Author Interviews

Across So Many Seas: Author Interview with Ruth Behar

By Laurie J. Edwards on April 25, 2024 / Author Interviews

Ruth Behar’s lyrical and moving historic tale, Across So Many Seas, touched my heart, so I’m thrilled to be able to welcome her to our blog today. Thank you for being here, Ruth. We have so many questions for you. I’d like to start with when you were young.

Did you have any childhood dreams for when you grew up? If so, did they come true?

I dreamed of traveling, and especially of going to different places where Spanish is spoken. I was enchanted by the Spanish language since I was a child. And I dreamed of writing stories that let me see the world in new ways and that might eventually become books that others might want to read. I am glad that these dreams have come true.

What advice would you give to your eight-year-old self?

I’d say to jump, run, dance, sing, play a lot of hopscotch, and be fearless.

Did you love to read as a child? Can you tell us some favorite books?

I did love to read as a child. I read mysteries, adventure stories, and Greek mythology. I read Nancy Drew books and Edgar Allen Poe short stories and Robinson Crusoe. I read poetry in Spanish, and liked poems by the Cuban poet José Martí. When my parents got the World Book Encyclopedia, it felt like the hugest gift ever. I remember spending hours in pure enjoyment, reading the entries letter by letter of the alphabet.

What was an early experience where you learned that written language had power?

I was bedridden in a body cast for close to a year when I was ten and couldn’t do much besides read. That was when I discovered that I could forget about my sorrows by immersing myself in the stories in books.

Ruth as a young girl

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

From the time I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a writer. I was writing poems and short stories then and kept a notebook filled with reflections about my life.

Have you had any careers besides writing?

I am also a cultural anthropologist. I have spent many years getting to know the stories of strangers in Spain, Mexico, and Cuba, where I was born.

Why do you write?

I write to remember – to remember those who came before, parents, grandparents that I knew and loved, and ancestors I didn’t know but try to imagine. And I write to gain an understanding of how we connect as individuals and communities. I write to cross borders so I can learn about the lives of strangers and see what we have in common.

We’re fascinated by your new release with its four stories interwoven into one story of music and poetry, heart, and soul. What sparked the idea for Across So Many Seas?

I had written Letters from Cuba, a novel inspired by the story of my maternal grandmother, and decided I should write another novel inspired by the story of my paternal grandmother. My grandmothers had different backgrounds but both found their way to Cuba and started new lives there. I thought their stories would be interesting to read side by side.

Like the girls in the stories, you also moved from your homeland. How did your own childhood, moves, and travels influence your writing?

I feel a deep empathy for immigrants and people who have been displaced and I think that comes from having been an immigrant child. I remember vividly what it was like to struggle to learn a new language and not fit in and be viewed as a foreigner. When I became an anthropologist, I realized I was seeking a profession that allowed me to experience again and again the sensation of feeling lost and having to find my way. Both my childhood and my travels influenced my interest in writing about immigrants and how people of different cultural backgrounds can find points of connection and unity.

How did you choose the years and historical events for each of your 4 characters?

I knew I wanted to start in 1492, the year of the expulsion of the Jewish community in Spain, since that is the moment in history from which many Sephardic Jews trace their identity and the beginning of their journeys across so many seas. The first protagonist, Benvenida, is experiencing the expulsion from Spain and the profound pain and sorrow it is causing her family and community.

I decided the story would then jump to the contemporary period, the twentieth and twenty-first century, to see what memory traces remain from five-hundred years ago. I chose 1923 for the next part, because it is the year that Turkey becomes an independent nation, a time of revolutionary change, which coincides with the year the character Reina is sent away by her father to Cuba. She never sees her family again, but stays connected to her heritage, bringing on her journey an oud on which to strum old Spanish songs.

