Interview: Our Otherness Is Our Strength by Andrea Navedo

In her book Our Otherness Is Our Strength: Wisdom from the Boogie Down Bronx, Andrea Navedo, known as Xiomara from the acclaimed CW series Jane the Virgin, reminds us that “When you show up for you, amazing things happen.” A short but powerful book, filled with lessons on how to thrive in our “otherness.”

Expanding on her commencement address to her former alma mater DeWitt Clinton High School as well as other speeches that she has given, Navedo proudly highlights how her upbringing in The Bronx has made her who she is today. From learning how to stand up for herself, to further exploring her culture, to becoming the representation she wished to see on television, Our Otherness Is Our Strength is an invitation from Navedo to believe in yourself.

Each chapter begins with a quote, wisdom that gets reflected throughout each unique story, and as we slowly get more intimate with Navedo, we start seeing that there’s no limitations to what one can achieve if you believe in yourself.

On behalf of Latinx in Publishing, I asked Navedo a few questions about the journey that led to writing her book, the importance of Latinx representation in the media, exploring your cultural history and more.

Tiffany Gonzalez (TG): I'm a huge Jane The Virgin fan and was excited to learn that you had a forthcoming book. I was also even more excited to learn that you were from the Bronx, as I spent my childhood there, until I was 13 years old. How did the idea for this book come into fruition. And why did you decide to focus on your upbringing and the Boogie Down?

Andrea Navedo (AN): I wrote this book because while I was on Jane the Virgin I was invited to give the commencement speech at the high school I graduated from. I had been wanting to write a book for a while. I wasn't sure what it was going to be about, but I felt like I had some ideas to share. And so when I got the invitation to give the commencement speech at Dewitt Clinton Highschool in The Bronx, I thought, Wow, here I am! It's 30 years later. What am I gonna say to these kids? I was one of those kids sitting in those seats. The response from the speech was so positive that I wanted to share what I told them, tell stories they related to, on a bigger scale. That’s where the idea for the book came from.

The other reason why I have the Bronx in the title is because when I was growing up, I felt like “the other”—one who's not part of the mainstream, not accepted. I felt that being from The Bronx was one of the things that made me “other.” Also, the reputation The Bronx has worldwide is as dangerous, a bad place. I wanted to shine a light on the humanity that is in that borough and show that good can come out of The Bronx, that wisdom can come out from there—and places like it. I wanted to focus on my upbringing to show the humanity of my community.

“I may not have gotten to see myself reflected on television, but I got to be the person to help create that reflection, that image.”

TG: OK, I grew up in the 90’s/2000s and watched a lot of TV in Spanish and English. It never dawned on me that no one ever looked like me until much later in life. It's one of the reasons that I love Jane the Virgin. I not only saw myself but my family in the characters. Can you talk more on why it's important for characters like Xiomara, to exist on television and your thoughts on the future of Latinx people in the media?

AN: I was aware, when I was growing up that I wasn’t being reflected on television and film. As a little girl, I had a dream of being an actress. I never shared it because it seemed like a pie-in-the-sky dream, unobtainable, especially because I didn't see my own images reflected on television—at least not in a positive way.

I’m a member of the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media. Her message is “If she can See it, she can Be it.” What she tries to promote are more female images in front of the camera, more female lead characters and she's also expanded that agenda to bring in more diverse characters, as well. I believe that motto is true, that if she can see it, she can be it. Unfortunately, I didn't see it. So it was really hard for me to believe that I could “be it.” I'm glad that I tried acting as a career anyway, because I got to be one of the people who have represented people like me and have created an image that could potentially inspire a younger generation of “others.” I may not have gotten to see myself reflected on television, but I got to be the person to help create that reflection, that image. That's really important to me. Jane the Virgin was the show that I needed when I was growing up. I needed that show. It would have meant so much to me. But the prize came later on for me, when I became an adult. I got to be the person to bring that gift, not only to my family, (because the women in my family didn't get to see it either) but to other generations of Latinos, people of color and a diverse background of so many cultures that related to Jane the Virgin. It is not just being Latina. That whole immigrant story makes sense to so many cultures in the United States and globally. I'm proud and happy that I got to be one of persons who helped tell that story.

TG: In the book, you discussed negative portrayals of The Bronx in the media, throughout your upbringing. Do you think those portrayals are different today? If so, how? What is something positive you wish for people to know about The Bronx?

AN: There’s definitely way more positive images of Latinos or people of color in the media now. That's because so many people have been speaking up for years, pointing out the discrepancy in the population at large versus what you see on the screen. There was a huge discrepancy there that makes a certain segment of the population feel left out, excluded, “othered.” That's really where my book comes from: feeling like “the other” but realizing that being “the other” and all the challenges that come along with that can be the very thing to help you succeed. Those challenges are what make you stronger. It made me strong enough to handle a very challenging career as an actor. Entertainment is still a very, very challenging career.

