BrownGirl Speaks

Great Review!!

I want to mention that this is Silvio Sirias second day of his Latino Book Tour, and he is standing by to answer questions from Browngirl Speaks readers!

Please leave a comment!

Silvio, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the marginalization of the LGBT community in Nicaragua. Is there any hope for change? Have you seen subtle or maybe not so subtle changes in the treatment of, in particular, lesbian women in Nicaragua?

Hey, Silvio

I just got your book yesterday, and I am looking forward to reading it! The plot sounds very intriguing.

Sandra L

Greetings,

First of all, let me thank Terri for hosting me today and for sharing her review of MEET ME UNDER THE CEIBA with the world.

I am so thrilled to be here that I made an impromptu decision to give away a FREE autographed copy to the best question or comment of the day.

Now, to comply with Nilki's request and to answer her question: The gay community of Nicaragua--and the rest of Central America for that matter--remind me of the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement in the US. That is, there's a groundswell of a grass roots movement that is just now beginning to have an impact. So, yes, I do see hope. But there will be centuries of prejudice to overcome. It's going to be a monumental task to teach the need for tolerance regarding the rights of homosexuals. But it is starting, at last.

And, Sandra L, I hope you enjoy the novel. People are telling me it's a quick, entertaining read.

And, Jo Ann, slow down a bit! It doesn't surprise me in the least that you commented on the wrong page. ;-) You do too much, and God bless you for it.

Look forward to the competition for a FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPY,

Silvio

It turned out to be "my kind of novel", Silvio. Just finished the first chapter and am loving it!

Hopefully I could find a copy here at the imported book stores in Jakarta.

Thank you so much!
-adela-

Hi, again, folks,

I'm taking a break from the computer to go draft an essay. (When it comes to essays, I still do those by hand--novels I draft on the computer, outline by hand.)

In any event, I will be checking in periodically to answer your questions or enjoy your comments.

Silvio

Thank you, Nina. And bless you.

Silvio

Silvio, as a mother of two girls, the theme that also struck a cord with me was the abuse and prostitution that Ixelia's mother, Erlinda submitted Ixelia too. Is this type of child abuse being addressed by the Nicaragua government today?

First, a reply to Terri (BrownGirl):

Thank you again for being such a gracious host. And please feel free to call me by my first name.

The Anti-sodomy laws of Nicaragua were repealed in March of 2008. The murder of Aura Rosa Pavon--on whose murder MEET ME UNDER THE CEIBA is based--did much to unite Nicaragua's gay community and that unity led to effective lobbying before congress. To give us an idea of how archaic that law was, it was put on the books by representatives of the Spanish Inquisition when Nicaragua was still a colony.

Hopefully, more changes will come,

Silvio

First and foremost, I second all the thanks to the host for allowing this! This is a great opportunity to follow the book's tour without moving a foot! (plus I get to add these great sites to my blogs-to-follow list) =)

Without the intention to downplay the importance of the gay/lesbian storyline of the book, I personally believe the novel's greatest contribution lies in the fact that as Sirias attempts to narrate a story dealing with such a controversial topic in a society as conservative as the Nicaraguan society (where stereotypes continue being the rule and not the exception), he touches on other equally important and sensitive matters.

As a 'born and raised Nicaraguan', I know depicting Nicaragua accurately cannot be done so without evidencing some of the forms of social exclusion present, whether it'd be the pervasive marginalization of women (as the blog host rightly expresses in her post), the widening inequality that tears the Nicaraguan society apart, the practically inexistent religious and political tolerance, the lack of tolerance towards homosexuals, or the very poor understanding and acceptance of people with different capacities. This in itself will give us something to reflect upon in the years to come. So a big cheer for writing about things the rest of us here would rather ignore.

And, for the author, in a recent blog post you wrote about encouraging your students to 'take the walk' whenever they were having trouble writing. So the questions are: which were the parts that made you take the walk? (You may just mention chapter #s so that you don't spoil all our fun) or which part of the story was the hardest to convey? [And did it take more than a walk?]

Hello Silvio,
What was it about Adela Rugama's story that so made you want to tell it to the world? Was it the whole tragic aspect or do you want to give a voice to Nicaragua's LGBT "hidden" community? As a Nicaraguan-American I am well aware of the generally backwards mentality concerning gays and lesbians and it makes me happy that someone like you has chosen to give them a voice, so to speak.
P.S. My copy of MEET ME UNDER THE CEIBA is one the way; I ordered one copy for myself and one for my sister, to whom I gave my copy of BERNARDO(something I never do with my books---but I loved it so much that I had to share it). She calls me almist daily to discuss the chapter she just read and told me that this book has awoken in her a desire to know more about our Nicaraguan culture and history.