Sala Sundays with Edward Quiceno

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Edward Quiceno (EQ): I am part of the Scholastic Trade Marketing Team as the Assistant Marketing Manager for Klutz, a brand of craft kits.

LxP: How did you get started?

EQ: After I graduated with my bachelor’s I was struggling to find a job and with the help of my fraternity Lambda Upsilon Lambda, I was able to find out about this position and connect with someone from the Klutz team.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

EQ: I wish I understood money and finances better. While the work can be rewarding, the pay isn’t great and as the first person in my family with a Bachelors it was difficult to get on my feet.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

EQ: I’m currently reading all about love; new visions by bell hooks. I’m actually re-reading for the second time, I’m In a transitional place in my life and just gravitated toward this book.

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My name is Edward Quiceno and I am a queer artist, marketer and branding professional. I was born in Fusagasugá, Colombia and came to the United States when I was 8 years old. Ever since I’ve been in New Jersey, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Women’s & Gender Studies and Visual Arts from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. I recently graduated with a Masters in Branding from the School of Visual Arts, looking to use the power of branding to interrogate social systems, reclaim my narrative, and uplift marginalized communities.

A Hopeful Look at Millennial Life: ‘Mona at Sea’ by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

CW: Self-harm, cutting

Image from Santa Fe Writers Project.

Mona at Sea by Elizabeth Gonzalez James is a debut novel that takes a look at life’s transitional stages during economic recessions. Taking place in Tucson, we are introduced to a young woman named Mona Mireles who faces adulthood as a recent college graduate during the 2008 economic crisis. A life of high GPAs, academic achievements, and trophies does little to prepare Mona as she learns that the company which has offered her a job in New York has closed its doors after filing for bankruptcy. All this is captured as a news reporter notices that Mona has shown up to the building with suitcases in hand as she has just arrived from Arizona. During this short viral interview, Mona is distraught and has consequently earned the nickname “Sad Millennial” online—a nickname that follows her as strangers ask for pictures during the most inconvenient times, and a painful reminder of a missed opportunity.

After applying to hundreds of jobs with no offer in sight, Mona decides to join a local support group for job seekers after her mother hints that she needs to find an apartment of her own. Life is not what Mona expected, and it becomes increasingly difficult as she closes herself off, not realizing that the pressure and frustration are causing her to push loved ones further away. Mona also has a secret that prevents her from becoming too close and vulnerable with others. This secret intensifies as she faces job scarcity, her parents’ dwindling marriage, dating, and the feeling of hopelessness as she navigates life after college. 

Mona at Sea reminds readers that the more we try to control life, the harder it is to see opportunities that can also lead us to great things — even if they don’t look like what we expected them to be. When things don’t go as planned, how do we continue to live a life that is still meaningful and fulfilling?  

Gonzalez James does a wonderful job of describing how recessions impact individuals, especially younger adults who are eager to dive into the fields they studied for. What stood out to me was the clear message that when life becomes heavy, allowing ourselves to open up to others can help us navigate life and find healthier coping strategies. This story is a powerful reminder of what can arise when we place too much of our identity with what we do for a living, and how we all mutually benefit when we honor our own definitions of success.   

Ruddy Lopez lives in Inglewood, California, and attended California State University, Long Beach. She obtained a BA in English Literature and English Education and is a Fellow of the Los Angeles Review of Books Publishing Workshop. She is an educator who is transitioning to editing and publishing. In her spare time, Ruddy enjoys reading, writing poetry, and exploring what her city has to offer.

Sala Sundays with Monica Fernandez

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Monica Fernandez (MF): I'm the Media Manager at Red Hen Press, which means I'm in charge of all of the media and publicity for the books we publish and the company as a whole. This entails working with authors, sending out books for reviews, trying to secure media coverage, and managing our social media accounts (with the help of a team of interns in my department!)

LxP: How did you get started?

