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The story wasnt always happy. There was a thirst to find out more about
Latinos. But a sizable Latino audience wasit still isevasive. And elusive,
too. Do Hispanics read at the same ration of other ethnic groups? Studies
are inconclusive but the New York publishing business isnt. While Latinos
are entering the middle class in larger numbers than ever, reading habits
are established over long stretches of time.
In any case, from the 90s on, non-Latinos, especially of college age, have all
but compensated for the absence of a Latino readership. Consequently, a
new type of Latino writer has emerged, one becoming an asset for
publishers that organize popular appearances in schools, community
centers, and literary festivals. The autographing of books by Hispanic
authors is a lively activity these days across the country.
Only a handful of them actually make their living from writing alone. The
majority are teachers in universities. Some work as editors in New York City.
Others are lawyers, doctors, accountants, and activists. This, in my view, is
a double-edged sword. On the one hand, making a living exclusively from
literature is a sign of success. Philip Roth, Toni Morrison, and John Updike do
it. But the effort means that, with few exceptions, authors need to produce
constantly, at a rate of a book a year. On the other hand, the daily
immersion in an academic environment frequently brings along a solipsistic
style, hyper-intellectual, minimalistic, disconnected from the so-called world.
Whats worse?
In spite of the stress by the U.S. media that Latinos are a relatively recent
immigrant minority, the community dates its roots to Spanish explorers and
missionaries like Alvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca and Fray Junpero Serra. Their
journals of discovery are filled with wonderful anecdotes of estrangement
and reconsideration. The territories that today constitute the Southwestern
states are infused with rich, diverse mestizo roots that came about from the
hybridization of Iberian and pre-Columbian cultures. Only in recent times
The literature produced by Latinos in the first half of the 20th century was
marked by a process of acculturation. In the work of Arthur Schomburg,
William Carlos Williams, Mara Cristina Mena, Jess Coln, and Jospehina
Niggli, the reader senses the desire to build a bridge between at times
incompatible sides. Where do we belong? Why is it that the U.S. refuses to
acknowledge our unique heritage?
These questions brought along a dissatisfaction that joined forces with that
of other marginalized minorities, notably Blacks, during the Civil Rights era.
Nowadays the picture students get in school of that moment in American
history is reductive. They hear about Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X,
and Rosa Parks, but are unacquainted with Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta,
Reies Lpez Tijerina, and Rodolfo Corky Gonzles, leaders of the Chicano
Movement whose influence during the late 60s and 70s is crucial in the
shaping of who we are at present.
The Hispanic literary tradition in the U.S. blissfully reaches across genres. It
has extraordinary examples of playwrights like Luis Valdez (Zoot Suit), Jos
Rivera (The House of Ramn Iglesia), and Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics). It
has a lineup of provocative poets such as Victor Hernndez Cruz, Alberto
Alvaro Ros, and Ricardo Pau-Llosa. And there are also eloquent speakers
like Cesar Chavez. Those speeches have a unique power on the printed
page, as is proved in the compilation An Organizers Tale. Plus, the graphic
novel and its subsidiaries play an important role. For instance, Guillermo
Gmez Pea, a Chicano performance artist, co-produced an admirable
illustrated book called Codex Espangliensis.
Arguably, Latino fiction exploded into the mainstream in the late 80s.
Among the highlights was the awarding of the Pulitzer in 1989 to Oscar
Hijuelos, a Cuban-American, for The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, the
first novel by a Hispanic to receive such a prize. The third took place just
last year to Junot Daz, a Dominican-American, for The Brief Wondrous Life of
Oscar Wao. (Nilo Cruz also won the award.) In the interim, luscious,
polyphonic narratives, a vast quantity of them made by female authors such
as Julia Alvarez, Ana Castillo, and Cristina Garca, have expanded the shelf
and reinvigorated a self.
them are released annually, or is the fact that there are such limited number
of titles what makes the readership small?
Needless to say, the tradition encompasses it all: the good, the bad, and the
unexpected.
Mitch Kaplan, owner of the independent bookstore Books & Books, is one of
the founders of the Miami Book Fair International. This year the fair, which is
sponsored by Miami Dade College and is celebrating its 25TH anniversary,
runs from november 9-16.
[ILAN STAVANS] To what extent are the two tracks taking place
simultaneously at the Miami Book Fair, one in Spanish and the other in
English, a wise strategy?
[MITCH KAPLAN] One of the reasons for the success of the fair is our
acknowledgement of Miamis cultural diversity. From the outset we wanted
to produce a fair that had something for everyone. The Spanish
programming has been an extremely important reflection of this, and its
growth is a testament to how receptive our audiences have been. Weve
gone from a few programs in Spanish to now presenting extensive offerings
throughout the eight days of the Book Fair.
[MK] Yes, I have. The fair has helped develop audiences for the visiting
authors. Our sales often spike after the fair with fairgoers wanting to buy
books by authors theyve discovered there. The nurturing of literary culture
that the Book Fair has been engaged in has, similarly, had a profound affect
on Books & Books, from developing audiences for readings to helping to
make Miami a hospitable place for a vibrant community of writers.
[IS] In the age of depersonalized mega-stores, what is the role of the small
independent bookstore?
[MK] At a difficult time like now, independent bookstores provide the sense
of community that people need. Great, good places provide a comforting
refuge from home and work spaces, giving people an opportunity to feel a
sense of belonging in what are often very impersonal public places. Also, as
disseminators of information, its incumbent on us to present a wide range
of books reflecting local concerns and interests, while at the same time
providing programming which is relevant and provocative. In this very
competitive retail environment, we need to show why we have value, and
that value should not only be measured by price. If we can articulate all of
this to our customers, independent bookstores will continue to have an
important role.