Voces

Creative Writing Workshop with Award-Winning Author, Reyna Grande

2011-10-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Full disclosure: Reyna Grande is one of my clients! Having said that, I think that this writing workshop with this award-winning author—whom, I also happen to know is exacting in the way she approaches her craft, and extremely generous with others—represents a fantastic opportunity for aspiring authors. The fact that the tuition is so affordable only adds to this workshop's appeal in my mind, so I just had to share, which is why I asked Reyna to send me the details and here they are:

What: Creative Writing Workshop with Award-Winning Author, Reyna Grande.
When: 4 Tuesdays, Nov. 1 to Nov. 22 @6:30pm
Where: Private residence, East Whittier (Los Angeles County)
Who: Anyone who is looking for a supportive environment, guidance, and encouragement.
How Much: $100.00 for four sessions

Contact Reyna Grande at reynagrande@gmail.com for more information about the classes. If you are working on a fiction or creative non-fiction project and are looking for feedback on your work, and/or would like to learn more about the craft of writing, then this class is for you! Space is limited!

About the Author:
Reyna Grande is the author of Across a Hundred Mountains (Atria), which received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlan Literary Award, and a Latino Books Into Movies Award. Her second novel, Dancing with Butterflies (Atria) was the recipient of a Latino Book Award. She is a sought-after speaker, educator, and event organizer. Visit her website at www.reynagrande.com

Help Found a Latino Bookstore in NYC's El Barrio!

2011-10-11T10:34:00.001-07:00

I know that I have not posted in a while, and I apologize that my first post in some time comes with a request. But in fact, it is the importance of this request that has inspired me to get back to blogging, despite a packed schedule.

I just funded 'La Casa Azul Bookstore' on IndieGoGo. There is a video on the site that makes the case for this cause better than I ever could, and I encourage you to take a look. Aurora is a hard worker, to say the least, and I know that she will make this East Harlem LATINO bookstore just fabulous! I know that times are tough, but this is an important project for all of us who care so much about Latino literature. More distribution of our books means more readers, means more quality books written by Latino authors. We are all connected.

Check out the video, and contribute if you can, here:

And whether you contribute or not, please let others know about this campaign. Aurora is on a tight deadline; she has exactly two weeks from today to raise a total of $40,000. Why? Because if she does, an anonymous contributor will match that amount, dollar for dollar, and make her dream of opening a Latino Bookstore in East Harlem possible!

Join Me at the 2011 National Latino Writers Conference!

2011-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

This truly is one of my favorite writers conferences. If you are a Latino writer and only attend one conference this year, I would suggest that this one should be it! I do hope I get to meet some of my readers there if you can make it. I will be participating on a panel and critiquing participants' work one on one. There are editors in attendance as well, so this conference represents a wonderful opportunity for those starting out to get some face to face time with folks in the industry. And the environment is friendly and supportive to boot! Registration is open for just a little while longer, so if interested, click on the image below and follow the instructions therein. See you in New Mexico! —Adriana

Note: Missing from the poster's list of editors is Selina McLemore from Grand Central Publishing. She was added later, and I do not have that version of the poster in the necessary format. But now you know!

Blog Tour for Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de Abuelita

2010-11-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

Writing Historical Fiction for Children

by Mara Price

Grandma’s Chocolate came about as a result of my childhood memories, and my curiosity about one of the great contributions of pre-Columbian America: delicious chocolate! I have many happy memories of being in my own grandmother’s kitchen, drinking chocolate and listening to stories about her childhood and the things she lived through. One of my passions has always been the history and archaeology of Mesoamerica. I wanted to know more about the origin and use of chocolate, and how it tied in with the ancient cultures. Thus, I started by giving myself the task of reading everything I could find on those subjects.

Looking back on my process, I think that the following questions might help new writers in the development of a work of historical fiction for children:

Can my story be entertaining, and at the same time, carry a valuable message for children?
Will historical elements in my story make it different from others conveying similar messages?
Is it feasible to frame the message within a historical context, or to provide bits of historical information throughout the narrative?
How much historical information is appropriate to include for the age range of the children who will read it?
Do I have enough sustaining passion for the concept to lead me through my research on the topic, and throughout the entire writing process?

On Research:

Read as much as you can, and your reading will show you the way the story can be developed.
Have several initial questions to pursue, but be open to letting the information and the connections guide you. There are many wonderful surprises to be found while doing this kind of research, and discoveries in archeology and history are continuously being made.
Don’t be afraid to ask. Primary sources are always the best. On several occasions, I contacted anthropologists and historians to get clarity on specific points. Some—though not all—were eager to help, and responded generously with new information.

Some challenges you might encounter during your research:

In my research on the pre-Columbian era, I was surprised to find how sparse the information, and how disparate the sources are on the topic. I also found large gaps of knowledge, frequent contradictions, and heated debates among scholars. An example of this is the seemingly easy question of why so many magnificent Mayan cities were abandoned virtually overnight, without clear indications of what happened, or where the people went. Researchers and academics still can’t agree on the answer.

On Writing:

I hope that your story is important enough to you to motivate you to get up every morning and start working; to look forward to your research and writing, and later, move you to keep up your blog and website, do book signings, presentations, workshops, and other promotional activities to give your book the best possible chance at success. The luckiest people have a job that doesn’t feel like work. This story has been that and more for me. —Mara.

This is the last stop of Mara Price's blog tour for Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de Abuelita.

Please leave your comments below, as the author will give away a signed copy of the book to a reader of VOCES! At least four comments are needed within the next week to be eligible for Mara’s giveaway. One winner will be selected at random. Good luck, and we hope that you enjoyed the tour!

Check out Mara’s schedule or find more information about her at her website.

Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de abuelita is on sale now, so support Latino writing and go pick up your copy!

I WILL SAVE YOU by Matt de la Peña

2010-10-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Latino authors writing for young adults sent out a note a few days ago announcing the release of his latest novel, I Will Save You. Along with the note came what he called a "bizarre" letter that he wrote to potential readers and posted on his blog. Of course, I had to read the letter! Anyone who knows Matt will tell you that it is a good representation of who he is, and what he writes. I don't doubt that this actually happened to him, nor that he would be so thoughtful as to return the frog king to his rightful place in the world. I am sharing the letter with you in the hopes that it fulfills its intent and inspires you to pick up Matt's book. I can't wait to read it myself. If it's anything like his others, I know I won't be sorry. —Adriana

Dear Potential Reader:

This past Sunday I was playing ball in Brooklyn. A bunch of guys like me, older now, still trying to get to the rim or drain jumpers from the corner. At one point the ball rolled out of bounds and two dudes disagreed about who touched it last. Others joined in. Fingers were pointed. Things were said about people’s mothers. I stood back and watched the argument build and thought about the absurdity of our lives. All of us dressed up, dressed down, trying to be somebody, hoping they say good things when we’re not in the room. Like me, standing at half court all stressed out, wondering: Will anybody like my new book, I WILL SAVE YOU? It’s sad. Maybe people don’t like sad books. I like sad books, but I like sad everything – though technically I’m not a sad person.

Eventually the argument died down and we finished the game. But when I got home I was still stressed about my new book. And whether or not it would find a home. And then, for whatever reason, I thought back to a strange time in my life involving a porcelain frog . . .

When I was in grad school I was invited to a professor’s house to hear poet Tess Gallagher speak about her deceased husband, Raymond Carver. I was a first year MFA student in creative writing, and Carver was my favorite, so I was hyped. Before the event a few classmates and I stopped by the liquor store for bottles of wine and one of the girls called out to me from the passenger side window, “Hey Matt, grab a Pinot.”

“A what?” I said, turning around.

“A Pinot.” She frowned. “Pinot Noir?”

I waved her off and cruised in the store all ignorant. Back then there was no Pinot in my world. There was no Merlot or Chardonnay. There was simply red or white. I opted for the cheapest white, the cashier bagged it, I hopped back in the car and we zipped over to my prof’s house over an hour late.

The house was crowded, and when we walked in Mrs. Gallagher was already speaking so I snuck off to the back of the room, near the refreshments table. I listened to her talk for a few minutes, about Carver’s work space and his favorite writing jacket, but my mind quickly drifted. How did I get here? All the way to grad school. This fancy house listening to an actual published writer. I considered these things and drank the wine I brought. Cup after cup of it.

Halfway into the Q&A I realized I’d finished the entire bottle. And I was hammered. And I really had to pee. I put down my cup and made my way to the bathroom.

I locked the door behind me and then stood there, in front of the toilet, taking in the place: framed paintings on the walls, scented candles, fake tulips, potted cacti, and a small porcelain frog wearing a crown. Just what you’d expect to find in some stuffy professor’s bathroom. How predictable. No more than a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl.

After I washed my hands I reached for the porcelain frog and spun it around in my fingers. I put it up to my nose and smelled it. What was with the crown? Why would anybody put this crazy thing on the back of their toilet? Was it some literary symbol I didn’t get? Without really thinking, I slipped the frog in my pocket, dried my hands and rejoined the party.

The rest of the night is a bit of a blur. I remember Mrs. Gallagher made her way around the room, talking to people – even me! I remember the professor offered to show one of the prettier female students his private art collection upstairs. I remember I discovered red wine. And then port. I remember feeling like an imposter as a group of us scanned the ceiling-high bookshelves in the dining room. My classmates commented on every author, their major works, the movement they fit into, the historical context in which they wrote. I was ignorant to almost all the names and said nothing.

Eventually I caught a ride home with my friend Rob who lived in a studio apartment directly underneath a busy flight path. My jeep was parked in front of his place, but I was in no position to drive, so I staggered up his stairs, watched him key open the door, then ducked into his nasty-ass bathroom where I was sick as a dog.

An hour or so later Rob knocked on the door to make sure I was still alive, but I was in no mood for his sympathy. “Go away,” I slurred. “Please. Just leave me alone.” I may have even cursed at him. The details are a bit murky now. I do know that I spent the majority of that night with my arms wrapped around another man’s toilet bowl – something I’m not super proud of.

The next morning I woke up disheveled, hung over and sickened by the thought of any color wine. I grabbed my backpack, flew out the front door, rumbled down the stairs, hopped in my jeep-with-no-top (it had literally blown off on the freeway a few months before) and headed for my apartment across town.

When I walked in the door, I threw the pack to the side and made a b-line for the bathroom. It was there, as I was preparing for a pivotal shower, that I discovered the porcelain frog still tucked deep inside my pocket. I pulled it out, spun it around in my fingers and placed it on the back of my own toilet.

I stared at it a few seconds. I’d never viewed myself as a porcelain frog type of guy, but here I was. I shrugged and stripped and hopped in the shower.

Days passed. Weeks. It was back to the old routine: fiction workshops, afternoon hoop in the gym, hours in the computer lab typing up my sad little stories.

The point is, life continued. The way it does. But every time I stepped foot in my bathroom, there was that regal frog, staring at me, pleading to me.

One morning it finally hit me. The back of my toilet was simply all wrong for this kind of frog. How long was I gonna try and keep up this charade? I scooped it up on my way out of the bathroom, shoved it back in my pocket and grabbed for the keys to my jeep. I drove to Rob’s house.

Before I said a word to him, I slipped into the bathroom and placed the porcelain frog on the back of his toilet. Positioned it dead center and wiped down the dusty space around him.

I pulled Rob into the bathroom and pointed.

We stood there in silence for a few seconds, both of us staring, arms folded.

Finally he spoke: “That the frog from the party?”

“That’s the one.”

He picked the frog up and looked at it. He spun it around in his fingers, then put it back down. “Dude, you hungry?” he said.

“Starving.”

We grabbed our stuff and set off for the local Rubio’s.

More time spiraled by. Months this time. (Isn’t it strange how time is forever moving? In Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, one of the main characters, Dunbar, explains it like this to his buddy: “‘Do you know how long a year takes when it’s going away? This long.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘A second ago you were stepping into college with your lungs full of fresh air. Today you’re an old man.’”) I wrote a twenty page research paper on Carver for my 700-level lit class. I saved enough money to book a flight to Spain to visit my girlfriend at the time. I had a small mass removed from under my left arm which proved benign. I believe I even learned how to play the game of chess, and whenever I lost I fought the powerful urge to flip over the board in frustration. All this stuff. It happened. But eventually I found myself standing in Rob’s bathroom, once again staring at the porcelain frog with the crown.

I had told myself, again and again, that the back of Rob’s toilet was perfect, it added some class to the joint, but I had it all wrong. Look at the poor thing, I thought. It’s all but naked without the framed paintings and potted plants of its past. Who was I kidding?

I snatched up the frog and shoved it back in my pocket, flew out of Rob’s house without a word, rumbled down his steps and hopped in my jeep-with-no-top.

Minutes later I was tiptoeing up my professor’s long driveway. I crept onto his porch, pulled the frog from my pocket and set it down in front of the expensive-looking welcome mat.

I stood there staring at it for a couple minutes (occasionally checking my back for Neighborhood Watch scouts). That’s when it came to me. This little porcelain frog may not have meant much in the context of most of our lives -- it was small, insignificant, a bit tacky -- but it belonged on the back of this professor’s toilet. That much was clear now. It had ventured out into this great big world, it had seen the insides of other bathrooms, stood guard while utter strangers brushed their teeth and combed their hair – and it was better off for those experiences – but at the end of the day, it belonged here, as the centerpiece of a scholar’s high-class bathroom. The crowning jewel. Who could appreciate it more than the man who had reached for this particular porcelain frog, plucked it off a shelf in some arts and craft store, while it was surrounded by what may have been hundreds, even thousands, of other tacky porcelain animals?

I waved goodbye to the frog, then got the hell out of there before somebody called the cops.

I don’t know. This probably has nothing to do with my new novel. I just felt like revisiting the short time I spent with the porcelain frog I stole from my professor’s house, then gave back.

Or maybe there’s a small connection somewhere in there. Maybe my main character, Kidd, is the frog, and when you (the reader) pick up the book and read Kidd’s story, you’re temporarily putting a roof over his head. Which would be a really nice thing to do because technically Kidd’s homeless. And alone. And sad. He needs all the help he can get.

Or maybe the novel is the frog and bookstores are the bathrooms, and I WILL SAVE YOU only gets a certain amount of shelf time (back-of-the-toilet time) before the store manager ships all unclaimed copies back to the publisher, which is basically like sending somebody to the hole in prison – an interesting connection considering that in the second chapter of I WILL SAVE YOU Kidd wakes up in solitary confinement and spends a good bit of time trying to figure out whether or not he deserves it.

Or maybe the connection is a more personal one. Maybe when you read one of my books you’re coming into my home, drunk on my wine, and sticking a small piece of me in your pocket (so much of these stories are pulled from my past). And maybe when you move me all around – from the table by your bed, to your office desk, to your padded computer bag – you’re giving me a small peek into your world. And maybe after you turn the last page you’ll even lend me to a friend, and I’ll get even farther in my travels. And ultimately you may even come to an epiphany similar to mine, and you’ll sneak up onto my front lawn, months from now, years even, and set that borrowed piece of me back on my welcome mat in the form of a letter, or an email, or a Facebook message, telling me what you think. That’s easily my favorite thing in the world. Just a week ago I received an instant classic from a kid in Oakland. His email read: “Yo! I ain’t a nerd or some shit. But I read all yer books. We Were Here is probably my all time best book. Even though you had that chick Flaca steal all Miguel’s money! LOL! Nah but I just wanted to say thanks for writing yer books. Peace!”

Made my day.

Failed analogy aside, I would be honored if you gave I WILL SAVE YOU a read. It really is kind of a sad book. But it’s hopeful, too. And it’s my heart.

Your friend,

Matt de la Peña

Guest Blogger: Award-Winning Children's Author René Colato Laínez

2010-10-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

This guest post by René Colato Laínez is part of his blog tour in support of his latest book, From North to South. He offered to write on a topic that I know will be very useful to my readers: the dos and don'ts of writing a multicultural (or Latino-themed) children's book. I hope you find it helpful. Children's Book Press is giving away copies of the book at the end of the blog tour, so make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win your copy!