MF: I actually started off as a Marketing and Media intern myself in September 2017. I was nearing the tail end of my internship in February the following year when a position opened up, which I gratefully accepted! Before that, I had taken a Master's Degree course in Creative Writing and Publishing from City University in London, and was able to intern at an independent publishing company called Head of Zeus for six months before coming back home.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

MF: How much work it takes to plan book events! I wear a lot of hats at Red Hen, and so I also serve as the Event Coordinator. Coordinating events with authors and venues, and managing the publicity for it to ensure a good turnout, takes up a lot of my time and is probably the most stressful part of my job. I worked out a pretty good system for managing it all now, but when I first started out, I was drowning!

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

MF: I'm making my way through a book called Kuwento: Lost Things, an anthology of new Philippine myths from Carayan Press, edited by Rachelle Cruz and Melissa Sipin. As a Filipino-American, I'm trying to find more literature written by Filipino authors, and this is a great book to start with! I'm also in the process of writing my own novel, but that's very early stages and who knows how long that could take!

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Monica Fernandez graduated from the University of California, Irvine cum laude with a BA in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, and from City University London with a MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. She has had several short fiction and creative nonfiction pieces published in The Chaffey Review, Rind Literary Magazine, Scribendi, The Left Coast Review, Creepy Gnome, and Slush Pile Magazine’s Envy anthology. She is Filipino-American, a proud Hufflepuff, and a film and theatre enthusiast.

An Exclusive Interview with The Playwright's House Author, Dariel Suarez

Dariel Suarez was born in Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1997. His debut story collection, A Kind of Solitude, received the 2017 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction and the 2019 International Latino Book Award for Best Collection of Short Stories. Dariel is an inaugural City of Boston Artist Fellow and Education Director at GrubStreet. His prose has appeared in numerous publications, including the Threepenny Review, Prairie Schooner, the Kenyon Review, and the Caribbean Writer, where he was awarded the First Lady Cecile de Jongh Literary Prize. Dariel earned his MFA in Fiction at Boston University and currently resides in the Boston area with his wife and daughter.

I met Dariel during my time as a Marketing and Media intern with Red Hen Press. His debut novel, The Playwright’s House, immediately caught my eye because of the mystery and enlightening look into life in Cuba during the Special Period. We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with one another about the inspirations for his novel, writing advice for young Latinx writers, and his passion for music.

Read on for an exclusive excerpt from The Playwright’s House and for an inside look at photos which inspired the setting of the novel!

exclusive excerpt

(from Chapter 6)

Serguey remembered their home taking on a lively atmosphere following the last session with the child psychologist, when Felipe told his sons they had to turn the page toward a new life, cherishing the positive memories of their mother. During weekends, instead of making good on a weekday promise of a trip to the beach or the zoo, Felipe hosted dinner parties for his colleagues. People acted out scenes from their favorite plays and made fun of the obtuse administrators at the cultural centers where they worked. Once in a while someone would bring an acoustic guitar and play Nueva Trova songs. Felipe, however, rarely let his boys be a part of the celebrations, which made the few times he allowed them to remain particularly notable. Serguey recalled the laughter, the smoke snaking up from the ashtrays, he and his brother dancing for the crowd. These moments had washed over the otherwise dull, solitary lives they led under their father’s supervision.

As with Felipe’s current predicament, he hadn’t wanted to involve his sons in his personal affairs. During their childhood, he had given them fleeting kisses on the head, dismissive sighs at their misbehavior, quick waves of the hand in the mornings. He had, very seldom, shown them books, paintings, played them music—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, Picasso’s Guernica, Bola de Nieve’s “Ay Mama Inés”—but he never related them to their actual lives, never linked what he shared to their daily struggle of growing up motherless. It was as if he believed that exposing young boys to art would be curative and edifying on its own. He never discussed his own work, either, not in the dim light of their bedroom or the ash-ridden air engulfing his writing desk, intimate places where their young minds would have been perceptive, prone to remember. He reserved himself—the vulnerable Felipe, the thoughtful and authoritative Felipe—for his circle of artist friends, for the stage he directed. Serguey and Victor had spent their lives watching like intrigued spectators, wondering about this figure that was their father.

This excerpt is from The Playwright's House by Dariel Suarez (Red Hen Press 2021). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

El Vedado

Where Serguey lives with Anabel

El Vedado, Cuba

(from afar)

Havana, Cuba

Houses clustered together, as described by Serguey.