Oud

We go on to the third part, in 1961, the year of the literacy campaign in revolutionary Cuba, in which Alegra is joyfully participating. But her bubble bursts when she learns that she will have to leave her homeland because her family is in jeopardy with the new regime. Then 2003 seemed like the ideal moment when the fourth protagonist, Paloma, would be aware of all the history she carries on her shoulders and what it means. In that year, Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa, passed away, and Paloma is with her Afro-Cuban father at her memorial, connecting with the Cuban community through the memory of the singer who sang only in Spanish, always loyal to Cuba, though she wasn’t allowed to return because she spoke out against the regime. Paloma also connects with her Sephardic heritage through her grandmother Reina, who is passing on to her the melancholy Spanish love songs.

The book spans 500 years and covers 4 generations. Can you tell us how you did such extensive research for each of the eras?

I’ve been traveling over the years to Spain and Cuba and Miami and had also traveled once to Turkey, so I had gotten to know the places where the stories of the four girls are set. I read as much as I could about the different historical eras, surrounding myself with stacks of library books and doing online research as well. There is a lot of historical research on the Inquisition and medieval Spain, but hardly any information exists about young people in this era.

I had to use my imagination to fill that gap and put myself in the shoes of Benvenida, a smart and curious girl who had the good fortune to be taught to read and write. For the part on Turkey, I drew on my grandmother’s story, and read oral histories of Jewish Turks who grew up in the same era, and that’s how Reina was born. For the part on Cuba, I was familiar with the history of the Cuban revolution and the literacy campaign, which is a topic I often teach about. But in investigating further, I found it fascinating that young girls from Havana were very involved in going to the countryside to teach people how to read and write, as is the character of Alegra. For the part on Miami, I drew on the stories of Cuban immigrants I’ve met over the years, and that’s how Paloma came to me. Then for the ending, which takes place in Toledo, Spain, I based it on my encounters with Spaniards who are working hard to preserve the traces of the Jewish heritage that still remain even after more than five hundred years.

That is amazing. What a journey, including armchair traveling, for you and for us. So, once you had the research, you had to construct each girl’s story. The stories are written in first person. How did you drop into each character’s mind to make her personality come alive?

I wanted each of the characters to be fiercely independent in her own way. I tried to imagine what was possible for a young girl to experience in her historical moment – who could she be and not be, what might she dream of, what would be her sorrows, what would be her joys, and how might she push against the barriers that limited her.

Is your past woven into the girls’ stories?

I think there’s a part of me in each of the four girls’ stories. Some of the family dynamics of my childhood is woven into the stories, especially how the mothers seek to comfort their daughters as they suffer from being displaced while the fathers are more concerned with attending to survival. My love of reading and writing, my passion for poetry and music, which were an important part of my youth, found its way into the stories too.

Do you have a favorite of the four girls? Perhaps one who most closely resembles you?

Ruth’s abuela (grandmother) c. 1936

I can’t choose a favorite, I love them all, but I will say that Reina, in being a combination of my grandmother and me, landed on the page quicker than the other girls.

Although the four girls are separated by time and location, common threads connect their life stories. How did you choose those threads and why?

The four girls share a common heritage that goes all the way back to Spain in 1492. Their identity is important to them, though they are open to influences from other cultures. Three out of the four (Benvenida, Reina, and Alegra) experience the loss of a home and the search for a new home elsewhere. The last girl in the quartet, Paloma, inherits the memories of loss, and she is the one, being the dove of peace, who brings them all together. The common threads of home, loss, and memory-keeping allowed me to keep returning to the theme of the presence of the past in their life stories.

You did a beautiful job of weaving them together. I love how each of your protagonists relies on music and poetry to connect with their heritage. How important have music and poetry been in your life and in relating to your family history?

Music and poetry have been important in my life since my childhood. I remember my parents listening to Cuban music and at every family gathering there was always a conga line and lots of salsa and cha-cha dancing. At the same time, I heard the songs from an older tradition, the Sephardic songs sung in Ladino. This is the Spanish mixed with other languages, including French, Turkish, Arabic, and Hebrew, that is the unique creation of the descendants of the Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492. I also loved poetry from an early age, and as a teenager, encouraged by a wonderful high school teacher, I wrote poems in Spanish, and played violin and Spanish classical guitar.

Because music plays an important part in the stories, could you share a few phrases from a favorite Sephardic song?

Here are a few lines from a Sephardic song that ties the four stories together, a song that symbolizes the quest of each girl for freedom–

En la mar hay una torre,

en la torre una ventana,

en la ventana una hija

que a los marineros llama.

In the sea there is a tower,

In the tower there is a window,

at the window a daughter

who calls to the sailors.

All the songs mentioned in the book can be found in the Playlist on my website.

What a delight! That adds so much richness to the story. Thank you for sharing this.

In your author’s note you mention that much of the Sephardic Jewish history is found in the food. Do you have any favorite recipe and/or food traditions you’d be willing to share?

In the book, I mention the tradition in Toledo of making marzipan, known as mazapán de almendra, from almonds and honey, and how the town smells of the sweetness of this dessert. In bakeries today, you will often find marzipan shaped into miniature fruits. Marzipan is part of the Sephardic food tradition of making desserts from different kinds of nuts, usually walnut, pistachio, or almonds. A dessert I love, which is eaten at Passover, is called tishpishti, and it’s a nut cake drenched in honey syrup. Aside from being delicious, and gluten free since it’s a Passover dish, the word tishpishti (pronounced teeshpeeshtee and meaning “quick quickly”) is so delightful to say!

Thank you for a glimpse into not only the food and music, but into the culture and traditions. With the events going on in the world today, how do you see your book contributing to a better cultural understanding?

My book reflects my perspective that it is possible for people to preserve their history and identity while being open to, and respectful of, the history and identity of others. We see this perspective in the stories of each of the four girls and I hope that might contribute to a better cultural understanding in our world today.

It certainly does, and we’re grateful you’ve written it. As part of that journey of understanding, your novel delves into some bleak situations as it exposes antisemitism and other forms of prejudice. Yet, its overall tone is uplifting and hopeful. How did you balance the two as you wrote?

Even in the worst of times, there is good-heartedness in people, there is poetry and song, and there is hope for justice and peace. I tried to keep all that in mind as I wrote.

Do you have any message or advice for the teachers and parents who will be sharing your book with their students and families?

I’d love for my book to open conversations about how a heritage is preserved and passed on from generation to generation, even when there is adversity.

For teachers, we have a wonderful Educator Guide.

The teachers and parents will appreciate that. And for our younger readers,

what do you they will take away from your stories?

I hope young readers will find in my stories examples of young people like themselves who lived through hard times and found the strength to act with kindness toward others and to accept kindness from others as well.

Across So Many Seas is your third book. All of them share some common themes and seem to draw from your profession in anthropology. How do all these novels tie together?

I think my three novels, Lucky Broken Girl, Letters from Cuba, and Across So Many Seas, share an interest in how people of different backgrounds and faiths can coexist and be tolerant of one another and supportive of each other’s cultural uniqueness.

Can you share what you’re working on now?

I am working on a verse novel for middle-grade readers that takes place in the present, so it’s a departure from my historical fiction. I am also working on a picture book inspired by a beautiful act of love by my three-year-old granddaughter.

We’ll be looking forward to seeing both of those. Thank you so much for generously sharing your time and talent with us. Your books have made the world richer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Behar, the Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Lucky Broken Girl and Letters from Cuba, was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York, and has also lived in Spain and Mexico. Her work also includes poetry, memoir, and the acclaimed travel books An Island Called Home and Traveling Heavy. She was the first Latina to win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, and other honors include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and being named a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation. An anthropology professor at the University of Michigan, she lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Drawn from research and imagination, sorrow and joy, loss and resilience, Across So Many Seas is a haunting journey into the passage of time and how personal and collective memory connects us to the past, allows us to live in the present, and gives us hope for the future.

In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish and must flee the country or be killed. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul.

Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina’s father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba, to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen.

In 1961, Reina’s daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside for Fidel Castro. But soon Castro’s crackdowns force her to flee to Miami all alone, leaving her parents behind.

Finally, in 2003, Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is fascinated by all the journeys that had to happen before she could be born. A keeper of memories, she’s thrilled by the opportunity to learn more about her heritage on a family trip to Spain, where she makes a momentous discovery.

Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by a love of music and poetry, a desire to belong and to matter, a passion for learning, and their longing for a home where all are welcome. And each is lucky to stand on the shoulders of their courageous ancestors.

Author Spotlight: Adam Borba

By Melissa Roske on April 17, 2024 / Author Interviews

Today, please welcome critically acclaimed MG author Adam Borba to the Mixed-Up Files! In addition to being the author of Outside Nowhere—which was hailed by Publishers Weekly as an “intriguing novel with a strong emotional core”—and The Midnight Brigade, described by Booklist as a “tongue-in-cheek frolic,” Adam develops and produces movies, many based on beloved children’s books, such as A Wrinkle in Time and Peter Pan & Wendy.

His latest MG novel, This Again? has been praised by School Library Journal as “… charming… nostalgic and fresh” and is out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. But before I chat with Adam…

This Again? A Summary

Noah Nicholson has solid grades, great friends, and he’s finally becoming closer with Lucy Martinez, his crush since second grade. He might also have a chance to be elected class president. But despite all that, Noah fixates on the belief that he can make his life perfect—and comes upon an opportunity to do just that.

At the local bowling alley, Noah runs into someone most unexpected: himself, from nine days in the future. This lookalike—who Noah nicknames “Future”—insists that if Noah does every ridiculous thing he says—from quacking like a duck in science class to painting himself green—the two of them can achieve their dream of perfection. Unfortunately, fate has other plans.…

Interview with Adam Borba

Melissa: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Adam—and huge congratulations on the publication of your latest novel!

Adam: Thank you! And thanks so much for having me back! I love this place. It’s such a wonderful resource for discovering amazing new books.

Melissa: Could you tell MUF readers a bit about This Again? and the inspiration behind it?

Adam: It’s a story in the spirit of Groundhog Day or Back to the Future about the misadventures of a kid attempting to orchestrate the perfect day with the help of his future self and a time machine. But more importantly, it’s a book about a kid wrestling with anxiety and perfectionism, learning to accept that life doesn’t always go according to plan and that he’s good enough.

About ten years ago I had an idea about a kid creating a time machine out of a blender and an exercise bike. It was a fun concept, but it wasn’t really a story. A few years later, I began jotting notes for a book about a boy running for class president who is wildly unqualified for the job. I didn’t know where that idea was going until I decided those two concepts could be parts of the same book: a kid traveling back in time to coach himself in a misguided attempt to win an election. Shortly after, I realized that Noah, the main character, should (like so many kids) be struggling with self-doubt and anxiety. Combining all those aspects clicked the story into place for me.

The Many Faces of Noah

Melissa: Noah, the protagonist, is a study in contradictions. He maintains a neat-as-a-pin appearance but his room is a mess; his parents are physicists yet he struggles with math; he’s a self-described geek, with little confidence and shaky social skills, yet he runs for president of his seventh-grade class. Tell us, Adam: What’s the deal with Noah?

Adam: As Noah explains early in the novel, “People are complicated and I’m a person.” So often, we say one thing and do another—but that doesn’t mean we can’t always mean well and be true to who we are. We’re all contradictions doing our best. Noah’s big problem is that he takes on more than he can handle. He wants to do it all because he believes that’s what his parents and older brother did. And he thinks it’s expected of him. Along the way, he’ll discover that most of the pressure he’s feeling is self-inflicted and that sometimes others can seem to have their lives more together than they actually do.

Quest for Acceptance

Melissa: An overarching theme in This Again? is the craving for visibility and acceptance. Not only does Noah want to be accepted by his high-achieving parents and athletic, brainy older brother, he craves recognition from the popular crowd at school. Noah will do anything to get it, too, including turning his back on his best friends. What were you trying to say about popularity–and the need for acceptance in general?

Adam: One of the underlying ideas in the story is that the rules for who gets to be popular in middle school can be absurd. Life isn’t always fair and sometimes it can be downright silly. Noah learns that one of the keys to popularity, and much more importantly general happiness, is accepting yourself. Be who you are and do what you enjoy. Liking and believing in yourself can go a long way in getting others to take notice and appreciate you, too.

Oh, Brother!