WRITING AUTHENTIC MULTICULTURAL BOOKS
By Award-Winning Author, René Colato Laínez

From North to South is my seventh book. In this story, José and his father travel from North to South to visit José’s mother in Tijuana, Mexico. Like José and his father, I have also traveled from north to south and east to west within the publishing world. During my journey, I have made many stops to help me learn the craft of writing at conferences, book festivals, critique groups, libraries, and bookstores. I have also met many people who have thanked me for writing multicultural books. Often, some of those same people ask me for tips on writing a multicultural story. This is my attempt at answering some of their questions:

What is a multicultural book?
A multicultural book reflects the experiences of diverse groups of people and promotes a greater understanding among cultures. These books authentically and realistically portray themes, characters, and customs unique to the group about which they are written, and give readers an opportunity to develop an understanding of others, as they affirm the important role that people of diverse backgrounds play in society.

How can I write a multicultural book?
Here are three of the most common mistakes made when attempting to write a multicultural picture book:

1. Relaying solely on a main character that is from the barrio, or who has Latin American roots.

Example:
A Latino child named Pedro lives in the barrio. He speaks Spanish and can draw beautiful cats. Pedro’s teacher gives him a sticker for his efforts.

What is multicultural about this story?
Pedro is a Latino child from the barrio and speaks Spanish. There might even be Spanish words in the story. But, ask yourself: What is the reader’s learning about Pedro’s culture?

This writing exercise never fails:
Change Pedro’s name. Maybe his name is now Joshua. Joshua lives in a non-ethnic neighborhood. He speaks English. And of course, he draws beautiful cats.

We have changed the name of the character and eliminated the Spanish words in the text. Does the story still work? Yes, it really has not changed at all! A multicultural story is more than a Hispanic character and a few Spanish words. The story must be unique and authentic. A foreign name, or dark skin color on a page are not enough to make a multicultural story.

2. My character eats beans and wears a sombrero. He also likes to break piñatas. Do I now have a multicultural book?

When writing a multicultural book, avoid stereotypes. Readers want to read stories that represent cultures in positive and respectful ways. Mexicans don’t generally go around wearing sombreros, and Caribbean women generally don’t dance with a bowl of fruit on their heads. On the other hand, Mexico is a country with a very rich history, wonderful traditions, and delicious food. The Caribbean has beautiful beaches, great music, and fantastic folktales. There are so many great things to tell about our cultures, why concentrate on stereotypes? Let’s write wonderful stories!

3. The other extreme: culture, culture, and more culture.

In order to create a multicultural story, authors often describe the cultural aspects of a story so much that they forget to create a plot! The result is a dry, boring story. An editor will definitely reject this type of story because it will not inspire readers to turn the page to read it. A story needs strong characters, a great plot, an extraordinary beginning, a great climax, and a convincing ending, as it exhibits aspects of the culture in question. Readers want an entertaining story first and foremost, regardless of its cultural elements. (Note: For Rene’s tips on writing picture books, see his previous post on VOCES.

Writing from Outside of the Culture
If you are writing outside of your culture, don’t ever write off the top of your head. If you have never lived in Mexico, China, or Morocco and want to write a story about those cultures, you will have to do extensive research in libraries, archives, and museums. But, by far, the best way to do this research is to meet the people you want to write about. Talk to them, participate in their games, visit their country, eat their food, become one of them while you are writing your story. Remember that it is always better to overdo your research. Later, you can choose the elements that will be most important to your story. Once you have finished your manuscript, show it to organizations and the people it is written about, and ask them to look for stereotypes and misconceptions. This will help you to avoid some of the pitfalls described above. Those who are the most passionate and involved with a culture are typically the best ones to write an authentic multicultural tale. With passion, comes the desire to spend hours and hours at the library, and with the people you are writing about. If there is no passion, there will be no truly authentic story to tell.

Good luck, and have fun writing a multicultural story!

Saludos,
René Colato Laínez

Latino Authors at New York’s Brooklyn Book Festival

2010-09-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Now in its fifth year, the Brooklyn Book Festival is one of the top book festivals in the nation with a hip, huge and free all-star literary lineup. The festival will be held tomorrow, September 12th, at BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

This year, Las Comadres para las Américas has teamed up with La Caza Azul Bookstore for their participation in the festival. The two will be sharing booth 131, and hosting book signings, making it easier for you to find many of your favorite Latino authors participating in the festival in one place! Check out some of the big names that will be signing at their booth:

AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING SCHEDULE

11:30 a.m. Cristina Garcia

11:50 a.m. Torrey Maldonado

12:10 p.m. Lemon Andersen

12:30 p.m. Alberto Ferreras

12:50 p.m. Ada Limon

1:10 p.m. Ana Galan

1:30 p.m. Daisy Martinez

1:50 p.m. Brando Skyhorse

2:10 p.m. Michelle Herrera Mulligan and Sofia Quintero

2:30 p.m. Esmeralda Santiago

3:00 p.m. Sandra Rodriguez Barron

3:20 p.m. Daniel Serrano

3:40 p.m. Dahlma Llanos Figueroa

4:00 p.m. Sergio Troncoso

For more information, visit Las Comadres' website.

Have fun at the festival, and say hello to folks for me! (Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this year, but I can guarantee that you will LOVE this event. It’s not to be missed!)

Pelé, The King of Soccer/ El rey del fútbol

2010-06-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you are suffering from a serious case of soccer fever at the moment, which makes this the absolute best time to enjoy this book with your kids!

Check out my previous post about the book for more information: http://adrianadominguez.blogspot.com/2009/01/update-and-some-shameless-promotion.html
Enjoy!

Latino Books Month Giveaway Winner!

2010-06-01T19:51:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. I received some wonderful suggestions for future posts and was glad to get to know some of you through the emails you sent and the thoughts you shared.

And now, the winner of the Latino Books Month Giveaway!

Esteemarlu Muniz

Esteemarlu will receive a copy of the three books she requested:

Try to Remember by Iris Gomez
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
Amigoland by Oscar Casares

Books will ship directly from the publisher. Enjoy!

For those who did not win this time around, stay tuned, there will be more giveaways in the future, and keep those comments and suggestions coming! I take every single one of them into account as I plan my posts. Thanks again. —Adriana

12TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

2010-05-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

In recognition of the many positive contributions being made to Latino literature by publishers and writers worldwide, Latino Literacy Now, a non-profit organization that supports and promotes literacy and literary excellence within the Latino community, created the Latino Book Awards in 1999. The awards were presented during BookExpo America on May 25, 2010, at the Javits Center.

This year the committee introduced a new designation for those entries that swept the judges' 1st place ballots: Triple Crown Award Winners.

The Winners (Title - Author(s) or Illustrator (s) - Publisher):

CATEGORY A – CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Best Educational Children’s Book - Spanish

Cambio Climático: Los Gases de Efecto Invernadero - Daniel R. Faust - Rosen Publishing

2ND Place: Andy Warhol - Patricia Geis - Combel Editorial

Honorable Mention: Mitología Mesoamericana: Quetzalcóatl - Tom Danish - Rosen Publishing

Best Educational Children’s Book - Bilingual

Chiles- Inés Vaughn - Rosen Publishing

2ND Place: Fun With ABC's - Loteria Style - Luciano Martinez - Lectura Books

Honorable Mention: Chocolate - Inés Vaughn - Rosen Publishing

Honorable Mention: Corn/Maiz- Inés Vaughn - Rosen Publishing

Best Children’s Picture Book – English

What Can You Do With A Paleta? - Carmen Tafolla - Trycycle Press

2ND Place: Diego: Bigger Than Life - Carmen T. Bernier-Grand - Marshall Cavendish

Honorable Mention: Lom and the Gnatters – Kurusa - Groundwood Books

Best Children’s Picture Book – Spanish

¡Al Galope! - Rufus Butler Seder - Workman Publishing

2ND Place: Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Alicia en el pais de las delicias - Maria Villegas & Jennie Kent - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Hansel y Gretel y la casita endulzado - Maria Villegas & Jennie Kent - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Caperucita roja y el lobo glotón - Maria Villegas & Jennie Kent - Villegas Editores S.A.

Best Children’s Picture Book – Bilingual

My Papa Diego and Me/Mi papa Diego y yo - Guadalupe Rivera Marin - Children's Book Press

2ND Place: I Know the River Loves Me/Yo se que el rio me ama - Maya Christina Gonzalez - Children's Book Press

Honorable Mention: Rene Has Two Last Names/René tiene dos apellidos - René Colato Laiñez - Arte Público Press

Honorable Mention: What Can You Do With A Paleta?/¿Que puedes hacer con una paleta? - Carmen Tafolla - Trycycle Press

Best Young Adult Fiction – English

Clara…Reencuentro con la vida - Gabriela Garcia-Williams – Self Published

2ND Place: Who's Buried in the Garden - Ray Villareal - Arte Público Press

Honorable Mention: Mr. Clean’s Familia - David Bueno-Hill - Urbano Books

Best Young Adult Fiction – Spanish or Bilingual

La Canción de Shao Li - Marisol Ortiz de Zárate - Bambú

2ND Place: Dark Dude - Oscar Hijuelos - Editorial Everest

Honorable Mention: The Case of the Pen Gone Missing/El caso de la pluma perdida - René Saldaña, Jr. - Arte Público Press

Best Young Adult Nonfiction - English

Memories of My Colombia - Valentina Arango - Ediciones El Pozo

Best Young Adult Nonfiction - Spanish or Bilingual

Yes, You Can Too! The Life of Barack Obama/¡Tú También Puedes! La Vida de Barack Obama - Raquel Benatar - Laredo Publishing

2ND Place: Alegria - Kilina Vela - Trafford

Honorable Mention: Penny, Caída Del Cielo - Jennifer L. Holm - Bambú

Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation – Spanish or Bilingual

Cuahutemoc Blanco - José María Obregón - Rosen Publishing – Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: Amor a la Colombiana - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Colorombia Animal - Camilo Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

CATEGORY B – NONFICTION

Best Arts Book - English

Maria Brito - Juan Martinez - UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center - Triple Crown Award Winner.

2ND Place: Celia Alvarez Muñoz - Robert Tejada - UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

Honorable Mention: Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Battle of South Texas - Ruben C. Cordova - UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

Best Arts Book - Spanish or Bilingual

Hugo Zapata - Hugo Zapata y Juan Luís Mejía - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Arte Internacional, Colección del Banco de la República - Beatriz González - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Grabados Antiguos de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana - Germán Rubiano Caballero - Villegas Editores S.A.

Best Biography - English

Of Earth & Sea - Marjorie Agosín - University of Arizona Press

2ND Place: The Essays - Rudolfo Anaya - University of Oklahoma Press

Honorable Mention: The Ladies' Gallery - Irene Vilar - Other Press

Best Biography - Spanish or Bilingual

Cautiva: Testimonio de us Secuestro - Clara Rojas - Atria Books

2ND Place: Las Penumbras del General. Vida y muerte de Francisco de Paula Santander - Victor Paz Otero - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Vive tu Vida al Rojo Vivo: Secretos Para Triunfar en Todo - Maria Celeste Arranas - Atria Books

Honorable Mention: Frank Pais y la Revolucion Cubana - José Alvarez - Outskirts Press

Best Gift Book - English

Aim High Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic & Latina Women - Laura Contreras-Rowe - Self Published

2ND Place: Hot. Passionate. And Illegal? Why (Almost) Everything You Thought About Latinos Just May Be True - Christián de la Fuente –

Celebra, an Imprint of Penguin Group

Best Gift Book - Spanish or Bilingual

Colombia en Flor - Hugo Zapata y Juan Luís Mejía - Villegas Editores S.A. – Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: Amor a la Colombiana - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: El Manuscripto de Dios - Cesar Lacayo - Ediciones Internacionales

Best History/Political Book - English

Hero Street U.S.A. - Marc Wilson - University of Oklahoma Press

2ND Place: Latinos and the Nation's Future - Henry Cisneros, Editor - Arte Público Press

2ND Place: Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon - Regina M. Marchi - Rutgers University

Best Reference Book – English - Tie

Chicana and Chicano Art - Carlos Francisco Jackson - University of Arizona Press

Latinos In College: Your Guide to Success - Mariela Dabbah - Consultare

2ND Place: The Fire of Life: The Robert Legorreta-Cyclona Collection 1962-2002 - Robb Hernandez - UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center

Best Reference Book - Spanish or Bilingual

MUTIS. La Real expedición Botánica del Nuevo Reyno de Granada - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Cafés de Colombia - Lilianna Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Sobre lo fantastico Mexicano - Cecilia Eudave - Letra Rosa Publisher

Best Cookbook - Spanish or Bilingual

Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Caperucita roja y el lobo glotón - Maria Villegas & Jennie Kent - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Alicia en el pais de las delicias - Maria Villegas & Jennie Kent - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Hansel y Gretel y la casita endulzado - Maria Villegas & Jennie Kent - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: La cocina de los Estefan - Emilio Estefan y Gloria Estefan – Mosaico

Best Health Book – English

The Power of Your Metabolism - Frank Suarez - Metabolic Press – Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: Fit Home Team: The Posada Family Guide to Health, Exercise and Nutrition the Inexpensive and Simple Way –

Laura Posada & Jorge Posada - Atria Books

Best Health Book - Spanish or Bilingual

Descubre Tu Estillo: Tu Guía Para Vestir Mejor - Martín Llorens - Random House Mondadori – Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: El Derecho a la Sexualidad Masculina - Frank Suarez - Self Published

Best Parenting/Family Book - English

Parents Who Cheat. How Children and Adults Are Affected When Their parents Are Unfaithful - Ana Nogales - Health Communications, Inc.

2ND Place: Fit Home Team: The Posada Family Guide to Health, Exercise and Nutrition the Inexpensive and Simple Way –

Laura Posada & Jorge Posada - Atria Books

Best Parenting/Family Book - Spanish or Bilingual - Tie

Con el Alma Rota - Juan Carlos Martin Colea - Self Published

The Wooden Bowl - El bol de Madera - Ramona Moreno Winner - Brainstorm 3000

2ND Place: En busca de Emma - Armando Lucas Correa - Rayo/Harper Collins

Best Religious Book - Spanish or Bilingual

La Vírgen de Guadalupe - Antonía de Alva - Mosaico

2ND Place: Sólo Amor - Sri Daya Mata - Self-Realization Fellowship

2ND Place: El Yoga de Jesús - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship

Honorable Mention: Toma Decisiones Que No lamentaras - T. D. Jakes - Atria Books

Best Self-help Book - Spanish or Bilingual

El Factor X - El poder de la acción en focada - Dr. Camilo Cruz - Editorial Taller Del Exito

2ND Place: Picos y Valles - Spencer Johnson - Atria Books

Honorable Mention: La Ley del Éxito - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship

Honorable Mention: Recetas Para Enriquecer tu Vida Sexuale Como Disfrutar de la Sexualidad en el Matrimonio –Hector y Clemencia Zorrilla – Living Mission Ministries, Inc

Best Spiritual/New Age Book - Spanish or Bilingual

El Yoga de Jesús - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship

2ND Place: La Sabiduria del Alma - Dr. Zhi Gang Sha - Atria Books

Honorable Mention: Meditaciones Metafisicas (revised) - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship

Best Travel Book - Spanish or Bilingual

Amazonia Perdida. La odisea fotográfica en Colombia de Richard Evans Shultes - Wade Davis - Villegas Editores S.A. –

Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: Medellin 360º, Cordial, Pujante y Bella - Cristina Abad y Carolina Jaramillo - Villegas Editores S.A.

Best Women’s Issues Book - English

Dancing with Butterflies - Reyna Grande - Atria Books

2ND Place: Impossible Motherhood - Irene Vilar - Other Press

Best Women’s Issues Book - Spanish or Bilingual

Cómo ahorrar sin perder la cabeza - Ana Galán - Mosaico

2ND Place: La Niña Adentro Del Closet - Benoni Coaud - Wekann Publishing Co.

