Sergio Troncoso's Blog: Chico Lingo, by Sergio Troncoso, page 2

Pleiades Interview with Sergio Troncoso

"There are many hidden philosophical questions and issues in the book. How do you develop character? How do you morph from idealism to realism as you move into adulthood? The book addresses racism, as well. Along the way some people are welcoming to Turi and Arnulfo, but others are racist and xenophobic. They don’t want Mexican Americans or Mexicans living in this country. How do you keep that racist poison from infecting your soul as you are faced with this kind of hate? Turi has to fight for his place in this country rather than to assume he belongs. He has to survive here, and he’s not turning back. Connecticut is where he’ll make his stand. Nobody’s Pilgrims is a thriller."

Thank you to Pleiades Magazine, Jennifer Maritza McCauley, and Rey Rodriguez for this interview.

https://pleiadesmag.com/an-interview-with-sergio-troncoso/

Sergio Troncoso Inducted into Texas Literary Hall of Fame

So thrilled and stunned to announce that the Board of Judges selected me along with Tracy Daugherty, Molly Ivins, Stephen Graham Jones, Cormac McCarthy, Jan Seale, and Cynthia Leitich Smith as the 2024 inductees into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. On October 29, 2024 at 7 PM, the official induction ceremony will take place at the TCU Mary Couts Burnett Library in Fort Worth, TX, in partnernship with TCU AddRan College of Liberal Arts, TCU Press, and the Center for Texas Studies.

The Texas Literary Hall of Fame was established to celebrate and encourage the state's rich literary heritage by honoring its foremost authors, whose original writing reflects enduring cultural relevance and artistic creativity. The Texas Literary Hall of Fame honors inductees every two years.

 https://library.tcu.edu/TXLitHoF/

Latino Book Chat with Sergio Troncoso

Please share this podcast interview, by Latino Book Chat, that was released today on NOBODY’S PILGRIMS. Thank you to Christianne Meneses Jacobs! 😀

"Troncoso delivers a surprisingly fast-paced, character-driven story....A sublime, diverse cast drives this tale of looking for a safe, welcoming home." —Kirkus Reviews

"The first time I finished Sergio Troncoso’s Nobody’s Pilgrims, I realized that I was absent-mindedly petting the cover. His characters had somehow taken up residence in my heart. It was love at first sight. A second reading, and a rereading of some of his earlier fiction, only confirmed the power of this odyssey of Turi, Arnulfo and Molly."—Bob Dunton, El Paso Matters

https://www.podpage.com/latino-book-chat/51-teenage-fugitives-deadly-cargo-sergio-troncoso/#play

Presidential Debate: Are we a society of superficiality or substance?

My latest opinion piece. Thank you for reading it!

"We are living in an American cave of superficiality, and we’ve forgotten so much of what is invisible that
works and that matters. Trump is the perfect superficial leader in our American cave, in love with himself most of all, trumpeting his gaudy and false 'successes,' and self-proclaiming his godlike “retrospective decision-making,” which is just as good in our cave as having to make decisions in real time, like a real leader must."

https://elpasomatters.org/2024/07/02/opinion-presidential-debate-joe-biden-donald-trump/

Audio Book: Nobody's Pilgrims

Audio book of NOBODY'S PILGRIMS debuts on Audible and other services! Narrated by Johnny Rey Diaz (Queen of the South, Hawaii Five-0, Narcos, Grey's Anatomy). "Troncoso delivers a surprisingly fast-paced, character-driven story.... A sublime, diverse cast drives this tale of looking for a safe, welcoming home."---Kirkus Reviews "Eloquent, bold, and terrifying."---Elizabeth Crook, author of The Which Way Tree
 "The first time I finished Sergio Troncoso's Nobody's Pilgrims, I realized that I was absent-mindedly petting the cover. His characters had somehow taken up residence in my heart. It was love at first sight. A second reading, and a rereading of some of his earlier fiction, only confirmed the power of this odyssey of Turi, Arnulfo and Molly."
---Bob Dunton, El Paso Matters "The propulsive force of this novel, and the destination it ultimately brings us to, left me wanting more, and yet feeling completely satisfied. As only the best novels do."
---Ben Fountain, PEN/Hemingway award-winning author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
  https://www.audible.com/pd/Nobodys-Pilgrims-Audiobook/B0CFSYN21Q?qid=1692285138

El Paso Matters Book Club Meeting: Nobody's Pilgrims

What a great El Paso Matters Book Club meeting! We has 70-plus in attendance, according to the library staff, and I signed dozens of books and answered great questions about NOBODY’S PILGRIMS! Thank you, El Paso Matters, Literarity Book Shop, the staff at the Sergio Troncoso Branch Library in El Paso, Texas. I love the interactions we had and the stories we shared with each other.

Nobody's Pilgrims: "Love at First Sight."

Book review of NOBODY'S PILGRIMS in El Paso Matters, by Bob Dunton: 

“The first time I finished Sergio Troncoso’s “Nobody’s Pilgrims,” I realized that I was absent-mindedly petting the cover. His characters had somehow taken up residence in my heart. It was love at first sight.

A second reading, and a rereading of some of his earlier fiction, only confirmed the power of this odyssey of Turi, Arnulfo and Molly.”  

https://elpasomatters.org/2023/07/19/review-sergio-troncoso-nobodys-pilgrims/

Sergio Troncoso in New York Times

By the way, I’m mentioned in the New York Times today:

“And Sergio Troncoso is such a beloved writer of the borderlands, there is a public library branch named for him in El Paso. His 'A Peculiar Kind of Immigrant’s Son' is simply brilliant.”

Thank you, Luis Alberto Urrea!

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/books/us-mexico-border-books.html

Q&A with El Paso Matters Book Club on Nobody's Pilgrims

Q&A with the El Paso Matters Book Club. I'll be at the Troncoso Branch Library on Saturday, July 29th, 4 PM to discuss NOBODY'S PILGRIMS and to sign books. Buy your books at Literarity Bookshop on North Mesa!

"One important theme in “Nobody’s Pilgrims” is “the border beyond the border.” How does the border and its issues travel beyond the geography of El Paso and Ysleta, and how does the border and its sensibilities reside within the characters who travel beyond the border? Another theme is about community and outsiders. The three protagonists, Turi, Molly and Arnulfo, don’t belong anywhere, not even with their families. Yet they create a community of outsiders by believing in each other, listening to each other, and sacrificing themselves for each other. A final theme is about how character is revealed when you are in difficult, even violent or dangerous situations. Character is revealed by action."

https://elpasomatters.org/2023/06/14/el-paso-matters-book-club-qa-sergio-troncoso-nobodys-pilgrims/

Nobody's Pilgrims is El Paso Matters Book Club's Summer Selection

Pick you your copy of Nobody's Pilgrims at Literarity Book Shop for the El Paso Matters Book Club's summer selection. My favorite independent bookstore in El Paso, Texas! I'll see you at the Troncoso Branch Library (9321 Alameda Avenue in El Paso) on Saturday, July 29, 4 PM.

"Troncoso delivers a surprisingly fast-paced, character-driven story. For example, readers watch Turi evolve from a meek 16-year-old loner to a capable young man who genuinely cares for his 'semi-friend' Arnulfo. At the same time, the road trip keeps the tightly plotted narrative moving across the country, all while villains (there are quite a few) close in. The cast also shines, including one criminal henchman harboring a tender affection for his 'hulking giant' of a partner. The author rounds out his memorable tale by touching on contemporary topical issues, like prejudices against caramel skin and undocumented immigrants. A sublime, diverse cast drives this tale of looking for a safe, welcoming home."
---Kirkus Reviews