People may know that The Bronx just celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, which was born in the Bronx! Hip Hop is a global, multibillion dollar industry. Who would have thought that those black and brown kids from the Bronx had anything to offer the world? And look at what they offered?! Hip Hop is not only for black and brown kids anymore. It's for all cultures. It has exploded. It’s been an amazing way of expressing the challenge of being “the other” through music and dance. It's resonated with so many people and so many cultures because everyone has some sort of otherness. Everyone has some challenge and hip hop is a way of saying F you to the Big System and carving a way for oneself. Another multibillion dollar influence is Salsa music. Salsa also comes from The Bronx. Many think that salsa music came from Puerto Rico or from Cuba. It has its influence from there but the birthplace of salsa music is The Bronx. But no one has to do something amazing or incredible in order to be validated. I want people to know that the people living in The Bronx or a place like The Bronx are human beings with dreams, wishes, wants, goals. These are people who care for their children, who want them to do well in the world, who want their kids to be safe and contributing members of society.

TG: I Absolutely loved the retelling of your time in Puerto Rico with your grandmother. I laughed when I read how much Sancocho you ate. I have to ask if Sancocho is still a go for you? 

AN: Ah Sancocho, I hardly ever eat because it's such a hearty stew and there's so much salt in it. I try to avoid soups because I’m watching my blood pressure. Fun, I know. . . If I'm given the opportunity, I would definitely have some as a treat, but Sancocho is so delicious and filling, I wouldn’t need to eat for the rest of the day!

“. . . learning the language, learning about your history, and traveling to your country of origin, really help give you a sense of belonging. ”

TG: We are in a pivotal time, people are exploring their histories more, doing the research they weren’t assigned growing up, fighting back the unjust systems trying to erase our past. What is your advice to those on this crucial journey?

AN: I would say to explore your heritage, your background, what your genetic makeup is. Learn where your parents and grandparents are from, where your great grandparents are from, because it will give you a sense of identity and belonging. I needed that growing up. As a kid, I knew I was Puerto Rican, but I didn't really know what that meant. Puerto Rico was just some island far off I had never been to. It sounded cool. I was an American, although I didn't feel American because I didn't look American. I didn't look like the people on TV. I kept asking myself, “Who am I and where do I belong?” Then I had the opportunity to go for a month to Puerto Rico to stay with my grandmother and have Sancocho and roast coffee beans from the family farm out in the sun, on the patio. I had the freshest, best coffee I've ever had in my entire life. That gave me a sense of identity and belonging. Then, as an adult, I decided to learn Spanish because I did not grow up speaking Spanish. I was technically second generation in the States and so even though my parents speak Spanish, they would always speak to me in English. They grew up in a time where assimilation was the most important thing. You had to assimilate into the American culture and on some level, you had to reject your family culture. There was a lot of racism that my parents experienced, especially my mom because she had brown skin, like me. My father had fair skin, blue eyes so it was a little easier for him to navigate the world, but for my mother, it was harder. As an adult, I started to learn Spanish, especially because when on that trip to Puerto Rico, I didn't know how to speak with my extended family members. I couldn't understand them and they made a comment that it was a shame that I didn't speak Spanish. I felt very embarrassed and said, “Hell no! When I get older I'm going to learn how to speak Spanish.” So when I graduated college I went to Mexico. It was cheapest of all those Spanish abroad Programs. I had some money saved up. I went to Mexico for three months, attended a Spanish school, lived with a family who didn't speak English and I learned so much during that time. After that, I studied in Manhattan at a really cool school that doesn't use textbooks. They teach in a way that is very natural to how we learn to speak languages. I also went to Cuba for a month to the University of Havana. I’ve done all this to claim my identity because learning the language, learning about your history, and traveling to your country of origin, really help give you a sense of belonging.

“Writing this book gave me the opportunity to look at where I was from and to see how far I had come.”

TG: Could you share some words of wisdom to those embracing  their “Otherness?” 

AN: Write down the negative experiences or feelings you've had growing up or even in your adult life. What were the challenges your otherness created? For me, the sense of being Latina and brown from The Bronx, made me feel like I was less than, not valuable enough to be an actor or to be a featured actor. But I persevered anyway. I pushed against that, and those things made me stronger. I lived in a tough neighborhood, was bullied, but I used that to make myself stronger. Back to your list. Write down your challenges, especially those that came with your otherness. Then list the achievements in your life. So often we focus on what we didn’t get and what was bad and wrong that happened to us and never stop to say, “Well wait, look what have I overcome and achieved.” That’s what was so great about writing this book. Writing this book gave me the opportunity to look at where I was from and to see how far I had come. Those are my words of wisdom. Do that exercise and see how your otherness has strengthened you.

