Episode 24 --- Pablo Cartaya
Photo Credit: Jean Paul Mallozzi
We're back, and I couldn't be happier to have Pablo Cartaya as our guest as the show returns from hiatus. Pablos's debut novel, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, is designed for readers 10 and up, but as a somewhat mature adult I thoroughly enjoyed it. Pablo was engaging and easy to talk to. His love for Miami, his Cuban-American culture and poetry shines through. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
The novel tells the story of 13-year-old Arturo Zamora who lives in the Miami area with his Cuban-American family. Much of the family's life centers around the restaurant his grandparents began nearly 20 years ago. But now that restaurant, La Cocina de la Isla, is threatened by a developer who wants to tear it down and put up a high-rise condo. Through trying to save the restaurant, Arturo learns some important lessons about what makes a family. Along the way, he also learns a little bit about love and the Cuban poet and revolutionary figure, José Martí, as he experiences his first crush.
Interview Highlights:
Pablo reveals...
- Why he wanted to focus on the relationship between Arturo and his abuela
- How he was ready to fight for part of the dialogue to be in Spanish
- How his fascination with Shakespeare began in 7th grade
- Why he finishes every book he starts
Click here to listen to the podcast.
We have a free, signed copy of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora to give away. It will go to the first listener to tell us the name of the book Pablo is working on now. You can contact us through Facebook (just search for ReadMore podcast) or Twitter (@ReadMorePodcast) to provide the answer.
If you have won a ReadMore giveaway in the last 90 days, you're ineligible for this contest. Also, if you took Spanish with me in 8th grade from Ms. West, you're probably ineligible. ReadMore does not have a friends and family plan! But we'll always have those CMS memories.
You can also support ReadMore when you buy this book from Amazon.com using the link below: