Reading Julia Alvarez's new collection of essays is like curling up with a glass of wine in one hand and the phone in the other, listening to a big-hearted, wisecracking friend share hard-earned wisdom about family, identity, and the art of writing." --People The rich and revealing essays in Something to Declare offer Julia Alvarez's dual meditations on coming to America and becoming a writer. In the first section, "Customs," Alvarez relates how she and her family fled the Dominican Republic and its oppressive dictator, Rafael Trujillo, settling in New York City in the 1960s. Here Julia begins a love affair with the English language under the tutelage of the aptly named Sister Maria Generosa. Part Two--"Declarations"--celebrates Alvarez's enduring passion for the writing life. From the valentine to mythic storyteller Scheherazade that is "First Muse," to a description of Alvarez's itinerant life as a struggling poet, teacher, and writer in "Have Typewriter, Will Travel," to the sage and witty advice of "Ten of My Writing Commandments," Alvarez generously shares her influences and inspirations with aspiring writers everywhere.
Julia Álvarez nació el 27 de marzo de 1950 en Nueva York. Poeta, novelista y ensayista. Nacida en Estados Unidos, pasó sus primeros años en la República Dominicana, siendo exiliada junto a su familia debido a la participación de su padre en un intento de derrocar al dictador militar Rafael Trujillo. Esta experiencia de exilio y las tensiones culturales que enfrentó al regresar a Estados Unidos, que influenciaron profundamente su obra reflejando sus propias experiencias como dominicana-americana. Aunque inicialmente estaba interesada en ...