Q&A with Robert Joe Stout

Robert Joe Stout's books include Hidden Dangers, an examination of Mexico-U.S. relations and the conflicts they've generated including drug commerce and immigration. Two volumes of poetry have appeared recently, Monkey Screams from FutureCycle Press which includes poems from Vietnam, Mid-America and Mexico, and A Perfect Throw. A new novel, Where Gringos Don't Belong, narrates the challenges faced by a young American and his novia in strife-torn southern Mexico. Previous novel are Running Out the Hurt (available on Kindle) and Miss Sally. Nonfiction books still in print: Why Immigrants Come to America and The Blood of the Serpent: Mexican Lives.
An acknowledged baseball aficionado and the father of five children, he currently lives in Oaxaca, Mexico. His essays, commentaries, short fiction and poetry regularly appear in literary and commercial magazines and journals.

Where Gringos Don't Belong: Early in the evening of November 25, 2006, George Bynum, the protagonist of Where Gringos Don't Belong, leaves his Mexican novia Patricia among anti-government protest marchers in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico and returns to his apartment to finish a report for his employers, the Rural Development through Education Center. Before he can finish, his cell phone rings. "They're attacking! Killing..! They won't...stop!" Patricia's voice rings in his ears. He rushes out, hoping to find her, but blinded by teargas from a federal police assault trips and has to be helped to safety. He and several others, including a young woman named Claudi Auscher, make their way back to George's apartment. Claudi, who defines herself as "a Mexican Jew gypsy bitch rebel" joins George in his efforts to reestablish contact with Patricia, who has been flown to a maximum security prison along with other innocent victims of the militarized purge. George and Claudi are fictional characters but the events in which they've become embroiled are based on the actual political and social upheavals that reverberated through Oaxaca from November 2006 through April 2007.

1.   What inspired you to write Where Gringos Don't Belong?

I came to Oaxaca as a freelance journalist during the violent repression of a teachers’ union-led protest and witnessed tear gas attacks, military interventions and indiscriminate arrests and wanted to do something more than journalist reports and essays.

 

2.   Can you please describe the relationship between Claudia and Jorge?

They were thrown together by a police assault and become involved in seeking the release of and aiding those arrested, an involvement complicated by Jorge’s novia being among those imprisoned. Jorge’s loyalty and feelings of guilt collide with the attraction he feels for Claudia and she for him, creating frustration, tension while simultaneously deepening the feelings for each other.

 

3.   What are some of the main issues that you explore in this book and why did you explore them?

Conflicts like the repression of protests or war deeply affect everyone, not just participants, altering lives, allegiances, values. I experienced this in Oaxaca and wanted to put a human face on it, deal with it from the point of view of persons thrust inadvertently into a maelstrom of events that they had no way to anticipate.

 

4.   What was the development process like when writing this book?

Creating characters means living with those characters, becoming them in a sense, letting them grow, letting them deal with their circumstances logically and emotionally. I began knowing what I wanted to achieve but the personalities developed as the first events described led to others that I hadn’t planned ahead of time.

 

5.   What do you hope readers will gain from your book?

An awareness of how violent confrontations change the lives and values of those who become involved willingly or unwillingly and how emotions—love, anger, frustration—respond to the challenges and changes.

 

6.   What do you like best and what do you like least about being a writer?

Writing—creating—is both a search and a process of discovery, a process that provides a great of satisfaction. As with many professions one gets caught up in frustrating details—editors, finances, deadlines, misunderstandings—that one has to deal with but the writing process itself is wonderful. 

 

7.   Who are some of your favorite authors?

D. H. Lawrence, Wallace Stegner, Richard Wright, Dostoevskii, Hannah Arendt, Simone de Beauvoir.

 

8.   If your book would be turned into a movie, who would you imagine playing the part of the main character? (Actor can be ANYONE, living or dead.)

An American equivalent of Tom Courtenay? Or young Johnny Depp.

 

9.   Are you working on anything right now?

By profession I’m a journalist as well as a novelist and poet and I always have a variety of things I’m working on. I publish a lot of political and social commentary and have a new book of poems, Monkey Screams, that’s just been released.

 

10.And, finally, what do you think is in store for the future of Latino literature?

Greater distribution in translation, particularly of contemporary writers whose political and cultural perceptions are creating excellent novels, nonfiction narratives and cinema and who have limited followings even in their home countries.

 

Review: WHO’S JU? by Dania Ramos

Justina ‘Ju’ Feliciano and her fellow seventh-grade sleuths are on the case! A sneaky vandal has damaged scenery from the middle school drama club production and the newbie detectives must catch the culprit before opening night.

But Ju faces a completely different kind of mystery when a genetics assignment forces her to investigate the cold hard fact that her frizzy blonde hair and amber eyes don’t match the shades of brown that run in her family. This is one case she wishes she didn’t have to solve. Only there’s no escaping the Blueprint of Life Project, so Ju searches the attic for family documents she needs to complete her schoolwork. Instead, she discovers strange clues that make her wonder if her parents are keeping a huge secret.

Ju’s amateur sleuthing and a confrontation with her parents finally lead to the cold hard facts about her past. And even though her life changes forever, she’s still the same mystery-loving girl she’s always been.

Reviewed by: Celia

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Justina (or “Ju”), a precocious 7^th grader with a crafty mind. With her two friends, she joins a club for young sleuths that meet once a week and solves mysteries throughout the school. The mystery: Who vandalized the school? Clues are splayed throughout the book as Ju tries to put the pieces together while, at the same time, contending with school work and family obligations. Of course, the greatest mystery of all concerns her own DNA. Who is Ju, indeed?

