Rudy H. Garcia resides with his wife Rita in Laguna Vista, Texas.  They are blessed with four lovely daughters, Risa, Mari, Marisa and Carisa and seven beautiful grandchildren:  Gia, Iris, Maya, Alejandra, Nicolas, Camila, Jimena and baby on the way. Rudy shares his love poetry in his first published book, Life Renewed, where he expresses their romance and his love for family and his faith.  Born and raised in the Laguna Madre community, Rudy was fortunate to spend much of his childhood exploring the shores of the Laguna Madre, walking the length of the shrimp docks, venturing in and out of shrimp houses, boarding shrimp boats and conversing with the crew. Two of Rudy’s books Shrimp Tales & Shrimp Tales 2 share stories about the men and women in the Shrimping Industry in our community.

One of the most treasured memories growing up by the Laguna Madre, was climbing the Port Isabel Lighthouse during the hot summer months. The lighthouse keeper, Mr. Frank would let Rudy climb the spiral steps to the top to the dome, where he would sit outside on the cat walk facing east overlooking the bay and Padre Island. The East side of the lighthouse’s dome provides a cool shade, during the always prevalent sea breeze coming off the Laguna Madre, as the sun moves to Westside of the lighthouse.  These memorable moments of his youthful adventurous days will always be embedded in his soul.

Growing up in an area where two countries meet and are only divided by the Rio Grande River, a person acculturates and appreciates the best of two cultures that blend into one that is rich in having a passion for a variety of music, foods, customs, traditions and ceremonies.  In this area, people are blessed to speak two languages and enjoy greeting the tourists that come to enjoy our paradise.

The Laguna Madre, Padre Island, Gulf of Mexico and Shrimp boats are found in many of Rudy’s literary works. Although Rudy loves writing very much, he feels he is an educator by vocation and a poet on occasion.  In these writings, it stirs the awareness and compassion of the hard-working people in this area.         

The book of poems, Two Eagles, speaks to the life experiences of Rudy H. García encompassing four chronological stages from childhood memories, immigration issues, educational experiences, and values of hope, faith, and love. The title, Two Eagles, symbolizing the Mexican Golden Eagle and the American Bald Eagle, was chosen by the author to depict his Mexican American culture and heritage while also captivating the essence of the real-life experiences growing up on the border of these two great nations, the United States of America and Mexico. The love of these two countries comes from daily exposure and fluent use of two languages, English and Spanish, and his appreciation for foods, music, and television with family and friends of these two ethnicities meaning everything “All-American” and “Mexican.” The total emersion in both great cultures in the author’s life made it impossible to separate the two. Hence, accepting the demographic identity of being Mexican American proudly enjoying fully, the best of two worlds.