I firmly believe that being a Hispanic author is about more than writing books. It’s about remembering the stories we grew up hearing. The stories told around kitchen tables, during family gatherings, in the car, over a cup of café, or in those conversations where someone says, “Do you remember when…?” and suddenly everyone has a version of the same memory.
Those memories preserve our culture, and for our community, it is at the core of who we are. Our stories are embedded in the fabric of who we are, what we do, and how we move forward in the world. Yet, it has not always been easy to find our stories in the pages of books, and that matters greatly to me.
I write because I know what it feels like to look for pieces of yourself in the stories you read. I know what it means to wonder whether your experiences, your culture, your family, your struggles, your joy, and your voice are worthy of being centered in a story. The answer is that they are, and yours are too.
I don’t believe we tell Hispanic and Latino stories simply so that other people can learn about us. We tell them because we deserve to know ourselves through our own stories. We deserve to see our mothers, fathers, abuelos, abuelas, children, dreamers, fighters, entrepreneurs, artists, educators, and everyday people reflected in books. Not only do we deserve stories about where we’ve been, but also about where we’re going.
That is one of the reasons I am so excited about the upcoming Story Lane Book Fair on Saturday, October 3, at the Reading Public Library, because when I think about a book fair, I don’t just think about books. I think about our people, about the community bookworms who get genuinely excited when they find a book that speaks to them.
The readers who will pick up a book, read the back cover, and realize they must have it. The person who walks into a room thinking they’re just going to browse and leaves carrying a stack of books. I think about our children who may have never met the person behind a book, and what a cool experience it is to talk to them and inspire them. I think about the aspiring authors who will be there quietly, wondering if maybe their story belongs on a shelf too.
That is the magic of a book fair that intentionally connects people not just to the books, but to the people who have written them. Writing has always been about connection and about taking something that lives inside of me and putting it on a page so that someone else can say, “Me too.”
The gift of storytelling is something to be shared, and I’m thankful for the generations of people who came before me and for being alongside those who will come after me. So, when we gather at Story Lane, I hope we do more than celebrate books. I hope that we reconnect with the stories, the culture, our community, and with ourselves because we all belong.
Event details
Book Fair and Night Market
Reading Public Library, Main Branch
100 S. 5th Street, Reading Pa, 19602
Saturday, Oct. 3, 1-9pm
Activities: Local authors, food trucks, vendors, panel discussions, workshops, and activities for the family.