El Capitolio- Havana,Cuba

Havana Suburb- Havana, Cuba

Hotel Nacional- Havana, Cuba

Havana Police - Havana, Cuba

Havana, Cuba

Havana police harassing vendors.

Havana, Cuba

A park with WiFi.

Countryside, Cuba

Bodega, Cuba

Cuba

Cuba

Heladeria Coppelia- Havana, Cuba

Havana, Cuba

Old Havana.

Cuba

Childhood hangout spot for author, Dariel Suarez.

Cuba

Park where author Dariel Suarez played as a child.

Cuba

Elementary School of author, Dariel Suarez.

Havana, Cuba

Neighborhood where author Dariel Suarez grew up.

Havana, Cuba

Street where author Dariel Suarez grew up.

Havana, Cuba

Author Dariel Suarez in Paseo del Prado.

Havana, Cuba

A young Dariel Suarez saying ‘hi’ to his uncle in his Soviet-era Moskvich.

Havana, Cuba

A very old rationing booklet.

Photo credit: Dariel Suarez

Interview

Author Dariel Suarez

Illianna Gonzalez-Soto (IGS): Dariel, do you mind telling me a little bit about your debut novel, The Playwright’s House (Red Hen Press, June 2021)? Who or what were your inspirations for this story which is fiction, but which may be partly based on your real life experiences in Cuba?

 Dariel Suarez (DS): I wanted to explore the complicated intersection between arts and politics in Cuba through the lends of a fractured family. It also felt important to highlight the reality for political prisoners on the island, and the nuances of contemporary life there. Some of the places and people are inspired by my own experiences growing up in Havana, but the vast majority of the book came from research and imagination.

IGS: State surveillance, freedom of artistic expression, estrangement, love, differences between class and wealth. These are some common themes present within The Playwright’s House. Can you speak more to how the characters reflect these themes within the novel?

 DS: Every character in the book is contending with both internal and external forces. A place like Cuba makes it very difficult to ignore the social, economic, and political reality of the country, as it constantly impacts most people. I also wanted to show the subtle differences in class and culture, to counteract the more stereotypical or monolithic thinking about the country for those who aren’t as familiar with it.

IGS: Jumping off the last question, it seems like love and estrangement are especially prevalent. The brothers, Serguey and Victor, begin the novel completely at odds. This is also true for their relationship with their father as well. Can you speak more about how the brother’s relationship with each other evolves throughout the novel? Why was their relationship as siblings central to pushing the plot forward?

 DS: The relationship between Serguey and Victor was the main engine for the novel as I wrote it. They have so much to contend with in their past—resentment, violence, jealousy—while trying to help their father. I feel like through their shared journey, they give themselves a chance at reconciliation and redemption, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

IGS: The father is especially engaging as a character, if not only for his part as a playwright. Serguey seems especially opposite to the dramaturgist because of his career as a lawyer. Why were you drawn to center this story on the art form of theater as opposed to a painter, or a poet, a novelist, or a musician such as yourself?

 DS: Theater in a place like Cuba serves many functions: escapism, experimentation, cultural expression, and sometimes, subversion. It can be a way for artists to engage with some of their social and political frustrations they feel, but there’s always a risk when you do so there. For a renowned director to be arrested, it’s a very public event, harder for the government to hide. All of these things provide a strong platform on which to build a larger story and explore the different layers and staked of being an outspoken artist in Cuba.

IGS: There are also many supporting characters who aid the brothers in investigating the imprisonment of their playwright father. Ana (Serguey’s wife) and her family, the Catholic priest, Kiko (internet extraordinaire), a Santeria priestess, and Claudia (journalist and activist). What purpose do each of these roles play in portraying the realities of a Cuba that existed 20 years ago and which still may exist today?

DS: Having a broad cast of characters allowed me to delve into different areas of Cuban society and to present either opportunities or obstacles for Sergey, the protagonist. These characters gave the plot some energy and kept the story grounded in the inter-personal, despite the external forces at play. Moreover, I wanted to show some diversity in the Cuban experience, which often tends to be oversimplified or looked at through a singular lens.

