Mayra Lazara Dole's Blog - Posts Tagged "mayra-lazara-dole"

Gay Americanas have a hard time finding community in Miami. We have a different type of “community” due to ingrained homophobia thus why in 2009 we had our very first gay pride parade (Wooo hooo!)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klv71U...

Most Caribbean-born Latina women attracted to other women don't relate to being called "queer," "lesbian" or "tortillera," words created by a past political gay movement to help us form community (Chicanas seem to be different). These women have built a Latina subculture represented by strong Latina friendship bonds. They text, tweet, meet at parties, movies, theatres, the beach, Unity Church, political events, softball games, motorcycle cliques, restaurants, friends’ houses, concerts, art festivals, gay clubs, Facebook and so on.

Since most non-political Miami Latinas loathe being branded or labeled, they try to blend in with straight folks by looking and acting het (long hair, makeup and jewelry). If you don't form part of the Latina posse/clique you might never know that a restaurant is filled to the max with lesbians. Although there aren’t exclusive gay restaurants in Miami, there are dozens of gay friendly restaurants where LGBT’s meet on a regular basis. Unfortunately, you probably need to be Latina/o or connected to the Latina/o gay culture to fully experience our “community.”

Latino effeminate gay males have always been more open about their sexuality and have been praised as “fabulous” or “elegant” with “impeccable taste” because they’ve had great role models in authors, actors, designers, etc. In the past, Latina lesbians were viewed as an ugly, strange breed of granola crunching, flannel-wearing creatures who acted like men or perverts who had sex with each other for men’s pleasures (these were the only types of “out” lesbians thus why folks thought we were all alike). But that’s changed due to a new generation of completely open-minded kids and teens, media exposure and excellent LGBT books and film. (Back in the dark ages, my Cuban culture found lesbianism abhorrent or fun and games for straight men’s pleasures and shockingly, some still do!).

Even in these times, Latina conservative lesbians aren’t as open as gay Latino men until older in life. It's hard to believe that some conservative, religious people still feel women’s core is supposed to be deeply rooted in motherhood and we need to be seen as the decent, loving, bearers of life, not women who have sex with other women (they don’t see the love part) without procreation. Unfortunately, a lot of the misconceptions and hatred towards gays began with biblical passages. I think the bible needs to be revisited by those who follow it verbatim because Jesus was about love, not H8.

The more Latina lesbians and bi's come out (just as gay and bi men do) and Latina authors depict lesbians as “mainstream” and as “normal” as heterosexuals with exact universal feelings and experiences, the more the last bits of the decaying ancient attitudes will be destroyed and be replaced by acceptance.

Up until recently, 95% of Latina/o LGBT’s had been closeted and have married the opposite sex. In the past, being open about our sexuality and labeling ourselves worked to help other Latinos come out as doctors, lawyers, actors, musicians, authors and so on. Spain has gay marriage, but older lesbians still aren’t coming out in troves (gay guys are). Ricky Martin just came out after living a lie all his life–millions of girls were in lust with him and he was a major homo! Although things have drastically changed, it’s still common for Latino and black folks attracted to the same sex to deny their preference and have long-term relationships with the opposite sex.

I wrote Down to the Bone over ten years ago when no one had heard of the terms LGBTQ or trannyboi and received a contract in 2004 (published 2008). Even in these times, I still get emails from Latina teens terrified of coming out. Although I’ve received dozens of emails from gay male teens, not a single one has been closeted. What does that say about Latina girls who love girls in 2010, when everyone thinks the world accepts everyone and being closeted is a thing of the past?

Note: My book, Down to the Bone, is being taught along with Octavia Butler and Chimamanda Adichie by a professor at U of M. Her students asked me dozens of questions about my book and two of those questions concerned the lack of Miami's gay “community.” I loved being part of this project and it made me think hard about what I mentioned above.


Tidbits:

There are seven billion people in the world and I imagine that if we weren’t tied to ancient beliefs, customs, and religions, there would be seven billion ways to define our sexuality.

http://www.gaypolitics.com/2012/05/30...

