PART II:  The Evolution of American Latina/o Writing: Some Current Authors

Part I of this topic reviewed the early years of Hispanic literature in the United States, starting with one of the first books published in English, a novel printed in 1872 by María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, writing under the pen name C. Loyal. I discussed recurrent themes in previous centuries and focused on the "Chicano literary renaissance" of the 1970's and 1980's. Part II carries us forward into the latter part of the 20th century and contemporary times.

This article was first published recently in Aurelia Flores' blog, "Powerful Latinas," under a different title and in a slightly different form.



Some of the best-known Latina/o authors today got their publishing start in the 80’s, 90’s, and in the early 2000’s. Many of these literary stars graduated from university creative writing programs, which afforded them better access to publishers and other influential contacts in the writing industry. Examples are Denise Chavez, actress, playwright, and novelist; Sandra Cisneros, whom many consider the best-known American Latina author today, and author of the iconic House on Mango Street; Julia Alvarez, author of the best-selling How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (1991); and Oscar Hijuelos, the first American Hispanic, male or female, to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize for fiction, with his sexy novel based in Cuba, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1990). The prequel to this bestseller, Beautiful Maria of My Soul, was published this year.

Some modern authors have become national best-selling authors in the recent past, and their stars are rising fast. This includes New York attorney Caridad Piñeiro, author of the SIN Series of compelling paranormal romance books, including Sins of the Flesh; Daniel Silva, writer of the five blockbuster political thrillers starring Gabriel Allon, such as Prince of Fire; and Junot Díaz, highly lauded author of the short story collection, Drown (1996) and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2008).

Other prominent Latina/o authors today, as was sometimes the case with our early literary pioneers, are college and university professors and thus perhaps have a more steady access to publishers. Examples are James Diego Vigil (University of California, Irvine); Susana Chávez-Silverman (Pomona College, California); Teresa Dovalpage (University of New Mexico, Taos); Mike Padilla (UCLA); and Sandra Cisneros (Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, TX).

THE TALENT AND PRODUCTIVITY CONTINUE!

There must be a new Renaissance going on! Here are some of the exciting, highly talented American Latina/o authors today who are winning awards, winning fans, and making their marks on our literary world in different genres. (This list is by no means comprehensive, and I apologize for my omissions. I plan to continue learning about as many of our Latina/o authors as I can and share information about them in future blogs here.) Authors’ names are followed by only one title, which is meant to be a sampling of their work. Many of these authors have published multiple works. Some authors appear in more than one genre, a testament to the versatility of our Latina/o writers:

• MEMOIRS: David Pérez, WOW! A South Bronx Memoirito of Growing Up in Catholic Schools; Randy Jurado Ertll, Hope in Times of Darkness: A Salvadoran-American Experience; Susana Chávez-Silverman, Scenes from La Cuenca de Los Angeles.

• “CHICK LIT”: Marta Acosta, Casa Dracula series; Margo Candela, Life Over Easy; Mike Padilla, The Girls from the Revolutionary Cantina; Victor Cass, Telenovela; Sofía Quintero, Divas Don’t Yield; Marisa de los Santos, Love Walked In.

• NOVELS: Montserrat Fontes, Dreams of the Centaur; Reyna Grande, Across a Hundred Mountains; Chuy Ramirez, Strawberry Fields; Teresa Dovalpage, Habanera: A Portrait of a Cuban Family; Daniel A. Olivas, The Book of Want; Victor Cass, Love, Death, and Other War Stories; Melinda Palacio, Ocotillo Dreams; Raul Ramos y Sánchez, América Libre; Ana Castillo, The Guardians; Sandra Cisneros, Caramelo.

• SHORT STORIES: Stephen D. Gutierrez, Live from Fresno y Los; Mike Padilla, Hard Language; Stella Pope Duarte, Women Who Live in Coffee Shops and Other Stories; Daniel A. Olivas, Anywhere but L.A.; Toni Margarita Plummer, The Bolero of Andi Rowe; Daniel Alarcón, War by Candlelight; Sandra Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories.


• POETRY: Luis J. Rodriguez, Poems Across the Pavement; Vanessa Libertad Garcia, The Voting Booth After Dark; Ricardo Lira Acuña, Greetings from Heaven and Hell; Yago S. Cura, The Rubber-room; Melinda Palacio, Folsom Lockdown; Luivette Resto, Unfinished Portrait.

• NONFICTION: Roberta Martínez, Latinos in Pasadena; Manny Pacheco, Forgotten Hollywood, Forgotten History; Alex Moreno Areyan, Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles; Sandra Gutiérrez, Teatro Chicana: A Collective Memoir and Selected Plays; Laura Contreras Rowe, Aim High: Extraordinary Stories of Hispanic & Latina Women; Mayra Calvani, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing; James Diego Vigil, Barrio Gangs.


• CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Daniel A. Olivas, Benjamin and the Word; Rene Colato Lainez, Rene Has Two Last Names; Amada Irma Pérez, My Very Own Room; Meg Medina, Tía Isa Wants a Car; Mayra Calvani, Frederico, the Mouse Violinist.


• YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: David Bueno-Hill, Mr. Clean’s Familia; Gary Soto, Dreams of the Onion.


• MISCELLANEOUS (Humor, Graphic Novels): Gustavo Arellano, Ask a Mexican!; Philip Victor, Jaguar Spirit.


This is just a sampling of what our Latina/o literary landscape looks like at this moment in time. You can learn much more about the evolution of Hispanic literature in the lands destined to become the United States, and in the early centuries of our nation, by reading Reference Library of Hispanic America (Chapter 16, Literature): Volume III, edited by Sonia G. Benson.

