and how it has impacted you as a writer and as a
wordsmith.
I grew up and now live in the Chihuahua
desert. When I visit schools, I tell children that if
I’d grown up in Cincinnati, for example, where
I’ve spent some time, I would probably have
written about oaks and maples and cardinals.
Landscapes, the wonder of the natural world,
delight me wherever I travel, and thanks to my
archaeologist-professor husband, I’ve had the
opportunity to savor some amazing landscapes.
I edited one adult poetry collection by the
Aegean Sea and the new collection by a crater
lake in Japan. The desert is my mother, though,
as I say in a book title. Love of place is rich clay
for ideas.
In theLanguage Artsarticle, you reveal that
you ‘‘would like to become a better writer.’’ What
did you mean by that?
I tell students that we all want to be better
writers. That ‘‘all’’ may be a slight exaggeration,
but when we face a blank page, most of us desire
to express ourselves more compellingly. Reading
intensifies that desire for me since I can experi-
ence the skill of the gifted.
A reviewer for a manuscript I co-authored
commented, ‘‘subjecting pre-and in-service teach-
ers and primary students to books written in a
foreign language (as well as introducing a foreign
culture) seems rather ‘over the top,’ especially in
the USA where language diversity is not pro-
moted.’’ In Rosalinda Barrera’s interview, you
state, ‘‘we have a repressive linguistic atmosphere,
and a long and ugly history of devaluing other
languages. However, you also go on to state, ‘‘I
love languages, I love their inventiveness. They’re
a record of human ingenuity. We need to be nur-
turing them, not suppressing them.’’ Tell us more
about why you feel this way and how your books
nurture languages.
I question the statement that ‘‘we live in a
country that does not support the study of lan-
guages.’’ Foreign language requirements have
long been a part of our educational history. In
part because of demographic shifts and power
struggles, however, monolingual’s is touted as a
virtue by some. One of the purposes of education
is to expand our horizons and help us be respon-
sible world citizens, isn’t it? More than we want
to admit, language and cultural debates are
about power, politics and class rather than
about education.
If we truly value each child as schools state
in their mission statements, we value what chil-
dren are which includes their home language and
culture. I cringe at the thought of any child being
embarrassed about the beautiful language he
speaks with his family. I could write a book on
this complex topic and have, a manuscript enti-
tled, ‘‘Dear Teacher: Seven Practices for Creative
Educators.’’
Let’s talk about this a little more. Given the
unprecedented criticism teachers are enduring,
national mandates created by politicians, and the
unparalleled push for standardized testing, teach-
ers are struggling to meet the needs of all their
students. InSomething About the Author,Vol-
ume 134, you describe how as a child, you wished
your ‘‘Mexican American heritage were a part of
my school day.’’ Please tell us about one ‘‘prac-
tice’’ you feel is most crucial in supporting stu-
dents, nurturing their home language and culture,
and creating the kind of school environment you
wished for as a child.
I’ve always liked the epistolary form
whether in fiction or nonfiction. I wrote this
manuscript as a series of paired letters to teach-
ers. I write, for example, a letter about the first
practice: value your creative self. Teachers are
often so undervalued that I fear some begin to
doubt their own creativity. The companion letter
is, then, about valuing each student’s creative
self. Don’t we all crave such affirmation?
You have talked about the ‘‘self-doubt’’ many
artists feel as they create. Many children feel this
way about their own writing. What would you tell
these children and their teachers about moving
past the self-doubt and finding their voice?
Again, that is the topic of the epistolary
manuscript mentioned above. I have had a hard
time finding a publisher for the manuscript. This
has been very discouraging, of course. I began by
wanting to affirm the creativity of teachers and
librarians, all who work with children, and want-
ing to suggest ways to nurture the educator’s
creativity as well as that of our children, all our
children.
Large publishers thought the audience for
the book was too narrow. Educational publish-
ers said that educators, in this time of test-
emphasis, want practical books. I believe in the
power of the human spirit and believe that spirit
needs nurturing.Uncoiling