IGS: What research went into creating your novel? Certainly this novel is based on a very key historical reality in Cuba, The Special Period, which existed until roughly twenty years ago. Along with the Castros, are there other specific figures which may have stood as inspirations for your work?

 DS: I wasn’t focusing on any one person’s life, but a lot of what takes place in the novel was inspired by research. There are numerous reported accounts of government oppression and abuse, of artists being arrested or forced into exile, of the Church being involved in assisting political prisoners, of independent journalists using social media and blogs to bring attention to what’s happening in Cuba. I wanted the freedom to explore and take the story where it needed to go, so my approach was grounded in compiling lots of information and examples, then infusing what felt most useful and earned by the narrative and characters.

IGS: You immigrated with your family to the United States when you were fourteen. Can you talk about what being between worlds (Cuba and the United States) was like as the author of a story primarily set in Cuba? What political or cultural similarities/differences do you see reflected within your work?

DS: Questions of identity are inevitable when you migrate permanently, especially after having had an entire childhood and early adolescence in a different country. Cuba is my birthplace, my native culture. Writing about it is a way to not just feel closer to it, but to interrogate my relationship with and perception of it as someone who no longer lives there. It’s also an opportunity to give voice to certain people and issues that writers on the island wouldn’t be able to do for political reasons.

IGS: I’ve read your LitHub article. Can you speak to how being a non-native English speaker impacted your career as a writer, especially when writing The Playwright’s House? Do you have advice for native Spanish speakers hoping to publish in a predominately American / English language landscape?

 DS: I don’t know if I’m in a position to give advice, since individual experiences tend to vary, especially with something as complex as language. I’ll say that, for me, becoming clear on my intended audience, how I define cultural authenticity in my work, and my use of language has been a long road. My recommendation would be to read as widely as possible, especially when it comes to contemporary international literature. That was life-changing for me, because it helped clarify my own artistic sensibility and approach, and resist some of the more harmful (e.g. culturally myopic) feedback I received in the U.S.

IGS: You're not only an insanely talented writer, but a musician as well. How do the two artforms inform each other? What advice would metalhead Dariel Suarez say to writer extraordinaire Dariel Suarez? Is there a song, album, or playlist that is quintessentially The Playwright’s House?

Metalhead Dariel Suarez

DS: Haha! Metalhead Dariel would definitely not call writer Dariel “extraordinaire.” Music taught me to be patient and to treat art as a craft. If you don’t put in the time with an instrument, it will show. The only way to get better is through dedicated—and sometimes grueling—practice. Music also taught me to collaborate, to be open-minded, to explore in search of something better and not settle for the first idea (a nice melody or riff is something to build on, not the final product). Teaching myself to play guitar was literally painful. My fingers bled, my hand and arm muscles hurt. All those metaphors people love to throw around about how hard writing can be feel quite real with music. So by the time I decided to become a writer, I wasn’t looking for shortcuts or going after some romanticized version of the art-form. I was ready to put in the work. 

IGS: You serve as the Educational Director with GrubStreet. What final advice or tips do you have for aspiring Latinx writers with a hope to publish their works?

DS: Seek out your community. You don’t have to go at it alone. Read as widely as possible, and by that I mean in terms of country, identity, lived experience, style, time period. Consume art with a critical eye and put into your tool box that which speaks to your own sensibility and interests the most. Don’t let others define you as a writer or tell you what you should ultimately write, or for whom. Go after the questions, people, and places you’re intrigued about. Trust that all you need is dedication and persistence, especially in the face of obstacles or failure. Those who push forward are the ones who break through.

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To stay updated with Dariel Suarez, follow him here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarielSuarez1

Website: https://darielsuarez.com/

Illianna Gonzalez-Soto graduated from Earlham College in 2020, where she served as an editor for The Crucible. She obtained a BA in English and a minor in creative writing. She currently lives in San Diego, CA where she serves as a Media & Marketing intern at Red Hen Press and Latinx in Publishing. You can follow her on Twitter (@Annalilli15) and Instagram (@librosconillianna).