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/...

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/11/...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMztNh...

http://mayraldole.wordpress.com/

Last night in support of Sandra Bullock I watched and loved The Proposal (well-written, creatively acted, involving editors/publishers and hilarious scenes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDdXN1...

Lo and behold, the Latinos in the film are either POOR IMMIGRANTS or RAMON, a chunky, lecherous, older-than-usual exotic dancer. Ramon speaks with a thick Spanish accent and is lusted after, or made fun of, by Alaskan women.

When will the media get that they are continuing to spread stereotypes that damage us?

How many of you have Latina/o friends? Are they all strippers, handymen or maids?--well... in all fairness, some of us are all of the above, just as much as you and yours might be. In this beautiful country we have the freedom to work at whatever we wish as long as it's legal and we don't hurt anyone. That's not to say that if you only focus on our stereotypes, Latinos will never have the same opportunity to prosper, especially in the publishing world where we're wrongly titled: "ethnic minorities."

Speaking of Latinos... I have never known a Latina named “Chica” (I’ve met a mutt with that name, though). Have you? Regardless of the name (akin to CHICK in English),check out and learn to make a beautiful Kindle book case from Chica and JO (very cute): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmrDYM...

In colloquial Cuban, the term, “Oye, Chica” is used a great deal and translates to, “Hey, girl!” or, “Hey You!” Chica is also slang for “small girl.” Chiquitica, a term of endearment, forms part of our dialect and means, “little girl.”

“Oye, Chica, or Oye, Chiquita,” pronounced with a serious tone is vulgar and can be used as a derogatory term to mean something like, “Hey, jerk.”

A few months ago I was reading literary blogs and came across a writer searching for fellow writers to read and critique her manuscript in exchange for the same. I almost fainted when I read the adorable, yet offensive/clichéd name she’d given her main Latina character (can’t say it here or I’ll give out the author’s name). The synopsis sounded exciting and a book I’d read, but unfortunately, when well-meaning writers, editors, or agents don’t have Latino/a friends, haven't read our books or lived our culture, it’s hard to get it right.

I wish editors/publishers would also publish authentic YA and MG Latino writers for three reasons:

1) Equality

2) In order to finally halt the spread of damaging stereotypes.

3) Our Latino-Americano kids are in desperate need of reading their own stories.

BTW: I LOVED Ramon stripping in The Proposal. He is SO GAY! http://64.15.120.233/watch?v=LszpHvw_0oE But honestly, why couldn't Bullock's love interest have been a wealthy, well-respected Latino editor?

360—
CONGRATS RICKY MARTIN for coming out! Wooh hooo! Believe me, it's HUGE for a Latino to come out since we are still mostly closeted. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-n...

SATIRE using Latino cliches:

I’m sure it’s every literary person's fantasy to awaken next to a voluptuous Latina. For valor, you grab Beowulf, the Old English heroic epic poem you were reading before falling asleep, and quickly flip to the page you left off: http://www.lone-star.net/literature/b...

Your eyes veer over to the seductress you just met...

For some reason she's in your room and suddenly, you remember spooning her last night.

She slips on a spandex mini-dress decorated with mandarin orange ruffled sleeves. With a flick of a finger, she turns on the CD player and sensual music fills the room. Her hips jiggle, feet shuffle, shoulders shake and bootay bounces as she cakes on neon glitter eye shadow.

Your Ping Pong eyes bounce from her stiletto heels clickety clacking towards you, to her EXTRA LARGE…

gold hoop earrings and fruit-filled sombrero.

In a Spanish accent, and sultry, dripping-in-caramel-voice, she whispers into your hair, “I’m going to serve you breakfast in bed, Papi (or Mami). I’m saving the ripe banana for desert, before I set off to teach Borges at the university. Afterwards, I'm giving a lecture on deconstructionism and why 'the interpretive movement in literary theory rejects absolute interpretations and stresses ambiguities and contradictions in literature.' Later on tonight, I'm flying to Venezuela to save female authors from oblivion..." http://www.laht.com/article.asp?Categ...

