American Dirt

 Lisa discusses the book American Dirt by American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. This book delves into a mother and son’s journey to escape the cartel and flee to the U.S. as an illegal immigrant.  This book has caused many people to look at immigration very differently but it’s also been controversial because Cummins is a white writer and isn’t Hispanic. Myriam Gurba writes an amazing take-down of the book criticizing the characters saying they are stereotypes that she says are highlighted in the book.  Writer Roxanne Gay says in this piece in Medium that the publisher’s dinner in celebration of the book had centerpieces with small concrete walls wrapped with barbed wire was “callous display” and “aestheticizing trauma.” This piece calls American Dirt trauma porn and The Guardian delves into the responses from Latinix writers.  In this piece, The Long Shadow of American Dirt, a New York Times writer reflects on The American Dirt “debacle” three years later. The piece talks about self-censorship.  Books Discussed:Salito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli  Children of the Land: A Memoir by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo  Where We Come From by Oscar Casares  Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester  Other publications have come up with lists of books to read as well. UST Today has a list of books here. The Texas Observer also offers up 17 great books.For more information, find Lisa on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and her website. *The book titles mentioned include affiliate links. You can support the podcast by purchasing a book with the links because the podcast receives Psst! The Folium Diary has something it wants to tell you - please come a little closer...YOU can change the world - you do it every day. Let's change it for the better, together.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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