Ferrandina Press is an independent publisher based in New York City. We are local writers and visual artists publishing and presenting our works to the world because we believe that stories, whether fiction or non-fiction, reveal the truth. Our stories matter, to us and to us all.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to create a marketplace and community of local artists who are linked by a desire to expand their abilities and share their expertise with others in a cooperative way. We are deeply inspired by ideas and are committed to creating opportunities for the artists and writers who have found it difficult to find a foothold in the corporate publishing industry.

On this website we wish to create a forum for an exchange of ideas and experiences. Our blog will be open to collaboration from all of our friends near and far who would like to express themselves and make their experiences known.

OUR PROCESS

We utilize online apps and self-publishing tools, such as CreateSpace, Blurb, Smashwords and Kindle Vella to transform our ideas into a fully realized product. At Ferrandina Press creators to take ownership of their works, taking charge of all aspects of the editing and printing of the finished product.

The Chacmool is a sculptural form that can be found at archeological sites throughout central and southern Mexico (the region known as Mesoamerica). It consists of a young man reclining and resting on his elbows. His body is seen in profile and but his face is turned 90 degrees to meet the gaze of the observer. Resting on his stomach is usually a large bowl, which he holds in place with two hands. It is assumed that this bowl was used for offerings to gods or other spirits. 

Little is known about this young man or his place in the spiritual landscape of Mesoamerica. He can be found at Mayan, Toltec and Aztec sites as well as among other cultures. He is associated with the rain god (Aztec Tlaloc, Mayan Chac) and is often considered to be a representation of him, but this is not certain. Even the name “Chac-mool” is a neologism, created by the British archeologist August LePlongeon in 1875, when he discovered such a sculpture at Chichen Itza. Interestingly, he does not refer to the god Chac as a source for his nomenclature, but rather a Yucatec Mayan phrase meaning Red paw of the Jaguar. 

Many of the ancient depictions associated with Mexican civilizations have a powerful ability to inspire the imagination. Chacmool is among these. With his distinctive (and difficult to maintain) pose, his mysterious origins and significance and his empty bowl, the Chacmool is a vessel to represent whatever we are searching for in Mesoamerica’s indigenous roots. The great Mexican writer, Carlos Fuentes wrote a short story entitled Chacmool that creates a modern context for him. It is a truly magical story befitting this earthy, symbolic boy.

We at Ferrandina Press have found ourselves captivated by the Chacmool as well. The ease with which he maintains that posture, the service to the people and the gods that his offering bowl implies, the peaceful enormity of his presence make him an irresistible character in our existence and a fitting icon for our website. We have asked the chacmool to dispense with the offering bowl on our website and to hold up a book instead. Preferably one of our editions.