“The whole guilt thing of not feeling Mexican enough was a big deal, too. On the one hand, you have your grandmother who is anointing you as a chosen one because you are light, but then you feel like you're less because you are lighter than your cousins, who are more down on the streets. You know? So that confusion was all I wrote about.” KnowsFeelsEnoughWholeFeelingsHandsBigsLightDealsStreetsLike YouGuiltChosenConfusionGrandmotherCousinMexicanBig DealLightersAnointingYour GrandmotherChosen OneYour Cousin Author:Matt de la Pena
“To me, if the writing doesn't have rhythm, it feels dead. I lose all confidence. The music has to emerge to feel confident enough to move on to the next major chapter.” IfsFeelsWritingEnoughMovingNextLosesMajorsRhythmChapters Author:Matt de la Pena
“Cormac McCarthy is my favorite author in the world. I love him so much. There's one book that informs me more than The Road - it's called Suttree. That book is a huge influence on me. I'm not smart enough to emulate him, but he inspires me. He never infiltrates my writing directly. He writes incredibly intelligently about people that are marginalized.” PeopleWorldWritingBookEnoughInfluenceInspireHugeSmartMy FavoriteEmulateI Love HimMarginalized Author:Matt de la Pena
