Teresa Dovalpage

Teresa Dovalpage was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1966. She earned her BA in English literature and an MA in Spanish literature at the University of Havana, and her PhD in Latin American literature at the University of New Mexico. She is the author of twelve other works of fiction and three plays, and is the winner of the Rincón de la Victoria Award and a finalist for the Herralde Award.

Dovalpage's new book is Death Comes in through the Kitchen.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Her reply:

I just finished reading Halsey Street by Naima Coster, released early this year. It deals with family issues, particularly-mother daughter relationships, and I am fascinated by the way they are portrayed. You won’t find the idealized, always self-sacrificing, long-suffering, tamale-making Latina mother there. Mirella, the main character’s mother, is everything but. Ay, que relief! The novel also tackles big issues like poverty, gentrification, and race, but (another big sigh of relief here) without preaching. The story is nuanced with flawed, vulnerable and true-to-life characters. Will there be a second part? I hope so…

I also read Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen. I chose it because Hobbs, where I am living now, is home to a strong Mennonite community and I was curious about them. The memoir is funny, well written and very informative about the Mennonite culture. I really enjoy the list of shame-based foods!

Rereading is my guilty pleasure, an act akin to coming home. I am currently back to one of my favorites, Los amantes clandestinos (The Secret Lovers) a novel by Ana Cabrera Vivanco that spans three generations and two continents. A wonderful saga that takes place in Cataluña, Havana and Miami, this literary jewel that deserves to be translated into English soon.

Visit Teresa Dovalpage's website.

--Marshal Zeringue