Ernesto Quinones: "Submerse Yourself in Culture"
Ernesto Quiñonez met the audience at the recent Writers Series event honoring Latin Heritage Month with an admonition. Yes, you should read in Spanish, the associate professor at Cornell University advised, but remember that Spanish is not a native Latino tongue. "It is the language of conquerers," he stated. "Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not Latino if you don’t speak Spanish.”
Dressed in a comfy blazer, untucked white button-down shirt, and blue jeans with a fashionable air vent at the knee, Quiñonez disclosed that “My New York is not The New Yorker--or Sex in the City, or Friends. I’m the guy from Spanish Harlem.”
He then treated the masked and distanced crowd at the Recital Hall on Oct. 14 to a dual language reading of Taina, a novel that boldly explores the facts of a woman’s life in the magical realism ouevre: “a kooky coming of age in an immaculate conception”—as he described it-- and as Taina’s mother would like to think.
Paige Sammartino, a graduate student serving as Assistant Managing Editor of Soundings East, had warmed up the mic, reading a short story about two sisters learning to survive on their own after a traumatic childhood. The monkey mind of the older sister, living in a precarious situation in Brooklyn, is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Jo Jo, the younger sister. Between the thought streams, dialogue with Jo Jo brings the scene into focus.
Prof. Carey, who heads up the Writers Series, ended the Q&A following the readings by asking what writers can do to nurture their talent.
“Just write,” Quiñonez urged, noting that for him, the fun part is editing. A novel is like a slide puzzle, he said; chapter 15 becomes chapter 6, but only if you move chapter 9 to 13. Also: “You gotta read,” watch movies, and listen to music of all kinds to gain a sense of rhythm. Go to museums and stare at the colors of the paintings. Drown yourself in storytelling and culture. For his part, Quiñonez frequents jazz clubs, sees dance, and reads--a lot.“ If you swim in stories,” he said, “you’ll write.”
--Laura Smith