TG: Finally, what can we expect next from you?

AN: *The audio version of the book will be coming out very soon. I'm actually going into the studio to record the audio book, so that's what's next for me! My next goal is to work on a TED talk or two, but nothing is in stone yet. For those who’ve never heard of a TED Talk, it’s a global organization that promotes speeches to help share ideas and get the word out to millions of listeners.

*The audio is now available via audible.

---

Andrea Navedo is a Bronx-born-and-raised Puerto Rican American actress best known for her role as Xiomara, a complex and genuine Latina, on The CW’s series Jane the Virgin, for which she received critical acclaim. She is dedicated to various charities, including A Place Called Home in South Central Los Angeles, and the Fresh Air Fund in New York City. Navedo has a passion for self-improvement, growth, and healing, and through her experiences seeks to help those who see themselves on the outside looking in. She and her family divide their time between their homes in Toronto and Connecticut. 

Website: AndreaNavedo.com
Instagram: @andreanavedo
Facebook: /AndreaNavedoOfficial
Twitter: @andreanavedo

Tiffany Gonzalez is the Marketing Manager at Astra House and the Board Treasurer for Latinx In Publishing. She previously worked in Production at HarperCollins Publishers. She has worked on the Publicity and Marketing campaign for Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva and on the Marketing campaigns for Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell, National Book Award Finalist The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela and Y/N by Esther Yi. She was a 2022 Publishers Weekly Rising Star Honoree. She has earned her Bachelors and Master's degrees from Rutgers University - New Brunswick. She is Dominican-American and fluid in Spanish. You can follow her on Instagram @wandering_tiff_ and on Twitter @wanderingtiff or visit her website wanderingtiff.com.

Matt Sedillo: His Book Tour in Italy and translated work

Matt Sedillo is a Chicano political poet, essayist, and activist, based in Los Angeles, who is also starting his own press called El Martillo Press. Sedillo recently had an international book tour in Italy, after his work was translated into Italian. In this interview, he tells Latinx In Publishing Communications Co-Director Ruddy Lopez about Vite derubate, Terra derubata, how this tour came about, and his experience having his work translated.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Ruddy Lopez (RL): Tell me about your book tour in Italy and how it came about.

Matt Sedillo (MS): The book tour came through my publisher, Ensemble. They set up all the readings. When I say my publishers, it really was chiefly the effort of Edoardo Olmi, who was instrumental in the entire process. The trip included stops in Rome, Florence, Bitonto, Molfetta, Bari, Turin, Bologna, Venice, Varese, and finally Colleferro. It really was like several different trips all in one, each deserving its own careful retelling. I am still processing so much of what happened as this all was in the course of around three weeks.

I arrived in Rome two days early, planning to get over the jet lag. No such luck. Flamina Cruciani, a poet that David A. Romero and I are publishing, lives in Rome, so I figured it a good idea to meet up with her. Flamina is an incredible poet whose work has been celebrated all over the world. At dinner, we discussed the possibilities of readings in Colombia, the U.K. and what El Martillo would set up for her once she came stateside. On the day of the reading, I met Edoardo at the train station and we headed over to meet with Mateo, one of the owners of Ensemble Press, who had a box full of the books. It was an incredible feeling to open the box and see my translated work. I handed Mateo copies of El Martillo publications and we discussed a world of possibilities. That night I read at the famed Lettere Caffe with close to two dozen poets as the book made its debut. Many of these poets are noted on the national stage of Italy, as I am coming to understand. This was a great honor and I am still in the process of following up with the many doors and opportunities that appeared to have opened that night.

In Florence, I read at the University in a student-occupied center as part of a larger festival. While there I struck up a fascinating conversation with noted choreographer Cristina Rizo and we discussed her approach to dance and my approach to poetry and found some fascinating points of overlap and differences.

For the readings in Bitonto, Molfetta, and Bari, I spent three days living in an Antifa compound called Ex Secerma, meaning former barracks. The space was once a military barracks and now it was an anarchist co-op of some sort. The readings were set up by Edoardo, through our mutual friend Mark Lipman and their friend Pipo Marzulli, organizer of the poetry festival held there every other year. Pipo is a member of the Revolutionary Poet’s Brigade, an international organization founded by Hirschman, over a decade ago. Its proud legacy continues. Mark had invited me last year to Elba, where I first met Edoardo, alongside Anna Lombardo. They both loved my work so much that they committed to a translation and a publication.

