Author Archive

Two Mami Blogs

Image: healingdream @ http://bit.ly/o7vx3c

When my daughter was born, the Internet saved me. I worried over every little thing and had a tough time breastfeeding. I was constantly on websites like BabyCenter and La Leche League. But mostly, it was the mommy blogs that gave me some reprieve from those tough early days. It was a great escape to read them for advice on fashion, raising kids, home decorating, sewing — these internet moms are savvy in just about everything and are willing to share their expertise. What’s even better is when you find a mami blog with a little cultura. So today I want to showcase just two of the many mami blogs written from a Latina perspective.

Mamá Latina Tips by Silvia Martinez features a little bit of everything having to do with being a busy mom in today’s world. She is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico and shares articles on Mexican culture accompanied by beautiful photographs. The best thing about this blog is that it is bilingual! One of the best ways for me to improve my Spanish vocabulary is by reading – and bilingual books and websites are great for this. For adults, Spanish readers are great, and there are tons of bilingual books for las criaturas, too.

Mami’s Time Out is exactly that – a bit of fun relief for your day. This blog is a little more fashion and pop culture driven. Jai, a Dominican from New York, also features a hilarious Wordless Wednesday column and a recap of the latest telenovelas! This blog is a little different because you read posts in separate categories – I prefer to read them in chronological order so I can see everything (hmmm, maybe I’m a blog stalker?).

Both of these websites are a lot of fun to read and feature a bunch of giveaways. Check them out!

Weekend Roundup

Happy Quinces, Latina! :: by Latina.com – I’m a long-time subscriber to Latina magazine. To celebrate their quinceañera, you don’t have to sit through an agonizingly long choreographed dance – instead, go check out the webpage they’ve created to honor 15 years!

Hispanic Heritage Month 2011 Recommended Reading List :: by the Florida Department of Education – A comprehensive list of Latino literature organized by age groups.

DC Comics creating Latino heroes in new comics :: via tampabay.com – Latin@ fanboys, rejoice! A superhero that resembles you is coming to DC comics! My question is, will they just “look” Latino or will they also be culturally Latino?

PBS Programs celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month :: via pbs – I love PBS! Unfortunately, my local station doesn’t air too many programs featuring Latinos – I’m assuming there’s just not as much of an audience in Alabama?  Check and see if any programs are playing on your location stations!

Website: Mamiverse

Looking for a website that focuses on motherhood, fashion, finance, and more – from a Latina perspective? Look no further than Mamiverse!

I just found this gem of a website, and I have to say, wow! I love reading Latina magazine because they cover a wide array of topics related to Latinas – and I also read several other fashion and parenting magazines and websites for news, views, and most importantly, style tips. With Mamiverse, I get all of the topics that interest me – from a Latina perspective – in one place.

Mamiverse is divided into four main topics: health, money, school and style. The website already features hot writer Alisa Valdes (author of The Dirty Girls Social Club) and big names like Carmen Wong Ulrich, whom I recognize for her financial advice on The Today Show. You can get a dash of celebrity, with features about Daisy Fuentes of Jennifer Lopez, but also a series titled Daughters We Love, featuring innovative women. Other articles range from technology to bilingual issues and everything in between.

The website’s design is bright and attractive yet simple to navigate. Readers can sign up for a recipe newsletter, or join clubMami to network with other readers. Advertising is unobtrusive and relatable (i.e., no ads promising a way to earn $50,000 a day working from home!).

The founder of Mamiverse is Rene Alegria, founder of Rayo, a HarperCollins imprint that specializes in publishing for the Hispanic market. You can see a list of the imprint’s children’s books here.

Book Review: Dancing with Butterflies

Ballet Folklorico de Mexico

Back when my mom was a kid, learning ballet folklórico was practically mandatory. Unfortunately, it was something I didn’t learn, but have always admired. As a special outing near my birthday last year, my husband took me to see the Ballet Folklórico de México at a performance they did with our local Community Ballet Association. We – and other brave audience members – drove through a severe ice storm to see the show, and it was worth it. The show was breathtaking, and included wonderful mariachis and grand costumes, all of which I didn’t expect.

Reyna Grande brings readers into the world of a folklórico dance troupe, weaving the stories of four women, Yesenia, Elena, Adriana, and Soledad. Yesenia, the founder of dance group Alegría, faces demons of middle age and a long marriage. Elena, a teacher, finds her life turned upside down after the loss of her pregnancy. Adriana, Elena’s sister, rebels against a rough childhood through loose relationships with hard men and distancing herself from Elena. Soledad is an illegal immigrant who finds her dream of becoming a costume designer may be dashed forever. The story is told alternating between each woman’s point of view; their lives at first tangent circles that slowly begin to overlap.

What I really liked about this book is that it tells FRESH stories about four women. Void of cliché character development, Grande presents a nuanced vision of the lives of women without judging, preaching, or stereotyping. The reader of this book will come away with not only stories about individuals but stories about relationships. Each woman faces her own challenges in her romantic relationships, but they also face challenges as sisters and friends. In the end, Grande shows us that friendships are always what we come back to after facing life’s challenges.

First Post!

Welcome! This blog is dedicated to Latino writers! I am passionate about writing, and especially works written by Latinos. I have been a life-long avid reader, but it wasn’t until I was about 14 that I realized that books existed that are written in a voice similar to my own. Even though there are many acclaimed Hispanic authors, I still believe that we need more work by Hispanics and that the literature as a whole is under-recognized, as authors Sandra Cisneros and David Rice discussed earlier this year on NPR.

Why am I blogging? Well, for a long time, I have been writing in either the legal profession or academically. I hope that blogging will help me break out of those styles. Second, people who love to read and write, love to read and write about reading and writing! But most importantly, I want to shine a light on works by Hispanics in all media. So, my goal is to read as many works by Hispanic writers as I can, and to blog about it here. And I’m sure I’ll have some related topics to write about, too.

If you are interested in Latino literature, or have any suggestions or comments, please contact me!