MIERCOLES MUDO: Elfo Marinero

The Elf's Busted Out

Rich, the Elf on the Shelf, couldn't wait to come out.

Our elf, Rich, escaped on Thanksgiving night and has been flying (yes, flying) around our home at night. This mischievous elf, whose box is a transporter to the North Pole, is running out of places to hide and has challenged my husband and I to be creative. We're having fun with it and expect this will be the last year that our son believes in Rich's magic. Santa's, too.

Our arbolito absent a half-dozen ornaments destroyed by our dog, Albert.

It's this time of year that I miss my mom and our family's large holiday gatherings. Thankfully, I'll get to spend Christmas with her in California, something I haven't done in years. I'll appreciate the time we have together, because not having her here to speak Spanish with or to hover over while she cooks has finally caught up with me. As much as I miss her, I know that my son misses her ten times more.

This being our first holiday with a dog has yielded more than it's fair share of surprises ... like its obsession with the tree. Hello -- shiny objects. Duh. The dog has meticulously picked off any ornament within its reach, leaving my son terrified at the thought of it finding his elf. Seems the poodle side of this canine is dominant because he's not only sneaky, but smart, having learned how to open a kitchen barrel that's supposed to only open by a foot lever, which was the reason we bought it.

Leo Tolstoy's ANNA KARENINA. Love this cover with the violets!

I haven't been online much the last couple weeks, spending most of my free time reading Anna Karenina before watching the new film. Turns out I like Tolstoy and am considering rereading Les Misérables, before seeing that movie, too. We'll see if time allows it. Maybe I'll read it on the plane.

Now to figure out how to transport our elf to California without taking away its magic. :-)

Help Raise Funds for the #MALALAFUND

DISCLOSURE: This is not a sponsored post.

Today, between 12-1 p.m. Twitter has donated pro bono advertising to help raise funds for the Malala Fund. Additionally, private donors have agreed to match $5,000+ raised during that time. If you would like to help contribute to helping give young girls abroad a voice and education, you can participate either by Twitter or Facebook via the links below.

THANK YOU!

Twitter - Just click to tweet!:

DONOR MATCH 12-1 ET TODAY: Give to MalalaFund.org for girls education or text “BRAVE” to 27722 to give $10 to the #MalalaFund

Bullets can't stop dreams. Give to #MalalaFund http://ow.ly/fajvf each dollar matched!

When you educate girls, you transform families and communities. #MalalaFund http://ow.ly/fajvf

I donated $13 because I believe EVERY child - boy or girl - deserves an education #MalalaFund http://ow.ly/fajvf

Facebook:

DONOR MATCH TODAY starting 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern/5 GMT we'll be standing up for Malala and her advocacy for education and the price she paid for raising her voice against extremism. Generous donors have stepped up with a challenge: For each dollar donated today, they will MATCH it. Give toMalalaFund.org or text “BRAVE” to 27722 to give $10 to the #MalalaFund.

Background:

On October 9, 2012, 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan was shot in the head by the Taliban. It was a failed attempt to silence her — and her leading voice for girls' education and the right of all children to go to school.

The Malala Fund was on behalf of Malala and her family, working together with supporters of the cause, including the United Nations Foundation and Girl Up, and several other organizations and individuals. The goal is to provide Malala with a fund she can direct so when she is well and ready, she can pursue her vision for girls education and empowerment.

The Malala Fund supports the education and empowerment of girls in Pakistan and around the world.

Through grants to civil society organizations and individuals focused on education, the Fund is advised by a committee comprising education experts and entrepreneurs, as well as Malala — when she is well enough — and her family.

November 10, the official international day of solidarity for Malala Yousafzai, was marked around the world and millions of supporters have signed petitions, contributed thousands of dollars, named schools after Malala, and more, to recognize her bravery and get the world to pay attention to girls’ education.

The facts:

61 million kids around the world are denied access to education. 

32 million are girls.

These are statistics we have the power to change, together.

Interview with INK Author Sabrina Vourvoulias & Book Giveaway

INK by Sabrina Vourvoulias

Today I'd like to share an interview with Sabrina Vourvoulias, the author of INK. I had the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of her debut early this fall and to chat with her at #Latism12, a couple weeks ago.