Also, please visit my other blog, “The Literary Self,” where you can read my reviews and feature articles about other authors not mentioned here. Finally, my own two books—The Heavens Weep for Us and Other Stories and Breath & Bone—are reviewed by others on my website, on amazon.com, and in various other blogs. See the links below, and thanks for dropping by!

www.ThelmaReyna.com
www.Latinowriterstoday.blogspot.com
www.TheLiterarySelf.blogspot.com


* * * *

CATCHING UP WITH OUTSTANDING AUTHORS WHO ARE MAKING US PROUD!

So much has happened since my last posting. Here are two literary events in which I was honored to participate with fellow authors I've known or recently met. I am always filled with pride and delight when I meet new authors or get to reconnect with literary friends. In these past two events, I did both.

PALABRA Literary Magazine:

Reading in Los Angeles, October 23

Talented author and editor, Elena Minor, introduced Issue 6 of her prestigious publication, PALABRA: A Magazine of Chicano & Literary Art, 2010. It is packed with poems and stories by 25 Latino authors, including myself and three poets who attended the reading at the REDCAT Lounge at the Walt Disney performing arts complex. At the reading, the poets held us spellbound with their dramatic, heartfelt readings of their poems published in this issue. The talented group were:

     --Manuel Paul Lopez, author of Death of a Mexican and Other Poems. A secondary school teacher and resident of San Diego, CA, Manuel's poems in the magazine are "Brother, Sister," "The Hay Bales," and "How to Live with Rudy."

     --Yago S. Cura, co-author of the book, Odas a Futbolistas (Odes to Soccer Players); and  co-editor of the online literary journal, Hinchas de poesia. His poems have appeared in various prominent literary journals, including Borderlands, The New Orleans Review, and U.S. Latino Review. The poems that were published in PALABRA are "Los Namers" and "Angelinos."

     --Ricardo Lira Acuna, author of two books of poetry and photography:  Under the Influence; and Greetings from Heaven and Hell. A graduate of Stanford and Columbia Universities, Ricardo plans to publish his first novel, Prodigal Son, in the near future. His poem in PALABRA is "Narrow is the Gate."

I was the fourth reader at this event. I read my short story, "Paris," which will also be included in my second book of short stories, recently completed and aimed for publication in 2011. "Paris" is set entirely in my hometown of Pasadena, CA, and takes place in one day, from morning till night, with what some have called a surprise ending. 

All in all, this was a successful event for us all, and I was pleased to meet three more poets. Poets enrich my life...everyone's life! PALABRA Magazine can be ordered online at its website: http://www.palabralitmag.com/ .

Pasadena Latino Authors:

Social Mixer & Panel Discussion--Pasadena, CA

On November 10, six Latino authors held their first communal public event. Many attendees felt this was a "historic" event for the city, since, to our knowledge, a contingent of six published Latino authors is a first for Pasadena. All the authors, born and raised in the United States, write in English; and five have published at least one book. Collectively, these authors have over 60 years of publication experience. All the authors are also community leaders, holding positions of leadership in Pasadena civic organizations, including city commissions, a city governmental agency, and local non-profits. In addition, the group of authors represents at least three different generations and five different literary genre. The authors are:

     --Randy Jurado Ertll, author of the memoir, Hope in Times of Darkness: A Salvadoran-American Experience. Randy is Executive Director of El Centro de Accion Social, a prominent Latino advocacy group. Randy's book has been praised by prominent civic leaders and numerous book reviewers and other authors. His book has been reviewed on this blog as well.

     --Victor Cass, author of three books:  Pasadena Police Department: A Photohistory, 1877-2000, a nonfiction book; Love, Death, and Other War Stories, his first novel; and Telenovela, his second novel. Victor's third book has also been reviewed on this blog. Victor's academic articles, columns, and opinion essays have appeared in a historical journal and in regional print media for over a decade. He has recently completed a fourth book and plans to publish it in 2011. He is a Pasadena police officer and loves his city: all his books are set in Pasadena.

     --Manuel Contreras, archivist and journalist/editor, who has devoted 20 years to compiling a history of Pasadena via newsletters, advertisements, articles, and other ephemera that trace the city's social evolution since the 1930's. An octogenarian, Manny's historical collections are housed in the Pasadena Central Library, where they serve as reference for many people, young and old. Manny is a former City Commissioner.

     --Sandra Gutierrez, author and co-editor of the award-winning book, Teatro Chicana:  A Collective Memoir & Selected Plays. Sandra's book has been used in university and high school classes throughout the United States since its publication in 2008. She and her co-editors, Laura E. Garcia and Felicitas Nunez, are often in demand as speakers regarding the historic Chicano feminist awakening that their book details. Sandra is active in various civic organizations, including Adelante Mujer Latina.
     --Roberta Martinez, author of Images of America: Latinos in Pasadena. This book has also been reviewed on this blog. Through carefully selected archived and personal-collection photographs and meticulous narration, Roberta captures the contributions that Latinas and Latinos made to the development of Pasadena. An independent historian, Roberta contributed significantly to the greater understanding of California history in general with her book. She is the Director of Latino Heritage in Pasadena and is also a City Commissioner.

I was the sixth Pasadena author at this event. My book, The Heavens Weep for Us and Other Stories, was named a Finalist in the 2010 National Best Books Award by USA Book News. My writing has been published off and on since 1972 in literary journals, textbooks, anthologies, blogs, and regional print media. I also serve as a City Commissioner and Executive Board Member of One Community Think Tank in Pasadena.

The Pasadena Author event was attended by approximately 60 people: young and old, people of various cultural backgrounds, and also by community VIP's. Stay tuned for follow-up events! All the books by these authors are available through amazon.com and other booksellers.

#     #     #     #