The recent All-School Read discussion left attendees (from 4th graders to parents) buzzing with storytelling and life wisdom from National Medal of Arts award-winning author Julia Alvarez (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, the Tía Lola Stories series for young readers, and so many more titles). A reading of her poem “I, Too, Sing América” (an “answer poem” to the Langston Hughes poem “I, Too”) led to a brief opening discussion centered on how writing helped Alvarez find her identity and her place in America as an immigrant from a then-dictatorial Dominican Republic and at a time when multicultural stories were “sociological, not literature.” Next, students queued for a chance to ask questions.  

The Q&A opened with 4th grader Libby W. asking about what gave Alvarez the confidence to write Tía Lola. (Alvarez explained Tía Lola is her take on a Dominican Mary Poppins—a magical auntie for a culture that had tías rather than nannies.) Question topics* included: 

• Alvarez’s definition of freedom (She spoke of internal freedom, quoted author Toni Morrison saying “the function of freedom is to free someone else,” and called writers freedom fighters.)  

• The difference in process between writing novels and poetry (Poetry relies on the language and the music while novels on the narrative; when beginning a story, she tries both poetry and narrative to see what releases it.)  

• How the act of writing shapes identity (She learned who she is by writing, but her characters have also changed her. "I've learned who I am by writing myself down.")  

• Why the García Girls is written in reverse chronological order (to put readers in the place of immigrants who are always going back to nostalgia, to childhood, to what happened before they immigrated.) 

Alvarez ended the discussion with two thoughts that warmed Westridge hearts; she said she was so impressed with our students’ questions that she would like to be an honorary grandparent or storyteller in residence (done!) and noted that she believes “curiosity is holy.” Our curious, compassionate students couldn’t have a better teacher. Thank you, Ms. Alvarez! 

*Several of the questions posed came from students in the Upper School Advanced Studies in Literature in Spanish course taught by Upper School Dean of Student Support and Spanish Teacher Bonnie Martinez. In this advanced course, students build on their advanced analytical and literary Spanish skills as they delve deep into the cultures and history of Spain and the Latin American region. Ahead of Alvarez's visit, students did a close read on a few chapters of Alvarez's 1991 novel How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento) and visited English Department Chair Jessica Bremmer's Perspectives in Literature class to read a poem, written by Alvarez, together.