You wag your head in disgust and wish she'd STOP the literary nonsense and either peel your banana or sing to you, "I'm Chiquita Banana and I've come to say/I eat the Banana in a special way...." http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/old_r...

Now, let me show you why some Latinos and people of color would love the opportunity to write our own books: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC7v0G...

What it looks like when authentic Latinos and people of color write our own stories:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4e7Vc... (check out the footwork/moves of the guy in the chartreuse shirt and white pants).

Oops, gotta go! It's time to shake my maracas and whip out an exquisite breakfast in bed for my special mujer!

Tidbits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLTUC7... (brilliant, artistic manipulation of how advertisers make Americanos think we look like and behave in the kitchen. Do you blame me for loving it and wanting to RUN to buy Tostitos and salsa or perform a little cha-cha-cha of my own in the kitchen?).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFDOI2...

http://www.wikihow.com/Peel-a-Banana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKACm...

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...

Latino cultures are as Distinct, Diverse and Different as ants http://www.antstuff.net/html/species_... (Cubans being fire ants of which there are 280 different species).

Latinos don’t share the same “language,” heritage, values, history, stories, customs or culinary traditions. The reason you might think we do is because we’ve been lumped into the category of “Latino” or “Hispanic” which strips uniqueness from our cultures.

A few months ago an Anglo author/professor emailed me to let me know she was preparing tacos, homemade guacamole, chips and salsa for her book club. She said, "We're reading Down to the Bone and want the full Cuban experience!" I gently explained that what she mentioned was Mexican food and the only Latinos who grow up eating Mexican fare are Mexican. "Don't feel embarrassed," I said. "Most of my Latino and Chicano friends had never heard of Ropa Vieja, Moros y Christianos, Boliche or Ajiaco until they met moi."
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

The root of our mother tongue is Spanish. Latinos understand all Spanish-speaking folks, but sometimes we don't fully comprehend parts the other's dialect just as you may not completely understand someone speaking Shakespearean or British English.

Our different dialects form a crucial part of our identity.

Spanish spoken in Argentina and Uruguay is influenced by Italians who settled there in the early nineteenth century thus they sound massively different from other Spanish speaking cultures (my ex was Argentinean and we spent a great deal of time laughing after explaining what we meant by this or that).

Latinos don't use the same territorial colloquialisms or standard dialect in our nineteen countries (not including Puerto Rico). South American Spanish is different from Caribbean Spanish (we drop our S's). Latinos don’t understand Catalan Spanish spoken by Catalan folks in Cataluña. Some of us have Indian or African blood while white Latino ancestry (blonde hair and blue eyes included) can be linked not only to Spain, but to England, Scotland and so forth. (Oh, and our accents differ, too!)

Since our cultures and traditions are as diverse as the Europeans (Germans, Italians, Spaniards and French aren’t lumped in one “European” category) the literary world should consider making distinctions between us. A German would never say something as cliché as, “I’m European. All Europeans Eat wurst and drink beer!” http://www.tulane.edu/~rouxbee/kids04... (She/he is German first and then European.)

180--(at least it’s not a 360!)

I still can’t find many culturally authentic Latina/o YA and middle grade novels with true diversity from big publishers and there are barely any with LGBTQ characters (many kids come out in middle grade).

“Culturally Authentic” means:

* A Bilingual author born in Latin America and raised in a Hispanic US community intimately knows what she/he is writing about because she/he has lived, breathed and experienced it to the fullest.

* A US-born author with Hispanic parents or grandparents doesn't speak Spanish but grew up in a Latino community, feels "Latino," has Latino friends and understands the dialect.

* A U.S.-born author with Hispanic heritage who may not speak Spanish or Spanglish. She/he understands, respects and loves the culture, has lived in a Hispanic community, feels Latino and has Latino friends. (Included are Nuyoricans and Chicanos.)

