PALABRITAS
an interview with Ruben Reyes, Jr.
conducted by Therese Marie Konopelski
I am excited by the magazine's new platform for the next generation of Latinx poets and authors, and the powerful precedent it has set for student-led Latinx literary initiatives. Ruben's legacy of inclusive curation and highly collaborative leadership inspires faith in its continued relevance to U.S. Hispanic literature.
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[Therese Konopelski]: First of all, congratulations on your first issue of Palabritas. It really is a spectacular collection of emerging and established Latinx poets and writers. How did the vision for Palabritas come about? Who were your main collaborators and how did they join the team?
[Ruben Reyes, Jr.]: Thanks so much for the chance to speak a little more about PALABRITAS. Before coming to Harvard, I wrote in secret and never really shared my creative writing publicly. When I got to Harvard, I met a lot of people who were more open about being writers, but I still had a hard time finding an organization where I felt comfortable sharing my fiction. So, after a few conversations with some of my Latinx peers I decided that a Latinx literary publication at Harvard would potentially be well-received.
The specific vision was shaped by conversations I had with some of our editors concerning what it meant to be running this magazine out of an institution with the name recognition that Harvard has. We knew we wanted the publication to be as accessible as possible and powered by Latinx writers of all experience levels. But we felt that keeping it open only to Harvard affiliates would be inherently exclusionary, so we opened up submissions to Latinx authors all over the world. Once we decided that, we did outreach—mainly on social media—which got us submissions from all over. The final product was made possible because we accepted pieces from all over, which is why we’re excited to continue being a publication open to whoever feels inclined to trust us with their work.
The specific vision was shaped by conversations I had with some of our editors concerning what it meant to be running this magazine out of an institution with the name recognition that Harvard has. We knew we wanted the publication to be as accessible as possible and powered by Latinx writers of all experience levels. But we felt that keeping it open only to Harvard affiliates would be inherently exclusionary, so we opened up submissions to Latinx authors all over the world. Once we decided that, we did outreach—mainly on social media—which got us submissions from all over. The final product was made possible because we accepted pieces from all over, which is why we’re excited to continue being a publication open to whoever feels inclined to trust us with their work.
[TK]: How was your experience obtaining administrative approval for the magazine at a PWI? Do you think the magazine will challenge notions of Latinx identity at Harvard? How do you see the magazine affecting similar prestigious institutions/organizations? What is your vision for the future of the magazine and its trajectory after you leave Harvard?
[RR]: Luckily, administration has been pretty hands-off with the entire process, especially since we’ve been functioning in collaboration with recognized Latinx cultural organizations on campus. I initially worried that finding an audience would be difficult, especially since Latinx students make up only about 11 percent of the undergraduate student body. Luckily, though, we had a lot of support from students and faculty of all backgrounds, and from the networks our contributors have in their hometowns.
The fall issue definitely conveys a complex, and often contradictory, image of what Latinidad looks like. We were very cognizant, while reading submissions, that there’s no universal way of “being Latinx.” To that end, we wanted to make sure that the final product included differing ways of conceptualizing and experiencing the Latinx identity. We accomplished that by publishing work that speaks to a lot of the aspects of Latinidad often overlooked, including the narratives of Afro-Latinxs, Asian Latinxs, queer and LGBTQ Latinxs.
I hope that PALABRITAS can serve as proof that formal experiences or prestigious distinctions aren’t a requirement for producing thoughtful, innovative, and emotionally stirring work. Too often, people get hung up on whether people have formal workshopping experience, or whether they’ve been published in prestigious literary magazines, or which authors they like reading. Those things can matter to individuals, but they’re not the end-all of “good” writing. The fantastic work we were able to publish by debut authors makes that clear.
I just want to magazine to continue being published every semester. But beyond establishing ourselves as a consistent publication, I’d love us to engage in work that empowers individuals who aren’t given all the privileges and resources granted by a Harvard education. I’d love PALABRITAS to publish special issues full of work from groups often marginalized, in their lives in general but also in the literary world. Ideally, we’d work with non-profit or educational organizations already working with Latinx communities and collaborate on special issues. I’m imaging a special issue that focuses specifically on writings by immigrant youth or an issue dedicated to work by formerly incarcerated folks. The possibilities are endless, but I want a broader engagement with communities off Harvard’s campus in the future.
[TK]: Why did you choose to publish poets and writers of all experience levels? What is the vetting process for submissions like? Since the magazine is also a snapshot of contemporary Latinx poetry and prose, did you see any common themes surface in age group or experience level?
The fall issue definitely conveys a complex, and often contradictory, image of what Latinidad looks like. We were very cognizant, while reading submissions, that there’s no universal way of “being Latinx.” To that end, we wanted to make sure that the final product included differing ways of conceptualizing and experiencing the Latinx identity. We accomplished that by publishing work that speaks to a lot of the aspects of Latinidad often overlooked, including the narratives of Afro-Latinxs, Asian Latinxs, queer and LGBTQ Latinxs.
I hope that PALABRITAS can serve as proof that formal experiences or prestigious distinctions aren’t a requirement for producing thoughtful, innovative, and emotionally stirring work. Too often, people get hung up on whether people have formal workshopping experience, or whether they’ve been published in prestigious literary magazines, or which authors they like reading. Those things can matter to individuals, but they’re not the end-all of “good” writing. The fantastic work we were able to publish by debut authors makes that clear.