Melissa: Let’s talk about Noah’s relationship with his older brother, Paul. Noah feels as if he’s in Paul’s shadow, which is something Noah tries to overcome by striving to be just like his brother. We later discover, though, that Paul’s life isn’t as charmed as Noah thinks. Is this a statement on the unreliability of perception, the nature of sibling rivalry—or both?

Adam: Both! So often sibling rivalries arise from siblings believing that the other had it easier. And (especially) younger siblings believing that they must do something because their sibling did. I think it’s fair to say that everyone in this world is struggling with things that others aren’t aware of. We often focus on the challenges we have in our own lives and overlook the hardships faced by others.

When Noah meets a future version of himself, he sees it as an opportunity to avoid life’s challenges all together. A way to orchestrate a perfect day and make his seventh-grade dreams come true by following the instructions of someone who has been there before.

Back to the Future

Melissa: Another prominent theme in the novel is time travel, when Noah’s parents invent a time machine and Noah meets his future self–aka “Future.” What is the significance of Noah’s relationship with Future, and Future’s with Noah? Also, what is it about time travel that most of us find so fascinating?

Adam: Without giving too much away, one of the big questions that emerges is how similar are Noah and Future. Future is older than Noah, but only by a matter of days. Though those days have resulted in a more jaded person. As time goes on, Noah recognizes more and more flaws in Future, and he begins to wonder whether he’s been overlooking those issues in himself.

And time travel—is there anything cooler? For me, I think it’s the wish fulfillment. Breaking laws of physics sure does open amazing possibilities: Go back in time to fix a mistake. Relive something wonderful. Experience something before or after your time. Or like Noah Nicholson in This Again, pull strings in an attempt to create a perfect life.

It’s Just a Fantasy

Melissa: This isn’t your first novel to include a hearty dash of fantasy. Your previous novels, Outside Nowhereand The Midnight Brigade, have fantastical elements as well (i.e., flying cows, magical farmland, monsters and trolls). What is it about fantasy that floats your boat?

Adam: I’m drawn to stories that are driven by heart, humor, and magic. And for me, it really is that “dash” of magic that I love. Where everything in the story feels grounded, real, and relatable except for one wondrous element. Magical realism. It’s the wish fulfillment idea that we were just discussing. The feelings that come when a character in the “real world” experiences the seemingly impossible and a reader can daydream about what life would be like if that incredible thing happened to them.

The Extraordinary Within Reach

Adam: In This Again it’s the time machine, while the world around Noah and all the internal and external conflicts he faces are grounded. My first book, The Midnight Brigade, was about a shy kid in Pittsburgh who befriends a troll living under a bridge, but again, everything else is grounded. And in my second novel, Outside Nowhere, we follow a fish-out-of-water city kid, a Ferris Bueller-type, who is forced to navigate life working on a farm that just happens to have one secret, magical element. I love that when you paint everything else as real and relatable you can suggest that enchantment and miracles can be found anywhere, and make the extraordinary feel within reach.

(For more on Outside Nowhere and The Midnight Brigade, check out Adam’s past MUF interviews here and here.)

At the Movies

Melissa: As stated in the intro, when you’re not writing for kids you’re developing and producing movies (Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan & Wendy, A Wrinkle in Time). How does your job as a movie producer influence your writing? And vice versa?

Adam: While filmmaking offers the luxury of telling stories with pictures, it all starts with a screenplay, which is a relatively short document with a lot of blank space. Because scripts are so short, the storytelling on the page needs to be efficient. Every word matters. I try to take that approach with my writing: Cut out the boring stuff and anything that isn’t essential. I also try to be as clear and economical as possible with character arcs, so readers understand how and why a character changes and grows as cleanly and efficiently as possible.

Variations on a Theme

Adam: Theme is also something I learned how to implement from filmmaking. When I’m developing a movie, one of the early goals I have is to get to a one sentence message. Something universal. Something that each scene in the movie builds to. Something that sums up what the movie is really about. It’s rarely a line that’s said out loud in the film, but it’s always something that my colleagues, the director, and the film’s writers have agreed to.

