First and most
important, tell us about your book.
Thank you for
giving me the opportunity to do what authors like to do best- Kvel and
Kvetch. First the kvelling, a quintessential Yiddish word, conjuring
up images of beaming parents; proudly boasting about their offspring. While I
do my fair share of maternal boasting, today I’m kvelling about another
sort of offspring. I have written a Creative Non Fiction, a memoir to be exact.
My book, “With
Love, the Argentina Family~ Memories of Tango and Kugel; Mate with
Knishes” speaks to the impetus of a family’s exodus to America; namely a
Peronista government, a stagnant economy and an anti-Semitic culture. The
family transform into jet-setters relentlessly traveling back and forth across
the continents thanks to a mother that never stops crying about "The
Argentina Family" and a father who works for Pan American
Airlines. The story unfolds in "die goldene medina" -America-
sharing the insecurities and confusion of a young, immigrant girl faced with
identity issues. As one brash classmate stated, "She is too white to be
Latina, and too Latina to be Jewish." Wearing out five passports
before her twentieth birthday, she learns to deal with never-ending jet lag;
dividing her life in between her adopted country and her native land. Almost
inevitably, a long distance, whirlwind romance begins in the aftermath of
Argentina’s “Dirty War.” Complications abound, including a frightening
interrogation with the Argentine Police and an astonishing encounter at the
American Consulate. Readers will follow the sometimes poignant, sometimes
comical trials and tribulations of a young girl coming to terms with her Jewish
heritage, her Argentine traditions, and her fierce American patriotism.
What inspired
you to write the memoir?
The inspiration
for the book came about like one of my mother’s recipes…a pinch of this, a dash
of that and a healthy dollop of the other. First and foremost, I wrote it for
my kids; I have three adult children. My sense of family and constancy urged me
to give them a tangible link- something that will forever remind them that they
came from this loving, enduring stock made up of Jewish values, Russian
ancestry, and Argentine culture. In addition to that rather emotionally charged
motivator, I was encouraged to write the story by friends, family, and
strangers alike; people who have continually said that my story was unique and
enlightening. Recently, I found myself whiling away a few hours on a tour bus.
My fellow passengers and I engaged in customary small talk, “Where are you
visiting from?” which led to, “What is your name?” which led to, “How unusual!
Where are you from originally?” My decision to write this memoir was validated
once again as two lovely ladies, both teachers and lovers of history, genealogy
and romance said, “That is the greatest story I ever heard! You should write a
book!” Imagine my pride and sense of accomplishment when I turned to them both
and said, “I did!”
What was the
hardest thing for you about moving to a new country?
I was only 11
months old when we immigrated to the United States; so naturally, I can’t say
that I personally experienced any angst or any sort of emotion struggle. The
hardest thing for me was what I absorbed from my parents; my mother in
particular exuded anxiety and melancholy. Because of my father’s employment
with the airlines, we were able to fly back and forth quite often. Rather than
being a positive factor, for me as a child, it proved to be a very unsettling
matter. My sister and I never knew if we were coming or going. Although leaving
Argentina was probably the wisest decision my parents ever made, dealing with the
loss of family was a lifelong struggle.
What helped the
most in adjusting to a new life?
My recollection
of our immigrant experience is that my parents and the others in our group were
adamant about integrating themselves into American life. The need to assimilate
was a priority, especially for my father. We watched quite a bit of television,
which might be frowned upon nowadays, but it helped! We socialized with
Americans, celebrated and partook in American holidays and activities and by
doing so; we learned to adapt and to become part of the American tapestry.
Since I’m a
speech pathologist, I’m always interested in language issues. Did you
speak English before you came or did you learn it here?
My first
language was Spanish, Castilian Spanish to be exact. While in Argentina,
my father had studied English at the British academy, Toil and Chat however; my
mother only spoke Castellano. Eventually, through dedication and hard work, my mother learned to
speak, read and write English far better than she ever gave herself credit.
