Dear Bookclub,
Eschewing the memoir's setting, February's discussion of Javier Zamora's "Solito" enveloped our members in Kim's delightful environs. She reports:
"We had 6 at Bookclub on Thursday to discuss Solito. We had a lively discussion on immigration, discrimination and about the book in general. Everyone seemed to enjoy the book particularly as it was delivered through young Javier’s voice. We actually spent the majority of the evening in discussion! That tends to happen with small number of attendees. We had Mexican buffet and margaritas to follow with the Latin theme."
 |
Javier Zamora in El Salvador, not long before he began the arduous migratory journey he recalls in “Solito.” (Javier Zamora)* |
Zamora's recounting of his childhood journey from El Salvador to Arizona at the age of 9, contrasts heavily to the coming-of-age stories found in our bookclub's reading history. I was intrigued by his detailed recollections and perhaps a bit skeptical. How could he recount such detail? Therapy. Working to overcome the shame and confusion, Zamora told of his techniques in an interview with the L.A. Times:
"Dreaming, therapy, Reiki would give me an image, a detail or a sentence or name. I
would try to capture it by writing about it. That was one day, one
paragraph. A typical day, I would have therapy in the morning, then I
would try to write because it would unlock a memory.
I was also
reading “The Body Keeps the Score,” and that made me honor all the aches
that writing this book caused me. I would wake up and the left side of
my body would ache. There’s a section in the book where my left arm
hurts, and I don’t know why, and in the next paragraph, I realize that
Chino [one of the immigrants he met] has been pulling my left hand the
entire time. To this day, when I’m stressed, the left side of my body is
always where the knots begin."
For more of this interview, please enjoy:
*https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2022-09-15/javier-zamora-on-his-harrowing-journey-from-el-salvador-to-the-u-s-at-age
Zamora, poet, activist, reads the audible version of "Solita". Upon first reading my hardcover copy, the peppering of Spanish, the ¿'s, the Latin ambience charmed. Switching to audible as I chopped vegetables, I was star-struck. It was him. The little boy is now speaking. After quite a bit, the awe subsided and a mild annoyance at the cadence set in. The halting language and clipped sentences bobbed like the boat described. A thought popped into my head that this was the reading of a poet, pausing with the very intentional style, emphasizing well-chosen words. I was calmed with the concept although I don't know if this observation is true.. just my idea.
https://poets.org/poem/let-me-try-again
Kim's suggestions for an upcoming read:
"Foster" Claire Keegan
"The Circus Train" Amita Parikh
"The Marraige Portrait" Maggie O'Farrell *chosen
Up next:
Happy reading,
LK
