| Please welcome my special guest, award-winning | | | | the narrative is leisurely. Bernardo is more like a ballad, |
| Nicaraguan-American writer Silvio Sirias. He's the | | | | while Meet Me under the Ceiba, which is based on an |
| author two novels, Bernardo and the Virgin | | | | actual murder case, has more of a rock 'n' roll pace. |
| (Northwestern University Press, 2005) and Meet Me | | | | The reader has to practice a little patience during the |
| Under the Ceiba (Arte Publico Press, 2009). This | | | | opening chapters of Bernardo, but there's a big |
| latest one garnered him the 2007 Chicano/Latino | | | | payoff when the stories begin to lock together. |
| Literary Prize for Best Novel. In addition, he's | | | | Q:Which novel has a closer place to your heart? |
| published numerous pieces of literary criticism. Sirias | | | | A:Both novels are very dear to me, Mayra, but for |
| holds a P.h. D. in Spanish from the University of | | | | different reasons. Bernardo and the Virgin is my |
| Arizona. Since 2002, Silvio resides in Panama, where | | | | first-born, and like any parent a lot of my hopes and |
| he continues to write and teach at Balboa Academy. | | | | dreams about the legacy I hope to leave as a writer |
| Q:Thanks for being my guest today. Why don't you | | | | are contained within those pages. What's more, I |
| start by telling us a little about yourself and how you | | | | wrote Bernardo as a tribute to the people of |
| started writing? | | | | Nicaragua. I am most grateful for everything they've |
| A:I was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up | | | | taught me. On the other hand, the goal of Meet Me |
| there until the age of eleven. My parents then | | | | under the Ceiba was to write a fast-paced story |
| moved to Nicaragua, their country of origin. This | | | | with an unusual structure that would capture the |
| move is, without a doubt, the most significant | | | | reader's attention from the onset and hold it |
| milestone in my life as it shaped the way I see the | | | | throughout. By all accounts I've been fortunate |
| world. During my years in Nicaragua, I also learned | | | | enough to have succeeded in both attempts. |
| that Central America is a place full of wondrous, and | | | | I've received feedback from many readers with ties |
| at times heartbreaking, stories. After graduating from | | | | to Nicaragua who have thanked me for writing |
| high school I returned to Los Angeles to attend | | | | Bernardo and the Virgin because they claim that the |
| college. I fell in love with the study of literature and | | | | novel, in addition to telling Bernardo's story, captures |
| eventually received a doctorate in Spanish from the | | | | the essence of life in that country. And I've also |
| University of Arizona and worked as a professor of | | | | heard from several readers of Meet Me under the |
| Spanish and U.S. Latino and Latina literature for | | | | Ceiba who have said that they had to read the novel |
| several years before moving back to Nicaragua in | | | | in one sitting because they couldn't put it down. |
| 1999. | | | | Because of such positive feedback, and because the |
| Ever since adolescence I've enjoyed writing, but I'm | | | | books are so different, the answer regarding which |
| a late bloomer in the writing of fiction. My college | | | | one is closer to my heart depends on the mood I'm |
| training taught me how to produce literary criticism, | | | | in at a given time. I love them both, for varying |
| but after meeting and conducting interviews with | | | | reasons. |
| several Latino and Latina novelists, I saw how much | | | | Q:What's the hardest part about being a novelist? |
| fun they were having and decided to join in. | | | | The most rewarding? |
| Q:I hear you were named one of the 2010 Top Ten | | | | A:The hardest part is being able to afford the time |
| "New" Latino Authors to Watch by That's quite an | | | | to right. People have misconceptions about the |
| honor. | | | | financial aspect of being a writer. But it's not entirely |
| A:Learning the news stunned me, and then I was | | | | their fault. For instance, in most films, as soon as a |
| elated. But once the elation wore off I was humbled. | | | | character who's a novelist publishes his or her first |
| I realized that I needed to work harder in my current | | | | book they become wealthy, get to ride in limos, and |
| and future efforts to be worthy of the honor. | | | | they hang out with celebrities in upscale New York |
| Q:How did Bernardo and the Virgin come about? | | | | restaurants while learning to elude the paparazzi. The |
| A:Beginning in my early 30s I started looking for an | | | | reality is that very, very few novelists receive public |
| engrossing story through which I could also explore | | | | acclaim or get to live off of their royalties. Many |
| the history of Nicaragua in the 20th century. I met | | | | sacrifices are required to become and remain a |
| Bernardo Martinez, who was good friends with my | | | | novelist. The ideal situation, for me, would be to earn |
| father, in 1999, and the more I learned about his | | | | just enough to stay home and write full-time. I can |
| story, the more I became certain that I had finally | | | | do without the limos and the glamorous company. |
| found the perfect vehicle for the panoramic tale I | | | | Regarding the most rewarding part, for me it's been |
| had long wanted to tell. | | | | what I've learned along the journeys of each novel. |
| Q:Critics have called Bernardo and the Virgin a tale of | | | | Q:How has the publishing process been for you? |
| religious mysticism. Tell us about that. | | | | A:Because I had already published books of an |
| A:In telling the story of Bernardo Martinez, who | | | | academic nature, I was familiar with the world of |
| claimed that the Virgin Mary appeared to him several | | | | publishers. As a writer of fiction, I've had nice |
| times in 1980, I narrated the apparitions through his | | | | experiences with Northwestern University Press, the |
| point of view - and this lens is indeed out of the | | | | publishers of Bernardo and the Virgin, and with Arte |
