|
The writing in this anthology is as
varied in genre as it is original in thought, based on our
life experiences and desire to preserve our personal history.
At the same time our stories and poems are universal in the
themes they generate: love, loss, regret, hope, and introspection.
Not all of the women of this anthology claim writing as a
profession, however, without intending it, we are collectively
the sirens of our time, and a link between the past and future
generations. We are the voice of hope and strength for the
culture of family and the family of cultures we represent,
now engraved in a written record of memory. As a collective,
we encompass a wide spectrum of inter-generational and cross-cultural
experiences.
How
did we arrive at this point? Like many things that happen
in life, it is a wondrous story. Was it chance or destiny
that brought us together? We prefer to think it was our respective
lives’ work that led us here. In the spring of 2000,
Rosi Andrade, Ph.D., met with Angie Valenzuela and Anita Ramirez,
co-owners of R & V Books and Graphics. They developed
a project with the goal of providing Latina/Chicana and other
women access to humanities related activities. These would
include lectures, discussions, and creative writing activities.
Thus the seeds were planted and in April of that year, the
Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW) at the University
of Arizona sponsored our proposals to the Arizona Humanities
Council and the Stocker Foundation. Both proposals were funded
and Tucson authors, Elena Díaz Björkquist (Suffer
Smoke) and Patricia Preciado Martin (Amor Eterno) were recruited
to help facilitate the project. Sowing the Seeds: Promoting
the Humanities in our Communities was the result.
At
the first meeting, fifteen Latina/Chicana women attended,
most of us educators and librarians. We shared our backgrounds
and our interests and expressed what we wanted to gain from
the group. For many of us, it was like finding a long lost
branch of our family. What a joy to find women who not only
had a similar cultural background and language but were also
interested in writing. Some of us had written stories and
poems but did not have the courage to show them to anyone.
Others had been in writing groups before but had stopped attending
when the other members did not understand the Spanish that
sprinkled our writing. Still others harbored a secret desire
to write but had not yet made the time or commitment to do
so. As the months passed our bond grew stronger and members
told friends about Sowing the Seeds and other women joined
our group. Some of these women were not Latinas/Chicanas but
they related to the camaraderie of the group and as we shared
our stories, we found that we had experiences in common.
We
all look forward to our meeting once a month. The three hours
we’ve set aside to share our writing, exchange information,
or listen to guest speakers are never enough time and we often
find ourselves continuing our meeting over lunch at a restaurant.
We enjoy celebrating holidays together by preparing and sharing
our favorite dishes at potluck lunches at Angie Valenzuela’s
house. In December of 2001, we were honored to have author
Denise Chavez (Loving Pedro Infante) as a guest speaker at
one of these potlucks.
Each year we’ve had a retreat to allow us to get away
from our familiar surroundings and experience creativity in
a different way. Our first retreat was in Tubac, Arizona in
2001. Three local authors, Elena Díaz Björkquist,
Patricia Preciado Martin, and Connie Spittler, conducted writing
workshops to encourage us to begin writing. It was there that
we conceived the idea for publishing this anthology and members
begin to write with purpose. This year Yolanda Martinez, a
drum maker from New Mexico, taught us how to make Native American
drums and gave us the opportunity to connect with nature and
our ancestors.
In
the two years we have been together as a group, our friendships
have blossomed and we’ve come to regard one another as
comadres. In the Latino/Chicano culture a comadre is the name
by which the godmother addresses the mother of her godchild
and is in turn addressed by the mother. The relationship between
the two women is a close one, as close as a member of the
extended family. Some of us have also been referred to as
madrinas in baptizing one another’s work. Madrina is
the name by which the godchild addresses the godmother. She
is as revered as the child’s mother. This spirit of comadrazco
is integral to the success of our group.
In
Sowing the Seeds, we have found support and encouragement
to write our stories and share them with others. From our
core group of more than 18 women at least that many of us
have emerged as writers in this anthology. In March of 2002,
we sponsored a dinner with author Pat Mora (Aunt Carmen’s
Book of Practical Saints) as our guest speaker and an open
microphone event where many of us read our writing in front
of an audience for the first time.
Recently,
the 2002 Eighth Annual Border Book Festival in Las Cruces,
New Mexico selected nine of our emergent writers from Sowing
the Seeds as presenters. Two of us did readings from our books,
one performed a Chautauqua living history presentation, three
conducted workshops, and five participated in a panel discussion.
In conjunction with the theme of the festival, “The Healing
Road,” our panel discussed the healing power of writing.
Opening our hearts and minds through our writing allows us
to process emotionally laden life experiences in a different
way. With our writing we shift the experiences to more manageable
contexts that reveal deeper meanings and understanding.
We
encourage the reader of this anthology to embark with us on
a voyage that takes us through the seasons of our life experiences.
Be prepared to laugh and cry with us as we share our stories
through the interplay of literary genres. Do not be surprised,
however, when you realize that our stories may also be your
own.
We
speak for Las Comadres of Sowing the Seeds.
Rosi
Andrade
Elena Díaz Björkquist
June 1, 2002
Tucson, Arizona |