Authentic does not mean:

* Caucasian authors (Marcy SingaLittleTune or Sam GetMeOuttaHere)using pen last names such as Garcia and Rodriguez.

* Authors with Spanish last names with no clue what it means to be Latina/o (the only words they know in Spanish are “No” and “Sí Señora”) and have never lived in a Latino community or heard family stories but give Spanish names to characters to fill diversity quotas.

This post isn’t about cultural pride. Some journal reviewers and publishers’ book lists refer to “Latino” or "Hispanic" categories. This will lead children to believe we are all the same and thus why I hope the publishing world considers announcing what kind of Latino culture is being depicted in contents, such as:

Cuban-American (Cubiche)
Puerto Rican (Nuyorican/Boriqua)
Chilean-American
Nicaraguan-American
Colombian-American
Dominican-American
Mexican-American/Chicano (two-thirds of Latinos in the US are Mexican and most children's books are Mexican thus why most think all our customs and traditions are Mexican.)
And so on…

The words “Latino” and “Hispanic” when talking about books don't allow children and young adults to understand or learn about the rich diversity in our massively different cultures (which can transfer into desire to learn geography and history).

It’s important for kids to connect with their heritage through literature but we have no authentic MG book and only one or two YA books that authentically show our varied and unique cultures. Latino kids and teens in the US need to feel pride in their heritage and every kid in our country deserves to be exposed to diversity in literature thus I strongly feel publishers shouldn't consider Latino books stricly for a "niche" audience and publish authenic Latino authors.

Ignoring critical distinctions lump us in one category and it will be easier for kids and teens to see us as one-dimensional and to judge us as ONE group.

When I came from Cuba the only Americanito blonde, blue-eyed boy in our Cuban barrio called our neighbors and me, SPICS! He’d speed his bike along the sidewalk, spit, and boom, “You SPICS!”

Note: The word SPIC probably originated from the way some Latinos say “speak.” My mom never learned English because there is no need for it in Miami (a Latin American “country”). She and our neighbors always said, “Me no espiky dee Engli.” Espiki = SPIC?

Well, yes. I’m a SPIC and proud!

360--TIDBITS:

If you’re still interested and aren’t snoozing http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/... here’s a mini Latino 101 course:

“Latin” doesn't mean "Latino." Latin has to do with romance languages such as Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French, etc. http://www.referencecenter.com/ref/re... .

"Spanish" is our mother tongue/language. The only people on earth who call themselves “Spanish” are born in Spain.

"Hispanic" was coined by the government to lump us together which in some ways is a powerful political tool to enhance our visibility. Normally, when folks say, "I'm Hispanic," they're usually whiter and better educated and don't like to be called "Latino."

“Latino” in the US was once related to the working-class and a word incorporated by Hollywood, the media, and publishers, to glamorize actors and authors. Once Latino’s climb the ladder of success they tend to call themselves "Hispanic." For accurate representation of these words, check out: http://www.elboricua.com/latino_hispa...

In the following interview I talk more about Latino cultures and Miami's LGBTQ Cuban subculture: http://www.chasingray.com/archives/20...

And for the record, I'm a Cuban-American LATINA!

A friend recently told me, "As a kid I was obsessed with reading because it helped me avoid reality and it saved my life. My brain became physically addicted to reading, much like a heroin addict to the drug.”

What?

I thought reading was as good for you as breathing, lovemaking or eating and losing yourself in literature during traumatic times is lifesaving, not addictive.

As an avid reader, I think the drawbacks to reading if you don't read ebooks or books with recycled paper are:

1. http://www.actforclimatejustice.org/w...

http://mentalfloss.cachefly.net/blogs...

http://arbertechno.files.wordpress.co...

2. Glasses, contacts, eye laser surgery

3. Severe pollution from paper mills

http://static-p4.fotolia.com/jpg/00/0...

I suppose anybody can be addicted to anything they use as an escape mechanism, but I wouldn't use the word "addiction" for reading unless it's making your life, and the lives of those you love, miserable. http://www.readingaddiction.com/20/beati...