I just want to magazine to continue being published every semester. But beyond establishing ourselves as a consistent publication, I’d love us to engage in work that empowers individuals who aren’t given all the privileges and resources granted by a Harvard education. I’d love PALABRITAS to publish special issues full of work from groups often marginalized, in their lives in general but also in the literary world. Ideally, we’d work with non-profit or educational organizations already working with Latinx communities and collaborate on special issues. I’m imaging a special issue that focuses specifically on writings by immigrant youth or an issue dedicated to work by formerly incarcerated folks. The possibilities are endless, but I want a broader engagement with communities off Harvard’s campus in the future.
[TK]: Why did you choose to publish poets and writers of all experience levels? What is the vetting process for submissions like? Since the magazine is also a snapshot of contemporary Latinx poetry and prose, did you see any common themes surface in age group or experience level?
[RR]: Being published for the first time can be a huge boost (it was for me) so we wanted to ensure that some of the pieces in each issue came from writers who’ve never published their work before. Some of my favorite pieces in the fall issue are from people who’ve chosen PALABRITAS as the first place to share their writing.
After we closed our submissions, we de-identified every piece. Once they were anonymous, we passed them along to our readers who got to give both quantitative and qualitative feedback on the pieces on things like clarity and originality. After each round of reading, we talked specifically about the pieces that stuck out to us most and those we were uncertain about. It was a difficult process, but we narrowed it down to a number of pieces that were realistic for a journal of this length. It’s a tough process, and we ended up having to pass on a lot of pieces we really loved because of space constraints.
It’s hard to categorize the pieces in neat lines, but I will say that the pieces in our fall issue touch on a lot of themes that have run throughout Latinx literature for decades—immigration, nostalgia for a homeland or parent’s homeland, relationship with language, identity-based struggles. But the pieces are also responding to a particular, more contemporary moment, with some of the pieces touching on the end of Temporary Protected States for Salvadorans or life in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
After we closed our submissions, we de-identified every piece. Once they were anonymous, we passed them along to our readers who got to give both quantitative and qualitative feedback on the pieces on things like clarity and originality. After each round of reading, we talked specifically about the pieces that stuck out to us most and those we were uncertain about. It was a difficult process, but we narrowed it down to a number of pieces that were realistic for a journal of this length. It’s a tough process, and we ended up having to pass on a lot of pieces we really loved because of space constraints.
It’s hard to categorize the pieces in neat lines, but I will say that the pieces in our fall issue touch on a lot of themes that have run throughout Latinx literature for decades—immigration, nostalgia for a homeland or parent’s homeland, relationship with language, identity-based struggles. But the pieces are also responding to a particular, more contemporary moment, with some of the pieces touching on the end of Temporary Protected States for Salvadorans or life in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
[TK]: Will there be a Spring 2019 issue? What were a couple of your favorite poems/poets from the Fall issue and why?
[RR]: Yes! We are hard at work on the Spring 2019 issue. Since I’m writing a senior thesis, I’ve handed off the reigns of leadership to Josy Vera, one of our wonderful editors. She’ll be overseeing production of the Spring Issue. We’ve just closed submissions and are looking forward to reading pieces soon. We’re aiming for publication of the Spring issue in early April.
I loved a ton of the pieces in the fall issue. Salvadoran visual artist Óscar Moisés Díaz has a poem called “Home Movie March 21st, 2001” that they wrote after the Trump administration announced the end of Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans. The poem is stunning, both visually on the page and in its language, and it’s hard to believe it’s the first poem they’ve ever published.
My favorite short story is Melisa Santizo’s “Los Colores de Mi Pueblo.” The dialogue in the short story is so incredibly moving, and I love how she builds a setting that is so situated in a Latin American context, though that fact is never stated explicitly. It’s such a great read.
I loved a ton of the pieces in the fall issue. Salvadoran visual artist Óscar Moisés Díaz has a poem called “Home Movie March 21st, 2001” that they wrote after the Trump administration announced the end of Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans. The poem is stunning, both visually on the page and in its language, and it’s hard to believe it’s the first poem they’ve ever published.
My favorite short story is Melisa Santizo’s “Los Colores de Mi Pueblo.” The dialogue in the short story is so incredibly moving, and I love how she builds a setting that is so situated in a Latin American context, though that fact is never stated explicitly. It’s such a great read.
[TK]: What works intrigued you in the second submission round for the spring issue, and can you see broader thematic shifts between the two issues in response to contemporary moments, even within the space of the academic year?
[RR]: From this issue, I'm very excited about Patricia Triguero's fiction. She has a wonderful short story being published in the spring issue, and I'm particularly happy she submitted and that our editors selected her piece since I got to meet her in El Salvador this summer. There's a lot of really awesome work being done in literature and publishing in El Salvador, and Paty is one of the people who has been involved with that scene. I'm happy we get to showcase a bit of that in PALABRITAS.
[TK]: Now that you have decided to pursue an MFA, how has your perspective on your legacy of Palabritas changed? Perhaps comment on whether Palabritas has influenced your decision to pursue a career in creative writing, in lieu of entering the private sector, if you feel comfortable.
[RR]: As far as my next steps, I'll be starting an MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the fall. I definitely credit PALABRITAS for giving me confidence in pursuing my writing. The outpouring of support for the magazine, from readers, contributors, and people who have submitted, has reminded me of the need to continue investing in Latinx literature. I am holding onto that as I move forward to work on my own craft. I don't know how my MFA acceptance figures into the magazine's legacy, but I do know that PALABRITAS has been part of my development as a writer. I hope it can be that for other people moving forward.
Get your copy of the Spring 2019 issue at:
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Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants and a recent graduate of Harvard College where he studied History & Literature. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The Florida Review Online, Strange Horizons, The Harvard Crimson, and other publications. He will be a MFA candidate in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the fall.
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