About the Book

Las Christmas

Twenty-five celebrated Latino writers delight and move us with their recollections of Christmas in this splendid holiday extravaganza. From Julia Alvarez's tale of how Santicló delivered a beloved uncle from political oppression to Junot Díaz's story of his own uneasy assimilation on his first Christmas in America, to Sandra Cisneros's poignant memories of her late father's holiday dinners, Las Christmas gives us true stories from writers of many traditions--memories of Christmas and Hanukkah that vividly capture the pride and pain, joy and heartbreak, that so often accompany the holidays in the Americas.

Richly illustrated and embellished with songs and poems, along with recipes for an unforgettable Christmas dinner--from traditional sweet tamales to Puerto Rican asopao (stew) and coquito (coconut eggnog)--this is an enduring treasury of Latino writing to read again and again and makes a heartwarming holiday gift.

About the Editors

Esmeralda Santiago's writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have run in newspapers like the New York Times and the Boston Globe, in magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, and Sports Illustrated, and as guest commentary on NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition. She is an active volunteer. She serves on the boards of organizations devoted to the arts and to literature, and speaks vehemently about the need to encourage and support the artistic development of young people. Her community activism was cited when she received a Girl Scouts of America National Woman of Distinction Award in March 2002 along with Alma Powell and Elizabeth Dole.

Ms. Santiago has earned a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and Honorary Doctor of Letters from Trinity University, from Pace University, from Metropolitan College and from Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez. The mother of two adult children, she lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband, filmmaker Frank Cantor. She’s currently at work on a novel.

Joie Davidow cofounded L.A. Weekly and founded L.A. Style and Sí magazines. She has served as a consultant for such organizations as Weider Publications, Los Angeles magazine and others. Her feature articles have appeared in Metropolitan Home, Town & Country, Travel Holiday, Westways, Spafinder and other publications.

She has lectured on current trends and conducted seminars at UCLA and for companies such as Benetton, Nordstrom and the Men’s Fashion Association. In 1989 she received the Liberty Hill Foundation’s Upton Sinclair award, for her role in the founding of L.A. Weekly. In 1995, she was named one of Publishing’s Most Dynamic Leaders by Folio:The Magazine for Magazine Management. She currently lives in Rome, with her Italian Greyhound, Diana.

About the Guest Interviewer

Loida Garcia-Febo is the President of Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking. She is the Assistant Coordinator of the New Americans Program and the Special Services units of Queens Library in New York. As part of Queens Library's Faces Campaign, her picture has been on the NYC buses and buses’ shelters since 2006. In 2007, she was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and she was also named an Outstanding Woman by Impremedia and El Diario/La Prensa.

Loida is the Vice Chair/ Chair Elect of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), and a member of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the ALA. She is the Secretary of the Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee of the International Federation of Libraries and Institutions (IFLA). Loida works with IFLA/New Professionals Special Interest Group which she co-established in 2004. As part of her work with IFLA, she has lectured and presented workshops, and strategize library initiatives in many countries around the globe including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Peru, South Korea, South Africa. She is also a member of  the American Indian Library Association, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Chinese American Library Association and the Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL).

The best way to know where in the Loida is and what she does is to check her YouTube channel Loida Garcia-Febo.  Her twitter name is loidagarciafebo.  Loida used to write for Criticas Magazine/ Multicultural Link and you can still find her posts on the magazine link.