Here's when I'd worry:

You haven't seen your best friend in a while because you need to finish a 6,254 page historical novel (you shower, eat and sleep while reading) and he texts you:

“Woo hooo! Got unexpected inheritance. Bought tickets 4 us. 2 week vacation @ Rio de Janeiro!”

http://www.rentanapartmentinrio.com/p...

http://www.threebestbeaches.com/uploa...


As he’s helping you place three suitcases filled with a dozen novels into the taxi's trunk, he kisses your cheek. “I’ll give you 25,000 dollars if you leave the books behind and don’t read on our vacation."

His words make you hyperventilate. You start having panic attacks thus you don't take him up on the offer.

After reading this post you might want to prove to the world that you’re absolutely not a reading addict.

Well…

Warning: Before taking a few weeks off from reading, COLD TURKEY, please be aware of withdrawal symptoms:

1. Screaming for no apartment reason

2. Uncontrolable shaking along with involuntary arm and leg spasms

3. Hallucinations involving shivering, wailing turkeys huddling together for warmth at a bookless library.

4. Shock

4. Heart failure

5. Death

The moral/immorality of the story?

Reading builds immagination, brain power, and sharpens your intellect and it's especially beneficial if it enhances your critical thinking skills which in turn motivates you to think ahead, take action and consider buying books that use recycled paper (used books still get printed new thus millions of trees need to be cut. E-books are great, but some people prefer the feel of a book in their hands for the full reading experience).

"Challenge yourself and others" http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1497

2 quick things you can do:

1. Instead of printing your emails, store them in comp folders

2. Stop junk snail mail http://www.newdream.org/junkmail/

OK. So I did my part today in saving the world and now I must get back to reading...

Ps. # 1 links are deforestation pics (30 million trees per DAY are cut to produce virgin paper. Paper mills release severely toxic pollution into the atmosphere and paper is bleached with chlorine. Obviously, the bigger the books, the more trees are destroyed. I'm really excited that most publishers have gone Green).

I'd like to recommend to publishers having difficulty surviving, hiring Latino immigrant writers as origami book makers (Latino YA and MG writers don't get published regardless how brilliant their work is so you might as well use them for something!)--pay them under the table. A few pesos a day will do. Believe me. Latinos are extremely resourceful.

Recyclable, origami-style, hand-made books by Latino immigrants for on-the-go-readers have many benefits: they weigh less than 0000.1 lbs. and cost pennies to print in Brazil by starved "colored" kids thus the industry can provide a billion books per title for as little as twenty dollars!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXLhjY...

The disposable, origami-style book movement will help Latino writers who've been rejected over four-thousand times get their foot in the door of an almost all white publishing world (LGBTQ Latina/o authors write DIVERSITY though and that's not good for the industry, so I ask homosexual Latinos to refrain from applying for the origami book-making job or it will ruin my plans).

After proving themselves hard workers, Latino writers can be hired to do origami book trailers and ads. Choosing voluptuous Latinas with large melons sliding on stripping poles, wearing tight, spandex, red mini-dresses and stiletto heels, will sell more books. Have them rave in a sultry voice and strong Spanish accent about how they read the lightweight origami books.

"I read them to an audience as part of my strip tease then throw them out the window into the recycled trash bin before getting ready for my next tome."

Oh! Wait. How foolish of me. Latinos don't read!

In this economy, since no one buys books (they swap or buy USED, regardless if they spread flu's and viruses), my origami immigrant book solution will keep children's publishers from folding and will supply Latino immigrant authors with PhD's a solid job to be proud of.

Even if my origami book idea doesn't resonate with you, you're bound to appreciate the talent behind these origami works of art:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCgnFI...

Many of the thousands of Latino writers submitting to big publishers getting rejected are intellectuals or academics who write perfect English and Spanish thus I was shocked to read in Meminger's and other literary blogs about editors “throwing their doors wide to submissions by PoC” and saying “the work they're receiving seems to be sub-par, not polished, or in need of more work than they have time for in this highly competitive business.”

