Hola, Aida! STREAM explores themes such as caring for nature, the influence of social media, online safety, and the importance of human connection. How do you think living in the digital era has changed the way we relate to each other and to the environment?
It was extraordinary to witness first-hand how my own children changed dramatically during the pandemic. They had been homeschooled mostly and only given very little access to screens but with the pandemic, that had to quickly change because technology became their only connection to their friends and the outside world. They would spend hours online and because I felt I didn’t want them to be deprived of connection, we allowed it not knowing how harmful it actually was. Then, some of their friends got into serious trouble because of screens – everything from ignoring previous passions, depression, being catfished, and even self-harm. When the pandemic waned, their addiction to screens did not. It was only when they were in nature that I felt like I got my teens back. They were present, they were filled with wonder, lighter, and more connected to the environment (the birds, the trees, the water, the land) and especially connected to us and other people. As I did research, being in nature came up time and again as an antidote to overconsumption of screens. It regulates our nervous system and does wonders for our mental and physical health. There is a thing called forest bathing where you simply walk through the forest, for instance, and this is super healing. I wrote STREAM so as to offer this sort of medicine to youth. Of course, I had to do it in a way that was engaging and funny for this age but that also totally devastated the characters because withdrawing from any addiction is real. The hope for the story is to show how messy it can be to recover yourself from anything that takes over you, but in this case, through nature, is something we all should be aware of and turn to as a strategy for wellness.
One of the things I loved most about STREAM is the inclusion of different cultures, traditions, and identities. Representation can help readers feel seen while also introducing them to experiences different from their own. Why was it important to you to include this into the story, and what do you hope readers take away from it?
I turn to my lived experience again, here. My children are mixed race and of mixed ethnicities with Puerto Rican, Cape Verdean, and Mexican blood. The streams of Africa, Indigenous America, and Europe inform their identities. Being of Latin American descent this is the reality for many people because of the nature of colonization. My kids and I were avid readers of children’s literature and it was very rare for them to see themselves reflected in any of the books we read. I wanted to contribute to literature that would change that. I am also constantly seeking to find information that has been lost to colonization. It is important for me to recover and reclaim this ancestry so as to heal from the violence of erasure or loss. Learning the roots of my ancestry, however complicated or unpleasant, helps me feel more whole as a person. I impart what I’ve learned with my readers with the hope they too can feel whole and nourished by this knowledge.
Elio and Celi are connected in several meaningful ways throughout the story. Was there one particular connection or shared experience that you hoped readers would carry with them long after finishing the book?
I immersed Elio and Celi in a love triangle only as a trojan horse to their discovering who they were in their own bodies, hearts, and minds. Self-discovery often happens when we are in relation with others. The mistakes we make, the assurances of what we need, and what we like can all be found as we navigate relationships. However, if we can have moments and space to reflect who we are, something deeper is uncovered. Defining who you are without any of the crutches of screens or other people and through self-awareness will serve anyone at any stage in their lives. When done when young, it can help you avoid being led astray and will help you find your moral compass and your own guiding light to follow regardless of what others might say or behave. I want all of us to have this sort of fortitude.
I'm a big fan of novels in verse. How does your creative process differ when writing a verse novel like STREAM compared with writing prose? What draws you to storytelling through poetry?
I am both a poet and a storyteller and so, writing novels in verse is an ideal home for me. Here, I am able to bring the best I know about writing poetry (the art of language) with the best I know about prose storytelling (a plot-based journey of a character or set of characters) to create a tapestry. Each woven thread creates different shapes and colors, deepens meaning, and is able to become one beautiful whole. I use poetic techniques such as figurative language, imagery, music and rhythm when crafting the story so it is told artfully and of course, with economy or using the fewest possible but precise words.
I am never too far away from poetry as the prose I write is usually infused heavily with poetic technique. Striving for art on the level of the line informs my style and anything I write as an author.
Many of my blog readers are passionate book lovers and members of book club. If STREAM were being discussed at a book club, what's one question you would hope readers would ask each other?
Love this question. I would actually ask a series of related questions. What is my own relationship to screens? What does my body/mind feel when I overdo it? What analogue thing makes me feel as alive as when I am in front of a screen/app?
And, just for fun, name 5 random facts about you.
I love to garden. I cure my own herbs to use medicinally. I am the middle child of seven. I want to have a dog. I’m told my cooking is delicious.
