by Amelia M.L. Montes (ameliamontes.com)
The “spotlight”was on Sarah Cortez October 22nd when La Bloga writer, Daniel Olivasfeatured her new book, Walking Home: Growing Up Hispanic in Houston. Today I am treating you, dear Bloga readers, to an interview with Sarahon Walking Home.
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| Sarah Cortez |
In thismixed-genre memoir, each story begins unsullied—clear: the narrator describes life as society directs it should be with a happy marriage, a promise of many children, a good life. Cortez takes the “societal canvas”(what women and men are told they must do, act, produce, etc.) and she thenlayers the canvas with individual experiences (like bits of glass) which tellvery different stories: “an odddancing heart,” “unsaid goodbyes,” “never-delivered hellos.” These are vignettes told in narrativeform and poetry that individualize what it meant for one U.S. Latina to grow upin Houston.
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| Sarah Cortez reading from Walking Home: Growing Up Hispanic in Houston |
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| --an International Latino Book Award finalist |
Montes: At the beginning of Walking Home:Growing Up Hispanic in Houston,you invite the reader to “step up to the stained-glass window.” You write: “Here, trapped in the hues and slivers, are the unliveddreams of my family—mother, father, me.” What do you mean by ‘unlived’—it’s a very provocative word to usebecause it then troubles whether this is memoir or creative non-fiction.
Cortez: As a reader and writer of memoir formany years and as a teacher of memoir for over a decade, I have thought long and hard about the boundaries anddefinitions surrounding memoir. There is the post-modernist's stance that"everything is fiction"; there is the stance of certain(now-disgraced) writers that says "I'll lie about whatever I choose to lieabout and then call it 'memoir.’” I don't agree with either of theseextreme positions.
Memoiris a form of creative nonfiction called the personal essay. But it hasits own parameters that do not involve the unacknowledged creation offiction. In fiction, the contract between the writer and the reader saysthat what is written on the page is only limited by the writer'simagination. In memoir, the contract between the writer and readeris that what is written on the page happened to the best recollection of thewriter, and if imaginative space (e.g. dreams, hopes, imaginings) is utilized,then it is acknowledged.
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| Sarah Cortez |
WhatI have tried to do in this book is claim the unlived dreams of myself and myparents. However, I have been careful to keep the reader "in theknow."
Perhaps,this is a good place to mention that all the details surrounding each dream --especially in the maternal grandparents' household and hometown arehistorically accurate.
Montes: You use first person, second person,and you begin with third person. Why did you decide to avoid atraditional narrator?
Cortez: I avoided a traditional first-personnarrator, as is common in memoir, because I wished to place the reader insidethe head of more than myself. I also wished to shrink the space betweenthe reader and other important characters, such as my mother and myfather. The only craft decision that would impart this crucial intimacywith more than one character was multiple perspectives and multiple voices,which I hoped would serve to connect the reader with the many facets of each ofseveral characters.
Montes: Section One is done so well in that yougive the reader a possible expectation first with naming this section"white" (purity, innocence) and then the storydeftly defies such possible plots. Many of the sections are like this. Tell us how youcrafted these pieces.
Cortez: I'm not quite sure what to sayhere. I spent months, if not years, thinking about how to structure thesepieces. When I sat down to write them, the fruit of those years ofpondering led me to utilize colors, almost as frontispieces, for thevignettes. In a way, the colors are the distillations of the prosepieces.
Montes: Section one is narration and Sectiontwo is poetry. Were these separate manuscripts at one point? Howdid you decide to organize these sections and why place the narrationfirst and poetry second?
Cortez: I wrote the poetry section first butrealized that trying to sell a book of poetry of largely happy experienceswould be impossible. The literary world, for better or for worse, is inlove with high-level drama and unhappiness. I seached for what I could doto write the complexity under the happiness. After all, most humans haveto make it through sorrow and tragedy many times in their lives. Thesubtext of their happiness is the sorrow.
Montes: I see a theme in this book regardingthe "gaze." There are all kinds of "viewings" or"seeing" throughout the book. In the beginning youinvite the reader to "look closely." Later, in the piece"Cobalt Blue," the first person narrator says: "At thefuneral home I will not watch my youngest brother disintegrate" . . ."I will not watch bent and sad friends" (11). Further on youhave a piece entitled "The Looking" and in Section Two the poem"Delivery" describes the milkman "seeing" things whichprompts the narrator to feel "violated." How do you see"the gaze" in your book?
Cortez: I haven't consciously thought aboutthis dynamic, although it is a fascinating observation that you aremaking. What I did think about very consciously was how gazing throughstained glass distorts what is on the other side. I wanted the reader toconsider in a deep, deep way how those of us in my family made it throughdifficulties and sadnesses to reach our peace and joy.
Montes: Who did you write this book for and howdid you come upon the title of your book?
Cortez: I'd like to think that I wrote thisbook for everyone. After all, literature is one of the ways we can formconnections with people who are supposedly "unlike" us. Thereis a beautiful anecdote related by Amy Tan about being in Mississippi andhaving people so relate to her family members that they tell her how her familyis "just like my family." It's those human bonds that greatwriting (and who knows if my memoir is that or not) can remind us of as weread. In terms of the title, I was in love with the idea of "WalkingHome" probably because that is what I did every day after school growingup, i.e. I walked home. It became a metaphor for what we yearn to do, butcan never really do, as the last poem in the volume says. By the way,I've had people in the audience during readings burst into tears when I readthat last poem.
Montes: What writers do you feel are doingsimilar types of books like this one. What are you doingdifferently/similarly?
Cortez: I don't know any other memoir writerswho have even attempted what I am doing in this book. A few have triedmixed-genre memoirs, but the only apparent dynamic that orders the pieces ischronology of time sequencing. To me, this is unsophisticated andultimately unsatisfying to the reader.
Montes: What writers have influenced your work?
Cortez: I began my writing career as a literaryshort story writer, then segued into literary poetry. I've sincedeveloped a specialty in crime fiction and memoir. I've been published inall these genres as well as in academic venues and journalistic venues. All this is to say that the influences on my writing are varied. :) Some of myfavourite writers are John Donne, Shakepeare, Ovid, Sappho, Homer. A morecontemporary favourite is Megan Abbott, the reigning princess of noircrime writing. She is an incredible craftswoman and plots with the bestof them. I adore every aspect of her writing. Her exquisite focusand pacing. Tone and mood. Characterization. Vocabulary. She's a heck of a writer. edgy yet sophisticated andsubtle.
Montes: Do you have a writing routine? What is it like? How did your routine allow you to finish WalkingHome?
Cortez: Idon't have a specific writing routine. I teach so many classes and editmanuscripts for clients all over the world. I fit in my own writing afterI take care of my clients!! (And I love working with other writers!)
Montes: Is there something you would like toadd?
Cortez: I would like to encourage every singlereader you have to believe in him/herself enough to do something creative thatis outside of their present daily routine. It could be gardening, orplaying a musical instrument, or sewing, or writing, or baking. If youbelieve in yourself plus get some education (whether through reading,workshops, seminars, etc.) in your creative pursuit, you will thrive inspirit. This is very important and often people don't believe inthemselves enough to pursue a creative endeavor. I built mywriting/editing career over 26 years. During most of those years, I onlyhad 15 or 20 minutes a day (or less) to devote to writing or revising. But I did it slowly, bit by bit. It has not been easy but it istremendously rewarding: I have three publishers and by this time next year I'llhave nine books out.
Muchisimasgracias Sarah for taking the time to speak to La Bloga today! For more information, check out SarahCortez’s website: CLICK HERE!
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| Sarah Cortez |
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