Author: Nilsa Mariano

Place of Residence: Binghamton, New York

LS Story: “Hunger”

Inspiration for writing: I told “exaggerated” tales as a child but it was the preteen and teenage years that got me going. I would sit on the fire escape with my friends looking out into the Brooklyn sky at night and tell them stories about my wings, the planets I visited, etc. It was probably teenage angst that made me put it to paper. My father gave me a love of reading, and my mother loved stories; both ignited my imagination.

Favorite writers: As a youngster I read all sorts of interesting things, like horror stories, folktales and mythology; the Marquis de Sade, the stories of the saints and the not so saintly. I sought balance. I had a passion for Eudora Welty, read Poe, Borges, and Gabriela Mistral. Nowadays, I am so inspired by the wonderful Sandra Cisneros, Ana Castillo, Nicholasa Mohr, and Diamela Eltit.

Published Books: Latino Soul is my first commercial publication.  I have published in Poems Nierdengasse, Identity Theory and someother literary zines. I had a poem recently selected for a women’s conference; organizers gave a copy of it to each participant as a keepsake.  I currently have two poems accepted for an anthology in progress. I am working on a novel about a small college with big, interesting problems.

Interview with Nilsa Mariano:

• Susan: As a teacher, writer and performer, editor of a monthly Latino newsletter, and a mother, how do you find time to write? Do you have an inspiring muse?
• Nilsa: Because of all those times I had a poem or story idea and lost it... I now have a journal book downstairs and one upstairs. I don’t have any particular rituals but my son says I get so zoned into the writing he could ask for anything and I would say “yes.”
• Susan: Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?  Is there a special person who believed in you when you had doubts? (or is there someone now?)
• Nilsa: I went back to school as an adult and one of my college literature professors wrote a note on one of my papers.  It said” you should be teaching this class.” I was so thrilled and proud I just sat and read it over and over again.  I am blessed, inspired, encouraged and bolstered by my female friends. I have strong female friends who would sit and listen as I read my latest poetry, a sort of “literary salon” as margaritas and refreshments were served all around. My guy now is absolutely my strength; he answers phones, and cooks as I sit mesmerized typing a story, oblivious to what is going on around me.
• Susan: Do you belong to any writers’ groups?
• Nilsa: The writer’s group I belong to truly was the catalyst that got me to submit my writings for publication...to take a chance. My group has been encouraging, fun and enduring. The group is a story itself… we meet in a beauty salon in a medium-sized town surround by rural hills, led by a mighty woman who keeps us on task.
• Susan: Why do you think that Latino Soul is an important book that people will want to read?   What does this book mean to you?
• Nilsa: It feels so exhilarating to be included in this collection. The stories and poems are so passionate and personal. I haven't met any of the other writers in person, but I feel we are a sort of family. We all had a special story that we were determined to share and went that extra step to put it together on paper and send it in. In addition, we put out the same kind of positive energy to the universe make it happen--to make our pieces stand out enough to be chosen out of thousands of entries. Even though our backgrounds and experiences are so diverse, we are all united in that way, as well as our culture.
• Susan: How did your family and friends react when they heard that you were going to be published in Latino Soul? 
• Nilsa: My family and friends were thrilled. I got all sorts of emails and phone calls. They announced me on the microphone at a local Salsa dance, and everyone applauded. It was so so sweet. What really gets to me is when people say they are so proud--“orgulloso”--for what I have done.
• Susan:  Have you been interviewed by radio, newspapers, or TV about Latino Soul?  Tell us about it.
• Nilsa: Had a full page write-up in our local Binghamton newspaper with picture and all.... I was announced in a local listserve for the arts.... I had a reading at Barnes & Noble with close to one hundred people. Most were Anglos… most I did not know... sadly, Barnes & Noble supplied us with only five books. ...five books!  At least twenty more people asked me for a book :–(
• Susan: In your own words, why do you think that Latino Soul is an important book that people will want to read?  Any favorite stories or poems? 
• Nilsa: I enjoyed them all, and in particular, the stories “A Hero’s Story,” “Every First Friday,” and “What’s Up With Dad’s and Pork-Chop Sandwiches”?
• Susan: What do you hope people will take from your story or poem? 
• Nilsa: To believe in possibilities, to believe in self-respect, to walk with pride and to be a mentor to those who are coming up now.
• Susan: What particular contribution do you think Latino/a writers make to the American literary scene today? 
• Nilsa: Every ethnic group in America has had and have their stories … they add to our knowledge and our understanding of the complexities of  humans--that we are “who’s” and not “what’s ” (like the comic strip in the book states).