I’m going to start this update with some more exciting news. A few months after my article “You are one of the disappeared?” was published digitally, the print version finally arrived. It turned out great, and I am incredibly proud of this piece. If you haven’t read it yet, definitely check it out. I feel that it is some of my best work.
During July, I didn’t get much writing done because my wife and I were traveling again! We took a road trip across Southern Scotland with friends and in London we met up with Mike Lanchin, who produced the BBC Radio program featuring my family. Then, we returned to Barcelona to celebrate with my younger sister, who recently graduated from dentistry school. The trip was busy, tiring, and inspiring all at once.
Upon returning in August, I started working on an application to attend a writing residency called Under The Volcano, which will take place in Tepoztlán, Mexico, in January. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous about attending the program because this feels like a big step in my writing career. That uneasiness is probably a sign that I’m pushing myself in the right direction. I won’t know if I have been accepted for a few more weeks, but I will keep you posted!
I’ve also applied to take an online workshop on speculative fiction run by GrubStreet in Boston. I hope the course will help me as I rewrite my book with elements of magical realism.
Finally, I wanted to share a BBC Podcast episode, which was also produced by Mike Lanchin. It explores the experiences and challenges of undocumented Salvadorans living in the US and is moving and heartfelt.
Over the summer, I finished two books: As Long as The Lemmon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh and The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. I read both books as part of my exploration of magical realism and historical fiction, which I discussed in my April 2024 update.
As Long as The Lemmon Trees Grow was a tough read. It takes place in wartime Syria, and the author did an incredible job making you feel like you are in the action with the main character. I think it was a challenging read because it portrays experiences similar to those that I had as an infant. Of course, I have no memory of these events, but reading the book acted as a kind of window into my own past.
The Things We Cannot Say was good, but I didn’t like it quite as much. The story alternates between World War Two, Poland, in a small village on the outskirts of Warsaw, and modern-day Florida. I liked how it used historical fiction to explore the long-lasting and sometimes invisible impact of war through the generations. Still, I felt the writing was a little disconnected from the events it portrayed. Overall, the book was pretty good. It just didn't move me the way Katouh’s story did.
September means that school and my coaching job will start back up again. My goal for the coming month is to get back into writing and really dig in on this rewrite. I’ve even signed up to work with a productivity coach to help keep me on track. That’s it for now. I’ll be back next month with another update!
Sincerely,
Nelson/Roberto
This month, I’m excited to announce Los Testigos (The Witnesses), a membership program, where you will bear witness to my magical realism rewrite as it unfolds. The name reflects both the story I’m telling (about forced disappearances and recovered truths) and the role you will play in shaping it.
Today, I have some exciting news to share with you. I plan to resume work on my magical realism rewrite in November and will be launching a new Early Reader Experience to coincide with this effort.
Over the past month, I have been working on upgrading the technical infrastructure that powers my website and several other websites that I manage. While on the surface, this may seem like a distraction from my work on the book, it is an important step toward getting back to my writing.
