Monthly Archives: October 2011
Celebrating Dias de los Muertos in words
Oct. 31 marks the beginning of the three-day Dias de los Muertos, one of the Latino community’s most important holidays. Celebrants remember their loved ones who have passed away by creating altars and writing calaveras, or poems. The day has … Continue reading
Filed under Children's Books, Classic Books, Culture
Meet storyteller Joe Hayes, the man behind “La Llorona”
Halloween is approaching, and that means many storytellers will be weaving the famous Hispanic scary story of La Llorona, the weeping woman who drowned her children and looks for them along rivers and canals. The folktale, especially popular in Texas, … Continue reading
Filed under Author Q&A, Children's Books, Classic Books
In the news
• Puerto Rican/Cuban-American poet Piri Thomas (pictured at left) passed away last week. His book, Down These Mean Streets, described his life growing up in Spanish Harlem and became a staple in classrooms, according to this New York Times obituary. … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Children's Books, Classic Authors, Events, News, Young Adult Books
Book Review: Lyn Di Iorio’s “Outside the Bones”
If Kinsey Millhone or Stephanie Plum were Puerto Rican brujas, they’d be just like Fina, the lead character of Lyn Di Iorio’s first novel Outside the Bones (Arte Publico Press). Like those smartass, crime-solving creations of Sue Grafton and Janet … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Fiction
Classic Book Review: “The Hummingbird’s Daughter”
In preparation for Luis Alberto Urrea’s upcoming Queen of America, I wanted to read its predecessor, The Hummingbird’s Daughter, which was published in 2005. I was intimidated by the 500-page book and its serious description on the book cover, but … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books, Fiction
Happy Birthday, Miguel Angel Asturias!
Who? Asturias may seem like an obscure author, but the Guatemalan is only one of a dozen Latinos to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 1967. Asturias was born on this day in 1899 and died … Continue reading
Filed under Classic Authors, Fiction
Book review: Paulo Coehlo’s “Aleph”
Paulo Coelho’s Aleph is not just a novel – but also a guidebook on how to live life in the present. Coelho is the best-selling, beloved Brazilian novelist of The Alchemist and, like that book, Aleph is about a spiritual … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Book Reviews, Fiction
In the news
• Rigoberto González (pictured at left), who was born in California and raised in Mexico, releases his latest collection of poetry, Black Blossoms, today. The book centers on the struggles of women of color. • The Brattleboro Literary Festival, which … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Children's Books, Events, News
Meet novelist Lyn Di Iorio
Some people fear Afro-Caribbean religions. But Lyn Di Iorio is intrigued by them – so much so that her first book, Outside the Bones, focuses on the mysterious practices. Her novel was released last month by Arte Público Press. Di … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Author Q&A, Fiction
