The New Engine/La máquina nueva

Author/Illustrator Interview:

How did the idea for this story come about?
I wanted to do a story about my father and myself. He worked for the railroad for 37 years. I've also had dreams about trains for many years and somehow made a connection between my father and the train dreams.

What does The New Engine/La máquina nueva signify in your writing career?
Well actually getting a book published was something I fantasized about for many years. I feel lucky to have gotten it published. I know how hard it is to make a book and then actually find someone to publish it. There are lots of people out there trying to do the same thing with no success. The illustrations in the book are very instrumental in the story.

Does it take more time and effort to complete these than the written text or are they about the same?
They are both equally difficult and time consuming. I work as a public school educator and have a hard time producing books during the school year because I'm too busy and tired from work. This summer I plan on spending much time working on new books. Recently, there seems to be a lot of opportunity happening for Hispanic children's literature.

Is publishing bilingual children's books a priority for you as an author in the Southwest? If so, how does this impact the community?
Yes, I think we need more English/Spanish books for young people because there's so much Spanish being spoken in the Southwest. There are so many Hispanic stories to be told and yet to be published. Schools are really in need of juvenile Hispanic literature.

Finally, do you plan to continue writing picture books, which focus on the Southwest region, maybe Tucson specifically?
Yes, I'm into regionalism--relating stories about my environment and the people here in the Southwest. I would love to complete and publish more ideas for stories I've got in my head. I only hope the publishing industry becomes more accessible to unknown writers and illustrators here in the Southwest. I hope the Internet plays a role in democratizing the publishing industry and getting it out of the hands of corporation types in NYC (just like what it's doing to music and the entrenched music industry through the MP3 technology).

This interview was conducted in May 2002.

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