Honorable Mention: Descubre Tu Estillo: Tu Guía Para Vestir Mejor - Martín Llorens - Random House Mondadori

CATEGORY C – FICTION

Best Popular Fiction - English

B As In Beauty - Alberto Ferreras - Grand Central Publishing

2ND Place: Hungry Woman in Paris - Josefina López - Grand Central Publishing

2ND Place: Golondrina, Why Did You Leave Me? A Novel - Barbara Renaud Gonzalez - University of Texas Press

Honorable Mention: Dancing with Butterflies - Reyna Grande - Atria Books

Best Popular Fiction - Spanish or Bilingual

Diecinueve Minutos - Jodi Picoult - Atria Books

2ND Place: Amor a la Colombiana - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Nos Vemos en Purgatorio - Ani Palacios McBride - Outskirts Press

Best Novel – Adventure or Drama - English

Sweet Mary - Liz Balmaseda - Atria Books

2ND Place: The River Flows North - Graciela Limón - Arte Público Press

Honorable Mention: A Glass of Water - Jimmy Santiago Baca - Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

Best Novel – Adventure or Drama – Spanish or Bilingual

Nos Vemos en Purgatorio - Ani Palacios McBride - Outskirts Press

2ND Place: El Vencedor Está Solo - Paulo Coelho - Rayo

Honorable Mention: El monte Orígo - Rosario Barros, José A. Carbonell, Carlos A. Dueñas, Rafael G. Jolly, Juan R. Martos,

Vicente A. Vásquez - Letra Rosa Publisher

Best Novel – Historical Fiction - English

Death and the American Dream - Daniel Cano - Bilingual Review Press

2ND Place: Forgetting the Alamo, or, Blood memory: A Novel - Emma Perez - University of Texas Press

Honorable Mention: The Invisible Mountain - Carolina de Robertis - Alfred A. Knopf

Best Novel – Historical Fiction - Spanish or Bilingual

Las Penumbras del General. Vida y muerte de Francisco de Paula Santander - Victor Paz Otero - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: La Estrella de David - Daniel De Cordova - Anura Group

Best Novel – Mystery - English

Death at Solstice: A Gloria Damasco Mystery - Lucha Corpi - Arte Público Press

Best Novel – Romance - English

Vigil - Cecilia Samartin - Atria Books

2ND Place: Clara…Encountering Life - Gabriela Garcia-Williams - Self Published

Best Novel – Romance - Spanish or Bilingual

La Pildora del mal Amor - Anjanette Delgado - Atria Books – Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: Clara…Reencuentro con la vida - Gabriela Garcia-Williams - Self Published

Best Poetry Book - English

The Art of Exile - William Archila - Bilingual Review Press

2ND Place: Poema - Maurice Kilwein Guevara - University of Arizona Press

2ND Place: The Strange House Testifies - Ruth Irupé Sanabria - Bilingual Review Press

Honorable Mention: Faith Run - Ray Gonzalez - University of Arizona Press

CATEGORY D – DESIGN (Title – Illustrator/Designer(s) - Publisher):

Best Cover Design

Colombia en Flor - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Hugo Zapata - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Aim High Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic & Latina Women - Laura Contreras-Rowe - Self Published

Honorable Mention: Boy of the Border - Antonio Castro L. - Sweet Earth Flying Press LLC

Best Cover Illustration

Amor a la Colombiana - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Cuentos del Centro: Stories from the Latino Heartland - Maria Vasquez Boyd - Scapegoat Press

Honorable Mention: Cocinando cuentos de hadas: Caperucita roja y el lobo glotón - Helena Landínez - Villegas Editores S.A.

Best Interior Design

Colombia en Flor - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Arte Internacional, Colección del Banco de la República - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Descubre Tu Estillo: Tu Guía Para Vestir Mejor - Armando Alvarez - Random House Mondadori

Best Use of Photos

Apalaanchi, pescadores Wayuu - Santiago Harker - Villegas Editores S.A.

2ND Place: Medellin 360º, Cordial, Pujante y Bella - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Editores S.A.

Honorable Mention: Shine Boy - José Galvez - Shine Boy Media

CATEGORY E – AUDIO

Best Children’s Audio Book – Spanish or Bilingual

Frédéric Chopin - Catherine Weill - Combel Editorial – Triple Crown Award Winner

2ND Place: Aesop's Fables/Las Fabulas de Esopo - Georgette Baker - Cantemos

Honorable Mention: Mulitcultural Stories/Cuentos Multiculturales - Georgette Baker - Cantemos

CATEGORY F - THE MARIPOSA AWARDS

Best First Book - English

Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz - Belinda Acosta - Grand Central Publishing

2ND Place: Fit Home Team: The Posada Family Guide to Health, Exercise and Nutrition the Inexpensive and Simple Way -

Laura Posada & Jorge Posada - Atria Books

Honorable Mention: Aim High Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic & Latina Women - Laura Contreras-Rowe - Self Published

Best First Book – Spanish - Tie

Cuantos del norte, historias del sol Hemi - Garcia Linares - CasaTomada

La Estrella de David - Daniel De Cordova - Anura Group

2ND Place: Cautiva: Testimonio de us Secuestro - Clara Rojas - Atria Books

2ND Place: Descubre Tu Estillo: Tu Guía Para Vestir Mejor - Martín Llorens - Random House Mondadori

Honorable Mention: Clara…Reencuentro con la vida - Gabriela Garcia-Williams - Self Published

In addition to these book awards, Latino Literacy Now also awards the Latino Literacy Now Lifetime Achievement Award for publishing excellence and, in association with noted actor, director and community activist Edward James Olmos, hosts the Latino Book & Family Festival series held annually in Houston, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Congratulations to all the winners! And I'd like to extend a special congratulations to Full Circle Literary's winners Carmen Tafolla, René Colato Laínez, and Reyna Grande. ¡Felicidades! —Adriana

Lee and Low Books Announces the 2010 New Voices Award

2010-05-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

LEE & LOW BOOKS, award-winning publisher of children's books, is pleased to announce the eleventh annual NEW VOICES AWARD. The Award will be given for a children's picture book manuscript by a writer of color. The Award winner receives a cash grant of $1000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash grant of $500.

Established in 2000, the New Voices Award encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent. Past New Voices Award submissions that we have published include Ghosts for Breakfast, a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Children's Book; Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist selection; and Bird, an ALA Notable Children's Book.

Eligibility

The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children's picture book published.

Writers who have published other work in venues such as children's magazines, young adult, or adult fiction or nonfiction, are eligible. Only unagented submissions will be accepted. Work that has been published in any format is not eligible for this award. Manuscripts previously submitted for this award or to LEE & LOW BOOKS are not eligible.

Submissions

Manuscripts should address the needs of children of color by providing stories with which they can identify and relate, and which promote a greater understanding of one another.

Submissions may be FICTION, NONFICTION, or POETRY for children ages 5 to 12. Folklore and animal stories will not be considered.

Manuscripts should be no more than 1500 words in length and accompanied by a cover letter that includes the author's name, address, phone number, email address, brief biographical note, relevant cultural and ethnic information, how the author heard about the award, and publication history, if any.

Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. A self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage must be included if you wish to have the manuscript returned.

Up to two submissions per entrant. Each submission should be submitted separately.

Submissions should be clearly addressed to:

LEE & LOW BOOKS
95 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
ATTN: New Voices Award

Manuscripts may not be submitted to other publishers or to LEE & LOW BOOKS general submissions while under consideration for this Award. LEE & LOW BOOKS is not responsible for late, lost, or incorrectly addressed or delivered submissions.

Dates for Submission

Manuscripts will be accepted from May 1, 2010, through September 31, 2010 and must be postmarked within that period.

Announcement of the Award

The Award and Honor Award winners will be selected no later than December 31, 2010. All entrants who include an SASE will be notified in writing of our decision by January 31, 2011. The judges are the editors of LEE & LOW BOOKS. The decision of the judges is final. At least one Honor Award will be given each year, but LEE & LOW BOOKS reserves the right not to choose an Award winner.

For information about previous winners, click here.

Good luck to everyone! —Adriana

Latino Books Month Giveaway!

2010-05-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Hachette Book Group has once again generously provided copies of books by Latino authors to give away to readers of VOCES in honor of Latino Books Month.

ONE winner will received THREE books of his/her choosing from those listed below:

Try to Remember By Iris Gomez

Hot (broke) Messes By Nancy Trejos

Waking Up in the Land of Glitter By Kathy Cano-Murillo

Little Nuggets of Wisdom By Chuy Bravo, Tom Brunelle

Lone Star Legend By Gwendolyn Zepeda

Into the Beautiful North By Luis Alberto Urrea

Amigoland By Oscar Casares

(To find out more about the books, click on their titles.)

To win your copies, do the following:

Become a follower of VOCES by clicking on the appropriate box on the side bar.
Once you have become a VOCES follower, send me an email to adrianasblog@gmail.com confirming that you have done so, and include the following information:

The titles of the three books you would like to receive.
Your name and shipping address, so that we can know where to send the books.
An idea for a future post for VOCES, a feature that you'd like to see added to the blog, or feedback on what you like and may not have liked so much about my posts so far. As I stated in my first post, I want this to be a place for dialogue among those interested in Latino lit, so this information will benefit all!

*Those who are already followers of the blog also qualify for the giveaway. If you are a follower, please let me know in your email message, and include the rest of the information requested.

One winner will be chosen randomly on the last day of Latino Book Month, May 31st. The winner will be announced on the site on JUNE 1ST, 2010. Good luck!

**Books will be delivered by publisher. Contest is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Books will not be delivered to P.O. boxes.

IN MEMORIAM—Rose Treviño

2010-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Authors, illustrators, readers, advocates for Latino literature, and book lovers of all sorts have suffered a great loss. Rose Treviño, former Youth Services Coordinator for the Houston Public Library, passed away on Friday. Rose was a dear friend and someone I truly admired. She was the type of person who would not hesitate to offer a helping hand, and was willing to introduce you to the right people to ensure your sucess, as she understood that one person's success in this field, signifies a success for the field as a whole. She worked tirelessly to make a difference and knew how to get things done. I consider myself lucky to have known her. Below, I have included a link to an interview I conducted with Rose some time ago for Críticas magazine. Anyone interested in Latino publishing should read this interview to become aware of the amazing work librarians do everyday to promote our books. My heart and thoughts go out to her family, and to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Rose and is as saddened by this loss as I am. Feel free to comment below if you are so inclined.—Adriana

http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6605985.html?industryid=48434

Update: Here is an article about Rose, published by SLJ on 5/3/10.

NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER AWARDS TWO LITERARY PRIZES

2010-03-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

The National Hispanic Cultural Center and the National Latino Writers Conference are pleased to announce the winners of the NHCC’s two literary awards. The first is the Premio Aztlán awarded to an emerging author who shows promise as a writer. The second is the bi-annual NHCC Literary Award given to an established writer with an impressive body of work and who has impacted the productivity and success of other Hispanic writers.

Luis Alberto Urrea has won the NHCC Literary Award for the breadth of his work in non-fiction, poetry, novel, short fiction, essay and memoir. Mr. Urrea has published fourteen books and several titles are forthcoming. He has been a past faculty member of the National Latino Writers Conference. From his presence at the NLWC we know him to be generous with his attention and knowledge in a workshop setting.

Urrea has been the recipient of the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Prize for fiction, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for non-fiction, winner of the Lannan Foundation Literary Award for non-fiction, the Premio Fronterizo Award/Border Book Festival, the Latino Literary Hall of Fame award and the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, among others. Luis Urrea is presently a Professor of English/Creative Writing at the University of Chicago at Illinois.

Other nominees included: Francisco X. Alarcón, Alurista, Gloria Anzaldúa, Norma Cantú, Ana Castillo, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Ray Gonzalez, Juan Felipe Herrera, Graciela Limón, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, John Phillip Santos, Sabine Ullibarrí, and Helena María Viramontes.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Award has been given since 2002. Past award recipients include: Rudolfo Anaya, Denise Chávez, Pat Mora and Martín Espada. The award will be presented to Luis Alberto Urrea on Friday evening May 21st during the National Latino Writers Conference banquet. The NHCC Literary Prize is $2,500.00 and Mr. Urrea will be in attendance to accept the award and make remarks to the National Latino Writers Conference.

Gloria Zamora, a native New Mexican has been awarded the Premio Aztlan for her book, Sweet Nata: Growing Up in Rural New Mexico. Her book was one of the most successful titles published by the University of New Mexico press in 2009.

The Premio Aztlán was established in 1993 by famous local author Rudolfo Anaya and his wife Patricia, who passed away several months ago. Established at the University of New Mexico, the Premio Aztlán was moved to the National Hispanic Cultural Center in 2008 as part of the Center’s annual National Latino Writer’s conference. The conference will be held, May 19-22, 2010 for the eighth consecutive year and draws writers from throughout the country. Ms. Zamora will be required to offer a short lecture at this year’s conference where she will receive a prize of $1,000.

[Note: There is still time to register for the National Latino Writers Conference. I have attended more than once and definitely recommend it. Just take a look at this year's faculty in the link at the beginning of this post!]

Why I Love My Job/The 2010 Pura Belpré Awards

2010-01-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

As book editor, reviewer, translator, and now literary agent, one of my career goals has always been clear: to promote Latino and Spanish language literature in the US, and to help Latino authors in particular get published. That is what this blog is about, and the reason why we all gather here; to learn more about this portion of the book publishing industry, and to find ways to promote it, and make it grow.

So imagine my delight when I received a call from a former colleague at HarperCollins Children's Books informing me that one of the books I edited during my time at HCC received the American Library Association's (ALA) 2010 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration! The book is Pat Mora's bilingual BOOK FIESTA!, illustrated by the brilliant Rafaél López. Working on Pat's poetic text was a joy that could only be matched by seeing the original art pieces submitted by Rafael. I remember the thrill of holding the explosively colorful wooden boards and the feeling that we were putting together something truly special. Part of what made the book special was the fact that it is the first to celebrate Pat Mora's Día de los niños/Día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), a celebration that she founded some 14 years ago, with the noble aim to simply unite all children and books. I encourage you to pick up BOOK FIESTA! and to share it with the children around you; it is truly a work of art, and like all great works of art, it aspires to a greater purpose and does so beautifully.

Visit the ALA website for the full list of the 2010 Pura Belpré winners, which includes yet another book authored by Pat Mora, which I had the honor of translating. GRACIAS/THANKS serves as another example of a beautiful marriage between (Pat Mora's) poetic text, and images. I am so proud to have been involved in two of this year's winners. I so enjoy seeing our amazing Latino literature being celebrated!

2009 Wrap-up

2009-12-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
I want to begin this post by thanking the increasingly large number of followers of this blog. You are the reason I continue to write it, despite a very busy schedule. The holidays have been busier than usual and I don't plan on writing again until next year, so this wrap up will include a number of items I've been meaning to share with you for some time now. Happy holidays!

Another Record Broken

You may have read about Planeta’s million-copy printing of the Spanish edition of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, but you may not be aware of the ways in which the Spanish publisher’s publicity efforts have crossed new frontiers. Want to see the best-selling author speak Spanish? Then, visit Tinta Fresca, the site for reviews of Spanish language books, where you can see a short introductory clip featuring Mr. Brown welcoming the magazine’s readers in Spanish, atop a full Spanish language interview. But that's not all, El símbolo perdido, as the Spanish language edition is called, made history in my own hometown of New York on November 26^th, when it was advertised on the Times Square big screen. It is the first time in PR Newswire history that a Spanish book is shown on the famous screen.

The Spanish language edition of "The Lost Symbol" displayed on the famous Times Square "big screen."

For more information on El símbolo perdido, visit the book’s official site.

Why I’m Thankful

This year, I was offered a wonderful opportunity to work with a dear friend when I was asked to translate Pat Mora’s exquisite bilingual picture book Gracias/Thanks, in which a young boy tells about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful. I am thankful for having a small part in the making of this wonderful book, which represents one of those rare, perfect combinations of text and images. Pat’s poetic text, beautiful in its simplicity, is perfectly matched by John Parra’s warm illustrations.

But don’t take my word for it, read some of the glowing reviews it has received:

From School Library Journal/Críticas® magazine:

“The poetic writing flows in both Spanish and English and carries a sense of happiness brought by the simple things in life. The cheery and brightly colored acrylic illustrations are full of fun details and add depth to the text.” (Full review.)

From Booklist® (starred review):

“These blessings are remarkable for their childlike imagination and fresh imagery…Books of thanks can run toward clichés, but the originality and liveliness of language and art in this one will inspire children to consider their own blessings." (Full review only available to subscribers.)

