Local Hero—At Least for a Day

Every hero becomes a bore at last.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


El Conquistador, the high school paper of Balboa Academy, where I teach, published an article about me in its April issue. The acknowledgement, of course, was very flattering. And, for one day, I got to be a celebrity.

Here’s the article:

Dr. Sirias Gets Serious
By Maria Kisling

Dr. Sirias may be part of the English staff at school, but what you may not know is that he is also the author of the books Bernardo and the Virgin and Meet Me Under the Ceiba. In addition to his published books, he has helped co-write and edit other books, such as Julia Alvarez: A Critical Companion, Conversations with Rudolfo Anaya, and Tropical Town and Other Poems.

Dr. Sirias’s book, Bernardo and the Virgin, is about a man named Bernardo who witnesses a glow around the Virgin Mary, who then tells him to spread the message of peace and faith to his people. The story is based on actual events in Bernardo Martinez’s life. The story also teaches many lessons.

At the age of 11, Dr. Sirias moved to Nicaragua, where his family originated. He claims this was a significant milestone in his life.

Dr. Sirias got his doctorate in Spanish at the University of Arizona. He returned to Nicaragua in 1999 and then in 2002 moved to Panama.

He is currently working on the novel The Saint of Santa Fe. To find out more about this story, ask Dr. Sirias directly.

In Dr. Sirias’s web log, he relates that once a college professor read his composition and told him that his writing skills were so poor that he suggested he try looking for another career field in college. This comment stuck in Dr. Sirias’s mind for years, but nevertheless, he knew that he could write, and he kept doing so. Through his perseverance, he proved his skills and published his stories and novels to the world.

To read more about Dr. Sirias and his web logs, go to his website at www.silviosirias.com