No, not really. Of course, as the daughter of exiles, I have a certain understanding of the world and that informs what I write. I've seen relatives experience. It was there that I was really able to understand the universality of loss. Yes, I was there in 1997 on a reporting trip for The Orange County Register and I plan to visit again soon.
Every author wants recognition.
But I wouldn't want to be part of a trend. That's the ideal, anyway. It must have been 1993 or 1994. I went to interview the Cuban-born sculptor Tony Lopez, who is the most charming man you'll meet. And I spent a lot of time with him.