Category Archives: Uncategorized

For the Interim Time

Greetings to all. I hope my post today finds you safe and healthy—and enjoying the time at home as much as you can. I’m making full use of my home office here, and appreciate the kind notes from colleagues near and far. Do you feel like the world is holding its breath? I do, bothContinue reading “For the Interim Time”

Translating Poetry

Translating poetry is a special job: the poet, if alive, entrusts the translator to capture the soul of a poem so that speakers of a completely different language might fully understand the poet’s message; the translator is responsible for making the right decisions along the way, ensuring that this transfer of ideas happens smoothly. WhetherContinue reading “Translating Poetry”

Rosalía

One of the big winners this year at the Latin Grammys was Rosalía Vila Tobella, a 25-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter from Catalonia, Spain. Wait – you ask. A flamenco singer….from Catalonia?? Yes, A flamenco singer from Catalonia who is bringing her own style of “nuevo flamenco” mixed with hip-hop and pop to the forefront. Many sayContinue reading “Rosalía”

La Petenera

Last year I heard “La Petenera” for the first time. La Petenera is a song with its origins in Spain; it is sung in the flamenco style. There are actually many Peteneras, and they make up a specific category of flamenco song with a “palo” of a strong twelve-beat meter. The ever-popular “Sevillanas” are inContinue reading “La Petenera”

Cool Salsa for a Hot Summer

I like the title of this post because in addition to literally being about salsa it gives a nod to the book “Cool Salsa,” which I recommend to young readers wanting to dive into bilingual reading. On to my main topic, though – yummy salsa! Here in Northern California, some of our hottest summer daysContinue reading “Cool Salsa for a Hot Summer”

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”