In Turin, I met up with Mateo and David, the owners of Ensemble. I commented what a strange twist of fate as I was starting my own press with my friend David A. Romero. We had a great laugh about this. The festival itself was massive. It was such an honor to be there at the booth with the publisher and to see the size and scope of all the incredible writers that are housed by Ensemble. The translation branch of the press, Affluenti, has also published Dianne Suess. Meeting the Italian book-buying public all happened so fast. We sold quite a few books and we met the public head-on as literally thousands of people were at the event. There was a great deal of interest in the American political landscape. And I answered as best I could through Edoardo.

In Bologna, we took part in a festival of books put on by Seven Foxes, a bookstore that had a strong working relationship with Ensemble. The festival was held in a public park and my reading was followed with a Q & A. The audience was very curious about how I became so politically outspoken and what the dangers were in the U.S. of being as strident as I am. I answered to the best of my ability.

Venice was incredible, really truly one of the most surreal experiences for me. At this point in my life, I can say I have read at the University of Cambridge, at UNAM, at Casa De Las Americas, and now at an international poetry festival held in Venice, Italy. I have the great Anna Lombardo to thank for this. Anna has organized this festival for many years. Anna was a great friend and colleague to Jack Hirschman and working with Anna, for me, it really begins to cement my own legacy as a poet whose work is celebrated on an international level. At the festival, I ran into my old friend, the beat poet laureate of Hungary Gabor Gyukics, who translated and got my work published in three Hungarian literary journals; one of them right next to Sylvia Plath. What an honor that is. I also ran into my great friend Serena Piccoli, one of the best political poets I have ever met, and we talked about the doors that get closed when you speak out in an unapologetic fashion.

In Varese, I caught up with Gaetano and Maria Elena. While there I stayed in Maria Elena’s family home that was built in the 1300’s. That blew my mind. At the house there was a printing press, a work station and a painting studio. Maria Elena and Gaetano are maybe the most natural artists I have ever met. Also would you believe they got us incredible press for their event. In one paper I was compared to Amiri Baraka and Jack Hirschman. What an incredible honor to be compared to such legendary poets in print in another country.

Finally, I made my way to the last show in Colleferro. I was exhausted but it was a different kind of exhaustion. It was an exhaustion informed by a career and legacy-defining trip. It was a satisfied exhaustion. On the train it was announced there was a WWII unexploded bomb on the tracks and the train was delayed. We rushed onto the subway, and rushed from there to the bookstore. We were 15 minutes late to the reading and my head was pounding. The audience was mostly composed of radical teachers who asked the most insightful political questions of the entire trip. I did my best to answer the questions and that was that.

(RL): How did you feel seeing your poems translated into Italian for the first time?

MS: It was incredible to get a hold of the book for the first time. I really do feel as though my life is about to change in a big way. I feel as though all my work, over the years, is beginning to really pay off. I feel as though I am just getting started. To be honest, the biggest feeling I feel right now is relief. It is a confirmation of what those who believed in me have always said about me. I may not have the biggest fanbase but I do have an incredibly passionate one. I have felt pressure over the years to live up to what my biggest supporters have said about me. I have articles in print comparing me to Brecht and Dalton, and others comparing me to Ginsberg. That is a lot of pressure. It is a lot to live up to. I feel like this is a step in the right direction and more than anything, I feel relieved to finally be headed in the right direction.

(RL): Tell us more about the Turin International Book Fair and your experience participating in it.

MS: The Turin International Book Fair is the largest most important book fair in Italy. To have been an invited guest is the stuff dreams are made of. I really hope to do more things like this across the world. I have my eyes set on Guadalajara, Berlin, and Medellin.

(RL): What advice do you have for writers hoping to have their work translated?

MS: My advice to writers wanting to have their work translated, especially speaking to an audience based in the U.S., is first to reverse your thinking on what it means to write. Here in the U.S. we are constantly told that writing is about healing or therapy or something that edifies the author. Writing can be all those things. But if you want people to care about your work, write about things that matter to more people than just yourself. Write not as a matter of personal expression but as a public service. Do that often enough and you will gain international attention. Write about things that matter and write well. Seek international stages. Do those two things at the same time and it may just happen for you as well. Right now I have been translated into three languages and there is talk of a fourth and a fifth. This happened because of both my content and my skill. Work on both.

---

Matt Sedillo has been described as the "best political poet in America" as well as "the poet laureate of the struggle." Sedillo was the recipient of the 2017 Joe Hill Labor Poetry award, a panelist at the 2020 Texas book festival, a participant in the 2012 San Francisco International Poetry Festival, the 2022 Elba Poetry Festival, and the recipient of the 2022 Dante's Laurel.Sedillo has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Axios, the Associated Press, and La Jornada among other publications. Matt Sedillo is the author of Mowing Leaves of Grass (FlowerSong Press, 2019) and City on the Second Floor (FlowerSong Press, 2022) as well as Terra Derubate, Vite Derubata (Ensemble Press, 2023). His poetry has been translated and published in Spanish, Italian, and Hungarian. Sedillo is the current literary director of The Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles.