Sala Sundays with Lizette Serrano

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Lizette Serrano (LS): Through a number of multiple opportunities, I advocate and champion Scholastic book creators to reach book keepers around the world. This includes activating special events, national conferences, generating marketing campaigns, creating promotional materials and so many other awesome stuff to amplify our author’s work.

LxP: How did you get started?

LS: Growing up in the Bronx, books were my best friends and a safe harbor to keep me steady. This love of words manifested and drove me to major in English and decided I wanted to be a writer. That dream took a turn when I started interning in publishing. As a marketing assistant at Scholastic, I was invited to read a manuscript over the weekend and provide a review for a book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The rest, my friends, is a long career of memorable moments and achievements that still challenge me to reach new heights every year.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

LS: Earlier in my career, I wish I was directed on how to get involved with mentorship and programs that support aspiring publishing professionals. I’m incredibly grateful for the work and space Latinx in Publishing and others have created for our emerging leaders in the publishing community.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

LS: I’m always reading future acquisitions for building marketing plans 6-12 months ahead of publication. I just gobbled up THE WITCHLINGS by Claribel Ortega (Spring 2022), every page offers something enjoyable. This special book gave me goosebumps with anticipation that it’s going to picked up by many readers and do great things. And we’re going to do our absolute best to make sure of it!

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Lizette Serrano is the VP of Educational Marketing at Scholastic. For over 20 years, she’s been living her dream job championing authors and their books to readers of all ages. She is also the co-founder of the Power of Story initiative which aims to create a hub of resources to direct educators, booksellers and caregivers on how to build an equitable bookshelf. She is currently serving as a board member for ALAN, USBBY and ECAR and is the Scholastic Summer Reading Ambassador for 2021.

Exclusive Sneak Peek of Acclaimed Poet Elisabet Velasquez's debut, WHEN WE MAKE IT

Latinx in Publishing is pleased to exclusively reveal an excerpt from When We Make It by debut author and critically acclaimed poet Elisabet Velasquez.

An unforgettable young adult debut novel-in-verse that redefines what it means to “make it,” touching on themes of mental illness, sexual assault, food insecurity and gentrification, in the Nuyorican literary tradition of Nicholasa Mohr and the work of contemporary writer Elizabeth Acevedo.

Sarai is a first-generation Puerto Rican eighth grader who can see with clarity the truth, pain, and beauty of the world both inside and outside her Bushwick apartment. Together with her older sister Estrella, she navigates the strain of family traumas and the systemic pressures of toxic masculinity and housing insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn. Sarai questions the society around her, her Boricua identity, and the life she lives with determination and an open heart, learning to celebrate herself in a way that she has been denied.

When We Make It is a love letter to girls who were taught to believe they would not make it at all. The verse is evocative and insightful, and readers are sure to be swept into Sarai’s world and rooting for her long after they close the book.

Read on for an exclusive excerpt of When We Make It by Elisabet Vasquez!

Lucky

In Bushwick, the reporters double park

to shoot the latest crime scene & then bounce

quick before their news vans get tagged up.

The teachers find their car radios missing

and blame the worst student they have.

Pero, the teachers and the reporters, they get to leave.

Back to their “good” neighborhoods

with boring-ass walls and vehicles

they don’t have to piece back together like a puzzle.

They’ll have a nice dinner with their predictable family

and talk about their wack-ass day in Bushwick

& somebody will say: You’re lucky you don’t live there.

Someone else will echo: Imagine?!

& they think they can imagine because fear

got them believing they know what it means to be safe.

I mean, it’s one thing to feel danger.

& maybe it’s another thing

to work in it.

& maybe it’s another thing altogether

to live with it.

But it’s something else completely

to be the thing everyone is afraid of.

We Ain’t Afraid

Estrella says:

We ain’t afraid of nothing.

We ain’t afraid of nothing.

We ain’t afraid of nothing.

I say:

Some days though,

shit is scary.

Not gonna front

like shit ain’t scary.

Estrella says:

Damn, yo, what’s so scary?

That’s just Corner Boy Jesus and his friends.

