Alison Trujillo

The Good Life

Last week I listened to the newest episode from one of my favorite podcasts, Las Raras Podcast. This one is all about Francisco Vio Giacaman. As a young man he traveled to Chilean Patagonia and vowed to return. Now, years later, he brings his passion for sustainable agriculture to the community of Puerto Guadal andContinue reading “The Good Life”

Reading: Dispara, yo ya estoy muerto

Last week I began a new novel: Dispara, yo ya estoy muerto (Shoot Me, I’m Already Dead) by Spanish author and journalist Julia Navarro. This is an ambitious novel that follows the story of two families – the Zuckers and the Ziads – whose lives become intertwined when Samuel Zucker, fleeing the persecution of JewsContinue reading “Reading: Dispara, yo ya estoy muerto”

Ferdinand

A confession: For years when I taught Spanish I would read El cuento de Ferdinando aloud to my students. For some reason I always thought the original was written by a Spanish author and only recently discovered that Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson are not the translators but the original American authors of this famous children’s book.Continue reading “Ferdinand”

Latin American Women Artists

Here we are, nearing the end of March. Spring has sprung in my corner of the world: birds singing, green grass sprouting, and new wildflowers every day. It’s on days like this that I’m thankful we made the move to the country! To celebrate Women’s History Month I’ve been focusing on women in the artsContinue reading “Latin American Women Artists”

Latin American Women Writers

To celebrate Women’s History Month I thought it would be fun to share a short list of popular Latin American women writers, both classic and contemporary. This is the first of a two-part article, with part two focusing on female artists. Gabriela Mistral, born 1889. Chilean poet who also taught elementary school for manyContinue reading “Latin American Women Writers”

Renacimiento/Rebirth: Strengthening Weaving Traditions in Guatemala

I recently translated a great loan for Kiva.org in which a Guatemalan woman was seeking a loan to purchase traditional huipiles (tunics), fajas (wraps), and cortes (skirts) to sell. The very next morning while listening to the radio I learned about a revival and strengthening of weaving traditions in Guatemala among a group of youngContinue reading “Renacimiento/Rebirth: Strengthening Weaving Traditions in Guatemala”