Ruddy Lopez is an Executive Assistant and Editor at Community Literature Initiative and Communications Co-Director with Latinx in Publishing. She lives in Inglewood, California, and attended California State University, Long Beach, where she obtained a BA in English Literature and English Education. In her spare time, Ruddy enjoys reading, writing poetry, and exploring what her city has to offer.

Four Anthologies to Read in 2023

Anthologies have so much to love about them. They provide multiple stories in just one book where the author can showcase many aspects of their writing style. There are always new characters to meet, new plots to read, and new worlds to lose yourself in. 

Here are four anthologies that you should read in 2023.

---

Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed:
15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora
edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

This anthology, edited by Latinx in Publishing Board Chair Saraciea J. Fennell, is composed of well-known and up-and-coming authors who challenge the myths and stereotypes that surround the Latinx diaspora. 

“In Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, writers from across the Latinx diaspora interrogate the different myths and stereotypes about this rich and diverse community. From immigration to sexuality, music to language, and more, these personal essays and poems are essential additions to the cultural conversation, sure to inspire hope and spark dialogue.

The bestselling and award-winning contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Cristina Arreola, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Naima Coster, Natasha Diaz, Kahlil Haywood, Zakiya Jamal, Janel Martinez, Jasminne Mendez, Meg Medina, Mark Oshiro, Julian Randall, Lilliam Rivera, and Ibi Zoboi.”

The Book of Wanderers
by Reyes Ramirez

If you want an anthology that’s filled with unique worlds and characters across different genres, these short stories by Reyes Ramirez are for you.

“The collection follows multiple characters of Mexican &/or Salvadoran descent in past, present, and future settings inspired by Houston. Readers will recognize many of the landmarks and cultural influences of H-Town in The Book of Wanderers, whether it be pro wrestling, driving on I-45, roadside memorials, the Ship Channel, and even its unique radio DJs. However, as the stories progress, their genres stray further from reality, ranging from hallucinatory realism to science fiction to the post-apocalyptic. Houston is a cosmopolitan metropolis in Texas that’s part of the South, West, and Southwest on the Gulf Coast that encompasses the urban, suburban, and rural while being near the Borderlands with connections to the cosmos through NASA.”

How to Date a Flying Mexican:
New and Collected Stories
by Daniel A. Olivas

This whimsical anthology by Daniel A. Olivas intertwines Chicana/o and Mexican culture and history such as gods, curanderismo, education, immigration, and more.

“How to Date a Flying Mexican is a collection of stories derived from Chicano and Mexican culture but ranging through fascinating literary worlds of magical realism, fairy tales, fables, and dystopHow to Date a Flying Mexicanian futures. Many of Daniel A. Olivas's characters confront—both directly and obliquely— questions of morality, justice, and self-determination.

The collection is made up of Olivas's favorite previously published stories, along with two new stories—one dystopian and the other magical—that challenge the Trump administration's anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. How to Date a Flying Mexican draws together some of Olivas's most unforgettable and strange tales, allowing readers to experience his very distinct, and very Chicano, fiction.”

Her Body and Other Parties
by Carmen Maria Machado

Within these thought-provoking and captivating stories, Carmen Maria Machado presents the reality that surrounds violence against women and their bodies.

“In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.”

---

Melissa Gonzalez (she/her) is a UCLA graduate with a major in American Literature & Culture and a minor in Chicana/o & Central American Studies. She loves boba, horror movies, and reading. You can spot her in the fiction, horror/mystery/thriller, and young adult sections of bookstores. Though she is short, she feels as tall as her TBR pile. You can find Melissa on her book Instagram: @floralchapters

Interview with 2023 Whiting Award Fiction Winner Carribean Fragoza

Carribean Fragoza, author of the critically-acclaimed story collection Eat The Mouth That Feeds You, is one of the latest winners of a Whiting Award! The Whiting Awards are given annually to ten emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They are based on early accomplishment and the promise of great work to come. We were excited to catch up with Carribean and ask her a few questions.

Toni Kirkpatrick (TK): What was your first thought after you learned you won a Whiting Award?

Carribean Fragoza (CF): I flickered between two feelings, the first one being the feeling of being fully seen. This feels odd to say because I know that people I consider my community have been seeing me and my work for a long time. But when I took that phone call from the Whiting, and they told me how much time and energy had been invested into following and selecting each of the winners, I experienced maybe a different kind of care in that level of attention. The other feeling I kept flickering into was astonishment which is a kind of detachment from any one emotion or thought. Like is this really happening to me? I’m still sort of cycling between these, plus the thrill/mild terror of “what comes next?”