I say:

Shit. That’s 5-0. Ayo!

They’re creeping around the corner.

I tell Estrella & the corner boys to run. Run!

Estrella & the corner boys say:

Run? We ain’t running.

Snitch? We ain’t snitching.

Estrella says:

Yo, chill, we’ll be aight.

Yo, chill, we’ll be okay.

& even when we not

we are. You know what I mean?

& I know exactly what she means

’cause it’s just like being afraid.

Even when we not we are.

Even when we not we are.

But I don’t say that.

Nah.

I don’t say that.

Neighbors

Bushwick is full of hip-hop & salsa.

 Cuchifritos & soul food.

 Nail & hair salons.

 Bootleg CD vendors & tamale ladies on the corner.

 We are all the same in our difference.

 No matter how we got to be neighbors here

 We all know we lived somewhere else first.

 I know this because on the occasion that

 Our eyes lock for more than a moment

 Our mouths ask each other the same question.

 Where you from? Like nice to meet you.

 Where you from? Like what block?

 Where you from? Like what country?

 Where you from? Like what God?

 Where you from? Like where you been?

 Where you from? Like where you going?

 Where you from? Like who you missing?

 Where you from? Like why you here?

 Where you from? Like have you gone back?

 Where you from? Like what did you leave behind?

Pronunciation

We can tell who is from the neighborhood
and who isn’t by the way they pronounce
street names. We pronounce Graham Avenue
not like the cracker (GRAM) but like if
the first half of the word got stuck in your mouth
and you had to breathe out to let out the second
(GRAA-HAM). Some people say we are saying
it wrong but they are just jealous our accents
want every letter to be heard because isn’t that the worst
thing? To exist so plainly in sight and still be ignored.

Used with permission from Penguin Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright (c) Elisabet Velasquez, 2021.

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Elisabet Velasquez is a Boricua writer born in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her work has been featured in Muzzle Magazine, Winter Tangerine, Latina Magazine, We Are Mitú, Tidal and more. She is a 2017 Poets House fellow and the 2017 winner of the Button Poetry Video Contest. Her work is featured in Martín Espada’s anthology What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump. Elisabet lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, and When We Make It is her debut novel.

Sala Sundays with Stefanie Sanchez von Borstel

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Stefanie Sanchez von Borstel (SSVB): I am a literary agent, co-founder of Full Circle Literary, and author/artist advocate. I represent picture books, middle grade, and nonfiction books.

LxP: How did you get started?

SSVB: Growing up I spent hours in public libraries. My dad would take us every weekend and free afternoons. I probably read every book at the San Pedro Library in San Antonio --I loved books, but had no idea how books were published!

In high school and college, I had tons of internships/jobs at a library, a museum bookstore, an arts nonprofit, a film talent agency, and finally in editorial at a small press (now part of Penguin) that published humor/novelty books like MadLibs. Next, I worked at Harcourt in trade marketing/publicity for 8 years and then for an author’s attorney/literary agent. In 2005, I co-founded Full Circle Literary with Lilly Ghahremani. I love working with book creators, and as an agent it’s great to be able to work with many different people at publishing houses (editorial, design, contracts, marketing/publicity, sales, rights).

LxP: Do you have any tips for those who are getting into the industry?

SSVB: If you’re thinking about working in publishing, try working at a library, bookstore, community center, museum, magazine/online media, or anywhere you’ll be around writers, artists, storytellers. Try lots of different things to see what resonates with you.

I didn’t take the typical path to a career in publishing by moving to NYC or enrolling in an expensive publishing course. I made my own path into publishing with hands-on experience--looking for any opportunity around books that I could find in Texas and California! I’m deeply committed to discovering and developing Latinx, BIPOC and underrepresented writers so that young readers everywhere, no matter where they live or who they are, find themselves in the books they read.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

SSVB: Just back from a family vacation in Texas I picked up a copy of LOTERIA REMEDIOS by Xelena Gonzalez, it’s a collection of affirmations inspired by Loteria and came packaged with the game so it was perfect for summer traveling!