Most editors don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. Writers must first go through agents. I don’t know a single agent in these times who’d present the work of a “sub-par” Latino writer to an editor.

Could this be a nasty rumor?

Who are the editors stating these comments?--luckliy, my beloved editor for Down to the Bone isn't one of them. She belongs to the list of powerful white editors interested in true diversity.

If it's true, the remarks seem racist and hurtful to Latino writers.
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_87...

Marcela Landres, ex executive editor for Simon & Schuster says:

“If you are a Latino writer… all you can reasonably expect from your publisher is for them to simply print and distribute your book. Do not expect your publisher to invest more than the minimum of time and money in promoting your book…. Don’t assume your publisher or agent will actually tell you this. Most people are unwilling or unable to convey bad news; they’d rather point fingers when things go wrong. It’s just human nature.”

In order for Latino books to sell, not only do publishers/publicists need to promote Latino books in the same way they do white authors, they must have a Latino list of literary journals, newspapers, blogs, magazines, etc. Sending Latino books for review to the important white literary reviewers is important, but we need professional Latino reviewers too.

If editors put the same effort in advertising and marketing Latino books, I’m confident Latinos fierce at promoting our books can also become best-sellers.

2 Questions to editors who made remarks:

• Do you think most Hispanics and POC are illiterate or semi-illiterate?--I'm always surprised when people aren't aware that a large percentage of Latinos and POC are highly literate.
http://www.lasculturas.com/library/fa...

• If you are receiving manuscripts from Latinos that aren’t up to par, why don’t you recommend professional book doctors to them as you do with your Caucasian writers whose novels need work?

The publishing business boils down to 2 factors:

1. MONEY

2. What white editors know will sell.

In the past, many large publishers made a mint with white vampire, zombie and werewolf novels. Now, many editors are searching for Horror, Dystopian, Paranormal and Steampunk. Obviously, in this economy (unless Latinos wish to self-publish), it’s no longer about art, literary merit, or the love for the written word.

It’s all about TRENDS that rake in the mula (it’s understandable. If editors don’t publish books or authors that sell, they could be terminated).

Film director, Alejandro Agresti (Valentin and The Lake House—the latter’s stars are Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves) wrote me seven moving emails (he’s a brilliant, poetic writer and I will save them forever) expressing interest in turning Down to the Bone into a feature film. Agresti has handed my novel over to Selma Hayek, his business partner, and I’m hoping for the best.

In other words, if you give underdog Latinos an opportunity we might shine.

Unfortunately, none of my talented Latina/o writer friends submitting at the same time got published.

Now that I have my foot caught in the door, I have ventured out to write for larger audiences and in different styles (Down to the Bone was written for a “niche” audience: young LGBTQ, reluctant Latino readers without a single book that spoke to them).

It’s time for equality in the publishing business.

Editors, why not place a call for submissions for culturally authentic Latino writers and authors? It’s not enough for white authors to add Latino characters they know nothing about or for you to secretly advice white authors to invent Spanish nom de plumes. I’m confident we can find a solution for bringing in el dinero while at the same time staying true to ourselves. (In case you haven’t heard about us, there are thousands of Latino-Americanos writing contemporary books with literary merit): http://labloga.blogspot.com/

Por favor, give authentic Latinos a chance to shine in your ultra exclusive and neon white publishing world. Let agents know you’re searching for diversity and authenticity. Culturally authentic Latinos in literature means the following: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

PUBLISHERS: Por favor, hire Latino editors. We need equality and diversity in publishing.

READERS: Please buy Latino books (most of us write contemporary Latino-American stories set in the U.S.).

LATINO WRITERS: I understand the painful struggle. Many of us don’t have the money to pay editors, but do your best and give your work to at least ten avid readers for critiques. Revise 3,000 times if you must! Never give up! Talk about the issue of inequality in publishing on your blogs. Tweet about our challenges. Make change happen.

AGENTS: please open your doors to Latino authors.

The U.S. is comprised of different cultures. Shouldn’t kids, teens and adults read diversity in books?