(TK): You have long been doing work to shed light on the culture and history of South El Monte. How does your hometown influence your fiction?

(CF): South El Monte and El Monte are almost always in my fiction. Sometimes it’s more in the forefront as a specific set of locations that I have in mind for my stories and sometimes it’s more of a mood or vibe. South El Monte and El Monte have a very distinguishable vibe. I see and feel it when I go back home to visit and I can see it in your Bolero of Andi Rowe collection, Toni, as well as in Michael Jaime-Becerra and Salvador Plascencia’s work. Also, every time I’m back in SEM/EM, I notice something new or something will catch my eye and it will immediately inspire something in me. They might be very ordinary things, like a mother pushing a stroller down the street or a kid eating a popsicle, but I feel them very deeply.

(TK): You are also the Prose Editor for Huizache, which made its return last year. What are you seeing these days from Latine writers and what excites you? 

(CF): I’m very honored to be on board as Huizache’s Prose editor. And so far, what has excited me the most is work that feels urgent and necessary. These are stories that feel like they need to be told and something very important is at stake for the narrator and other characters (and the author!). The style and risks that writers are taking are responding to the world with all of its beautiful and awful complexities. The voices they are developing in the work are forged from survival and wrought with sharp intelligence. There's a lot of power there.

(TK): What is your advice for Latine writers as they seek to publish their work and find recognition?

(CF): I suppose the best advice I can think of right now is to encourage writers to write stories that feel essential to them and to bring forward voices that are clear, strong, and have something that they need to say. Get in touch with the raw nerve of the story and others will feel it too. And perhaps more importantly: JUST KEEP WRITING. The publishing and awards will come, but most often we don’t have a lot of control over that as writers. But writers gotta write. And writers have to keep learning and growing and getting better. With that said, we also need more Latine/Latinx editors, agents, and other publishing industry folks to create a literary ecosystem that is more supportive of Latine/Latinx writers.

---

Carribean Fragoza is a fiction and nonfiction writer from South El Monte, CA. Her collection of stories Eat the Mouth That Feeds You was published in 2021 by City Lights and was a finalist for a 2022 PEN Award. Her co-edited compilation of essays, East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte was published by Rutgers University Press and her collection of essays Writing Home: New Terrains of California is forthcoming with Angel City Press. She has published in Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times, Zyzzyva, Alta, BOMB, Huizache, KCET, the Los Angeles Review of Books, ArtNews, and Aperture Magazine. She is the Prose Editor at Huizache Magazine and Creative Nonfiction and Poetry Editor at Boom California, a journal of UC Press. Fragoza is the founder and co-director of South El Monte Arts Posse, an interdisciplinary arts collective. She lives in the San Gabriel Valley in Greater Los Angeles.

Toni (Plummer) Kirkpatrick grew up in South El Monte, California. A Latinx in Publishing board member, she lives in the Hudson Valley, where she acquires, edits, and writes fiction.

Interview with Rudy Ruiz author of Valley of Shadows

On belhalf of Latinx In Publishing, I had the opportunity to ask Rudy Ruiz a few questions about Valley of Shadows.

Chelsea Villareal (CV): As someone who also has Rio Grande Valley ancestral roots, I was thrilled to pick up Valley of Shadows! What made you want to write this genre-bending thriller?

Rudy Ruiz (RR): In my previous novel, The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, I applied magical realism to border life in a story that wove together love, history and a family curse. I wanted to explore the idea of that family curse further as well as delve more deeply into the conflicted and dark history of the border region and the multigenerational traumas that have haunted many families in the area, dating back to when the Rio Grande River was declared the border at the end of the US-Mexico War. Valley of Shadows provided me the opportunity to pursue that line of thinking while bringing elements of the Western, horror and mystery genres to a tale that touches on the historical atrocities and social injustices of the mid- to late-1800's. Unfortunately, many of those same issues of racism and discrimination against Latinos, Indigenous Peoples, African Americans and Asian Americans are still very real and pressing, which I feel makes the novel very relevant to readers today.

CV: One of the book’s stronger themes centers on borders, whether they be magickal, geographical, or metaphorical (or a decent mix) — could you tell us more about how you went about interweving all these nuances within the story?

RR: Borders are a motif in my writing. I was born and raised on the border, and my writing always takes me back there. They say you can take a person out of the border but you can't take the border out of a person. That saying definitely applies to me. Growing up, the border was an invisible line my family and I crossed every day. Because of that, I see borders as porous membranes through which people, animals, goods, services, and the environment must continuously traverse and transmit back and forth. In my work, I explore the idea of porous borders with respect to place, culture, language, time, and even life and death. Magical realism lends itself to that exploration in a very fluid and natural manner which also resonates culturally. When it comes to borders I see bridges instead of walls. I see beginnings instead of endings. I see an opportunity for people to come together and build something constructively and collaboratively. I try to reflect that world view and that vision for life through my characters and the situations and challenges they encounter and overcome within my stories.

