Blogs, editorials, and more at Críticas en-us http://www.criticasmagazine.com/community/Opinion/48433.html?nid=4122 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6606944.html?nid=4122 In this issue’s cover story, Pulitzer prize-winning author Junot Díaz recounts how the library helped him discover a world he wouldn’t have known otherwise and how for him, as an immigrant child, the library was a place—and a concept—he never could have imagined. Some Hispanics, like Díaz, who was newly arrived from the Dominican Republic, will dig right in and... Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6559864.html?nid=4122 When I read a recent New York Times article about how the recession is affecting Hispanic immigrants, I wound up thinking about the book business. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6523824.html?nid=4122 As technology evolves, so does Críticas. In keeping up with the times, we’ve kicked off 2008 with a brand new look for our award-winning website, Criticasmagazine.com. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6514725.html?nid=4122 For those of us immersed in the world of Spanish-language books, regardless of which market we serve or where we are based, FIL is definitely the place to be. For U.S. book buyers in particular, it’s of interest because there you can get your hands on books that have not yet made it to the United States; for editors, it’s a place to meet authors, familiarize oneself with what is working in the rest of the Spanish-speaking book world. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6495924.html?nid=4122 Last month, Oprah Winfrey announced her book club’s next big read, Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera (El amor en los tiempos del cólera). Her selection conveniently coincides with the November release of the film version of this classic love story, originally published by Editorial Oveja Negra in 1985 and translated into English in 1988 by Knopf. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6487661.html?nid=4122 Most of the better-known literary prizes in Latin America and Spain are awarded by the major publishing houses: Premio Alfaguara, Premio Planeta, Premio La Otra Orilla, Premio Anagrama, and others. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6476292.html?nid=4122 Last month, an extraordinary event took place in Colombia: a generation of authors under 40 met in Bogotá, the so-called World Book Capital, to talk publicly together about books and literature and culture. For a literature lover like me, it was complete torture to have to read about Bogotá39 in many Latin American papers and only experience the occasion vicariously through a friend who was there. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6469151.html?nid=4122 The rumor has been buzzing for a while, but it was finally reported by a local paper, the Daily News, last month: our Librería Lectorum may soon be closing its doors. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6460949.html?nid=4122 This year’s American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, held in Washington, DC late last month, featured only a handful of Latino-related panels. Of those few, only one—which was listed with the wrong time in the schedule—addressed librarians serving Spanish speakers. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6441157.html?nid=4122 I recently had the opportunity to be a part of the scholarship selection committee for WebJunction’s new award for former participants of its Spanish Language Outreach (SLO) workshops who had implemented successful outreach activities after the event. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6439246.html?nid=4122 I always get very excited whenever another Latin American or Spanish author is “discovered” and published (in English) in the United States. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6430564.html?nid=4122 The idea of having a special day to celebrate children is nothing new for many people around the world. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6424648.html?nid=4122 Now in it’s sixth year, Críticas continues to satisfy the needs of the booksellers, librarians, publishers, and teachers who are building Spanish-language collections. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6417563.html?nid=4122 Last October, hundreds of librarians from across the country participated in the first Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC), a lively event that addressed issues relating to library services for underserved minority communities in the United States. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6408322.html?nid=4122 The beginning of a new year is always filled with resolutions and myriad wishes for a year filled with lots of love, happiness, and good health. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6401394.html?nid=4122 Last week’s wave of immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at the meatpacking giant Swift & Company, the second largest meat processor in the world, is both a disturbing example of the potential of the backlash against immigrants, and it is of questionable timing. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6383046.html?nid=4122 During the six years since I got my first job in publishing, the Spanish-language book market has grown significantly. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6383306.html?nid=4122 Going to the first Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) was inspiring. Attendees were excited, energetic, and optimistic about the event. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6373251.html?nid=4122 Last month, the New York Times reported that fewer black students enrolled in the most prestigious colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY). Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6362677.html?nid=4122 The Latino population in this country is incredibly diverse. There are first generations that have recently migrated to the States and families that have lived here for many generations. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:53 PST