I also love reading middle grade with my son, right now we’re reading A WISH IN THE DARK by Christina Soontornvat. Also reading an advance copy of WHEN THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by K. Ibura (coming Nov 2021) and a submission starring Esperanza Mae Windbornee.

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Stefanie Sanchez von Borstel is co-founder of Full Circle Literary, an entrepreneur, and mom with 25+ years of experience in trade book publishing. Prior to agenting, she worked in editorial, publicity and trade marketing with Penguin and Harcourt Children’s Books. She enjoys tapping her publicity and marketing background to champion writers and artists. Stefanie represents children’s books from toddler to teen, and select adult nonfiction.

July 2021 Latinx Most Anticipated Reads

With a new month comes new books! It’s starting to get warmer which means reading on the beach with your favorite book and a cool drink in hand. Scroll below for our list of the most anticipated Latinx reads for the month of July and get one to read at the beach (or at home under air conditioning)! Check here for our full list of July 2021 Latinx Releases.

THE MUSE SQUAD: THE MYSTERY OF THE TENTH | Middle Grade

by Chantel Acevedo (Balzer + Bray)

Callie Martinez-Silva is finally getting the hang of this whole goddess within thing. Six months after learning she was one of the nine muses of ancient myth, she and the other junior muses are ready for new adventures. Except first Callie has to go to New York City for the summer to visit her dad, stepmom, and new baby brother.

Then the muses get startling news: an unprecedented tenth muse has been awakened somewhere in Queens, putting Callie in the perfect position to help find her. And she’ll have help—thanks to a runaway mold problem in London, Muse Headquarters is moving to the New York Hall of Science.

But balancing missions and family-mandated arts camp proves difficult for Callie, especially once mysterious messages from spiders (yikes!) begin to weave a tale of ancient injustice involving Callie’s campmate Ari.

SING WITH ME: THE STORY OF SELENA QUINTANILLA | Picture Book

by Diana López; illustrated by Teresa Martinez (Dial Books)

From a very early age, young Selena knew how to connect with people and bring them together with music. Sing with Me follows Selena's rise to stardom, from front-lining her family's band at rodeos and quinceañeras to performing in front of tens of thousands at the Houston Astrodome. Young readers will be empowered by Selena's dedication--learning Spanish as a teenager, designing her own clothes, and traveling around the country with her family--sharing her pride in her Mexican-American roots and her love of music and fashion with the world.

ALL THESE WARRIORS | Young Adult

by Amy Tintera (Houghton Milton)

When the world was crumbling, seventeen-year-old Clara fought back. She escaped her abusive home and joined Team Seven, a monster fighting squad of runaways and misfits formed to combat the scrabs terrorizing the planet. And after nearly dying in Paris, Clara and Team Seven discovered the sinister truth behind the scrab invasion. Scrabs aren't just mindless monsters set on destruction. They're being trained and weaponized by MDG, a private security firm hired by the government.

Now Clara and the rest of Team Seven have made it their mission to expose MDG. But no one said fighting for the truth would be easy. And as Clara and Team Seven find themselves at the center of a global conspiracy, they must face their biggest threat yet: their own demons.

BELLA’S RECIPIE FOR SUCCESS | Picture Book

by Ana Siqueira; illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez (Beaming Books)

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Bella wants to find out what she's good at. But she quits everything she (barely) tries because she's a disaster at it. Her somersaults are like clumsy jirafas rolling downhill, her piano playing like elephant feet. When she decides to learn how to bake with her wise old abuela, her first attempt at dulce de leche frosting looks like scaly cocodrilo skin. She must learn it's okay to try again or she won't be good at anything. Peppered with Spanish vocabulary and set in an intergenerational Latinx home, Bella's Recipe for Success will show all kids the value of practicing to learn a new skill, and that it's okay to make mistakes along the way.

Review: Lost in the Never Woods

A distinct retelling of the original story of a boy who never wants to grow up by J.M. Barrie, Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas is a mysterious tale filled with the seemingly familiar characters we know and love. Set in Astoria, Oregon (perhaps a similar walking ground for Thomas themself, who now lives in Portland), Peter Pan makes his reappearance in Wendy’s imagination— or so she believes. 