CV: Tell us more about Solitario, your protagonist (anti-hero?). He exemplifies another key theme of your book; loneliness — how did you go about developing such a character?

RR: In Solitario, I yearned to create an imperfect person that could feel real and flawed, but also be someone worthy of rooting for, someone readers would empathize with and care for throughout the story. He's had a hard life and he's lost everyone he has loved. Whether it's because of his family curse, sheer bad luck or poorly made decisions, he has ended up a very lonely person, isolated and afraid to engage with the world. I created Solitario during the pandemic, and the heightened isolation of that time period inspired me. I think many of us felt isolated during the pandemic in a way we never had before in our lives. That sense of isolation helped me conjure up how Solitario might have felt in his self-imposed exile. Coming out of isolation has also been emotionally difficult for many people after the pandemic. That painful process, which involves taking big risks, informed my approach to how Solitario copes with opening his heart up to others. Likewise, I didn't make it through the pandemic alone. I doubt most people did. My family helped me get through it. For Solitario, the same holds true. Through the gift of "found family," vital friendships and alliances, Solitario is able to journey back into the world and fulfill his purpose as a member of his community. The dichotomous combinations of vulnerability and toughness, fear and courage, loneliness and yearning, resentment and moral compass render Solitario Cisneros a compelling character.

CV: How much historical research did you have to do for the book? There was an impressive amount of historical nods in the storyline.

RR: Thank you! I conducted extensive historical research to bring authenticity to the historical context of the novel. It started with genealogical research that my father began years back before he passed away. Through the research he did, I came to learn more about the history of the border and the families that originally settled it in the late 1700's. Our own family was one of those, the Cisneros. Through that history, I learned about the family's original Spanish land grant, Caja Pinta, which is actually a historical fact within the storyline and also the fictional Solitario's birthplace. In wanting to branch out from La Frontera, the mythical border town I created in The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, I imagined that Solitario would have wanted to flee the curse afflicting the men of his family. This leads him to join the Rurales, a paramilitary force that was part of the Mexican government and played a key role in fighting the French Imperialist invasion. And, eventually, Solitario ends up in Chihuahua and West Texas, in another mythical border town I created called Olvido. In fleshing out the details of those phases of Solitario's life, I learned a great deal about the history of Mexico and of West Texas, including the historic tragedy of the Porvenir Massacre of 1918 and the role of the Mescalero Apache people in defining the region. It was very eye-opening to do the historical research because I did not learn any of these facts in classrooms growing up. Unfortunately, the way most history text books have been written the perspectives of Mexican-Americans and Indigenous People have been largely omitted. This is one reason I'm excited to share this novel with the public. I see Valley of Shadows as a contribution towards reclaiming our rightful place in American history, redefining the Western genre, and adapting Southern Gothic to the Southwest and border regions.

CV: Any advice to readers looking to tap into their ancestral empowerment to break down oppressive borders, just like the ones you explored in your book? A lot of our community at LatinxinPub are also writers — any words of advice to those looking to take inspiration from their family’s stories and incorporate them into a book, much like you did with Valley of Shadows?

RR: Listen to your abuelitos and abuelitas, your mamá and papá. They harbor a world of wisdom and knowledge. Their stories – whether heartbreaking or funny, spiritual or painfully real, nostalgic or aspirational – are filled with a special magic that is embedded in our culture and DNA. When we retell those stories, use them as jumping out points, flesh them out with historical context, we can find ourselves inspired, either to overcome personal and professional obstacles, advocate for social justice, or engage in new ways with our own families and communities. When we understand our histories and we can process the traumas that might have been passed down through the generations, we can better face these issues and also begin to heal as individuals and families. And, if you're a writer or an artist, you might find yourself with a life-changing project on your hands that is both enlightening and empowering.

Valley of Shadows brilliantly blends magical realism, western, and horror genres into a page-turning Rio Grande Valley epic — a haunting frontera tale, perfect for folks looking for their next thrilling read.

—Chelsea Villareal

---

Rudy Ruiz is a writer of literary fiction, essays and political commentary. His earliest works were published at Harvard, where he studied literature and creative writing, and was awarded a Ford Foundation grant to support his writing endeavors.

Seven for the Revolution was Ruiz’s fiction debut. The collection of short stories won four International Latino Book Awards.

Ruiz’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals including BorderSenses, The Ninth Letter, New Texas, and the Notre Dame Review. In 2017, Rudy Ruiz was awarded the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction. In 2020, Ruiz was a finalist for both the Texas Institute of Letters’ Best Short Story Award as well as the Texas Observer’s annual Short Story Contest.