About INK:

Imagine living in a society where the government requires that immigrants from certain countries be branded with color-coded tattoos to denote their immigrant "status," or desirability. A place where speaking any language other than English would be punishable by law and where a minor traffic violation could lead to imprisonment at an inkatorium.

I don't want to give too much away, but these are just a few of the hair-raising situations that the four characters in this novel struggle with as they attempt to find justice and make sense of the world around them.

Eerily familiar, INK reminded me of the U.S. government's 1930s mass deportation of Mexicans, many of whom were citizens, the forced relocation of Native Americans, and the sterilization of Native American women.

GIVEAWAY:

Sabrina will be giving away a signed copy of INK on Friday, November 16th. The giveaway is only open to U.S. residents, and the winner will be chosen via random drawing. To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment. :-)

Sabrina Vourvoulias

INTERVIEW:

INK depicts a grim American society and brings to mind some of our country's dark history. As you worked on this novel, did you worry how readers might react to it? What kind of response have you received?

Interesting question. Actually, no, mostly I didn’t think about the reader’s reaction as I was writing. I got caught up in the circumstances along with my characters, and so the escalation of events and restrictions felt organic and inevitable as I was writing. Also, because I was basing all of the different restrictions on what already exists and then taking them up a notch — or basing them on historical precedent — I think I simply assumed that any future reader would understand what I was doing. And in large part they have.

I did get a comment on Librarything or Goodreads — I forget which — that said the reader found the book so plausible she had to set it aside because it bothered her so much.

Look, I think there are disturbing and difficult passages in INK, but I think that is as it should be given the kind of dystopia I set up. Still, it is a book full of hope, and love, and one that acknowledges the power and strength of community.

INK deals a lot with Central-South American folklore. What influenced you to incorporate the supernatural into your novel? What were some of the resources you'd recommend to someone interested in learning more? Is there any region's folklore that is more interesting to you, than another? Are you believer?

I grew up in Guatemala, a country with an incredibly rich tradition of pre- and post-colonial myth and folklore. I’ve always loved legends and the tales that live not only on the page but off it as well, in the telling from person to person. I fit myself into a very long Guatemalan and Mexican literary tradition when I incorporate the unseen in my fiction, and it feels as integral to me as breathing.

In terms of Guatemalan myth and legend, you can’t go wrong reading pre-colonial books like the Popol Vuh and El Varón de Rabinal. Miguel Ángel Asturias, Guatemala’s Nobel laureate for literature, wrote a collection of short stories titled Leyendas de Guatemala, and most of his novels are infused with the country’s myth and lore. A lot of the best stuff isn’t written down, of course, so if you have a chance to listen to storytellers live that can be the best resource of all.

I love mythology, fairytales, tall tales, legends, folklore and folk art from a wide variety of cultures. I’m very familiar with Greek myth because it was one of the only ways I connected with my father’s ancestral heritage, but what I really love is more anecdotal folk tale than structured myth. Los Cadejos, el Cucuy, la Siguanaba, la Llorona, el Tzipitio, los nahuales — they’re the stuff that keeps finding its way into my work.

Sabrina Vourvoulias signs books
at #Latism 12

I do believe in the unseen. I believe in science and art and spirit, and the ways they intersect in us. So, I light velas and create ofrendas so that ancestors and saints will intercede for me at the same time as I delight in reading about morphic fields, the dance of invisible particles and sound that, no matter how inaudible, never stops resonating. I love paradoxes, particularly the ones in our natures. ;)

Do you remember how the idea for INK came about?

I’ve been listening to the personal stories of undocumented immigrants for the past twelve years as part of my work in newspapers, and in writing for my blog, Follow the Lede. I've noted how much the discourse about documentation has deteriorated through those years, and how much of it has turned, at its core, anti-immigrant and anti-Latino.

For a long time I was content to write advocacy on my blog, and journalism in the newspapers where I was editor. Then, I ran across a small newspaper article tucked into the back pages of "El Diario/La Prensa of NY," about an undocumented immigrant who worked with a landscaping company in Westchester County, who had been “given a ride” by a couple of guys on the way home from work one day. Except they took him over the border into Connecticut and dumped him there without money, cell phone or any identification, but with the warning to stay out of their state. And, according to the article, he wasn’t the first undocumented immigrant to experience this sort of “border dumping.”