It’s been five years since the fateful day when Wendy and her younger brothers disappear in the woods behind their home. Sorrow fills the Darling family when Wendy returns to her parents after a period of being missing and her brothers do not. Unable to recall what happened to her or her brothers, Wendy and her parents must now relive the guilt, grief, and separation that continues to affect their small family when children begin to go missing in their small town. 

A car crash into a mysterious figure leaves Wendy shaken as she meets the boy from the stories she’s told in her childhood. It’s Peter Pan, but is it really? Older now, Peter must wrestle with his own shadows— figuratively and literally. He’s come in search of Wendy, the only one who can help him sew his shadow back on and hopefully save Neverland. Along their quest to find his shadow, Wendy and Peter respark their connection from Wendy’s childhood. Together, they confront the Never Woods and learn that growing up comes with hardship, tragedy, and grief, but that it doesn’t have to lose the wonder of their youth.  

Credit: Illianna Gonzalez-Soto

Entirely different from Cemetery Boys, Thomas still adds hints of Latinx flair within Lost in the Never Woods. Wendy’s best friend Jordan is Latinx, though that fact is not central to the storyline. What is prevalent, however, is Jordan’s steadfast support for her friend. Her encouragement of Wendy’s dream to be a pediatrician is a reassuring force when everything else in Wendy’s life is out of sorts. Both 18 with college on the horizon, Wendy and Jordan prove that their friendship can outlast their hardships. 

This is the perfect retelling which completely reimagines the classic tale of Peter Pan. Thomas makes the story their own with mysterious twists, dark secrets, and painful truths. This is the perfect tale for learning to cope with grief. Touching upon the psychological effects of tragedy and death, we see a very real and very adult version of Peter Pan as Wendy Darling moves through anxiety, depression, grief, and recovery. Though the story deals with adult topics, the adolescence of Peter and Wendy gives a key perspective for any teen who may also be dealing with similar issues. 

Mixed with playfulness and wonder, we see that growing up may not be so bad if you continue to have faith, trust, and just a little bit of pixie dust.

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Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx, New York Times bestselling author of young adult novels. They received an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color.

To stay updated with their latest works, follow them here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aidenschmaiden

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aidenschmaiden?

Website: https://www.aiden-thomas.com/

Illianna Gonzalez-Soto graduated from Earlham College in 2020, where she served as an editor for The Crucible. She obtained a BA in English and a minor in creative writing. She currently lives in San Diego, CA where she serves as a Media & Marketing intern at Red Hen Press and Latinx in Publishing. You can follow her on Twitter (@Annalilli15) and Instagram (@librosconillianna).

Sala Sundays with Alex Cruz-Jimenez

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Alex Cruz-Jimenez (ACJ): I’m a Marketing Assistant for the Viking Books, Penguin Books, and Penguin Classics imprints of Penguin Random House.

LxP: How did you get started?

ACJ: I was in the middle of getting my Masters in Teaching at Binghamton University (thinking that’s the only thing you could do with an English degree) when my university sponsored trips to Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. By the end of that first information session I was hooked, and applied to every publishing internship I could until I landed a marketing internship at HarperCollins in 2019. That solidified my love for publishing, and I was lucky enough to start my current job in January of 2020 and haven’t looked back!

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

ACJ: So many things! How to juggle multiple projects at once (I am assigned dozens of books a year), how many different departments go into the making of a book, the timeline of a book, how to speak up in meetings, how to feel confident speaking up when you are often the only BIPOC in a meeting, I could go on!

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

ACJ: I am really excited to work on two titles from Julia Alvarez this fall, In the Time of Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, that we are reissuing under Penguin Classics. This will be the first Dominican author I work with, and I think it really speaks to the hard work Penguin Classics is doing to diversify the canon. I really hope to come up with some creative and inclusive marketing plans for this one!

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Alex Cruz-Jimenez was born and raised in New York City and attended Binghamton University before returning to the city to pursue a career in publishing. She now works as a Marketing Assistant at Penguin Random House and spends her time exploring the city, finding her next TV binge, and reading of course. Follow her on Instagram @alex.gets.lit!