From Kirkus Reviews® (starred review):

“Mora has a keen sense of the concrete, child-friendly detail, and it’s put to splendid use here. Readers will find themselves nodding in agreement as the unnamed narrator gives thanks to the ladybug that lands on his finger, the bees that don’t sting him and his little brother, who throws mashed peas at their sister. Parra’s folk-art–style acrylics evoke a suburban neighborhood replete with twining morning glories, green lawns, and red-tiled roofs. Domínguez’s Spanish translation precedes the English text of this bilingual tale on each spread, a thoughtful touch that honors both the book’s creators and its Latino audience. For this graceful celebration, ¡gracias!" (Full review.)

If you are looking for a wonderful bilingual book with a great message, make sure you pick up this one. You’ll be glad you did!

My Favorite Books of 2009

Here is a short list of some of my favorite books of 2009. It is by no means exhaustive, since my schedule this year did not permit me to put out my usual call to publishers to evaluate their full lists. It is also uniquely mine, and includes books that I’ve worked on, authors I’ve worked with, stories that left me hungry for more from the same author, and some children’s books that I think every Latino parent should have.

If you don’t see your favorite, add it to the list in the comments section! Together, we can come up with a fantastic list of Latino and Spanish language titles for those looking to give books as presents this year. And if you haven’t yet, run out and buy a book for a friend or a family member, or many books! Remember: “a home without books is a body without a soul.”

For Children:

"In My..." series of finger puppet books, illustrated by Argentine artist Lorena Siminovich.

Some fun and educational choices in Spanish from Rufus Butler Seder and Georgina Lázaro.

Some wonderful bilingual choices from René Colato Laínez, Guadalupe Rivera Marín (Diego Rivera's daughter), and Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy.

Tween and teen choices by some of our best Latino authors: Julia Alvarez, Diana López. and Matt de la Peña.

For Adults:

The Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Robertis

Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

Ruins By Achy Obejas

Dancing with Butterflies by Reyna Grande

Espejos by Eduardo Galeano (also available in English as "Mirrors")

Sweet Mary by Liz Balmaseda

America Libre (in English) by Raul Ramos y Sánchez

B as in Beauty by Alberto Ferreras

Happy Reading!

Award-Winning Author Reyna Grande Visits East Coast

2009-11-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

New York City's newly renovated Museo del Barrio, in collaboration with La Casa Azul Bookstore, will host an exciting literary event, featuring Reyna Grande (Across A Hundred Mountains, Atria 2006; Dancing with Butterflies, Atria, 2009) and Sergio Troncoso (The Last Tortilla, University of Arizona Press, 1999) this Saturday, November 7th, at 2pm. The award-winning authors will join together at the museum's new Café to engage in a lively dialogue about their works.

This is part of Reyna's national book tour in support of her latest novel, Dancing with Butterflies, which uses the alternating voices of four very different women in a Los Angeles dance company called Alegría to weave a story of friendship and love: Yesenia, who founded Alegría, finds herself unable to dance and seeks a miracle from a plastic surgeon in Tijuana. Elena, grief stricken by the death of her child and the end of her marriage, falls dangerously in love with one of her under-age students. Elena’s sister Adriana, wears the wounds of abandonment by a dysfunctional family and becomes unable to discern love from abuse. Soledad, the sweet-tempered illegal immigrant who designs costumes for Alegría, must make the dangerous journey north after she returns to Mexico to see her dying grandmother.

Reyna's follow up to her critically-acclaimed Across A Hundred Mountains received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly®, which proclaimed that the novel [was] "well worth the wait." Kirkus Reviews® agrees, and praises the "fierce humanity" of its characters. You may visit Atria's blog to learn more about Reyna and her work, and to read a conversation with the author. For a full list of the author's appearances, which on the East Coast also include a visit to Philadelphia today, visit the events page on her website. I hope to see you Saturday!

Guest Blogger: Author and Editor Michelle Herrera Mulligan

2009-10-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Michelle Herrera Mulligan is the editor of, and a contributor to Juicy Mangos: Erotica Collection (Atria Books, 2007), the first-ever collection of Latina erotica in English, which Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos called “not only a tantalizing read, but a deeply rewarding one as well.” In 2004, she co-edited Border-Line Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish on Sex, Sass, and Cultural Shifting (HarperCollins/Rayo, 2004), an anthology of essays on the contemporary American Latina experience. She received an American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Ruth Bennett Outstanding Contributions to Hispanic Studies Award in spring of 2006. Michelle has worked as an author and journalist in New York City for twelve years. She has contributed to Time, Woman’s Day, Latina, Teen People, and Publisher's Weekly, among many others.

Why It’s Worth It to Edit (and Contribute to) an Anthology

by Michelle Herrera Mulligan

You’ve all seen them. They drift into your inboxes with deletable subject lines like “FW:FW:Re:Please forward: New anthology editor seeks stories about sisterhood, motherhood, growing up in Miami, Detroit, Peoria...,” you get the idea. If you actually click on the message, you might make it to the part where it says compensation consists of a “small stipend upon selection.” That is, if you haven’t deleted it by then. And you probably have. I certainly did. Plenty of times. That is, until I thought of an anthology of my own.

My friend Robyn and I didn’t plan on doing an anthology, or even a book together. We mostly hung out in offices and laughed hysterically at all the weird things our mothers had in common, like favoring makeup for fifth graders, and loving telenovelas way too much. But after a while, we realized we had another important thing in common: we weren’t seeing professional women like ourselves (educated, sophisticated Latinas navigating multiple realities) on T.V., or in any of the novels or essays we were reading at the time. And we wanted to do something about it. So we decided to pose a couple of emailed questions of our own: “What has being Latina meant for you?” “What has it meant to your identity at different stages of your life?” We didn’t just send the questions to anybody. We asked the best writers and most outrageous thinkers of all of the talented women we knew. And what we got back overwhelmed us.

For about two years after we got a book deal, our lives became consumed by edits, negotiations (though the individual contributor contracts started out identical, many required tweaking and much discussion), and long phone therapy sessions, pronounced by panic about what family members, former lovers, and friends would say once it all hit the shelves. The work was consuming and costly (I could have made more money writing a long magazine feature at the time). Robyn and I became infamous editors in the process; we sent the essays back for revision after revision (and put ourselves through the same). But what we ended up with in the end was worth it: a tight-knit group of friends and colleagues, a tour around the country (that we paid for ourselves), where we met young women touched by our stories, conversations started about Latina identity in the press, and most importantly, the stories themselves, gathered in a volume called Border-Line Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish on Sex, Sass, and Cultural Shifting (HarperCollins/Rayo, 2004), which is still being used in college curriculums around the country.

At the end of that process, I was happy and done. I was going solo. I’d never do it again. And yet, one day I got a call, just like that classic email, asking if I would be interested in contributing to someone else’s anthology. Only I didn’t politely decline out of turn. I took a minute to listen, and that moment proved to be transformational.

The job at first seemed absurd (“Me, an editor of erotica? Are you kidding?”). I had to edit in English and Spanish, and make writers that were more experienced than me sound amazing and polished as they wrote a heavily sexual, literary, novella. And I also had to write one of those novellas myself (“I know, what?!”) “There goes another year (or two), there goes my novel,” I thought. But my capacity as a writer was challenged, yet again, expanded beyond my expectations—as was the final product: Juicy Mangos:Erotica Collection (Atria Books, 2007). As with Border-Line, the experience sparked friendships that I treasure to this day.

You may hear that anthologies don’t sell, will suck your time, and are going the way of the hardcover. What you won’t hear is this: if you get a chance to work on one that features a topic you’re passionate about, jump at the chance. You’ll never take a class that will teach you more.

Michelle Herrera Mulligan, Elisha Miranda, and Sofia Quintero, will be reading from their stories from Juicy Mangos on Thursday, October 22 at the East Harlem Café, 1651 Lexington Avenue, 7-9 p.m.

Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway Winners!

2009-10-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, especially the new followers. I was very impressed by the amount of thought and consideration that went into some of the suggestions for the blog, and pleased as well, since I interpreted that great care to mean that you feel a sense of ownership with it, which I of course hope you do. Please know that I will consider your contributions carefully and plan on implementing quite a few of those suggestions. I look forward to continuing the conversation, and thank you again for your support.

And now, the winners of the Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!

Oscar Bermeo
Christine Womack
Esther Bonilla-Read
Eileen Hu
Deborah Rosen

Each will receive a set of the five books featured in the giveaway. Books will ship directly from the publisher. Congratulations to all!

Come join me in Los Angeles this weekend!

2009-10-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

I will be at this year's Latino Book and Family Festival in Los Angeles this Saturday and Sunday, participating on panels on the state of publishing, and interviewing the fabulous Pat Mora. Come check it out, this year's festival promises to be the best one yet! Click here for more information, and for the festival's full program, which includes events in English and Spanish.

To enter the Hispanic Heritage Month Book Giveaway, click here.

Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway!

2009-09-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hachette Book Group has once again generously provided copies of 5 of their new books by Latino authors to give away to readers of VOCES in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Five winners will received the whole set of five books!

To win your copies, do the following:

Become a follower of VOCES by clicking on the appropriate box on the side bar.
Once you have become a VOCES follower, send me an email to adrianasblog@gmail.com confirming that you have done so, and include the following information:

Your name and shipping address, so that we can know where to send the books.
An idea for a future post for VOCES, a feature that you'd like to see added to the blog, or feedback on what you like and may not have liked so much about my posts so far. This feedback benefits us all!

*Current followers of the blog will also qualify. If you are already a follower, please let me know in your email message and include the rest of the information requested.

Five winners will be chosen randomly and announced on the site on October 15th, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. Good luck!

To find out more about the books, click on their titles below:

Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson ISBN: 0446546127
Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante ISBN: 0446581623
Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta ISBN: 044654051X
Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo ISBN: 0446519367
Amigoland By Oscar Casares ISBN: 0316159697

**Books will be delivered by publisher. Contest is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Books will not be delivered to P.O. boxes.

Carolina De Robertis discusses her powerful debut novel, The Invisible Mountain

2009-09-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

Uruguayan American Carolina De Robertis’s powerful debut novel, The Invisible Mountain, takes readers on an epic journey through the lives of three generations of women, exploring an important part of South American history and paying homage to the resilience of the human spirit. The newly celebrated author shares details with former Críticas Children's Reviews Editor Adriana Domínguez about her inspiration and some of the elements that made it possible for this ambitious project to come to fruition.

Did you purposefully set out to retell the history of Uruguay through the eyes of women?
In a way. I knew, when I began, that I wanted to write a narrative inspired by the family stories I had heard while growing up, from my parents’, grandparents’, and great-grandparents’ generations. It quickly became clear that the history of Uruguay itself was also central to the project and that women would form the heart of the book. In my family’s oral tradition, the male ancestors tended to come with long, elaborate stories, while the women were often summed up in a brief sentence or two. Where did they come from? What did they see in their world, and breathe back into it? What treasures lie buried in their silence? One of the marvelous things about fiction is its ability to excavate, explore, or reinvent such treasures, when the original truths have been lost.

The novel spans the lives of three different women over 90 years. Was it challenging to develop a project of such a broad scope?
Let’s put it this way: it was an adventure, and like many true adventures, it involved setting out without a map, a compass, or an inkling of how long or arduous the road would be. If I had known what would be required, how many years (eight) and how many drafts (I lost count), I would have been too terrified to begin. The truth is that I had no idea what I was doing when I started: I began, not because I thought I could actually write this novel, but because I was enraptured by something I could not yet see, could not hold in my hands but longed to. It was a reckless leap into the creative process, armed only with my own hunger and curiosity. Fortunately, this allowed me to embark and saved me from getting daunted until it was too late to turn back.

The narrative mentions many real-life people and events and is partly based on your own family’s history. How did you balance the story’s historical, autobiographical, and fictional elements?
My family history provided the impetus—the initial spark that gave birth to the characters—and lit up the essence of their lives. Extensive historical research provided them with a ground to walk on, a climate to inhabit. The sociopolitical landscape of the book is true to historical reality, and some of the historical figures who make appearances have even kept their names: Evita and Che, of course, but also less famous figures such as Ernesto Bravo, a young man brutalized and framed by the Peronist police in 1951, and Dan Mitrione, the torture trainer sent by the United States in 1970. Finally, of course, there was the element of fiction, of sheer invention, which is more limber than oral or formal history and so has freer ways of exploring truth. The end result is a kind of braid, woven from three intricate strands: family stories, actual history, and pure imagination.

Have you traveled to Uruguay?
I grew up in England, Switzerland, and California. My parents attempted an assimilationist approach to coping with the immigrant experience, and I visited Uruguay only twice as a child and teenager. Nevertheless, my second visit, at the age of 16, imbued me with images and sounds and smells and textures and relationships that changed the way I approached the world and my place within it. Since then, the longing to return has never left me.

Do you feel connected to your Uruguayan roots?
When I was in my mid-twenties, my parents disowned me for marrying a woman, and the journey of writing Uruguay and Argentina became an even more urgent journey of reclaiming roots I had been cut from. I returned three times while writing the novel, and each time I connected with my wonderful extended family, who did not follow my parents’ suit. I conducted research in every way I could: finding and reading books, sparking conversations, asking questions, sifting through old photographs, taking road trips, prowling the streets, smelling the streets, watching strangers, listening to the songs of a neighborhood. All of these experiences have poured into the novel. In some ways, this book is my sprawling, intimate love letter to the nation, whose culture, people, and legacies continue to capture and amaze my heart.

Some aspects of The Invisible Mountain are reminiscent of works by Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, and Junot Díaz. Where do you place yourself within the continuum of authors writing about Latin America?
I am immensely nourished by, grateful for, and indebted to a range of Latin American authors. There are tremendous riches in the Latin American tradition, as well as in contemporary literature emerging from Latin America and from bicultural Latino writers in the United States, and I could spend many lifetimes plumbing these riches. At the same time, writers have always read widely and drawn from many streams of literature, and Latin American writers are no exception. Gabriel García Márquez was deeply influenced by the magic realism of Metamorphosis (though Kafka never receives that label), and Jorge Luis Borges was inspired by The Arabian Nights and William Faulkner. I always remember these examples and hold them close to my heart, because my own sources of inspiration also transcend borders.

What is your next project?
My second novel, which is well underway, tells the story of a young Argentinian woman raised in a military family, whose world is shaken when a dripping, haunted man appears in her living room. He turns out to be the ghost of a desaparecido—one of thousands the government kidnapped, tortured, and threw from airplanes into the sea in the 1970s—risen from his watery grave, and his presence forces her to confront the hidden, violent past that connects them. In some ways, this is a very different book; for one thing, it spans three decades rather than nine. But some of the underlying themes—such as the interplay of historical forces and everyday life, the truths hidden inside silence, and the twisting path toward authenticity—seem to be returning to the fore.

© Library Journal, 2009. All Rights Reserved. Used With Permission.
Original interview found on Library Journal's site, at: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6686713.html

Click here for an excerpt of the book.

Carolina De Robertis' THE INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN

2009-08-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'd like to first take this opportunity to thank you all for the wonderful messages of support you have sent me regarding my new venture as a newly-minted literary agent. I appreciate them very much. I want to clarify that I will continue working on this blog, not only to fill you in on my new adventures and let you in on what I am doing on that score, but more importantly, to do my part to continue to further the cause of Latino and Spanish language literature.

To that end, I have been working closely with Uruguayan-American author Carolina De Robertis' publisher and two other blogs, to spread the word about this exciting new book that has already garnered so much praise, including a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Below, you will find a description of the book, as well as a personal introduction from the author to what will be the first in a series of three excerpts from the book posted by three separate blogs. The subsequent excerpts will be posted on La Bloga and Little Pink Book PR (in that order). Please let others know about this book and spread the word about the excerpts. Coming soon: my interview with the author for Library Journal. Enjoy!

About The Invisible Mountain
On the first day of the millennium, a small town gathers to witness a miracle and unravel its portents for the century: the mysterious reappearance of a lost infant, Pajarita. Later, as a young woman in the capital city — Montevideo, brimming with growth and promise — Pajarita begins a lineage of fiercely independent women. Her daughter, Eva, survives a brutal childhood to pursue her dreams as a rebellious poet and along the hazardous precipices of erotic love. Eva’s daughter, Salomé, driven by an unrelenting idealism, commits clandestine acts that will end in tragedy as unrest sweeps Uruguay. But what saves them all is the fierce fortifying connection between mother and daughter that will bring them together to face the future. From Perón’s glittering Buenos Aires to the rustic hills of Rio de Janeiro, from the haven of a corner butchershop to U.S. embassy halls, the Firielli family traverses a changing South America and the uncharted terrain of their relationships with one another. Click to buy the book.

