Isabel Quintero Skype Chat

The Uni library had the honor of hosting a Skype event today with author Isabel Qunitero, who wrote the young adult novel Gabi, A Girl in Pieces.  One of the English classes here at Uni focuses on Native American and Latino/a Literature.  (Talk about a class I wish I would've had in high school!  I had to wait until university to get a class that good.)  The teacher, a wonderfully inspired lady named Ms. Majerus (who also teaches creative writing), simply contacted Isabel Quintero and asked if she'd be willing to Skype with the class...and, she said YES!  How awesome (and simple) is that!?  I'll have to keep that method in mind for when I'm a librarian. 

The students came prepared with some wonderful questions, and Ms. Majerus also asked about Isabel's writing process.  I took some notes down during the conversation, and here are some major points I want to share with you (if nothing else, I can even use this as a reminder for when I'm teaching again...):

Isabel joked that she didn't know she wasn't white until college.  In high school, she never saw herself or her culture reflected in the curriculum.  In college, she found classes that focused, upheld, and praised Latino/a culture, literature, and history.  She wanted to write this young adult book, so Latino/a youth can see themselves in what they read BEFORE they reach college.  She also wanted to write a book for them when the characters weren't only depicted as being in gangs or working in the fields all day.

In high school Isabel encountered e.e. cummings for the first time.  e.e. cummings made Isabel realize that poetry doesn't have to constrictive: it can be FREEING!  With cummings, Isabel saw poetry without punctuation, form, sentences, or structure...she saw poetry unleashed!  She started to write poetry in high school, and Gabi was originally written in verse.  However, after a lot of revision and thought, she made the hard choice to re-write it and publish it as a regular prose novel.

Isabel became a teacher at 23, before becoming a full-time writer, and said she was horrible at it.  She didn't know what she was doing, and she looked like she should be a student.  After taking a creative writing course for fun, she was encouraged by her instructor to write full time.  She became disciplined with her writing: she chose topics carefully, committed herself to revising her work, and she thoroughly researched what she would have to do to become a published writer. 

It was wonderful to be able to sit in and listen to this Skype talk.  Ms. Majerus is hoping to have another one in the next few days, but who that author will be...I'll leave as a surprise!  (Let's just say I'm excited.)