THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

The Latina Book Club is Celebrating Women’s History Month by showcasing female authors and poets all this month.    We thank these fearless women for joining the celebration and sharing their works with us.   Enjoy! JASMINNE MENDEZ is a poet, playwright, educator and award winning author.  Mendez has had poetry and essays published by or forthcoming in The New England Review, Crab Creek Review, Kenyon Review, Gulf Coast, The Rumpus, and others. She is the author of two poetry/prose collections ISLAND OF DREAMS (Floricanto Press, 2013) which won an International Latino Book Award, and NIGHT-BLOOMING JASMIN(N)E: Personal Essays and Poetry (Arte Publico Press, 2018). She is a Pushcart Prize nominee, and has received fellowships from Canto Mundo and the Kenyon Review Writer's Workshop among others. She is an MFA graduate of the creative writing program at the Rainier Writer's Workshop at Pacific Lutheran...

Happy Valentine’s Week!    The Latina Book Club is doing mini interviews with Latino / Latinx authors about Latin Lovers, favorite couples, and best presents to give this week.     We start with author Jasminne Mendez .   Her book, NIGHT-BLOOMING JASMIN(N)E: PERSONAL ESSAYS & POEMS, was released by Arte Publico Press last Spring, but it’s worth reading in every season. LBC:   Welcome, Jasminne.   Valentine’s Day is upon us, and nothing says romance more than a Latin Lover, or does it?  What do you think of the Latin Lover— is he a Macho Man, Eye Candy or other?   Jasminne:   I think the "Latin Lover" is kind of a myth and a stereotype. I think that Latin men have been shown on TV and the media as a passionate "lover" who can woo any woman and often has several lovers himself. I think that Latin men CAN be this but they can also be so much more or not this at all and still be wonderful, caring partne...