About the Author

Carolina De Robertis was raised in England, Switzerland, and California by Uruguayan parents. Her fiction and literary translations have appeared in ColorLines, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and Zoetrope: All-Story, among others. She is the recipient of a 2008 Hedgebrook Residency for Women Authoring Change and the translator of the Chilean novella Bonsái by Alejandro Zambra. She lives in Oakland, California.

Author's introduction and first excerpt

Pajarita

Montevideo, Uruguay, 1924: Pajarita grew up in the country and first arrived in the city as a seventeen-year-old bride. Now, her husband has not been home for days, leaving her alone with three small children and a house that has run out of food. Her friend Coco, the butcher’s wife, has come over to visit.

“First of all,” Coco said, pushing a hefty package into Pajarita’s hands, “you’re taking this meat. I don’t care what you say. I know your husband’s gone—the desgraciado.” She sat her ample body down at Pajarita’s table. Pajarita stared at the gift.

“I have no way to thank you.”

Coco continued as if she hadn’t heard. “Secondly: your plants. They’re strong. You should sell them.”

“Sell?”

“To women in the barrio. You can start in the store, behind the counter with me. Look, once word spreads about your cures, better than a doctor and cheaper too, you’ll be putting food in those boys’ bellies.” It had never occurred to her, but she couldn’t think of a reason not to try. She took her children and a basket of leaves and roots and barks to the butcher shop. The boys resumed an epic pretend game of gauchos-in-the-campo, riding imaginary horses among the chunks of ﬂesh that hung from the ceiling. In one corner of the room, between the chopping block and meat hooks, Pajarita arranged two small wooden stools and sat down on one. Ignazio, she thought, I want to kill you, to kiss you, to carve you like a ﬂank; just wait and see how I’m going to live without you by my side.

Coco served as a living advertisement. Women began to come. Some of them just needed to be heard; they told sprawling, unkempt tales of death in the family, brutal mothers-in-law, ﬁnancial pressures, wayward husbands, violent husbands, boring husbands, loneliness, crises of faith, visions of Mary, visions of Satan, sexual frigidity, sexual temptation, recurring dreams, fantasies involving saddles or bullwhips or hot coals. She offered them teas for comfort, luck, or protection. Other customers came with physical conditions—pain in their bones, a stitch in their side, numbness in hips, ears that rang, forgetfulness, sore knees, sore backs, sore hearts, sore feet, cut ﬁngers, quivering ﬁngers, wandering ﬁngers, burns, headaches, indigestion, excessive female bleeding, a pregnancy that wouldn’t come, a pregnancy that had to end, cracked bones, cracked skin, rashes no doctor could diagnose, aches no doctor could cure. There were housewives, maids, sore-handed seamstresses, sweaty-handed adulteresses, great-grandmothers swaying with canes, young girls swooning with love. Pajarita listened to them all. She sat still as an owl as she listened. Then she handed them a small package and explained what to do with its contents. Word spread. Women came to see her from all corners of the city. She could barely keep up with harvesting from cracks in the sidewalk, nearby parks, and the pots in her own house. To Coco’s delight, the seekers often picked up their daily beef along with their cures. Pajarita set no price. Some gave her pesos, others fruit, a basket of bread, a ball or two of handspun wool. Anonymous gifts appeared on the Firielli doorstep—baskets of apples, jars of yerba mate, handmade clothes for the children. They had enough.

She had developed a peculiar sort of fame. Her name was whispered through the kitchens and vegetable stands of Montevideo. Pajarita, she cured me, you should go see her too. And when I almost. You saw me then. If it hadn’t been for her. Strange, she thought, that all of this should grow from something as familiar as plants, such ordinary things, opening new worlds, drawing the souls and stories of this city to her doorstep, unveiling a startling thing inside her: a reach, a scope, adventures with no road map, forays into the inner realms of strangers where she roved the darkness in search of something that bucked and ﬂashed and disappeared, slippery, evasive, untamable.

One sweltering afternoon, as a hunchbacked woman who smelled of garlic confessed her infatuation with the new priest, Pajarita felt something stir inside her body. Her mind reached in to feel. She was pregnant. A girl. She ﬁlled with the memory of conception, that ﬁnal night, the clawing, Ignazio’s torn and hungry skin. And he was gone. She almost imploded from the sadness.

Excerpted from THE INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN by Carolina de Robertis Copyright © 2009 by Carolina de Robertis. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

My Big Happy News!

2009-08-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the official press release announcing my new venture. I wanted my readers to be among the first to find out about this. Thank you for your support!

Adriana Domínguez, Former HarperCollins Executive Editor,

Joins Full Circle Literary

Adriana Domínguez has joined Full Circle Literary as its newest agent, effective immediately. Ms. Domínguez has over ten years of experience in publishing, most recently as Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she managed the children’s division of the Latino imprint, Rayo.

Prior to her work at HarperCollins, Ms. Domínguez was Children’s Reviews Editor at Críticas magazine, published by Library Journal. She is also a professional translator, and has worked on a number of Spanish-language translations of best-selling children’s books.

At Full Circle Literary, Ms. Domínguez will continue her strong list of children’s picture books, middle grade novels, and literary young adult novels. She will also represent authors writing for adults in the following genres: literary fiction, women’s fiction, and historical fiction. For her adult nonfiction list, she will seek women’s interest, multicultural, pop culture, and how-to books.

Full Circle Literary founder Stefanie Von Borstel says, “We are very excited to have Adriana on board. Her eye for spotting and developing authors is unparalleled and we feel her taste is very much in tune with our global interests. Adriana and I met while working on Latino-interest projects at Rayo. I was impressed by her detail-oriented editing and her strength as an advocate for authors throughout the publishing process. I am certain that those skills, among others, will make her an excellent agent.”

“I am very much looking forward to helping published and unpublished authors develop their work and navigate the complex world of publishing from concept through publication, and beyond,” adds Ms. Domínguez. “I am particularly excited about having joined an agency that shares my interest in publishing the work of Latino authors, and that has the awards and recognition to prove that it does it well.”

Ms. Domínguez will be based in New York City and will serve as Full Circle Literary’s

East Coast representative. She can be contacted by e-mail at Adriana@fullcircleliterary.com.

Full Circle Literary is a California-based literary agency. Founded in 2004 by Stefanie Von Borstel and Lilly Ghahremani, the agency represents a wide range of children’s and adult authors. For more information, visit their website: www.fullcircleliterary.com.

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[Please note that I will resume posting next week.]

The 2009 National Latino Writers Conference in Albuquerque, NM: Part III

2009-07-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

René Colato Laínez is the award-winning author of WAITING FOR PAPÁ, PLAYING LOTERÍA, and I AM RENÉ, THE BOY. He is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults, and a bilingual elementary teacher at Fernangeles Elementary School, where his students know him as "the teacher full of stories." René’s mission as an author is best described in his own words: “My goal as a writer is to produce good multicultural children's literature; stories where minority children are portrayed in a positive way, where they can see themselves as heroes, and where they can dream and have hope for the future. I want to write authentic stories of Latin American children living in the United States.”

René conducted an excellent workshop on writing picture books at the NLWC, and has generously provided a portion of it to VOCES below. I am sure that aspiring (and published!) picture book authors will find this information extremely helpful. For more information on René’s work, visit http://renecolatolainez.com. René also contributes to the following blogs: http://labloga.blogspot.com, http://www.losbloguitos.com.

René and me after his panel at the 2009 NLWC

HOW TO WRITE A PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT

By Award-Winning Author, René Colato Laínez

I am René Colato Laínez, the Salvadoran author of many picture books, including PLAYING LOTERÍA/ EL JUEGO DE LA LOTERÍA and the forthcoming books RENÉ HAS TWO LAST NAMES/ RENÉ TIENE DOS APELLIDOS, THE TOOTH FAIRY MEETS EL RATÓN PÉREZ, and MY SHOES AND I.

When I started to submit my manuscripts to different publishers in March 2001, I received many rejection letters from editors. I wondered what was wrong with my stories. I thought I was writing wonderful stories but was not having any luck getting them published. So I decided to take some children’s writing classes and joined the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). I was eager to learn the craft. I rolled up my sleeves and submerged myself into the children’s writing world. A year and a half later, I signed my first contract for my manuscript WAITING FOR PAPÁ/ ESPERANDO A PAPÁ. Yeah! My dream of becoming an author was becoming a reality!

But what does a picture book manuscript need to have in order to be considered by an editor? What do you need to do to get your chance at the publishing world?

Below, I’ve compiled some tips that I’ve learned on my way to becoming a published author. Take note and get inspired!

• A question that I have been asked many times is: “Do I need to hire an illustrator for my manuscript?” The answer is no, you don’t need to illustrate your own manuscript to become a children’s author. Editors will look at your manuscript on its own, and if they like it, find an illustrator for your work once they’ve acquired it.

• In a picture book manuscript, every word counts. This is why you need to select them very carefully. 1000 words would be the maximum for a picture book manuscript. 500 words would be ideal!

• When writing a manuscript, think in terms of scenes. A 32 picture book has 14 to 16 scenes. Break up your story into that many scenes to make sure that it will work.
• Each scene needs to be less than 70 words if you are aiming for a 1000 word count. But try to write your scenes in 50 words or less.

• Write using action words and use your five senses. Long descriptions of places, decorations, and room environment are not necessary. All of those details will be taken care of by the illustrations. Every time I start a new scene, I do this writing exercise:

- I see ___________
- I hear __________
- I smell _________
- I taste __________
- I touch _________
- My heart says_________

If I fill most of the blanks, I know that I have a good scene that can be illustrated.

• Your story needs to move and evolve from scene to scene. If, after writing three scenes your story in not going anywhere, you can merge those three scenes into a single one.

• Try to follow this format when writing. It works for me:

-Scene 1 Introduce your character and the problem.
-Scene 2 Give more details about the problem.
-Scene 3 Your character reacts: What will he or she do about it?
-Scene 4-10 Action, action and more action. Your character is the story’s hero.
-Scene 11-12 Think about the story’s climax.
-Scene 13-15 Solve the problem.
-Scene 16 Happy ending!

• After writing the manuscript, share it with your peers for critique. It is wonderful to be part of a critique group. The website for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a great resource to help you find a group near your area (among other things).

• At the end of the critique, take what you consider valuable and can turn your manuscript into a better story. And listen; your group can have great ideas that at first may sound silly but may later bring you to say: “Yeah! They were right!”

• Once you have a fantastic manuscript, submit it. Rejection letters may come your way, but believe in your story and don’t give up. One day, you will hear someone give you the wonderful news you long to hear: “We want to publish your story!”

Saludos and good luck,
René Colato Laínez
www.renecolatolainez.com

The 2009 National Latino Writers Conference in Albuquerque, NM: Part II

2009-07-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

For my second installment in my series of posts following up the conference, I would like to print some of Dr. Felipe Ortego y Gasca’s enlightening comments during his opening keynote address. For those of you who may not know, Dr. Ortego y Gasca has long been considered the founder of Chicano Literary Studies. His seminal work, entitled Backgrounds of Mexican American Literature (Univ. of NM, 1971), was the first study published in the field. He is also credited for being the first to write on the subject of Chicano literature for a major publisher with his We Are Chicanos: Anthology of Mexican American Literature (Washington Square Press, 1973). It was truly an honor for me to get an opportunity to see him speak at this conference, and I would like to pass some of that honor on to you.

Ortego y Gasca addressing the participants of the 2009 National Latino Writers Conference.

During his talk, Ortega y Gasca offered these encouraging words to the Latino authors in attendance: “We are still in our gestation period, 1973 is not that long ago”—referring to the date of publication of We Are Chicanos— and adding: “We have to recover the U.S. Latino saga; my family’s history in the U.S. dates back to 1731, before 1776”—obviously pointing to his own Mexican roots, and maybe alluding to that old Southwestern saying: “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.”

He went on to make a distinction between Latin American writers living in the U.S.—who are very much connected to the literary tradition of their homelands—, and Latino Writers— whom, he pointed out, should be identified as U.S.-based Latino authors, such as Sandra Cisneros. I wanted to print this remark in particular because he went on to state that “this distinction is seldom made (by publishers, readers, and the general public), exhibiting a basic misunderstanding and ignorance of the work of U.S. Latino writers, which dates back to the roots of this country—and has a long future ahead.”

Ortega y Gasca also mentioned the demographics with which my readers are already very well acquainted, putting them into perspective, and within the literary context. He said: “By 2040, 1 in 3 Americans will be Latino, and this demographic is changing from the inside, not through immigration.” (Referring to the fact that 1 out of 2 babies now born in the U.S. is of Latino heritage.) “Every county in the US now has Latinos in it.” (A fact that I, for one, was not aware of, and which I found fascinating, since it has endless implications.) Finally, referring to what he dubbed the “tsunamic demographic change” that we are about to face, Ortego y Gasca offered these very simple, wise words to present and future Latino writers: “We should not waste it.”

I hope you are enjoying these posts on the NLWC. Check back at the end of this week, when I will be posting the first of a series of writing tips by some of the published authors who attended the conference.

For more information on the National Latino Writers Conference, and the rest of the programs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, click here.

The 2009 National Latino Writers Conference in Albuquerque, NM: Part I

2009-06-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

From May 21st through the 23rd of this year, I had the pleasure of participating in this wonderful yearly event as a guest faculty member. As such, I took part in a panel of editors, and provided attendees with one-on-one editorial consultations. I know that with the current speed of Internet news this probably seems like ages ago, but I wanted those who did not have the fortune of attending this conference to benefit from my participation, so I've decided to write about it, and to post interviews I conducted with some of its participants, as well as valuable writing tips from published Latino authors who directed workshops during the three-day event. Who knows, perhaps some of this information will entice some you to attend the conference next year! Since I intend to provide quite a bit of information, I will do so over a series of posts. So stay tuned, there is plenty more coming. And let me know what you think!

First, I want to acknowledge the wonderful people who put the conference together: Carlos Vázquez, Director of the History and Literary Arts Program at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, where the event is housed, Senior Librarian Greta Pullen who personifies poise and grace, and their dynamic Administrative Assistant, Kate Trujillo, without whom, I’ve been told, the conference may not happen at all! Thank you all for your warm hospitality; you really make this a special event for all involved.

As you might have already guessed, I really enjoyed participating in this conference. But this should come as no surprise, since, in just 7 short years, it has quickly become the most important writers conference in the country for aspiring Latino authors. And why wouldn’t it? Enrollment is limited to 50 registrants, and with 20 faculty members available on any given year, the personalized service provided by this conference is unmatched, particularly considering its rather low enrollment fee. The conference also confers two important awards: The annual Premio Aztlán founded by Rudolfo Anaya and his wife Patricia in 1993 in an effort to encourage and reward the work of Chicano/a authors, and the biannual National Hispanic Cultural Center Literary Prize, or NHCC. The premio Aztlán was moved to the National Hispanic Cultural Center in 2008, and the ceremony became a part of the National Latino Writers Conference during that year as well.

But what makes this conference so wonderful is the caring people who put it together, and who make every effort to ensure that all in attendance get the most they can out of the experience. It is for this reason that I decided to take advantage of Carlos Vázquez’s generosity by asking him to sit down with me and tell me a bit more about what makes this event work. Here is what I learned:

Carlos Vásquez was a faculty member at the University of New Mexico from 1991 to 1999; from 1992 to 1997, he represented the university alongside historians, anthropologists, people in the arts such as musicians, authors, and others, on a design committee that worked together to conceive what would be then called the Research and Literary Arts Program: a documentation center for Hispanic culture consisting of video collections, publications, a library, and archives. Eventually, the center morphed into the current History and Literary Arts Program (HLA), charged with documenting and preserving Hispanic history, culture, and literature. The HLA permanent collection encompasses over 14,000 books, full text electronic databases, 2,000 rolls of microfilm, hundreds of video and audiotapes, and manuscript and photo archives—all concentrated on the history of Hispanics worldwide with a focus on the U.S. Southwest. The HLA programs include historical exhibits based on family and community histories, seasonal book signings, lectures, short courses (Cursillos), a World Book Day/ Día del Libro celebration, and of course, the National Latino Writers Conference.

Carlos Vásquez, Director of the History and Literary Arts program at the National Hispanic Cultural Center welcoming participants to the 2009 NLWC.

