On Winning the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.
Abraham Lincoln


The manuscript of my second novel, Meet Me Under the Ceiba, won first place in this year’s Chicano/Latino Literary Prize—an event sponsored by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese of the University of California in Irvine. The contest, currently in its thirty-third year, is the longest running showcase for Chicano and Latino writers in the United States.

I completed Meet Me Under the Ceiba two and a half years ago and, for reasons beyond my control, the novel had been unable to find a publisher.

During this time, as I waited—rather patiently, I might add—for something uplifting to happen with regard to the manuscript, I learned that it’s rather awkward to write, or talk, for that matter, of one’s completed but unpublished work. And that’s because I, and perhaps other writers as well, dread hearing the question most people are thinking but are too polite to express:

“If your novel is as good as you say, why hasn’t it been published?”

Because of the uncomfortable void that surrounds a work that’s in limbo, I stopped talking about Ceiba long ago, even among friends. I could always talk or write about Bernardo and the Virgin, which found its way into print; and I can always go on about my current obsession, The Saint of Santa Fe. But Meet Me Under the Ceiba had lingered around for too long, beyond the stage where discussing a completed work was still cute. So the novel became something I seldom brought up, much less wrote about.

But now, thanks to the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize, Meet Me Under the Ceiba, which had become, through lack of attention, an ugly duckling, has been recognized as a work of merit. Nothing could make me happier, and for this I am most thankful to Juan Bruce-Novoa, organizer of the contest, and Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, the judge who made the final selection.

I had mailed the manuscript to California back in May of this year. And writers, to keep our sanity, soon learn to place all submitted work out of our minds—there’s nothing more maddening that checking one’s email every day in the hope of a positive answer—and move on to other projects. That’s exactly what I did.

When October finally rolled around—the month the winner was scheduled to be announced—I initiated a ritual of lighting two candles before my image of La Virgen de Cuapa (the other “character” of Bernardo and the Virgin) to request her intercession on my behalf.

But that was the only time I reflected upon the contest as the chaos of my regular workday helped keep thoughts of the competition at bay.

Because of this, when an email appeared in my inbox on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 24, with the title “Congratulations,” and the addressee being the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize, it took a while before I fell into a delightful state of shock—that is after I read the message several times to make sure it wasn’t a hoax.

And then, with seemingly lightning speed, I was on a plane bound for California to receive the award.

In Irvine I had the pleasure of being the center of attention for a day, having exquisite hosts, and the honor of meeting, as well as having delightful conversations, with Rolando Hinojosa-Smith and Juan Bruce-Novoa—writers whose work I’ve admired for years.

At the reading the audience was most receptive, and I had an absolutely wonderful time behind the podium, reciting a small portion of a work that’s close to my heart and that now, thanks to the prize, can step out of the shadows.

And the best part?

Today, with an interested publisher, I can start talking and writing about a creation that has been kept under wraps for a long time: Meet Me Under the Ceiba.