A few examples: In Pete’s Dragon it was “Everyone belongs somewhere.” In Peter Pan & Wendy it was “Everyone grows up at their own pace.” And in a Wrinkle in Time it was, “Everyone is deserving of love.”

When I’m writing, I try to figure out the theme before I begin a rough draft, so I can tie it to narrative and character as much as possible. Universal, clear, relatable. And not something you need to hit your audience or readers over the head with–again, often the exact line isn’t ever spoken or written in the story, but the subtext is clear because all the scenes in the piece build to that idea. For This Again, it’s “No one can do everything” (even with a time machine).

It’s All About Structure

Adam: Structure is also something I learned from film development. My initial outlines for a movie or a book are about three pages, and they’re in traditional three act structure. As I write and work with my editor to revise, my drafts become longer as subplots are added and we dive deeper into character. So, while my final manuscript isn’t quite a traditional feature structure, because I started the novel that way the story remains structurally sound for me.

And as a producer, I’m always hunting for ideas for movies. I’m biased, but I think adaptations of books tend to make the best movies.

Adam’s Writing Routine

Melissa: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any particular rituals?

Adam: I have a little office in my backyard that I sit in for eight to ten hours a day while I write, powered by green tea and diet soda. As I suggested, I like to begin a project with an outline, but I’m a strong believer in embracing the unexpected. I love being surprised by the details that emerge as characters and story lead the way.

My initial outlines will often have literal lines like, “And then something bad happens,” and that line could be followed by something like, “And then something happens that makes everything worse.” I’ll use those beats as placeholders to figure out the most unexpected ways to surprise myself (and my characters) to keep readers on their toes and turning pages. Because, hopefully, if I’m not entirely sure what’ll happen next, no one else will be either.

Adam’s Outlining Tips

When I start writing, my outline will be three pages of bullet points, but as I move forward, characters, subplots and drama will emerge, and that outline will grow with my manuscript. I keep both documents open while I’m writing to keep track of everything, make notes on things I want to call back to, and hopefully not go too far off the rails. So, what starts as a three-page outline is closer to twenty pages by the time I finish a draft of a manuscript. I also love listening to music while I write. I’ve found that lyrics can distract me, so often I’ll play movie scores from films with a similar feel to the project I’m working on.

Melissa: What are you working on now, Adam? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know…

Adam: Still early stages, but I’m working on a project about a girl who befriends an alien.

Lightning Round!

And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Whatever my three-year-old is in the mood for. I pick her up from preschool around lunch and we’ll usually grab chicken nuggets or tacos.

Superpower? Being about to fly would solve so many of life’s problems.

Time travel: Fact or fiction? Fact. I have a theoretical physicist friend who convinced me that someone will eventually figure it out. Depending on how you look at time they probably technically already have.

Favorite place on earth? A great bookstore.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? If it doesn’t happen, I’ve wasted so much time and money on my bunker.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? My wife and kids. (Hopefully they won’t be too mad at me for bringing them along.)

Melissa: Thank you for chatting with us, Adam. It was a pleasure to learn more about you and your book, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Adam: Thanks again for having me! Hope everyone gets a chance to check out This Again and share it with their favorite young readers.

Bio

ADAM BORBA is the author of three middle-grade novels, This Again?, Outside Nowhere, and The Midnight Brigade. When he’s not writing, he spends his time developing and producing movies, most of which have been based on beloved children’s books like Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan & Wendy, and A Wrinkle in Time. He is a graduate of Palm Springs High School, the University of Southern California, and the William Morris Agency mailroom. Adam lives in California with his wife and two young children. Learn more about Adam on his website and follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean, Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories. Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on Twitter, and Instagram.

WNDMG Wednesday: Author Interview with Aida Salazar

By Shifa Safadi on April 10, 2024 / Author Interviews, Diversity, WNDMG

Ultraviolet cover with a young Latina boy in technicolor

WNDMG Wednesday: Author Interview with Aida Salazar

Welcome to WNDGM Wednesday. I’m so excited to be able to introduce you and interview accomplished award-winning author Aida Salazar today. Aida’s newest book is Ultraviolet (Scholastic) and it launches on April 2, 2024.