Regardless of the sate of our economy, and even though mula comes first, there must be some publishers, editors and agents interested in diversity. If you are one of them, please RAISE your HAND!

Diversity rules!


http://thenakedhero.com/guest-marcela-la...

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/...

Some literati have started blogging again about who's allowed to write true diversity

If you're white and can dance like the following, please write an abundance of books with authentic diversity! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb35M4... (I tried to find intellectual Latino youtube videos, to no avail--believe it or not, we come in many yummy flavors and different classes, and we aren't all dancers and baseball players!)

If authors writing a culturally authentic novel incorporating Latina/o characters have no clue what the following means, "Ay, chico, para de comer lo que pica el pollo" or they need to study glossaries to understand common and contemporary Latino American words, I imagine they'd get Cuban and other Hispanic characters wrong, thus my concern and why I strongly believe authenticity is highly important in YA realistic fiction.

Must you be Latino/Hispanic to write Latina/o characters and true diversity?

Of course not!

White authors who’ve lived and breathed my culture will undoubtedly write novels filled with Cuban American characters that feel authentic. Unfortunately, some writers who don't know us well and think all Latinos are alike, and similar to the following youtube, have repetedly depicted us as such and have gotten most of us wrong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxZ9Vn...

We live in a free country and writing what moves you is highly important.

The deal is this: We need more publishers/editors (white or not) who deeply understand diversity and different cultures so when they spot stereotypes they know the writer hasn’t a clue… For those who haven’t read my essay in Vermont College Fine Arts journal of the arts: http://www.hungermtn.org/authentic-la...)

Unfortunately, most white authors and script-writers have gotten people of color wrong and they’ve used a myriad of hurtful stereotypes to describe us. No wonder most of the population think Latinos are mostly illiterate, drug addicts/alcoholics, criminals or maids. Most Hollywood films have depicted us as lower working-class attending to white folks’ needs.

One main issue is getting our culture right so the world understands who we are as opposed to what authors who don't know about us think we are.

If you're not African American, Latina/o, Native American, Hindu, Asian, etc., haven't been raised in above cultures, have never lived in their communities and have no close people-of-color friends, would you really feel confident in writing a culturally correct POC novel (think American Indian) and getting it right?

Tidbits:

* White guy gets Cuban slang and pronunciation wrong, but his Cubanito buddy at the end kills it (of course!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ovxM...

* If you can't distinguish between Latino accents, you won't understand the importance of getting us right in lit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvLup_...

* If you understand this video, and the humor behind it, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knvUE5... please write an all Cuban book asap!

* Must you be Gay to write realistic fiction about homos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9gbQK... , black to write about AfAmericans, etc?

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...

I normally read new releases, but every year around November, I treat myself to world-famous short stories written by dead brilliant minds in the English literary tradition. http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...

Yesterday, I paid tribute to Edgar Allan Poe who once said, "All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry" and read something I’d never read before: The Pit and the Pendulum--about death, choice and hope rolled into one. Although affective, I found myself cringing and wanting to stop reading… but I didn’t.

Two words: Disturbing. Claustrophobic. http://heroeswiki.com/Image:Claustrop...

After reading the story, I dreamed Stephenie Meyer stepped into my living room wearing a long, dark raincoat. She trudged around the room, patting her pockets, searching everywhere for the Twilight Saga journal she’d misplaced. Her eyeballs landed on my half-eaten medianoche sandwich. She grabbed it from my hand, devoured it in one bite, and smiled. I watched as she looked into a mirror and swept a hand through her cascading hair while strawberry jam dripped from the side of her mouth.

Stephenie vanished and I found the journal outside on the street and tore three pages out of it and read them voraciously, but they were about Poe’s work. I pasted them on a large mirror and can’t remember the rest.

Two things are for sure:

1. I make a mean, authentic, medianoche sandwich with a twist that would bring Poe back from his grave and Stephenie over for a bite (no pun intended).