The story so horrified and fascinated me it turned into the impetus for me to write fiction -- and to push what I knew undocumented immigrants were already experiencing, the two or three steps necessary into all-out dystopia.

How long did it take you to write INK?

I can’t give you a real total. I’ve actively been writing INK for about five years, but some sections, characters and settings are much, much older. Ten, maybe even fifteen years older. It’s a bit like raising a kid, actually. Sometimes the changes you make are radical game-changers, sometimes they’re more subtle, but if you’re diligent one day you stand back and think, “Hello. You’re all grown up.”

How many books did you write before this one?

I had started other novels but never finished them. INK is my first book.

What was your publishing journey like?

My first short story sale ("Flying with the Dead") was to Crossed Genres magazine and the publishers, Kay (Holt) and Bart (Leib) were just lovely to work with. I grew to be friendly with Kay through social media, told her about a critique I had gotten on what was then the first chapter of my novel — which was in various stages of draft and revision, and unfinished. She very generously offered to read it. Then she asked me for more chapters. When she was done, she made me promise to finish the novel because she wanted to know how it ended. I want to think I would have finished the novel anyway, but who knows? I do know if not for Kay's enthusiasm it might have been an even longer process. So, I sent her the final chunk of INK when it was done, and she passed it on to Bart, and at some point they told me they wanted to publish it.

The rest has been wholly wonderful. Whatever advantage there is in working with a big, mainstream press with money, a wide distribution network and a big marketing budget is more than made up for by Crossed Genres’ collaborative bent, and Kay’s and Bart’s absolute belief in the work of their writers.

You are a journalist by profession, what are some of the issues or topics that you mainly write about?

I write about Latinos in America — the challenges and triumphs, the heartbreak and hardship and the resilience of our communities. I like to focus on individuals, but I’ve written a lot about the need for humane immigration reform, about SB 1070 and its copycat legislation proposed for Pennsylvania, about the use of the term “illegal” and how that has affected the way people view all Latinos regardless of documentation status. I’ve written about how voter ID and redistricting is being used to disenfranchise Latino voters; about the high attempted suicide rate in young Latinas between the ages of 12 and 17, and about Mexican-American history and literature being taken off the shelves of schools in Tucson.

We have complicated challenges ahead of us. I don’t believe we should blind ourselves to them. But I also think we should celebrate who we are and why we are — proudly, loudly — as frequently as we can. ;)

What do you read for pleasure?

Fiction, short-stories and novels. Non-fiction, journalism, poetry. In Spanish and English. I’m in love with reading.

Did you read in your genre while writing INK?

Yes. Not exclusively, but speculative fiction is my favorite reading. ;)

Do you consider yourself a genre writer?

Yes. But I’m not a genre purist. The norm of anything bores me. I like the crossroads, the intersections, the places where people eye the wall of limitations before them and fly right over them.

Who are some of the authors that have influenced your work?

In the speculative fiction genre, I’d say Octavia Butler, Emma Bull, Charles de Lint and Ursula Le Guin are the writers I most admire. Outside of genre, I love Francisco Goldman, Sandra Cisneros, Denise Chavez, Ana Castillo, Julia Alvarez, Cristina Garcia, Amy Tan and Barbara Kingsolver.

I've heard on more than one occasion that it's more difficult for Latino/a authors to get published? Do you believe that to be true?

I think our voices are distinct from what the publishing mainstream is used to, and so perhaps we don’t fit perfectly in the mold, or seem difficult to market. Add to that the fact that literary and genre magazines publish a shamefully small number of writers of color, and you’ve got a bunch of talent with a narrower “platform” than what traditional book publishers look for in a first time novelist.

It’s also been brought to my attention recently that there are only five Latina literary agents in the U.S., so that’s got to be a factor in how many Latino/a authors get a publishing contract. Small presses have a much better record of publishing works by writers of color but, by their nature they aren’t able to attract as much attention for the writers or works on their list.

And last, but not least, what advice would you give to a writer battling self-censorship?

We all battle it. The real trick is to sink yourself deep into the story or into the character’s head. So deep, in fact, that you can’t think about where you want or don’t want it to go but just let yourself be dragged along. It’s probably one of the reasons I don’t outline. It’s way too easy to start listening to that horrible little naysaying censor’s voice if there’s an outline staring me in the face.