When I began elementary school, E.S.L. (English as a Second Language) programs
didn’t exist. You were just put into a classroom and you were expected to
learn, and so I did!
It seems, as
with many immigrants, your family’s ties with Argentina were very strong.
Did America live up to their expectations?
America was die
goldene medina, where the streets were paved in gold. My father’s love for
this country began in his youth and he wouldn’t settle for anything less than
to become a full-fledged citizen of this nation. My father always said that he
was a “simple working man” but he lived like a king in America. When I was
young, I believed that he was speaking of monetary achievement. As an adult, I
realized that my father held peace of mind in higher regard. America allowed
us to live in peace and comfort and my parents were eternally grateful and
proud to call themselves American.
What was your
family’s reaction to the book? Were they aware you were writing it?
Involved in bringing up any memories?
For over two
years, I brought up the subject of my book at every family gathering. I asked
for their opinions and begged for anecdotes.
Every time I began a sentence with, “Do you remember when…?” I could see
the eyes roll and hear the sighs of exasperation, “Here she goes again!” I
don’t believe that the majority of my relatives took me seriously until I began
talking about publishing. When I presented them with the finished product, I
was happily rewarded with great support and appreciation for the work I
accomplished.
What is your
writing background?
Besides being
an English major in high school and Mrs. Doyle’s darling, none
whatsoever! Which leads me back to the other word I mentioned; the other “K”
word, kvetching- a great Yiddish word and one with which any Indie
author can relate. Kvetching means complaining. Having no prior
experience, I simply had NO IDEA how difficult it would be to write, to publish,
to promote, or to merely get people to “Like” my book’s page. I always knew I
had at least one good book in me. I had the material- fifty years’ worth
at least, but I struggled. I struggled with first person vs. third person, real
names or fictitious, copy right regulations and the oh-so-beloved Chicago
Manual of Style. I struggled to appease family members who wanted to be
removed from the story line and then, complained when they were not included!
It took me about two years of work and yet; once I typed that final word, the
real struggle began. I had no clue how to get the book published “the
old-fashioned way.” Researching on the Internet, I learned about marketing
proposals, submission requirements and inquiry letters; the entire undertaking
felt like a full time job that required a university degree. It seemed an impossible
task for this “newbie” memoir scribbler, so I began considering the self- publishing
route.
If you could
compare this to any other book, what would it be?
My story is a
bit like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” meets “Father Knows Best” meets “Are you
there God? It’s me, Margaret.” You could probably add “Fiddler on the Roof”
into that mix, as well as the classic, “I Remember Mama.” I know- I’m mixing
media and your question was actually about books. My story is unique as
it takes an intimate look at my particular circumstance as a Jewish, Argentine
immigrant that continually traveled back to her native country, but I think the
following are examples of other books that might be included in this multicultural
or ethnic memoir genre: “Black, White & Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting
Self” by Rebecca Walker, “Burnt Bread and Chutney: Growing Up Between
Cultures-A Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl” by Carmit Delman and “The Book of
Memories-Jewish Latin America Series” by Ana Maria Shua.
Any advice for
writers, especially memoir writers?
I recall
the scene from the classic movie, “I Remember Mama” where the mother, at the
behest of a famous, well-known author, offers her daughter expert advice,
“Write what you know.” Jo and Professor Bhaer had the same conversation in
“Little Women.” The amount of memoirs on the market is daunting; my wholesome
story is competing with some pretty serious material in the same category, not
to mention the coming-of-age vampires and charming sorcerers in other genres. My
advice is to write from your heart. My
book was written out of love- love for my parents and the memories we created. It
was written out of love for my children and for hopefully, those yet to come.
And lastly, it was written for the love of creating something enduring,
something of worth… something by which to be remembered.
Where is your
book available?
My book can be
purchased directly from my E-Store:
Or if you prefer, you
can purchase it from Amazon:
And you can
find me on Facebook:
0 comments:
Post a Comment