In 2020, Blackstone Publishing released Ruiz’s novel, The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez. The novel received critical acclaim and was named one of the “Top 10 Best First Novels of 2020” by the American Library Association’s Booklist. The Southern Review of Books stated: “Ruiz’s prose is buoyant and immersive…Its effusive descriptions are reminiscent of Laura Esquivel.” The novel was longlisted for the Reading the West Award and a Finalist for the Western Writers of America Silver Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel. It also was awarded two Gold Medals at the International Latino Book Awards, including the Rudolfo Anaya Prize for Best Latino Focused Fiction and Best Audio Book.

Follow Rudy Ruiz online: Website: RudyRuiz.com | Twitter: @Rudy_Ruiz_7

Chelsea P. Villareal (she/her) is a Queer Mexican American media strategist from PDX. She holds a BUPA in Political Science & Media Studies from Portland State University and recently completed her Master’s in Communication & Education at Columbia University. Her passions focus on participatory cultures, civic imagination, speculative storytelling, and intersectional Latinx identity representation — across all media. She proudly works on the marketing team at Schell Games and at We Need Diverse Books as their Senior Program & Partnerships Manager.

NPH 'The Resolutions' Review

Written by Norma Perez-Hernandez

When adults tend to talk about reading inclusive books written by diverse authors, they (myself included) will say how their younger selves would love the increased representation in the books published for children today.

Still, have you read a new book that makes you feel like you are that kid again, reading it for the first time?

That’s the way I felt while reading The Resolutions by Mia García. Not only do I know that sixteen-year-old me would have loved this story about four best friends who happen to be Puerto Rican, but I could see myself absorbed in this book for my local library’s summer reading challenge, propped up on my mom’s old caramel colored corduroy upholstered loveseat, the fan hitting my face, and a can of Pringles at my side.

The Resolutions is all about the title: the four friends, Jess, Lee, Nora, and Ryan, decide on New Year’s Eve to adhere to the typical New Year’s tradition—except instead of coming up on their own resolutions, the friends write each other’s new year goals for each other. Ryan has to get over his ex and back into his art, Lee needs to decide whether she’ll take the test to know if she has the same disease that took her mother’s life, Nora has to decide if her dreams are tied to her mother’s restaurant, and Jess, the architect of this resolution project, has to say yes—and hopefully learn to say no to—all of the pressure she puts on herself.

At first glance, one may wonder what’s so revolutionary about The Resolutions. There are no dragons to slay, no evil wizards, no marginalized pain in this book’s pages. And that’s what honestly makes The Resolutions so refreshing. It’s a book about four regular teenagers who all just happen to be of Puerto Rican descent. Their pain and conflict comes from other sources than their Latinx identities: breakups, new and changing relationships, anxiety about school and their future, and so on. And if we could have more books like The Resolutions, we can see even more of the rich diversity of Latinx teenagers, their identities, fears, weaknesses, dreams, and triumphs.

The Resolutions by Mia García came out on November 13, 2018 from Katherine Tegen Books. For more information, click here.

Friendship, Growing Up and Unsung Heroes: November Releases 2018

As the days get shorter, the nights longer, and the year begins to wrap up, there is no better feeling than getting cozy with a good book. ‘Tis the season of hot chocolate and comfort after all, isn’t it? This year has brought incredible books by Latinx authors month after month, and November is no exception. Happy reading!

If you’re looking for a heartwarming, coming of age story about a group of friends then look no further — Mia Garcia’s The Resolutions, published by HarperCollins, is hitting shelves this November with exactly that. When best friends Jess, Lee, Ryan and Nora realize that their upcoming senior year and the changes that will follow loom over them, they decide to rekindle their friendship by doing what any average friend group would do: create New Year’s Resolutions — yeah, those.

These four take it to the next level, challenging each other with different New Year’s Resolutions that will push them to discover things about themselves. The book then follows the friends throughout the next year, as they explore their friendship, relationships, and themselves. Each of these characters compliment each other as they learn more about themselves and the world around them.

Also coming to a bookstore near you this month is The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just, written by Mélina Mangal and illustrated by Luisa Uribe. The charming picture book tells the story of Ernest Everett Just, an African-American scientist in the early 1900s that broke down barriers and led to incredible breakthroughs in modern cell science. Told against a backdrop of gorgeous illustrations, the book highlights Just’s persistence in the face of adversity and how his success changed science forever. If you’re looking for a great picture book to add to your collection, this is it.  

Whether you’re looking for a plucky coming-of-age story centered around authentically written Latinx teens, or a picture book about an unsung hero, November’s releases are here to deliver.