But even without an outline sometimes the self-censor gets through. So, I put music on loud and start writing. If the censor becomes insistent, I get up and dance. Then, back to writing. Dance. Write. Dance. Write. The censor will get tired long before you do. Trust me on this.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

"Sabrina Vourvoulias is a Latina newspaper editor, blogger and writer.

An American citizen from birth, she grew up in Guatemala and first moved to the United States when she was 15. She studied writing and filmmaking at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y.

In addition to numerous articles and editorial columns in several newspapers in Pennsylvania and New York state, her work has been published in Dappled Things, Graham House Review, La Bloga’s Floricanto, Poets Responding to SB 1070, Scheherezade’s Bequest at Cabinet des Fees, We’Moon, Crossed Genres Magazine #24, the anthologies Fat Girl in a Strange Land and Crossed Genres Year Two, and is slated to appear in upcoming issues of Bull Spec and GUD magazines.

Her blog Following the Lede was nominated for a 2011 Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) award. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter. Follow her antics on Twitter @followthelede."

What if the Electoral College is Tied?

As I drove to the polling location near my home this a.m., I listened to some folks on NPR talk about what would happen in the unlikely event that the Electoral College is tied. Imagine the a scenario where we end up with a President from one party and Vice President from another. Have you cast your vote, today?

#Latism12: Never Underestimate the Power of One

#Latism12 Houston, TX

DISCLOSURE: My lodging for #Latism12 was sponsored. Opinions are 100% my own.

I am filled with gratitude coming out of the #Latism12 conference held in Houston, TX, last week.

Gratitude for my supportive blogueras-hermanas who made me laugh so hard, I cried ...
Gratitude for the panels, workshops and how-tos showing me that anything is possible...
Gratitude for speakers such as Maria Celeste Arraras, Nely Galan and Sandra Cisneros ...
Gratitude for The Adelante Movement that planted the seed of an idea in my mind ...

But most of all, I'm grateful to the sponsors who made #Latism12 possible.

The Adelante Movement's Prayer Alter y Mis Amigas :-)

#Latism12 delivered four themed tracks: Education, Health, Business and Technology, along with three separate Hands-On sessions for Newbies, Adelantados and Hands-on Gurus.

In the Evolution of Education: New Channels, Opportunities and Challenges, I learned that the top three blogging topics for Hispanics are Latino issues, social good and education; that when choosing a sponsor, to not only choose one that "writes a check," but that, also, gets involved with the execution of programs; and the enormous opportunity to transform education with technology.

In the Getting Published Hands-on Gurus, I learned a 3-Step Storytelling Process from published author and Univision radio host Alberto Sardiñas: Reconciliation, Capitalization and Action; that writers need to make peace with their story and find the lesson to help others; to take a risk, knowing there's a huge chance for failure; and that we must have a "jump-in" mentality, regardless of whether or not we know how to swim.

In The Adelante Movement, Nely Galan taught me that "when you're coming from your heart, things work"; Sandra Cisneros urged us to seek out the writers who will transform us; that "the most important thing is to speak the truth"; and that we should hurry to become good human beings.

In Preserving Latino Culture for Future Generations, I learned that the American Latino Heritage Fund is developing educational resources that are "inclusive" of the achievements and contributions made by Latinos; that Latino history is American history; and of the importance of knowing our history.

Then there were the programs! Here are two developed by sponsors that give back to the community:

Johnson & Johnson: Global Motherhood

Johnson & Johnson Global Motherhood -- Changing the world one mother at a time.
"What inspires you?"

Global Motherhood is a program jointly developed by Johnson & Johnson and The Huffington Post to improve and promote the health of both mothers and children around the world through its various programs, such as:

• Mothers2Mothers that's focused on reducing the number of mother-to-child HIV transmissions through a mentorship program;
• SOS Children's Villages addresses the needs of orphaned and abandoned children in 800 villages and 123 countries around the world by providing them with preventative services and a loving home;
• The UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Health Care Institute increases health literacy, reducing the number of emergency room visits.

Here's a short video that talks a little about the Johnson & Johnson and Huffington post partnership ...

Toyota: Litera-Seeds Mini-Grants

Literacy was a recurring theme throughout the conference.

The Litera-Seeds Mini-Grants for 2012 was developed by The National Literacy Foundation and Toyota to award $500 grants to 10-20 K-12 educators who develop innovative programs that promote literacy while engaging families in learning.