I absolutely love anything Aida writes. I am specifically a huge fan of her verse novels- A SEED IN THE SUN and LAND OF THE CRANES made me feel so much emotion while reading, and I hung onto every word of gorgeous poetry.

I cannot wait to dive into this new book!

I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

About ULTRAVIOLET

Description taken from online:

Sometimes life explodes in technicolor.

In the spirit of Judy Blume, award-winning author Aida Salazar tells it like it is about puberty, hormones, and first love in this hilarious, heartwarming, and highly relatable coming-of-age story. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, and Adib Khorram.

* “Stunning…A story that sings to the soul.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “A compassionate verse novel about first love, heartbreak, and vulnerability. ” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This important and intensely relatable tale perfectly captures the angst of growing up. A true gift to maturing tweens everywhere.” ―Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré award-winning author of Efrén Divided

For Elio Solis, eighth grade fizzes with change―His body teeming with hormones. His feelings that flow like lava. His relationship with Pops, who’s always telling him to man up, the Solis way. And especially Camelia, his first girlfriend.

But then, betrayal and heartbreak send Elio spiraling toward revenge, a fight to prove his manhood, and defend Camelia’s honor. He doesn’t anticipate the dire consequences―or that Camelia’s not looking for a savior.

Hilarious, heartwarming, and highly relatable, Ultraviolet digs deep into themes of consent, puberty, masculinity, and the emotional lives of boys, as it challenges stereotypes and offers another way to be in the world.

Interview with Aida:

I loved getting to talk to Aida about her new book and I think you will enjoy meeting her and Elio as well.

SSS: What a heartfelt description! I was intrigued right away- and I cannot wait to see how Elio’s story unfolds.

What is the inspiration behind ULTRAVIOLET?

AS: The initial idea for the book came from my son, João, and his friend, Mario, who after I’d written about a Latina girl’s coming of age in The Moon Within, insisted that I write one from a boy’s perspective. Mario said, “Ms. Aida, you have to write The Sun Within.” “Yeah, mom, when are you going to write a book for me?” my son added. They wanted to see a book that showed their inner lives and brought up conversations about puberty, first crushes, gender, and rites of passages—conversations that echoed who they were as cis Latino boys.

SSS: As a mom of an almost-teenage boy, I am so protective over him. He is such a sweet emotional boy, and I love that the description honors the emotions of young boys. What emotions do you think young men feel as they grow into maturity?

AS: Our patriarchal societies have made boys victims as much as girls and women and gender expansive people. We don’t allow boys space to explore the tender parts of themselves – love, anger, rejection, grief, and hormonal confusion. They are raised to bury feelings—to be “macho” and “man up.” We rarely provide safe spaces and ways for them to move through tough feelings or offer guidance on how to rise above them. It is a huge tragedy, really. When boys deny this very human part of themselves, it deeply impacts their relationships as they grow into men. And in that loss, in that wound, they sometimes treat others with the same hurt they feel or worse. Girls and women often bear the brunt of that wound, as we have seen by the violence and wars in our society today. Through Ultraviolet, I want to offer boys examples of undoing toxic masculinity and how they can find strength through nurturing their sensitivity and vulnerability.

SSS: I love your answer! As a mom of a young tween who is Syrian American, I worry about how the world will view my little boy, especially with stereotypes about Muslims and Arabs. As a Latine author, does your role as a mother play a part in the stories you write? How does Elio’s book play out differently than it would for someone who was not Latine?

AS: Absolutely. I have a teen son and daughter and their lives as bi-cultural, multi-racial youth inspire me. What they have to deal with as young people is unprecedented in the history of humanity because of technology and as our racism and intolerance grows. Brown and Black children and other kids of color in particular are ever more vulnerable. But I do believe in the power of education, collective organizing, and efforts to make the world a better place. Young people have a strong moral compass and I only hope that is going to be the guide that will help them not only navigate but rise above and help solve some of the most troubling issues in the world. And some things, like love, heartbreak, and puberty are evergreen. I am hopeful that the universal experiences like those found in Ultraviolet will help boys (no matter the background) understand their hearts and where they might contribute to their own and others healing through justice.

