I have the greatest pleasure of introducing you today to Rebeca Gomez Galindo, author of the short story collection, Habitantes de mi tiempo (Inhabitants Of My Time). Rebeca is a former vice-president of The Society of Hispanic and Latino Writers of San Antonio and a member of The Writer’s League of Texas. Currently, she’s working on a romantic suspense novel in English.
Thanks for being here today, Rebeca. Why don’t you start by telling us a little about your collection of surreal short stories, Habitantes de mi tiempo.
Well, I’ve been writing short stories for a long time now. Therefore, I decided to put them together and get them published. Moreover, I was lucky to be able to do it. Most of us write for the pleasure it brings and because we love it, but I felt the need to share with others the vast universe of Habitantes de mi tiempo (which I could roughly translate as Inhabitants Of My Time). All ten stories in this collection are intended to bring attention to various social and human issues taking place in our contemporary time. To do this I gave a human voice to animals and objects that performed as exceptional narrators. My stories feature all kinds of main characters; miners, homeless kids, foreign students, emigrants, maids, a polluted metropolis, desperate hard working women, etc. In all the stories there is hope, redemption, love and something divine, fantastic, unexpected and magical, highlighted by poetic imagery, novelty and sunlight.
What was your inspiration for this collection?
Everyday people, especially those who are forgotten. Those who appear in the news one night telling us about their misery and then dissolve in the selfish fog that clutters our minds and actions.
What is a regular writing day like for you? Are you a disciplined writer?
I wish I were a disciplined writer, but I must confess I’m not. Everyday is different for me. I’d rather write in the mornings and I try to do so. The best ideas come to me at night when I’m tucked in bed under the covers and my creative self is liberated.
You are the former Vice President of the Society of Hispanic and Latino Writers of San Antonio and a member of the Writers’ League of Texas. Can you tell our readers about these organizations and how they can help authors?
I hold a very special place in my heart for the Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers of San Antonio. When I moved to San Antonio five years ago, the Society had just been founded and they immediately took me in. It is great to be surrounded by sensitive, creative, passionate people that love to do what I love to do. Our goal at the Society is to help Latino writers to get published, to improve their craft, to mix with other writers and to learn all about the editorial market. The Society has done all of that for me and many other writers. Being their vice-president was a completely new, challenging and rewarding experience. The Writers’ League of Texas is located in Austin. They offer excellent workshops and once a year they host one of the best Agent Conferences in the USA. For more information, please check out their sites at http://slhwnotes.blogspot.com/ and http://www.writersleague.org/.
You write in both English and Spanish. What comes more naturally for you when writing? Why did you choose to write your romantic suspense novel in English?
Spanish is my native language. When I write literary texts it comes naturally to me and its beauty and vastness is overwhelming. English, on the other hand, is so precise, clear and objective it has a beauty of its own. In the case of my novel, it came naturally as the language I needed to tell this specific story. When I’m writing in English, I’m thinking in English and my characters act in a certain manner dictated by this mode. My voice is completely different in each language so it’s very difficult for me, almost impossible, to translate my work from one to the other.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Thank you for keeping on reading. Our work is worth nothing without you.
Writers, poets, readers, and all kinds of artists have a lot to share. Humanity needs to be humanized, if that makes any sense. Watch them, listen to them, read them. They are capable of shifting your consciousness to a more positive state.
Links:
http://www.habitantesdemitiempo.com/Site/Habitantes_de_mi_tiempo.html
Watch a video interview with the author: http://www.habitantesdemitiempo.com/Site/Entrevista_con_la_autora.html
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