And here are some favorite retweets from #Latism12:

These are just a few of the highlights from #Latism12. I miss it already and wish I could do it all over again. Thank you to all the #Latism12 organizers, hosts and sponsors.

So the countdown begins for #Latism13 in NYC. Is it here, yet?

¡Chévere! Nominated for a Blogs by Latinas Award

Wow! I found out late last night that my little blog has been nominated for the Third Annual Blogs by Latinas Awards in the Literature Category. *estoy brincando*

For anybody not familiar with the group, Blogs by Latinas is a community of Latina bloggers founded by Monique Frausto in 2008 to fill a noticeable gap in the blogosphere. Little did she know that her idea would grow into an award-winning community of 2,000 Latina blogueras. ¡Que cool!

Imaginanse how excited and happy and grateful I am to be recognized alongside my blogueras-amigas. To the person who nominated me -- and you know who you are -- abrazos y muchisimas gracias. Simply being nominated is an honor.

If you'd like to explore the other nominees and cast your vote, please click here.

Good luck everyone! :-)

Off to Latism12 in Houston! ... Er, Almost

This girl's got her red boots on with no where to go.

Well, not exactly.

I was supposed to be on a 9:45 a.m. flight that slammed its gates shut 10 minutes early. So, I sit here, anxiously, awaiting the next flight to Houston, where the 2012 Latinos in Social Media Conference, #Latism12, is being held.

I'm super excited and can't wait to get there. Between the inspiring and educational panels, the keynote speakers, Latin-themed entertainment, and generous sponsors, such as Johnson & Johnson and Toyota, #Latism12 will be the chicken soup that my soul needs to replenish and reconnect with all the wonderful blogueras I've had the privilege of getting to know over the last couple of years, women such as Pink Guayoyo, AutismWonderland, Growing Up Blackxican and La Familia Cool.

Even better, several Latino authors will be signing books, like Sabrina Vourvoulias, whose debut INK released last week. I had the opportunity to get to know Sabrina at last year's conference and look forward to interviewing her this weekend about her science fiction book that depicts a grim handling of immigrants in the U.S. Very disturbing and reminiscent of historical events.

If things couldn't get any better, to close the conference on Saturday, Nely Galan's The Adelante Movement, an organization that promotes Latina leadership, will present its program and feature keynote Sandra Cisneros, author of House on Mango Street. Hello!

Yeah, I CAN'T WAIT and they're calling my gate ... nos vemos. :-)

I Love New England

Conservation land in Lincoln, MA

I love fall in New England, with its frosty mornings, bright blue skies and air so crisp and clean it permeates with earth's raw scent. Leaves, once green, turn into reds, oranges and golds so bright, you'd swear trees and bushes were on fire at every turn. Beautiful, or not, they're a promise that winter stretches its long, spindly fingers into October.

Was going through my iPhone and came across some pictures that made me smile, because they represent so much of what I love about New England, from its quirky language, distinctive architecture, to its passionate sports fans.

Would like to share some of what's made me smile with you ...

Cookie Monstah

Interesting cookie truck, wouldn't you say? Bostonians (my husband, especially!) have a distinctive manner of speech. They say "cah," instead of "car," and "dawg," instead of "dog." 

I guess the Cookie Monstah should come as no surprise.

Harvard Book Store, Harvard Square, MA

Harvard Bookstore is a dangerous place to visit. I go solely for the remainders tables that are loaded with an unbelievable selection of hard cover books at a fraction of their original cost. It's amongst the piles of books at these tables that I discovered Isabel Allende, Julia Alvarez and Laura Restrepo.

Leaves changing in Harvard Square, MA

I wish I could capture the true colors of these leaves. Doesn't the tree look like it's on fire?

Typical New England home.

If I were a little shorter (and I'm short), would love to live in one of these typical 1800s New England homes. I wonder if people were shorter back then, or if they had to stoop to get around their homes. What a pain.

Dunkin Donuts

Sports ... well, need I say more?

Harvard University

The hallowed gates of Harvard University.

And this, friends, is what Halloween looks like. :-)

MIERCOLES MUDO: Go, Speed Racer! Go!