SSS: The subject of puberty is such an important topic! I am excited to see more books centering these important coming of age stories for our young ones who may feel confused as their body’s changes.

AS: Indeed! There are only a handful of books like Ultraviolet. I had a conversation with Varian Johnson and John Schu at a conference about the need for a book like this. There was so much to explore in middle grade fiction and so much of it was hilarious! I challenged them to write one because I felt like it needed to come from a boy/man’s perspective. I think John might have a memoir coming which sounds beautiful. But when my son and his friend specifically asked me for it, I knew I couldn’t say no. This one, is my interpretation of a boy’s life as a mother and feminist.

SSS: Will there be more Elio (or other middle grade verse novels) in the future?

AS: Yes! I have a secret project that might involve Elio and might involve another character from another of my books. Writing these characters are pure joy. I know them so well and can’t wait to write them a new narrative with new adventures in growing up. Of course, in verse!

SSS: Ahhh! Amazing- I cannot wait!!

Link to preorder here.

Writing Process

SSS: When did you start writing Ultraviolet and was the process a long one?

AS: Ultraviolet was actually a graphic novel before it was a verse novel. I made the move on the suggestion of my editor at Scholastic, Tracy Mack. I struggled to transition from one to the other but then I gave it a shot. Once I wrote the opening poem, I was hooked on Elio’s voice and couldn’t stop. I wrote the first draft in about three months but the editing process took another six months. We worked hard to get the story as clear, as fun, as poetic as can be.

SSS: Wow so interesting!

As a fellow middle grade verse novelist, I LOVE reading verse. How do you write your verse books- do they start out as verse in your mind while you write, or do they end up that way along the revision process (as happened with me!)

AS: Yes, the characters come in verse and stay that way. I am a student of Linda Sue Park’s philosophy of writing voice in fiction. She says that “voice is word choice, rhythm, and punctuation.” I explore this wisdom from a poet’s perspective. Writing poetry gives us all the tools we need to articulate these elements of voice with an extra layer of artfulness and intention. For instance, rhythm or the song or musicality of a line is crucial to poetry. Many fiction writers don’t think about this as deeply as poets. Also, poetry needs for us to use precise and economic language. To make a line artful. How you do that is what will set the voice apart. I try to make it so that each character can be their own person, with their own artful word choice, with their own song, certainly not mine or an adult’s, so they emerge as their own poet.

SSS: One hundred percent- poetry is so special and the voice in your books always stands out beautifully!

Any advice for fellow middle-grade authors? For Debuts?

AS: Lean on community, be tenacious, be okay to fail or be rejected, and give yourself grace. These things have made me continue in this business when times have been tough. Onward!

For more verse novels- check out this previous Mixed-Up-Files Post!

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to share with us?

AS: Ultraviolet though it might seem a light-hearted and somewhat superficial experience, really is about undoing so many hurtful practices. It takes a look at the reasons why we hurt others. There is a line in the book by Fernando, one of the leaders of the sons and fathers’ group that urges Elio to reflect when he wants to lash out against his ex-girlfriend, “Just because someone hurts you doesn’t mean you have to hurt them back.” I think about the relevance of this line and the current genocide of Palestinian people by Zionists. It is my hope that young people will understand that our wounds, as deep as they are, will never be resolved with violence. My intention was to write a feminist book for boys, to dismantle and free ourselves from these oppressive patriarchal ideas.

Thank you so much Aida for answering my questions and with such thoughtfulness and honesty! I hope everyone picks up a copy of your beautiful book.

About Aida Salazar:

Aida Salazar is an award-winning author and arts activist whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. She is the author of the middle-grade verse novels The Moon Within (International Latino Book Award Winner), Land of the Cranes (Américas Award Winner), A Seed in the Sun (Tomás Rivera Book Award), the picture book anthology, In the Spirit of a Dream, and the picture book biography Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter (Caldecott Honor). She lives with her family of artists in Oakland, California.

Website: www.AidaSalazar.com

Twitter: @aida_writes

Instagram: @aida_writes

TikTok: @aida_writes

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