to antagonize Esperanza, to goad her towards growth, and Marta
simply walked into my mind and said, “Put me on paper!”
Q: Your characters see signs in everyday life: Esperanza pricks her
finger and worries it will bring bad luck; Abuelita sees an injured
bird’s flight as a sign that everything is okay. Do you believe in and
see these kinds of signs in your life?
A: Ithink that the coincidences we experience in our every-
day life sometimes have meaning. How much importance a
person gives these signs has to do with her own personal
beliefs. Our subconscious is far more developed than we
think. We’ve all had “gut feelings” or have done “what our
heart tells us.” We have assimilated many subconscious cues
and trusted ourselves to make decisions based on those cues.
Sometimes a “sign” simply validates what we already know to
be most likely true.
Q: What advice do you have for young people who are interested in
writing or finding out about their own cultural background and
family history?
A: Well, the obvious, of course, is to interview your grandpar-
ents and parents. I think that one ofthe best ways is to keep
things. Keep old photos, save date books and calendars where
you’ve written down events. If you know that your family is
from a particular town in another country or this country, go
on the web and find out about the town. Look at family picture
albums or home videos to solidify your memories. Be curious
and ask questions so that you store up lots ofmemories. That
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