JUST FOR FUN: Five Things (Elements of a Short Story)

THROWBACK THURSDAY: My Mysterious Abuelita

My abuelita. Mexicali, Mexico (año del caldo)

These last few weeks, my abuelita has been been paying me some unexpected visits. I could be in the middle of cooking or reading, when suddenly she'll slip into my thoughts. As if all she wants to do is say hi. It's been strange, considering I never had the opportunity to meet her, since she'd passed away long before I was born.

For Throwback Thursday, this week, I'd like to share this old photograph of my abuela. It's precious because it's the only one we have of her. It was taken in Mexicali, the small pueblo in Mexico, where my mother and her sisters were born. I know the photo isn't very clear, trust me, I've tried over and over to focus in an attempt to discern her features, but to no avail. What I do know of her, has been passed down from my mom, who swears that my abuela was a tall and beautiful woman, who never wore makeup, smoked like fiend and spoke perfect English. Sounds like a character, no?

My abuela was a hard working woman. When she was married to my grandfather, she cooked for a small restaurant they owned and operated on the main road through town, where truckers and travelers, mainly Americanos stopped to eat. From what I understand, she had to have been a very strong woman to not only spend most of her waking hours working, but also to survive being married to my abuelo, who by all accounts was a tyrant, but that's another story.

If I could spend an afternoon with my abuela, I'd first ask her to cook for me, then I'd chronicle with the painstaking accuracy of a historian her answers to my questions. I'd want to know about her parents, my bisabuelos. What life was like for her during the Mexican Revolution. How she overcame the loss of so many of her children. I'd want to know what my mom was like as a little girl and what she jabbered about before drifting off to sleep. I'd want to know what her reaction would be if she were to meet my sisters and me for the first time on the street. Did her heart break when her youngest, my mother, left her to live her own life? Lastly, I'd want to know what life was like for her when in her old age, she left Mexico to marry a gringo and live her last few years in the States.

These are all question that will unfortunately have to go unanswered. For now it appears I'll have to rely on my imagination and the bits and pieces I collect along the way to piece together my family's history.

Or maybe it will come to me in a dream. Por favor, Abuela.

MIERCOLES MUDO: Gemelos

High School Reading: For the Birds?

Do you remember what you read in high school? Did you like it? Or did the assigned reading stay in your book bag (like mine did) because the Cliffs Notes were much less painful? You know what I'm talking about. Or maybe you loved it all, in which case, you get a gold star.

I bring this up because I recently came across an interesting article in the HuffPost, suggesting alternate titles to some of what's been the meat and potatoes of our high school English curriculum. Titles that look delicious to me, such as Gabriel García Márquez's 100 Years of Solitude and Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. If you can, take a minute to flip through the slideshow.

The article got me thinking about how little I enjoyed what I read back then (actually hated it). Was it because I was an unsophisticated reader? Or maybe the material didn't resonate, or was too difficult? What would happen if I revisited these titles, today? And lastly, what might my young mind's reaction have been to authors such as Laura Esquivel, Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, Julia Alvarez and Victor Villaseñor? I can only speculate.

Here are a few of the titles my memory coughed up from those years:

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

See any common threads, aside from them being classics? Hello. They're all depressing as all heck. Between the exploitation, murder, injustice and pathological apathy and boredom (Mr. Caulfield), it's no wonder I wasn't a depressed kid. Perhaps twenty plus years of life experience would give me enough of a repository to draw from to help me appreciate them, today? I have to find out.

So I'm curious. Did you love all of what you read in high school? I'd love to know what high school students outside the U.S. are reading.

Please share! :-)

I Think I'm Gonna Read It ... You Know What

The highly controversial and wildly successful 50 SHADES OF GREY by EL James

A funny thing happened to me on the way to New York a couple weeks ago. 

My husband's seventy-one year-old aunt from Rome, who's a retired high school English teacher and probably one of the most brilliant and engaging conversationalists I've ever met, accompanied me on the four-hour drive from Boston to the Big Apple. When I tell you she's an engaging conversationalist, that's code for SHE-CAN-TALK-YOUR-EAR-OFF. Which I don't mind, since conversation always includes a little literature, philosophy, and some of her colorful-crazy life experience. I should probably mention at this point that before teaching, she'd studied philosophy and literature at the University of Rome (in retirement she's studying economics and computer science). 

Back to the story...