2. I have no clue what the hell my dream meant

(Getting back to the sandwich for a second…

I've also been known to prepare a mix of an Elena Ruz--another infamous Cuban sandwich--and medianoche/midnight that I only recommend once a year because it's so rich. If you’d like to make this unusual sandwich, scroll down for the recipe... if not, watch this video which has absolutely nothing to do with recipe: http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...#)

Until recently, when I wrote my first dark, magical realism short story for Running Press' anthology, CORNERED--to be released Spring, 2012--I couldn’t stomach dark, bloody stories, and as you can imagine, thrillers were out of the question.

Surprisingly, I’ve gone through a breakthrough.

After writing Inside the Inside, I’ve been able to read suspense and watch suspense films (LOVE them), but not sure if I can stomach hard-core thrillers yet. Violence seriously disgusts me. Can one work their way towards reading it without feeling repulsed?

Here's the mixed-up sandwich recipe I promised:

A Sort of MEDIANOCHE / ELENA RUTH SANDWICH

Buy sweet, Hawaiian, soft rolls or Challah (sweet, soft egg bread).

Cut the loaf lengthwise. Slice your piece open, toast, and spread the following on one half:

• Butter
• Mustard
* Mayonnaise

Spread the following on the other side:

• 2 TBS Cream cheese
• 2 TBS Strawberry marmalade

Add the following:

• 3 ham slices
• 2 pork slices
• 2 turkey slices
• 2 Swiss cheese slices

Place sandwich in a hot buttered skillet and press down hard with a heavy skillet or cast iron pot till cheese melts.

Enjoy!

TIDBITS:

• You don’t need to be Cuban or an adult to make Cuban bread
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=228KxO...

I was once invited to spend Thanksgiving at a friend’s house while living in Boston. Unlike events at Plymouth Rock with American Indians, politics wasn't in the equation.

After chitchatting about how to make authentic Cuban pork (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWcWbN...), my friend’s retired English professor grandma sat next to me. As we were being served heaping, steaming plates of turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, yams and wild rice with mushrooms, she grasped my shoulder softly between her crooked, arthritic finger and thumb, cleared her voice, and recited verbatim:

“...Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather's house away!
We would not stop for doll or top,
for 'tis Thanksgiving Day…”

The next time I visited them, I took Richard Blanco’s poem, “America” and read it to “granny” who fell in love with his poetry (especially City of One Hundred Fires--there’s a city in Cuba called Cien Fuegos/One Hundred Fires).

****
…I explained to Abuelita
about the Indians and the Pilgrims,
how Lincoln set the slaves free.
I explained to my parents about
the purple mountain's majesty,
the amber waves of grain,
"one if by land, two if by sea,"
the cherry tree, the tea party,
the "masses yearning to be free,"
liberty and justice for all...
And finally they agreed—
this Thanksgiving we would have turkey,
as well as pork.

Abuelita prepared the poor fowl
as if committing an act of treason,
harnessing as much enthusiasm
as possible, for my sake.
Mamá prepared candied yams,
following instructions printed
on the back of a marshmallow bag,
and set a frozen pumpkin pie in the oven.
Dad watched WLTV: "Lo Nuestro…"

****

Most Cuban Thanksgivings are highly emotional. They're filled with drama, pork, congri (not the way I'd make it but music is funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl6-Ar...), yuca con mojo, cafecito Cubano, etc.,thus massively different from my one and only lovely “white” Thanksgiving.

"Granny” is no longer with us but I know she’d love the following:

"Got no check books, got no banks. Still I'd like to express my thanks - I got the sun in the mornin' and the moon at night."- Irving Berlin

I give thanks to fans of my debut novel--updated edition to be released in April, 2012--and for all the moving and beautiful emails you've sent me throughout the years. I'm thankful for my true friends and family and especially for having the most compassionate and gifted girlfriend/partner in the history of life.

I'm aware that some folks are homeless and some are poor and don't have much food to eat. Here's wishing everyone a meal tomorrow--and every day thereafter--health, and a better life...