| ordinary and highly spiritual. Whether one believes his | | | | Publico Press, who published Meet Me under the |
| account or not - and acceptance or disbelief became | | | | Ceiba. With Bernardo the road got a bit bumpy when |
| a highly politicized issue in revolutionary Nicaragua - he | | | | there was a delay during a crucial promotion period, |
| maintained until his dying breath that he had | | | | and then the editorial team that strongly supported |
| experienced an intimate encounter with the divine. | | | | the novel left to work with other publishers. Because |
| Nicaraguans are highly religious people who easily | | | | of these problems, which were beyond anyone's |
| accept the existence of mystical experiences. Long | | | | control, when Bernardo and the Virgin was released it |
| before the reports of Bernardo's visions Nicaraguans | | | | went under the radar, barely getting noticed. But |
| fervently venerated Mary - fanatically so. Because of | | | | that's all part of the game. Also, I confess that at |
| this, tens of thousands immediately accepted the | | | | the onset of my career as a novelist I was naive, |
| news of her visit. It is this collective belief that gives | | | | believing that publishers would do all the promotion. |
| the novel its mystical dimension, I think. | | | | But after learning that it was in my interest to |
| Q:I hear you're a very disciplined writer. | | | | become actively involved in this part of the business |
| A:Yes, friends say that I'm a highly disciplined writer. | | | | I've worked diligently to explore the ways I have |
| That's because when I feel I'm on to something | | | | within my means to promote my work. This is |
| writing feels like play, not work. But I'm not one of | | | | something every author needs to learn, so a writer |
| those supremely dedicated writers who will stay up | | | | may as well become good at it and enjoy the |
| until midnight or wake up before dawn to write. I | | | | challenge. |
| need major blocks of time at reasonable hours; I'm | | | | Q:What kind of themes do you like exploring? |
| talking about six to eight hours a day for months, or | | | | A:It depends on the novel. Critics have described |
| even years. I was fortunate to have a couple of | | | | Bernardo and the Virgin as an "epic" account of |
| years where I could afford to stay home and write. | | | | Nicaragua in the latter half of the 20th century. And |
| What a luxury! During that time, I'd work from 8 a.m. | | | | because of the broad canvas of this narrative, I had |
| until the late afternoon, six days a week. When I'm | | | | the opportunity to explore every theme that |
| able to take time off from my day-job I write | | | | possesses me: politics, history, religion, spirituality, |
| feverishly and get a lot accomplished. But I'm back in | | | | family, war, immigration, biculturalism, the shifting |
| the classroom now, which I love, to refill my bank | | | | traditions, superstitions, death, and so forth. Meet Me |
| account so that within two or three years I can stay | | | | Under the Ceiba allowed me to delve into the heart |
| home again to write. At present, however, I have a | | | | of an actual murder and then explore what's good |
| three-hour block in the mornings where I get as | | | | traits, if any, such a horrendous act can bring out in |
| much done as I can. | | | | us. My third novel, The Saint of Santa Fe, deals with |
| Q:How was your creative process while working on | | | | the disappearance of Father Hector Gallego, a young |
| Bernardo? | | | | Colombian priest who accepted an assignment in the |
| A:The first task was to conduct the research. That's | | | | then faraway mountains of Veraguas, in Panama. He |
| always the most exciting part for me; it's where I | | | | was confronted with a campesino population that |
| vicariously experience the story I'm preparing to | | | | lived as indentured servants, and he did what was |
| write. Once I'm confident that I have most of the | | | | necessary to change their lives. Sadly, however, in |
| information I need, I sketch a general outline of all | | | | the process of liberating his parishioners, he offended |
| the chapters, and this includes the ending because, | | | | the landed gentry as well as General Omar Torrijos, |
| for the sake of my nerves, I need to know how the | | | | the country's strongman before General Manuel |
| story ends. Then I begin to write with the help of a | | | | Antonio Noriega, and this cost the priest his life. I |
| detailed outline of each chapter. As I write, I start | | | | wrote The Saint of Santa Fe to better grasp the |
| each day by revising what I have written the day | | | | recent history and culture of Panama, my new |
| before. This helps my mind get back into the story. I | | | | homeland. |
| then start a new section and write straight into the | | | | Q:What are you working on at the moment? |
| mid-afternoon. This cycle repeats itself until the rough | | | | A:I've completed a third novel, but I need three to |
| draft is concluded. Then I will work on a chapter at a | | | | four months where I can devote myself exclusively |
| time, revising it until it is as perfect as I can get it. | | | | to revising the manuscript as it's not quite ready to |
| When I polish the last chapter I share the manuscript | | | | send off to the publishers. The story is based on an |
| with my peer editors, a wonderful team that has | | | | actual event in Panama, in 1971, concerning the |
| served me faithfully. | | | | disappearance of a priest, a noble person, who upset |
| Q:How is this work different from your second book, | | | | the status quo in a remote mountain community. I |
| Meet Me under the Ceiba? | | | | also have a collection of essays that I will soon start |
| Q:The primary difference is in the scope of the | | | | circulating among publishers. In the meantime I |
| novels. Bernardo and the Virgin explores important | | | | continue to write essays and I'm researching topics |
| events in Nicaragua's history through the lives and | | | | with an eye toward possible future novels. |
| thoughts of characters that represent ordinary | | | | Thanks for the wonderful interview, Silvio! |
| people. As a result of this exploration, the pace of | | | | |