“We started this event with one ad in Poets and Writers,” say Carlos Vásquez, noting the preexisting need for a conference of this nature. “From that ad alone, registration filled up quickly, and we ended up with a waitlist of 13 authors from all over the country; at that point, we knew we were onto something.” Carlos is particularly proud of the conference’s famously warm environment: “The experience of being here alone is worth it, and is what has participants come time and time again; it is what has spread the word about the conference and filled it, year after year, along with the fabulous guest faculty we showcase.”

And with workshops ranging from poetry to children’s literature, and panels of editors, agents, and publishers, this conference’s popularity shows no sign of fading. Not to mention that it has borne fruit: participating writers have found agents and publishers for their work, in part because the industry folk who attend it are really interested in finding Latino talent; in part because of the great pains the organizers go through to make sure that everyone gets to know everyone else, and to showcase the writers in attendance. (This year saw the launch of new “Open Mic” sessions that enabled writers to read before all those in attendance, providing them an opportunity not only to share their work, but also to exhibit their presentation skills, and many authors took full advantage of that opportunity.)

This new feature is but one of many planned in a conference that is ever evolving to better adapt itself to the needs of its attendees, and the market. “Plans are already underway for next year to include new workshops for illustrators, travel writers, and in Spanish, for Latin American writers who have moved to the U.S.,” says Carlos, who, when discussing the current state of the U.S. publishing industry is quick to note: “writing is as important as ever.” What can one add to that? Maybe just that it’s nice to know that this conference has its priorities straight.

For more information on the National Latino Writers Conference, and the rest of the programs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, click here.

Críticas is Back!

2009-06-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

It was about four months ago that I first reported on Reed Elsevier’s highly criticized decision to cease publication of Críticas magazine due to insufficient ad revenue. I am now happy to report that the company that owns Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal has made good on its promise to continue coverage of the Spanish language book market by continuing to provide English language reviews of Spanish language titles to the librarians who so desperately need them, as openly expressed in this letter from REFORMA member and former Criticas blogger Loida García-Febo: http://www.criticasmagazine.com/blog/820000482/post/290040029.html

In a letter from the magazine's editor, Aída Bardales, Library Journal announced today that it will “resume reviewing Spanish-language books for adults and children,” adding that “adult books will be reviewed monthly, and children's titles every other month.” Freda Mosquera, youth services outreach librarian for Broward County Library, FL, is the newest addition to the Críticas team, replacing Noel Baca-Castex, the former Children Reviews Editor. Aída's letter goes on to thank all of those who have supported the magazine over the years, particularly those who, in one way or another, contributed to its return. A short message on Criticas’ old website acknowledges the role of those individuals as well, stating that they have resumed reviews of Spanish language titles “in response to reader demand following [the magazine's] suspension.” The first set of reviews of Spanish language and bilingual titles has already been uploaded to its new location in Library Journal’s website. Enjoy!

And the Winners Are… (Part II)

2009-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Latino Book Month Giveaway

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who entered the contest, especially the new “followers.” It was wonderful to hear from you. I was pleased to learn that publishers, authors, and readers are following this blog. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that librarians are following it as well, since I know from personal experience that they are often some of the best advocates for Latino literature.

I received many wonderful suggestions through this contest, many of which I plan to put into practice, so stay tuned. Although the contest is over, the dialogue should not be; feel free to continue to send me emails with ideas and/or suggestions for the blog, and please subscribe to let other folks know just how important Latino literature is to you. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

And now, the winners of the May Latino Book Month Giveaway!

Aaron Martin
Brooke Bahnsen
Edi Campbell
Natalya Martinez
Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Each will receive a set of the five books featured in the giveaway. Books will ship directly from the publisher. Congratulations to all!

And the Winners Are… (Part I)

2009-06-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

The 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards

For me, one of the highlights of Book Expo America, year after year, is the Latino Book Awards presented during the conference. The awards, which honor literary excellence in a variety of categories, are bestowed by Latino Literacy Now, a non-profit organization that supports and promotes literacy and literary excellence within the Latino community. In 2009, awards were given in four new categories: Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation, Best Gift Book, Best Popular Fiction, and Best Graphic Novel. See below for a complete list of winners, and visit http://lbff.us/latino-book-awards for more information on the awards, and to see lists of previous recipients. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!

The Winners (Title - Author(s) - Publisher):

CATEGORY A – CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Best Educational Children’s Book - English
The Song of the Coconut – Adalucía - Cholita Prints & Publishing Co.

Best Educational Children’s Book - Spanish
Quiero ser poeta - Rafael Garcia Jolly, José Carbonell Pla, Antonia Moreno, María D. Torres Bañuls - LetraRoja
2ND Place: El secreto del dorado - Maria Villegas y Jennie Kent - Villegas Asociados S.A.
Honorable Mention: Figúrate: Animales, fantasía y mundo - María Villegas y Jennie Kent - Villegas Asociados

Best Educational Children’s Book - Bilingual
Dealing With Insults - Qué hacer con los insultos - Marianne Johnson - Rosen Publishing/Buenas Letras
2ND Place: Teo in Palo Verde - Adam Del Rio - Lectura Books
2ND Place: Ronaldinho - José María Obregón - Rosen Publishing/Buenas Letras
Honorable Mention: Las abejas - Katie Franks - Rosen Publishing/Buenas Letras

Best Children’s Picture Book – English
Abuelos - Pat Mora - Groundwood Books
2ND Place: The Secret Legacy - Rigoberta Menchú - Groundwood Books
Honorable Mention: Kitchen Dance - Maurie J. Manning - Clarion Books

Best Children’s Picture Book – Spanish
Los tres reyes de Oriente - Lluis Farre - Bambú
2ND Place: El mejor mariachi del mundo - J. D. Smith - Raven Tree Press
Honorable Mention: Mira, mira - Angels Navarro - Bambú

Best Children’s Picture Book – Bilingual
Rachel and the Lion - Stephanie Lainez - Story House Books
2ND Place: Colors! ¡Colores! - Jorge Luján - Groundwood Books
Honorable Mention: The Storyteller's Candle - Lucia Gonzalez - Children's Book Press

Best Young Adult Fiction – English
Dark Dude - Oscar Hijuelos - Atheneum/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
2ND Place: Amor and Summer Secrets - Diana Rodriguez Wallach - Kensington Publishers
Honorable Mention: Mr. Clean and the Barrio - David Bueno-Hill - Urbano Books

Best Young Adult Fiction – Spanish or Bilingual
El asunto galindo - Fernando Lalana - Bambú
2ND Place: Odisea - Albert Jané - Combel Editorial, S. A
Honorable Mention: Carlito's Story - Max Benavidez & Katherine Del Monte – Lectura Books
Honorable Mention: No sapiens - Ariel González - Libros en Red

Best Young Adult Nonfiction - English
The Barefoot Shoeshine Boy - Al Rivera - Author House

Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation – English
Soccer's Story & A Fútbol Fable - Gil Sperry - Amigo del Mar Press

Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation – Spanish or Bilingual
Go Milka Go! ¡Corre, Milka, Corre!- Raquel Benatar - Renaissance House

CATEGORY B – NONFICTION

Best Arts Book - English
The Journey of Frederic Edwin Church - Through Colombia and Ecuador - Pablo Navas Sanz de Santamaria - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Line: 7 Elements of Art - Jane Castillo - Crystal Productions
Honorable Mention: Yolanda M. López - Karen Mary Dávalos - Chicano Studies Research Center Press (UCLA)

Best Arts Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Manuel Hernández - Manuel Hernández - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Alicia Viteri: Memoria digital - Alicia Viteri - Villegas Asociados S.A.
Honorable Mention: Herman the Jester and the ABC's of Art - Rafael Filion - Author House

Best Biography - English
Crazy Loco Love - Victor Villaseñor - Arte Público Press
2ND Place: The Last Supper of Chicano Heroes - José Antonio Burciaga - University of Arizona Press
2ND Place: Paths to Discovery - Norma E. Cantú - Chicano Studies Research Center Press (UCLA)
Honorable Mention: Take Me With You: A Memoir - Carlos Frias - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Biography - Spanish or Bilingual
Bolívar, delirio y epopeya - Víctor Paz - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Llorando en la oscuridad- Pablo Chapoy - Ediciones Del Ermitaño
Honorable Mention: Yagruma: Amores prohibidos en épocas de tiranía - Francisco Calderon Vallejo - Conceptos Editoriales
Honorable Mention: Un sueño americano - Oscar de la Hoya - Rayo
Honorable Mention: De ciertas damas - Carlos Lleras Restrepo - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Business Book - Spanish or Bilingual
El latino más rico en los Estados Unidos - Rubén Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing
2ND Place: Hablidades para el trato personal en los negocios - Dr. Camilo Cruz - Taller Del Éxito

Best Gift Book - English
Colombia by Color - Benjamin Villegas - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Holywood - Se Habla Español - Rafael J. Rivera-Viruet & Max Resto - Terramax Entertainment Publishing

Best Gift Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Secreto: El libro de la gratitud (The Secret Gratitude Book) - Rhonda Byrne - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Quiero ser poeta - Rafael Garcia Jolly, José Carbonell Pla, Antonia Moreno, María D. Torres Bañuls - LetraRoja
2ND Place: Pardon My Spanglish ¡Porque Because! - Bill Santiago - Qwirk Books
Honorable Mention: Gringosincrasias - Emma Sepúlveda - Asterión

Best History/Political Book - English
No Greater Love: The Lives and Times of Hispanic Soldiers - Major General Freddie Valenzuela, with Jason Lemons - Ovation Books

Best History/Political Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Principio y fin del mito Fidelista - José Alvarez - Trafford Publishing
2ND Place: Alberto Lleras - Alberto Lleras - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Reference Book - English
A Simple Guide to U.S. Immigration and Citizenship - Luis Cortes - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Reference Book - Spanish or Bilingual
De inmigrante a ciudadano - Luis Cortes - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: El latino más rico en los Estados Unidos - Rubén Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing

Best Cookbook - English
Latin Evolution - Jose Garces - Lake Isle Press, Inc.

Best Cookbook - Spanish or Bilingual
Larousse de los postres - Paulina Abascal - Ediciones Larousse
2ND Place: Y hoy ¿qué les doy? - Lourdes Al cñiz y Lourdes March - Grijalbo - Random House Mondadori
Honorable Mention: La comida de Italia - Un viaje para los amantes de la cocina - María Villegas & Sophie Braimbridge - Villegas Asociados

Best Health Book - English
The Art of Healing Latinos - David E. Hayes-Bautista & Roberto Chiprut - Chicano Studies Research Center Press (UCLA)

Best Health Book - Spanish or Bilingual
¡Mami, tengo hambre! - Jeamme Warren Lindsay, Jean Brunelli, Sally McCullough - Morning Glory Press
2ND Place: Y hoy ¿qué les doy? - Lourdes Al Cñiz y Lourdes March - Grijalbo - Random House Mondadori

Best Religious Book - English
Misa, mesa y musa Vol 2 - Kenneth G. Davis - World Library Publications
2ND Place: Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage: Unlocking the Secrets to Life, Love and Marriage - Mark Gungor – Atria Books

Best Religious Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Autobiografia de un Yogui (revised) - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
2ND Place: Susurros de la eternidad- Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
Honorable Mention: Reconstruye tu vida: El Camino a la Felicidad Sin Limites - T.D. Jakes – Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Self-help Book - English
The Barefoot Shoeshine Boy - Al Rivera – Author House
2ND Place: I Love You. Now What? Falling in Love is a Mystery. Keeping it Isn't - Mabel Iam – Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Family Activism: Empowering Your Community Beginning with Family and Friends - Roberto Vargas – Bennett-Koehler Publishers
Honorable Mention: The Latino's Guide to Parenting - Suzanne Moreno - Ed-Ventures Publishing Co.

Best Self-help Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Triunfar en la vida - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
2ND Place: ¿Se Habla Dinero? The Everyday Guide to Financial Success - Lynn Jimenez - John Wiley & Sons

Best Spiritual/New Age Book - Spanish or Bilingual
El viaje - Siete pasos para diseñar y dusfrutar una vida con propósito - Lic. Rafael Ayala - Taller Del Éxito
2ND Place: Secreto: El libro de la gratitud (The Secret Gratitude Book) - Rhonda Byrne - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Autobiografía de un Yogui (revised) - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
Honorable Mention: El latino más rico en los Estados Unidos - Rubén Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing

Best Travel Book - English
Winter in Kandahar - Life in Afghanistan Before the Taliban - Ana M. Briongos - Trotamundas Press

Best Travel Book - Spanish or Bilingual
El viaje de Frederic Edwin Church - por Colombia y Ecuador - Pablo Navas Sanz de Santamaria - Villegas Asociados S.A.

CATEGORY C – FICTION

Best Popular Fiction - English
Gunmetal Black - Daniel Serrano - Grand Central Publishing
2ND Place: Ghosts of El Grullo - Patricia Santana - University of New Mexico Press

Best Popular Fiction - Spanish or Bilingual
No sapiens - Ariel González - Libros en Red

Best Novel – Adventure or Drama - English
Brida - Paulo Coelho - Harper Collins
2ND Place: The Flowers - Dagoberto Gilb - Grove Press
Honorable Mention: If I Die In Juárez - Stella Pope Duarte - University of Arizona Press

Best Novel – Adventure or Drama – Spanish or Bilingual
Por la vida de mi hermana (My Sister's Keeper) - Jodi Picoult - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: El infinito en la palma de la mano - Gioconda Belli - Rayo
Honorable Mention: Luna llena. Cabalgando sin riendas - Carmela Escobar - Libros en Red
Honorable Mention: Nada importa - Alvaro Robledo - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Novel – Historical Fiction - English
Alejandro and the Fishermen of Tancay - Braulio Muñoz - University of Arizona Press
2ND Place: Valfierno: The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa - Martin Caparros - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Novel – Mystery - English
The Case Runner - Carlos Cisneros - Arte Público Press
2ND Place: The Paris Enigma - Pablo de Santos - Harper Collins
Honorable Mention: Gunmetal Black - Daniel Serrano - Grand Central Publishing

Best Novel – Mystery - Spanish or Bilingual
Sangre en el desierto - Alicia Gaspar de Alba - Arte Público Press
2ND Place: Tácticas contra el tedio - Mauricio Bernal - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Novel – Romance - English
The Heartbreak Pill - Anjanette Delgado - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: More Than This - Margo Candela
Honorable Mention: Tarnished Beauty - Cecilia Samartin - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

Best Novel – Romance - Spanish or Bilingual
Luna llena. Cabalgando sin riendas - Carmela Escobar - Libros en Red

Best Graphic Novel – Spanish or Bilingual
Aleida x años - Vladdo (Vladimir Flórez) - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: Ellos/Ellas - Silvia Vallejo - Villegas Asociados S.A.

Best Poetry Book - English
Half of the World in Light - Juan Felipe Herrera - University of Arizona Press
2ND Place: Primera Página: Poetry from the Latino Heartland - Latino Writers Collective - Scapegoat Press
Honorable Mention: The Buried Sea - Rane Arroyo - University of Arizona Press

Best Poetry Book - Spanish or Bilingual
Lugar de Origen - Place of Origin - Elena Lafert & Melina Draper - Oyster River Press
2ND Place: Susurros de la eternidad - Paramahansa Yogananda - Self-Realization Fellowship
Honorable Mention: Secretos - Chuyin Rocha - Createspace

CATEGORY D – DESIGN (Title – Illustrator/Designer(s) - Publisher):

Best Cover Design
Take Me With You: A Memoir - James Perales - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Alicia Viteri: Memoria digital - Villegas Asociados S.A.
Honorable Mention: The Richest Latino in America - Rubén and Richard Ruiz - Wealth and Millionaire Publishing

Best Cover Illustration
El secreto del dorado - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: The Song of the Coconut – Adalucía - Cholita Prints & Publiching Co.

Best Interior Design
Manuel Hernández - Villegas Asociados S.A.
2ND Place: The Song of the Coconut – Adalucía - Cholita Prints & Publiching Co.

Best Use of Photos
Colombia es Color - Villegas Asociados S.A.

