“The second book, which was probably more from a professional standpoint - when I read Junot Díaz's Drown, I was like, Oh my god, you can write these stories and people will actually read them beyond your own little community. This guy's book is blowing up and it seems like [he's writing about] the neighborhood that I grew up in. That was a big deal. I read that in graduate school, so that's when I was really taking writing seriously, but I didn't know you could do it. I didn't know you can actually be an author. It was a weird epiphany.” PeopleKnowsWritingLittlesBookStoriesBigsSeemsSchoolGuyCommunityDealsGrewGrew UpNeighborhoodGraduatesThis GuyBig DealStandpointEpiphanyGraduate SchoolBlowing Up Author:Matt de la Pena
“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
“I only know what it's like to be an author with social media. I can't compare. I do think we lose the mystery of the author. Today, I get tons of e-mails and Facebook messages from readers, and my goal with Twitter and Facebook is, if someone reaches out to me, I'm going to respond to them. I don't want to be an elitist author who is untouchable. I'm just a regular person, too. I will always respond to everybody.” IfsThinkingKnowsWantPersonsI CanTodaySocialGoalLosesMysteryMediaReaderMessagesSocial MediaCompareReach OutMailElitistUntouchablesTwitter And Facebook Author:Matt de la Pena
“I guess I don't really know what I want to do, either. Sometimes I feel like a shook-up bottle of soda. Like, I have all this passion that wants to explode, but I don't know where to aim it yet.” KnowsWantLifeFeelsSometimesPassionAimBottlesSoda Author:Matt de la Pena
