Sowing the Seeds is not only the name of this anthology, but it is also the name of a group of women writers in Tucson, Arizona. They are mostly Mexican American women who came together with an intense desire to write. This collection of stories, poems, and artwork is the result of two years of sharing their stories, the stories that until they met had been only in their hearts and minds. The works are a combination of fiction and nonfiction based on truth, the truth the women know about themselves, their lives and their culture.

In keeping with the theme of “sowing the seeds,” the book is divided into four sections, each named for a season of the year. The section entitled “Spring” begins the collection with stories and essays about the writers’ mothers. It is followed by “Summer” which contains stories about their family and friends, real and imagined. “Autumn” stories and poems are written for children and young adults. In the “Winter” section, the women explore other forms of creativity besides poetry.

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