CATEGORY E – AUDIO

Best Children’s Audio Book – Spanish or Bilingual
Animals at the farm/Animales de la granja - Gladys Rosa-Mendoza - Me + Mi Publishing
2ND Place: My Family and I/Mi familia y yo - Gladys Rosa-Mendoza - Me + Mi Publishing

Best Non-Fiction Audio Book – Spanish or Bilingual
La ley de la atracción - Dr. Camilo Cruz

CATEGORY F - THE MARIPOSA AWARDS

Best First Book - English
Take Me With You: A Memoir - Carlos Frias - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
2ND Place: Reclaiming Paris - Fabiola Santiago - Atria Books/Simon & Schuster
Honorable Mention: The Seamstress - Frances de Pontes-Peebles - Harper Collins
Honorable Mention: Carnival of Memories - Yocasta Fareri - iUniverse

Best First Book - Spanish
Luna llena. Cabalgando sin riendas - Carmela Escobar - Libros en Red
2ND Place: Pardon My Spanglish ¡Porque Because! - Bill Santiago - Qwirk Books
Honorable Mention: Herman the Jester and the ABC's of Art - Rafael Filion - Author House
Honorable Mention: Secretos - Chuyin Rocha - Createspace

Mario y Uruguay

2009-05-18T16:04:00.001-07:00

It's been a interesting time to be Uruguayan this year; Eduardo Galeano made his way into the world's spotlight—and the #1 spot on best sellers lists— after Hugo Chávez handed a copy of his Open Veins of Latin America to President Obama. Uruguayan-American Carolina de Robertis' debut novel The Invisible Mountain, is said to be positioned as a lead title when Knopf releases it in 8/09. And it's only May. Uruguayans are just not used to this much attention.

Being born in a country wedged between two Latin American giants, with a total population of just over 3 million, generally makes you feel like a drop in the bucket. Uruguayans often resign themselves to a certain degree of anonymity, especially abroad. Not much is known about us; there aren't many "Uruguayan" stereotypes to pull out of a hat to enable others to jump to conclusions, and many people can't locate us on a world map. There's always our famous beef, but that is something that we share with Argentina, so it doesn't do much toward identifying us as a singular people. To be fair, we have ourselves struggled with our national identity, but that is a different matter. The fact is, Uruguayans are a quiet bunch in many ways.

But we could always count on Benedetti to speak for us. Mario Benedetti was probably Uruguay's best-known writer. More than the pivotal Onetti, more than the fiery and controversial Galeano, despite the latter's resurgence. Because Benedetti's readers truly love him. They cherish the nostalgic quality of his prose, and yearn for his evocative poetry. The magic of Benedetti has always been the simplicity and universality of his message. In a way, Benedetti personified what it is to be Uruguayan on a world scale, which is probably why I always brought him up in conversations with non-Uruguayans. And it never failed; those who knew him, always loved him.

Benedetti had been ill for over a year, and on May 17th, his body finally gave out and he passed away at the age of 88. I encourage you to take a look at the video below, and to celebrate the life of a simple man who, with the help of words, his only tools, carried out a very important duty: He reminded us how to be human.

Chau Mario, gracias por salvarnos.

ADDENDUM: To hear my interview with Mario Hinojosa of Latino USA on the life of this iconic Latin American author, and see more video of Benedetti reading, go to: http://latinousa.kut.org/842/

New Translation Guide Released

2009-05-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Some of you have requested coverage on the topic of translation, and, as a translator myself, I am happy to oblige: I just received word that the University of Illinois’ Dalkey Archive Press, in partnership with the Society of Authors, the British Council, Arts Council England, and the British Centre for Literary Translation, announced the publication of Translation in Practice: A Symposium, edited by Gill Paul.

Based on a conference held at the British Council in London in February 2008, Translation in Practice is part debate and part handbook, an attempt to establish best practices for writers, editors, translators, and anyone else involved in the business of literary translation. With a preface by Amanda Hopkinson, Director of the British Centre for Literary Translation, this volume brings together the experiences, opinions, and ideas of top editors and translators from both the U.S. and UK. Participants include:

Ros Schwartz, translator, chair of the European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations Euan Cameron, translator, former publisher and editor Hanan Al Shaykh, author Rebecca Carter, editor, Random House UK Christina Thomas, freelance editor Martin Riker, associate director, Dalkey Archive Press.

Translation in Practice is the first of a series of books Dalkey Archive Press will publish on the art of translation. It will be followed by a new edition of Suzanne Jill Levine’s The Subversive Scribe, forthcoming in October 2009. Suzanne Jill Levine has translated a number of Latin American greats into English, including Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Julio Cortazar, Jose Donoso, Carlos Fuentes, Silvina Ocampo, Alejandra Pizarnik, Julian Rios and Severo Sarduy. I plan on getting a copy Translation in Practice to evaluate its usefulness for myself and to read about the ideas it exposes on the subject. I highly recommend Levine’s book to all translators and those interested in translation. It will make you think about the art of translating in an entirely new way. If you have read either of these books, I invite you to comment and share your thoughts on them.

To enter my Latino Book Month giveaway, click here

Latino Book Month Giveaway!

2009-05-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hachette Book Group has generously provided copies of 5 of their new books by Latino authors to give away to readers of VOCES in honor of Latino Books Month.

Five winners will received the whole set of five books!

To win your copies, do the following:

Become a follower of VOCES by clicking on the appropriate box on the side bar.
Once you have become a VOCES follower, send me an email to adrianasblog@gmail.com confirming that you have done so, and include the following information:

Your name and shipping address, so that we can know where to send the books.
An idea for a future post for VOCES, a feature that you'd like to see added to the blog, or feedback on what you like and may not have liked so much about my posts so far. As I stated in my first post, I want this to be a place for dialogue among those interested in Latino lit, so this information will benefit all!

*Those who are already followers of the blog also qualify for the giveaway. If you are a follower, please let me know in your email message, and include the rest of the information requested.

Five winners will be chosen randomly on the last day of Latino Book Month, May 31st. Winners will be announced on the site on JUNE 1ST, 2009. Good luck!

To find out more about the books, click on their titles below:

1. B as in Beauty By Alberto Ferreras ISBN: 0446697893

2. Into the Beautiful North By Luis Urrea ISBN: 0316025275

3. Hungry Woman in Paris By Josefina Lopez ISBN: 0446699411

4. The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos By Margaret Mascarenhas ISBN: 0446541109

5. Houston, We Have a Problema By Gwendolyn Zepeda ISBN: 0446698520

**Books will be delivered by publisher, so contest is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Books will not be delivered to P.O. boxes.

Celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) on April 30th, and Every Other Day of the Year!

2009-04-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

By now, most of us know that 1 out of every 2 children born in the US is of Latino heritage, and that by 2050 nearly 30% of this country’s population will be Latino. What some of you may not know, is that studies have revealed that children who are read to from an early age (preferably before they begin school), do better once they get to school. And a child who does better in school is more likely to stay in it, and go on to college, and become a contributing member of society. So if we want to ensure a bright future for our Latino children as their numbers continue to grow, we should make an effort to read to them as much as we can, and to make that a priority in our lives. El día de los niños/El día de los libros provides us with a perfect opportunity to celebrate children, books, and the act of reading!

Founded in 1996 by author Pat Mora, “Día” as it is commonly called, is “a daily commitment to link all children to books, languages and cultures.” Día is housed at the American Library Association, and there are Día celebrations held at libraries all across the country on or near April 30th. To learn more about Día and its celebrations, get a brochure of recommended books, and much more, visit Día’s official website.

This is particularly exciting year for Día, because its founder, Pat Mora, has released her first ever Día themed bilingual picture book, entitled Book Fiesta!, illustrated by the amazing Rafael López. LibreríaLectorum.com recently interviewed the author about Día and her new book. Click here to read that interview. To learn more about Pat Mora, Día, and the book, visit the author’s website.

I have listed some Día events in my calendar. That, along with the information and resources found in the websites mentioned above, should provide you with many options for celebrating Día today, this week, this month, and this year. So tell your friends and family to celebrate, read to their kids, and buy books by Latino authors! That is the best investment we can all make in our future!

The titles below belong to a list of Día recommended titles put together by The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) - a division of the American Library Association (ALA), REFORMA - the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking, and the Association of American Publishers’ Publishing Latino Voices for America (PLVA) Task Force. It includes books in English and Spanish, as well as in the popular bilingual format. I think that it provides a nice variety of titles to help you begin to build your library. Enjoy!

¡Feliz día de los niños y los libros!

Tell Your Story to NPR!

2009-04-09T13:52:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I know that I've been a little MIA lately (busy, busy!), but I have been updating the calendar of events, so I hope that you are taking a look every so often, since it is updated very, very often. Check it out, or you may miss out on a writing workshop by Liliana Valenzuela, or a memoir workshop by Ana Castillo, to name only a couple! I get announcements about events from many sources, and I am making every effort to let you in on those through the calendar, as part of this blog's promise to provide you with "an insider's perspective" on the Latino market, so take advantage of it, and support Latino literature by attending the events whenever possible.

And here is an exciting opportunity for those of you who want to share your stories:

To any and all book lovers who have a good story to tell about how a book or librarian infused a child's life with joy or purpose. NPR's Latino USA is planning a feature to air before El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/ Book Day) in April that will share some of these stories about the power of books. Do you have a story or can you help us find one? We are in search of all voices: young, old, in Spanish, Somali or any language. Write to us and tell us the story, and we may call you up for an interview. Others will be included on our web site. We are especially interested in stories about Latino and immigrant children. Or the kids themselves if they'd like! Please send them to Katie Davis: KDavisDC@aol.com. Good luck!

New Calendar Feature, and More

2009-03-23T20:46:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I am dropping you this quick note to let you know that in an effort to make this blog as helpful and informative as possible for all readers, including book publishing professionals, authors and book lovers, I have added a calendar of upcoming events to the left side of the page. A quick look at the new calendar will reveal that I intend to include industry-wide events such as Book Expo America and librarians' conferences, as well as those that are more specialized, such as the National Latino Writers Conference in New Mexico, where I will be a participant, and a fabulous writing workshop by famed translator Liliana Valenzuela coming up in July. I'd like to encourage you all to send me your events to add to the new calendar. These can include readings, and all types of workshops, book celebrations or presentations. The only requirement for events is that their main focus be books and nothing else. The readers of this blog comes from all parts of the country and so too should our events. Let's work together to make this the most exhaustive calendar of events related to the Latino book industry out there!

Another couple of additions you may find helpful, are the "share this" and "subscribe" buttons on the left side of the page. Blogs are still relatively new to some, and it is with those folks in mind that I am attempting to make sharing and subscribing to content a little bit easier. I hope you find the new buttons helpful as well. More to come very soon!

Being Bilingual and Bicultural

2009-03-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

Although NBC’s series on the Hispanic-American experience called “We the People” aired nearly two weeks ago, I strongly believe that the clip below is worth a second look because it deals with some of the issues that we have all faced as producers and/or supporters of Latino literature.

Regardless of whether you are a publisher, author, translator, marketer, publicist, or reader of Latino literature, you have undoubtedly come across questions about being bilingual and/or bicultural. These questions acquire a particularly high degree of importance when they relate to children and their exposure to two languages from an early age. For instance, some believe that having access to two languages and cultures is beneficial to children because it expands their view and experience of the world, while others worry that acquiring two languages at once will lead to linguistic confusion and slow down learning. This particular question is of special interest to parents and educators, and it deserves an answer.

The clip below does a wonderful job of discussing studies related to some of the most common linguistic and cultural issues facing Latinos in the U.S., which is why I think that all of us interested in Latino literature should take a couple of minutes to watch and comment on it. In addition to language acquisition, the clip also deals with “acculturation,” “interculturation,” and other equally important topics related to being bilingual and bicultural. I would love to know what you think about some of the topics it touches on, about your own experiences, and what you have learned. Latino literature is by definition bilingual and/or bicultural, so this concerns us all. Please post your comments on this very important topic. I look forward to reading them.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

NBC Joins the Conversation

2009-03-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Two-thirds of the Latino population voted for Obama, effectively helping him to get into office by winning him states that had previously gone to the Republicans, such as Florida, New Mexico, and Colorado.

This fact has not gone unnoticed by the mainstream media.

Last night, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams launched a week-long series called WE THE PEOPLE, highlighting the "Hispanic Experience" in the U.S., which in fact calls attention to many issues that have hereto gone virtually unnoticed by said media, such as the staggering rate of growth of the U.S. Latino population (1 out of 2 babies born in the U.S. is now of Latino heritage). Expect to see more reports like this one, and watch them whenever you can. It is important for the media to know that there is a great deal of interest on the topic on the part of viewers.

Below is last night's first segment, which, I was glad to find, also highlighted Latino CHILDREN. Latino children are, after all, the ones responsible for this great demographic leap. Let's hope that publishers see the new face of America shown at the end of the video, and produce more books for THEM. Enjoy!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sanity Makes a Comeback

2009-02-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

I want to begin by stating that I echo your comments on the last post, and that I too know that Latino publishing is not going anywhere. It can't. A recession will not change the fact that we are the largest minority group in this country, or that our numbers are growing—exponentially. We all know this, but lately, with all of the bad news coming out of the publishing world, and from Latino publishing in particular, it may have become a little tough to remind ourselves of this very significant fact.

So let's leave it to Random House to do it for us: Today, the publishing giant announced that Vintage Español is expanding its Spanish language publishing program from 15 to 45 titles per year as a result of a new co-publishing agreement with its Spanish counterpart, Random House Mondadori. In addition to its usual 15 front list titles, Vintage will take advantage of RH Mondadori’s world-class backlist to publish titles by classics of Spanish literature such as Pablo Neruda, and Spanish translations of English language best sellers, such as John Grisham. To launch the new program, Vintage Español will reissue 50 of RH Mondadori's best selling titles this fall.

According to PW Daily: “Messitte said under the agreement, Vintage Español will put RH Mondadori titles through the same publishing process as all Vintage titles, taking advantage of the infrastructure to devote more attention to marketing, publicity and production functions. Milena Alberti will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations as director of Spanish-language publishing for Vintage Español.”

And here’s something else:
“Messitte said Random still believes there is opportunity for growth in the Spanish-language field. Vintage Español has had steady growth since it was started in the mid 1990s and has slowly expanded its focus beyond its core line of literary titles into such areas as self-help and cooking. ‘We’ve been very pleased with the growth,’ Messitte said.”

Nice to know that, in the midst of all the panic that has plagued the industry lately, there are still some intelligent, forward-looking people in publishing who are actually paying attention, isn’t it? Now, I wonder who will be next?

The Other Shoe Drops

2009-02-11T01:05:00.000-08:00

Upon my return to the U.S. and a mere two days after watching President Obama’s declaration that we are in the midst of “a full blown crisis,” I have the unfortunate task of having to report on not one, but TWO major ways in which this crisis has dealt direct blows to the Latino publishing industry.

Many of you probably know about the first: CRÍTICAS, the magazine published by Library Journal that for the past eight years had been THE source for news on the Spanish language publishing industry in the U.S., and the biggest provider of reviews of Spanish language titles available in this market, was shut down by its parent company, Reed Business Information. On a letter to online subscribers, former Editor Aída Bardales cites “decreased ad support” as the reason behind the decision made by the company, and states that “plans are underway to continue coverage of the U.S. Spanish-language book market through sister publications Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.” It is not yet clear what form that coverage will take, but I will of course keep you posted. (To read Bardales’ complete letter, click here.) Adriana López, the magazine’s founder turned guest blogger, posted a nostalgic entry entitled “The Names and Faces Behind Críticas” that gives credit to those who have contributed their talents to the magazine over the years, and made me, for one, long for the days when the Latino industry felt like a budding enterprise full of promise, rather than another helpless victim of the current economic climate.

Which brings me to my second bit of news, as this one too, makes me long for better days, specifically, a time eight years ago, when HarperCollins Publishers’ former CEO Jane Friedman saw the potential of the budding Latino market and launched a new imprint called RAYO. Since then, Rayo’s titles have consistently ranked among the top-selling Spanish language titles sold in the U.S., and won numerous awards. But achievements no longer guarantee employment, and so, on Tuesday, February 10th, I read this article stating that Rene Alegria, Rayo’s Publisher has been let go, along with his fabulous editor, Cecilia Molinari, part of a wave of layoffs by HarperCollins that resulted in the complete dissolution of Collins, their non-fiction imprint, among other disasters. A note at the bottom of the article seems to suggest that Harper plans to continue publishing Rayo titles, although it does not explain exactly how that will be accomplished. Again, I will keep you posted.

