Julia Lopez - Link and Dialogue collaborator

A single mother who has chosen the rugged path of writing and performance art over steady employment, Julia Lopez is all too familiar with the inequities that exist for artists. As an undergrad in Theater at Weslyan University, she was either "too dark" or "too white" for stage productions. Her experiences with the Nuyorican Poets theater were no less patronizing. She did not feel at home until she relocated to Philadelphia in the late 80's, connecting with its nascent Latino theater community, and working with Taller Puertorriqueno. Recent highlights of her work include the 1994 production with Claudio Mir, entitled "Myra and Junior Forever," and inclusion of her signature poem, "Colonialism on the Brain," in the 1996 anthology In Defense of Mumia, published by Writers and Readers.

Lopez' reflection on the situation of the working artist could be applied to the pervasive alienation in the contemporary American workplace: "Prospective employers do not respect your process, that it takes time. They think that since you like what you're doing, you shouldn't be compensated for it." Her relationship with the Link and Dialogue, however, has been different. "Homer was writing a proposal. He called me and asked me what I had, and I read him the script verbatim. I wrote the project description, and even the budget." Jackson and Carole Robinson also helped ease Lopez' introduction to the female inmates and prison staff, then left her to her own devices. The result was a performance video featuring characters created and played by inmates. Unlike most organizations that hire artists, Lopez says: "Homer pays on time for the work described."

return to Homer Jackson interview