students said the book gave them a much better understanding of the Latino students at their high school. Many of those Latino students had seen their parents deported during a local meatpacking plant raid. Here is one of the wooden carvings a student gave Sonia Nazario after the event.

St. Louis artist Theresa Maria Allen-Koerner is painting a series of pieces inspired by Enrique's Journey. She plans to sell them and give 75 percent of the proceeds to help the migrant shelter run by Olga Sanchez Martinez in Chiapas, Mexico. Here is one of the paintings -- of Olga. If you are interested, email me and I'll pass your information on to the artist.

Update on 11/10: Ms. Allen-Koerner sold all these paintings during a theatre production by Su Teatro and Fort Lewis College of Enrique's Journey in Durango, Colorado. She raised $2400 and generously sent this amount to Olga's shelter. You can see all of the paintings at: www.mariaallenkoerner.com

Several artists have sent Sonia Nazario paintings inspired by the book. Here is one by North Carolina artist Edwin Gil.

And another by Dayle McKinney:

Artist Josue Rojas said Enrique's Journey inspired this mural in San Francisco's famed Balmy Alley.

Lucas Rotman, frontman for Brooklyn, NY band The Melodic Miners wrote a song called Longing No Border Can Tame after reading Enrique’s Journey. The story reminded him of the heart-wrenching story of a young migrant Rotman met and became friends with in Mexico City.

Click the link to download The Melodic Miners' song:

Longing No Border Can Tame