A quick look at my bio will make it clear that both of these events weigh heavily on me personally, as I am friends with everyone formerly employed by these two businesses. And it is both in the spirit of friendship, and of “giving credit where credit is due,” that I remind readers that the folks affected by these news are trailblazers whose tremendous dedication and hard work have contributed to making this portion of the business the essential part of the general book market it has become, and that it should continue to be. It is with great sadness that I report on these developments, and that I appeal to you, readers, and ask that you support this industry in any way you can: by subscribing and supporting this blog, by purchasing books by Latino authors, attending Latino authors’ readings, writing letters to decision makers, and any other way you can think of. The sense of urgency I felt when I launched this blog has now reached unforeseen proportions. We should all be stunned, saddened, and outraged by these news, but most of all, we should take action. Do you part, whatever that is. And hold on to your hats, we’re in for a bumpy ride…

And the Awards Go To... (What a Wonderful Surprise!)

2009-01-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice follow up to the last post that could not wait until my return to the States:

On Monday, the American Library Association (ALA) released its official announcement of their Youth Media Awards for 2009:

The following is a listing of the 2009 Pura Belpré Awards, which honor the work of Latino authors and illustrators "whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books." (It is worth mentioning that the previously biannual award will be granted annually from now on.)

The 2009 Belpré Illustrator Award went to Yuyi Morales for “Just in Case," published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership. The book is a follow up to Morales´ 2004 Belpré winner "Just a Minute."

The 2009 Belpré Author Award went to Margarita Engle for “The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom” published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC. This marks Engle´s second consecutive win; she won the award last year for "The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano."

The Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were: “Papá and Me” illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, written by Arthur Dorros, published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos” illustrated by Lulu Delacre, written by Lucía González, published by Children’s Book Press; and “What Can You Do with a Rebozo?” illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla, published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of Ten Speed Press.

The Belpré Author Honor Books were: “Just in Case” written by Yuyi Morales, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; “Reaching Out” written by Francisco Jiménez, published by Houghton Mifflin Company; and “The Storyteller’s Candle / La velita de los cuentos,” written by Lucía González and published by Children’s Book Press.

And perhaps the biggest surprise of the year: In addition to receiving this year´s Belpré Medal for narrative, Margarita Engle´s “The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom” was also named a Newbery Honor Book! A first for a Latino author!

So let´s congratulate all of this year´s winners, and celebrate this new milestone! This is already shaping up to be another wonderful year for Latino literature! ¡Felicidades!

For a complete listing of ALA´s Youth Media Awards for 2009 go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/january2009/ymawrap.cfm

An Update and Some Shameless Promotion

2009-01-26T07:02:00.001-08:00

I am out of the country until the first week of February, when I will resume posting. In the meantime, I want to let you know that I continue to work on future posts that I hope will be of interest to you, and that I am still open to ideas and suggestions, so keep those coming, and keep visiting and subscribing!

I can´t resist taking advantage of this forum to share some news as well: On January 1st of this year, Rayo published the bilingual Pelé, King of Soccer/ Pelé, El rey del fútbol, by award-winning author, Monica Brown. I am letting you know about it not because I edited the book, as many of you already know, but because I really believe that it is excellent, and worth knowing about. And I am not alone: Pelé has already received many positive reviews, two of them starred. Since this blog is about promoting and supporting the work of excellent Latino authors and illustrators, I wanted to share the excellent work that Monica Brown and Rudy Gutiérrez did on this book and encourage you to check it out. You can find a link to both the author and illustrator´s websites on this page. Monica´s page has links to the reviews and to an interview I did with her for Críticas magazine. Personally, I think that this book represents the first opportunity to help make this the year that we celebrate Latino children´s literature! Buy It Here

A Nerd, a Radio, and a Poem: 2008 in Review

2009-01-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Those who know me are well acquainted with my incurable optimism and can-do attitude. They count on me to see the good side of things and find solutions to problems—and I often do both. Looking back over this past year however, it seemed that I might have my work cut out for me. Because, Obama’s historic win aside, not much “good” seems to have taken place in 2008. When looking back, most will (rightly) recall a year riddled with layoffs, corporate bailouts, bonus and hiring freezes, and a general feeling of hopelessness, even among those who were “lucky” enough to remain employed.

But those of us who care about Latino literature can look back on this past year with a sense of pride, even renewed hope. We can and should remember that something truly great happened in 2008: some of our best and brightest (and in some cases, youngest) Latino authors received an unprecedented and well deserved amount of recognition; the kind hereto reserved only for Hollywood celebrities. It all started with Junot Díaz’s The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 2008 it seemed as though Junot was everywhere: On bestsellers lists—in both English and Spanish—, and on English and Spanish language media (Who can forget his appearance on the Colbert Report? And, ask a Univison viewer about him and they will say: “Junot has not forgotten where he came from,” or “I was surprised by how good his Spanish is!”). Yes, Junot became a bona fide literary celebrity over the past year. But he was not the only one who would receive that much-deserved praise.

Next, came the PEN USA awards. I had to read the announcement twice to make sure that I had not misread the names of not one, but TWO Latinos on the awards list. Yes, it was true! Daniel Alarcón had won the Fiction Award for Lost City Radio, and my dear friend Juan Felipe Herrera had (finally!) won the Poetry Award for his 187 Reasons Why Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border! That was the moment when I decided that Latino authors were on a roll in 2008. They were unstoppable. Even a deceased Latino author received praise when Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 made The New York Times’ “Best Books of 2008” list! And so, my optimism preserved, I set out to write a post about all of the accomplishments that have made 2008 a great year for Latino writing.

And then came the sobering reminder that there is still much work to be done, in the form of Melita Marie Garza’s piece for Bloomsberg News, published on the second-to-last day of the year (a portion of which was reprinted in The New York Times on that same day). The article refers to a recent study that reveals a steady decline in the representation of Latino and African- American characters in Newbery Award winners. The article quotes authors such as Sherman Alexie and Julia Alvarez, as well as Pat Scales, the president of ALSC (the Association for Library Services to Children that runs the Newbery Award). I think it is worth reading, so I am sharing it here:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aCT1f48_Qwzo

You may draw your own conclusions after reading the article, but here is what I propose:

I propose that we use the momentum gained in 2008 to concentrate on providing the same amount of support granted to adult Latino literature to children’s Latino literature. Let’s remember that 1 in 4 children younger than 5 living in the U.S. is now of Latino heritage, and that it is they who will carry our culture and tradition to future generations.

So, a toast to 2008: the year of (adult) Latino literature! And as we share in the joy, let's do everything we can to make 2009 the year of children’s Latino literature. I know we can!

2008-12-24T10:32:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!¡Felices fiestas!

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and a bright new year, full of possibilities.

Les deseo todo lo mejor estas Navidades, y que el año nuevo les traiga todo lo que desean.

Adriana

New Blog on the Block: Voces

2008-12-21T00:27:00.000-08:00

I want to share a wonderfully unexpected post from my friend and fellow blogger Adriana López, from Críticas magazine, who was kind enough to spread the word about this site and the work I am trying to do here. Thank you Adriana!

New Blog on the Block: Voces: "There’s a new voice on the Latino blog block. It’s Críticas’ fomer Children’s Review Editor, Adriana Dominguez, and ..."

MÁS LIBROS PARA REGALAR ESTA NAVIDAD

2008-12-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

¡Felicitaciones a los ganadores de los libros recomendados en el programa "Al Despertar" de Univision el 18 de diciembre! Muchos de ustedes me han escrito diciendo que hallaron las recomendaciones muy útiles, por lo que decidí poner algunas más. Gracias por el apoyo y el entusiasmo. Sigan visitando para recibir más recomendaciones, noticias y sorpresas. ¡Felices fiestas!

LIBROS PARA ADULTOS

Más novelas:

Tres tristes tigres, por Guillermo Cabrera Infante (Rayo, 2008) Cabrera Infante falleció en el 2005, pero esta y otras de sus novelas ya forman parte de los clásicos de la literatura cubana y latinoamericana.

Marley y yo, por John Grogan (Rayo, 2008) La novela original en inglés estuvo en la lista de best sellers del New York Times por más de un año. Esta conmovedora historia es ahora una película, lo cual seguramente hará la novela aún más popular, si esto es posible.

Por la vida de mi hermana, por Jodi Picoult (Atria, 2008) La autora de esta novela originalmente escrita en inglés ganó un premio por su producción literaria completa en el 2003. Este desgarradora novela presenta una serie de planteamientos éticos y morales importantes a la vez que pregunta: ¿Hasta dónde puede llegar el amor que sentimos por nuestros familiares más cercanos?

La dama azul, por Javier Sierra (Atria, 2007) Una novela perfecta para los amantes del misterio y la intriga, escrita por el autor español del best seller del New York Times La cena secreta.

Para los interesados en la política:

La audacia de la esperanza, por Barack Obama (Vintage Español, 2007) Barack Obama se registró en la historia estadounidense al convertirse en el primer presidente de color de este país. Este libro nos permite adentrarnos en la mente y los pensamientos de este hombre, que muchos creen es capaz de cambiar el mundo entero.

Para los seguidores de Paulo Coelho:

El mago, por Fernando Morais (Rayo, 2008) Este tomo de 700 páginas relata la trayectoria completa—desde su niñez hasta el presente—de uno de los escritores más populares y fascinantes de nuestro tiempo, revelando así algunos de los aspectos más intimos de su personalidad.

LIBROS PARA NIÑOS (por edades)

(¡Un libro también puede ser un regalo excelente para El día de Reyes!)

De 4 a 8 años:

Let's Eat!/¡A comer!; Sweet Dreams/Dulces sueños; Here, Kitty, Kitty!/¡Ven, gatita ven!, por Pat Mora (Rayo, 2008)

Estos libros son parte de una nueva seria llamada "My Family/Mi familia" por la premiada escritora. Los textos son simples permitiendo que los más pequeños los lean junto con sus padres (en ambos idiomas). La familia hispana de hoy es bilingüe, y estos libros son unos de los muy pocos que la muestran en todo su tierno, cómico y bello esplendor.

Nancy la elegante, por Jane O'Connor (Rayo, 2008) La edición original en inglés es el libro ilustrado más popular de los últimos años. Perfecto para las niñas que se hallan en su etapa rosada y "elegante".

El mejor regalo del mundo/The Best Gift of All, por Julia Álvarez. (Santillana USA, 2008) En este libro bilingüe, una de las escritoras latinas más importantes de Estados Unidos relata la historia de un personaje del folclor de su República Dominicana, a la vez que enseña a los más pequeños lectores el significado de la verdadera generosidad. Un bonito mensaje para las fiestas.

My Name is Gabito/Me llamo Gabito, por Monica Brown (National Book Network, 2007) Las ilustraciones de esta hermosa biografía bilingüe de Gabriel García Márquez—o "Gabo", como le llaman sus amigos—ganaron un premio importante de la literatura infantil norteamericana. La narración de la escritora peruana captura las características del realismo mágico que hizo de su sujeto uno de los escritores más importantes y populares de todos los tiempos.

De 7 años en adelante:

Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para soñar juntos, por Francisco X. Alarcón (Lee & Low, 205) Una colección de poemas bilingües por uno de los poetas chicanos más premiados de Estados Unidos que celebra la familia, la comunidad, y el poder de la imaginación de los niños.

De 14 años en adelante:

Brisingr, por Christopher Paolini (Roca, 2008) Uno de los mega best sellers del momento en inglés, esta es la tercera entrega de la serie Herencia por el popular escritor de Eragón. ¡Perfecto para varones encantados por la fantasía!

Crepúsculo/Luna nueva/Eclipse/Amanecer, por Stephanie Meyer (Santillana USA, 2007, 2008) He aquí la saga completa del fenómeno más grande de la literatura juvenil desde Harry Potter. La película despertará interés por los libros en las jóvenes que aún no los han leído, lo cual representa una oportunidad perfecta para fomentar la lectura, ya que a pesar de su tema (un romance vampiro), los libros son bastante castos.

LIBROS PARA REGALAR ESTA NAVIDAD

2008-12-17T00:33:00.001-08:00

Libros recomendados en el programa "Al Despertar" de Univision el 18 de diciembre, 2008:

LIBROS PARA ADULTOS

Para los amantes de la buena literatura:

La breve y maravillosa vida de Óscar Wao, por Junot Díaz (Vintage Español, 2008) La primera novela del talentoso escritor dominicano criado en New Jersey, escrita originalmente en inglés, recibió el premio más importante de la literatura estadounidense, el Pulitzer, en el 2008.

Radio Ciudad Perdida, por Daniel Alarcón (Santillana USA, 2007) Este fue el año de la literatura hispana en Estados Unidos: El peruano Daniel Alarcón también recibió un importante premio, llamado PEN, por la mejor novela del año.

Para los que prefieren la

no-ficción, o temas de actualidad:

El Secreto y El Secreto: El libro de la gratitud, por Rhonda Byrne (Atria, 2007, 2008) El fenómeno literario que revela "El secreto" para ayudarte a traer más amor y felicidad a tu vida ahora tiene un diario compañero que incluye pensamientos inspiradores escritors por la autora. Toma en cuenta que cada uno de los libros de vende por separado.

Para los que hallan su inspiración en la religión:

El propósito de celebrar la Navidad, por Rick Warren (Simon & Schuster, 2008) Escrito por el autor del best seller #1 del New York Times, Una vida con propósito, este nos ofrece los tres propósitos de la Navidad que nos ayudarán a resolver nuestras necesidades más grandes.

Para el amor de tu vida:

Intimismos/Intimacies, por Pablo Neruda (Rayo, 2008) Esta hermosa edición bilingüe ilustrada presenta una selección de poemas de amor del popular ganador del Premio Nobel, en su español original y en traducciones al inglés brillantemente realizadas por Alastair Reid.

LIBROS PARA NIÑOS Y JÓVENES (por edades)

De 3 a 6 años:

I'm Just Like My Mom/I'm Just Like My Dad; Me parezco tanto a mi mamá/Me parezco tanto a mi papá, por Jorge Ramos (Rayo, 2008) Este simpático libro bilingüe, escrito por el periodista más conocido de Estados Unidos, celebra los lazos que unen los niños a sus papás.

De 4 a 8 años:

Olivia se prepara para la Navidad, por Ian Falconer (Lectorum, 2008) Parte de la premiada serie de libros protagonizada por la adorable cerdita, la calidad de este libro y su tema navideño hacen de él un regalo perfecto para las fiestas.

De 5 a 10 años:

Merry Navidad! Villancicos en español e inglés, por Alma Flor Ada y F. Isabel Campoy (Rayo, 2007) Como su título lo indica, este libro celebra la Navidad por medio de la música tradicional de nuestros países. Perfecto para compartir nuestra cultura con los más pequeños.

De 9 a 12 años:

Los cuentos de Beedle el Bardo, por J.K. Rowling (Salamandra, 2008) El nuevo libro de J.K. Rowling es el regalo perfecto para los fanáticos de Harry Potter, ¡y sabemos que estos vienen en todas las edades!

De 14 años en adelante:

Crepúsculo, El libro oficial de la película, por Mark Cotta Vaz (Santillana, 2009) El fenómeno de la literatura juvenil se ha convertido en una película, justo a tiempo para las fiestas. Esta atractiva edición, repleta de fotos y anécdotas de la filmación, fascinará a las jóvenes fanáticas de esta serie.

Welcome!/¡Bienvenidos!

2008-12-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

I've created this blog with one goal in mind: To provide you with a place to read about Latino authors, their books, and news related to the Latino book market (with a special emphasis on the Latino children's market). We write and speak in two languages, often seamlessly switching between the two, hence, this blog will sometimes switch from English to Spanish, depending on the source of the content. Latino authors, publishers, agents, booksellers, journalists, this is your blog too; I encourage you to participate by sending me your news, events, releases, anything you'd like to let others know about. The name of this blog does not only refer to Latino authors, but to our collective effort in using our "voices" to promote the work of Latino authors and books. This is a work in progress, and I look forward to your feedback to help me make this the place where Latino authors and books are the #1 priority. I hope that you will join me on this wonderful new journey. Saludos!

"Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar..."—Antonio Machado