Characters and language are amusing and simply rendered specifically for targeted audience. Certain areas lagged a bit with superfluous, childish banter, which would be relatable for today’s youth; however, I felt that some of it didn’t really push the story forward. I enjoyed the inquisitive collaboration of the little detectives. It almost reminded me of those cryptic mysteries on Where on Earth is Carmen San Diego? In fact, Ju is a regular “Harriet, the Spy.” She’s reserved but also daring. Kids would surely like her.

Overall, I thought the book was well-written and easy to relate.  

Smart and fun, this book would be a good read for any pre-teen youngster.

Q&A with Dania Ramos

Dania Ramos is an award-winning playwright whose plays have received productions and readings at professional theaters in New Jersey and New York City. As a teaching artist, she's helped children of all backgrounds share their stories through creative writing and theatre. She lives in northeastern New Jersey with her husband.

WHO'S JU: Justina ‘Ju’ Feliciano and her fellow seventh-grade sleuths are on the case! A sneaky vandal has damaged scenery from the middle school drama club production and the newbie detectives must catch the culprit before opening night.

But Ju faces a completely different kind of mystery when a genetics assignment forces her to investigate the cold hard fact that her frizzy blonde hair and amber eyes don’t match the shades of brown that run in her family. This is one case she wishes she didn’t have to solve. Only there’s no escaping the Blueprint of Life Project, so Ju searches the attic for family documents she needs to complete her schoolwork. Instead, she discovers strange clues that make her wonder if her parents are keeping a huge secret.

Ju’s amateur sleuthing and a confrontation with her parents finally lead to the cold hard facts about her past. And even though her life changes forever, she’s still the same mystery-loving girl she’s always been.

1.      What inspired you to write Who’s Ju?

When I started writing Who’s Ju I was working as a teaching artist, leading residencies in creative writing and theatre for middle school students. I was spending a good deal of time around pre-teens and they were the inspiration for some of the characters and events in the story. Those middle school years are truly a time of finding where you fit in and I think the novel reflects that journey of self-discovery. I also had a ton of fun writing the backstage drama case, which came from my love of whodunit mysteries.

2.      What was the development process like?

The first few drafts of Who’s Ju were completed during graduate school under the guidance of two excellent mentors. I’ve also had some great critique partners over the course of several rewrites (spanning eight years!) Outside feedback was crucial throughout the revision process. A few times I let the manuscript sit for several months so I could work on other projects. I’m a big fan of taking time away from a piece of writing. It’s easier to spot changes that need to be made once you come back with fresh eyes.

 

3.      Did you relate to the main character, Ju, in any way? If so, what?

Ju has movie nights with Papi and, like her, I also used to watch classic films with my father. My favorites were the Sherlock Holmes mysteries starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I also remember being terrified to fall asleep after seeing the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. To this day, I have a fondness for so many of those old movies my father introduced me to.

Another thing I share with Ju is that we were both born and raised in northeastern New Jersey. Her fictional hometown, Dolton, is based on a combination of a few different communities in my area.

And I can relate to Ju wanting to become a sleuth! Although it never went past a daydream for me, I think Ju could be a detective one day.

 

4.      What are some of the main issues that you explore in this book and why did you explore them?

Identity and trust are both explored throughout the novel. Ju starts off thinking she knows her place within her family and at school. But she’s soon forced to question who she is and what defines her. At home, Ju faces a lingering doubt when she suspects that her parents might be keeping a secret from her. She also comes to recognize the importance of loyalty when her friendship with Ig is in jeopardy.

Identity, trust, family, doubt, loyalty—these are universal and lifelong issues that children must navigate to figure out how they want to exist in the world. I felt it was important to tackle them in an honest, real way that kids could relate to.

 

5.      What do you hope readers will gain from your book?

I hope my readers recognize how social labels can be tricky—sometimes they are useful or a source of pride, other times, they’re limiting. I also hope readers understand that there are things that defy categorization—they simply are what they are—often those are the truest and most important aspects in life.

 

6.      What do you like best and what do you like least about being a writer?

I love being able to share the wild stories in my head…and there are a lot of them! I’m not a fan of writing the dreaded synopsis.

 

7.      Who are some of your favorite authors?

Julia Alvarez, John Irving, Junot Diaz, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Judy Blume…and few playwrights: Jose Rivera, August Wilson, Henrik Ibsen.

 

8.      If your book would be turned into a movie, who would you imagine playing the part of the main character? (Actor can be ANYONE, living or dead.)

Fatima Ptacek would make an excellent Ju. She was featured in the indie film, Tio Papi and is the current voice of Dora in Dora the Explorer and Dora and Friends: Into the City!

 

9.      Are you working on anything right now?

I’m currently working on book two of the Seventh-Grade Sleuths series. It’s told from Ig’s point of view and incorporates his love of astronomy. I’m also revising a young adult fantasy novel and a horror short story, both set in Puerto Rico.

 

10.  And, finally, what do you think is in store for the future of Latino literature?

My hope is that we’ll see more narratives that reflect our various cultures and backgrounds—indigenous folklore, the immigrant experience, tales rooted in Africa and Europe, stories of people born and raised in the states—they all deserve to be heard and passed on to future generations. I also hope the day comes when our voices are considered part of mainstream society and not separated out on bookstore shelves. Latinos are woven into the fabric of American life and it’s time for literature and other forms of storytelling to reflect this.

Up next: A review of Who's Ju?