On our way out of Boston she said, sounding really excited, "I found something on the plane -- a brand new book in the front seat's pocket. Even had the receipt in it. Whoever it belonged to is going to be upset." You can imagine my reaction. Might as well have been a hundred dollar bill. So I probed her about the book. She didn't remember the title or the author's name but said it looked really good and promised to show it to me when we arrived at the hotel.

After sitting in an extra hour's worth of traffic and rushing to make a tour, I'd completely forgotten about her book. Later that evening as we dressed for dinner, with the RNC blasting on the TV in the background, she says to me (my back's to her), "Oh, here's the book I told you about." I turned to her handing me a shiny, new copy of EL James' 50 SHADES OF GREY. Hello! The book I've been ambivalent about reading, mainly because of all the hype (good and bad) surrounding it.

"You're reading this?" I asked, half-embarrassed, half-incredulous. "Of course," she replied, and went on to show me the places she'd underlined with pen; these were words she planned to look up. Was it wrong of me to assume this book's effects had rippled over to Italia? I mean, it's the all-time most downloaded book in the UK. So I took it upon myself to educate her with the little bit I've gleaned from social media and Saturday Night Live. You can imagine how that went.

Turns out she didn't know the alternative meaning for the word "bondage," which she completely grasped after I'd made several whipping and binding gestures. Yes, I know, ridiculous. I expected her to be appalled. Nope. Didn't bat an eyelash. In fact, she got a twinkle in her youthful blue eyes and said, "Really?" I laughed, "Yeah, really. You still going to read it?" "Well, why not?" she said. "I'm not that easily influenced. Now I'm looking forward to it." Although, she did later say that she'd have to hide the cover so people wouldn't know what she read.

So there you have it. If it's good enough for a lit and philosophy major, it's good enough for me. Except mine will be on the Nook.

Troublemakers in Times Square

Here's another title that looks interesting. :p
50 SHAMES OF EARL GREY by Fanny Merkin

MIERCOLES MUDO: New York, New York!

Forever Changed by 9/11

Moments permanently etched into memory ...

On September 11, 2001, I'd just returned to work after visiting New York for the weekend. My mother had moved to the East Coast to live with my husband and I (a big change for a newlywed couple), and our son, who'd not yet been conceived, would be born the following year. I lived in a bubble that included only my family and closest friends.

The world was "out there."

You see, I'd never known the kind of terror and loss of personal security that resulted from the attacks of 9/11. The kind of terror that so many people in other parts of the world have experienced in their day-to-day lives at the hands of terrorists. But that changed. After the events of that morning, I'd never, again, watch the news feeling disconnected from the rest of the world, because the bubble I'd lived in was an illusion. I was the people living abroad; they were me.

Geography was all that separated us.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial to pay my respects, and came away feeling inspired by our country's resilience in the face of tragedy. I felt hope and optimism for the future. The 9/11 Memorial, with it's wooded grounds and two reflecting pools, is a sight quite different from the one I'd seen several years earlier, when I'd laced my fingers through a chain-link fence and gaped in disbelief at the wound in the ground. I remembered ... the deafening sound of bulldozers moving earth ... an enormous American flag whose corners furled in the wind as it draped to the side of a nearby building ... my husband down on one knee next to me, praying.

So many questions and fears have plagued me since the events of that day. The biggest and most important being, how to raise a son who understands what happened without compromising his innocence, compassion and tolerance?

Today, on this eleventh anniversary, my thoughts and prayers go out to all the souls who lost their lives and to the families and friends who continue to love them.

I've been forever changed and will never forget.

MIERCOLES MUDO: Hacemos Limonada

Summer's Bounty

Some days I wish that placing my finger on time might keep it from slipping away ... 

Moments, blessings, memories ... beauty streaked with Blue.

Some days I wish that placing my finger on time might keep it from slipping away... 

My boy,

Growing!

Curiously gazing,

Seizing everything new.

Some days I wish that placing my finger on time might keep it from slipping away ...

A canvas splattered,

An arc of color,

Phosphorous kisses,

Fire bleeding into you.

Some days I wish that placing my finger on time might keep it from slipping away ... 

Books weighted in honesty.

Sharing, showing, cracking open their souls.

They fill me with sadness.
The realization of what is true.

Some days I wish that placing my finger on time might keep it from slipping away ...

New friends

Old souls

Who knew?