Las Comadres Receives the National Book Foundation's 2014 "Innovations in Reading Prize"!

Las Comadres para Las Americas and its CEO Nora Comstock, author of COUNT OF ME: TALES OF SISTERHOODS AND FIERCE FRIENDSHIPS (Atria), is one of 2014's recipients of the National Book Foundations' "Innovations in Reading Prize," for their work to highlight and actively participate in the promotion of written works by Latino authors.

Says the organization: "At Las Comadres para las Americas, our primary focus is to connect Latinas around the world in many different ways! Currently the programming for the approximately 20,000 members in over 85 cities is mostly in the U.S. Las Comadres members meet monthly in face-to-face gatherings in many of the network cities. Daily email messaging provides members with information about local, regional, or national events relating to book readings, performances, health and other gatherings, as well as job and other opportunities both local and national.

Major emphasis is placed on Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club and Teleconference Series, which offer a wide range of literary activities for our approximately 1,500 book club members in more than eighteen cities. National Latino Book Club members participate in book discussions at book stores in different cities. A teleconference with the author of the Book Club’s selected book takes place on the last Monday of each month. These activities provide exposure for many Latino authors striving to be recognized. In addition to supporting our National Latino Book Club and Teleconference series, Las Comadres recently published a Las Comadres authored anthology, Count on Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships (Atria), edited by Adriana V. Lopez. We also organize a yearly Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference, which was cofounded by Las Comadres, Adriana Dominguez, and Marcela Landres and cosponsored with the Association of American Publishers and Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, NY. Now entering its third year, the writers’ conference is scheduled for September 27, 2014."

To learn more about the prize, visit the National Book Foundation's website. Click here to learn more about Las Comadres, their book, the upcoming Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference, and more. Join us!

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

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

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.

New Calendar Feature, and More

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! 

The Other Shoe Drops

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…

An Update and Some Shameless Promotion

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

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!

Welcome!/¡Bienvenidos!

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