En pocas palabras: Javier J. Jaspe

Washington D.C.

The 2024 National Book Festival was held in the nation’s capital at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 24, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Several programs were livestreamed, and video of all talks can be viewed online after the Festival’s conclusion.

EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/

Una lista completa de los autores que participaron en el Festival Nacional del Libro de 2024 (FNL2024) puede verse

EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/authors/

La serie que iniciamos hoy se refiere a escritores de origen latino que participaron en el FNL2024. Su objeto no consiste en realizar un análisis de su obra, sino el de publicar material encontrado en Internet relacionado con la misma y sus autores. Los textos de Internet se transcribirán en itálicas, en español o inglés, según sea el caso, con indicación de su fuente. Esta primera entrega se refiere a Pablo Cartaya. Veamos:

Pablo Cartaya

EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/authors/item/n2008058486/pablo-cartaya/

Pablo Cartaya is a Cuban American author, screenwriter, speaker and educator who has taught creative writing workshops and spoken at universities and conferences throughout the world. His work has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, on NBC and by Oprah’s Book Club. Cartaya has worked with Disney, Apple TV+ and Sesame Street on projects adapted from television series and movies. In 2021, he served as a judge for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. His latest book, the graphic novel “Curveball,” is featured at the 2024 National Book Festival. It follows a girl who spends the summer regaining a passion for baseball.

Selected Works at the Library of Congress

EN: https://www.loc.gov/search/?all=true&sb=date_desc&uf=contributor:cartaya,%20pablo

Entrevista en el FNL2024:

Pablo Cartaya and Hena Khan: Sports and Why We Love Them

Video EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival/schedule/item/webcast-11461/

Website del autor

https://www.pablocartaya.com/

Biography in the author’s Website:

EN: https://www.pablocartaya.com/about

About Pablo Cartaya

Pablo Cartaya is an internationally acclaimed author, screenwriter, speaker, and educator. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, and on Oprah’s Booklist. Pablo has worked with Disney, Apple+, and Sesame Street on projects adapted from television series and movies. In 2021, he served as a judge for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature and has taught creative writing workshops and spoken at various universities and conferences throughout the world. He calls Miami home and Cuban-American his cultura. Novels include: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, Each Tiny Spark, and the upcoming climate dystopia The Last Beekeeper. He also contributed to the collection of essays Hope Wins published in 2022. Notable Awards and Honors include: 2020 Schneider Family Book Award Honor, 2019 ALSC Notable Book, 2018 American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Honor, 2018 Audie Award Finalist, and 2018 E.B. White Read Aloud Book Award Finalist.

Biography in the Website of University of Nevada, Reno

EN: https://www.unr.edu/lake-tahoe/research-and-creative-activities/affiliated-faculty/pablo-cartaya

In 2021, Pablo served as a judge for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature, selecting a longlist, shortlist, and winner for the nation’s most prestigious literary award. Over the past decade, Pablo has facilitated approximately over one hundred and fifty writing workshops and lectures. Most have taken place at colleges, universities, libraries, and a variety of community organizations, and K-12 schools throughout the U.S., and in countries across the globe including Sweden, Canada, Jamaica, and Mexico.

Additionally, Pablo served as director of literary arts programming and community engagement at the prestigious four-star, four-diamond boutique hotel, The Betsy-South Beach. During his tenure he led the first literary festival celebrating and highlighting Latinx authors and creators; created the first hybrid literary and visual arts program for Art Basel Miami at The Betsy; helped secure seed funding and performance spaces for the first TransArt Festival in Miami, FL; created the first Writers for Young Readers authors program in Miami, FL; and received a grant for The Betsy Writer’s Room, a dedicated space in the luxury hotel to host writers and creators gratis for up to four days of residency. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of over twenty creative arts initiatives and over four hundred residencies for writers and creatives.

Novels include: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, Each Tiny Spark, and the upcoming climate dystopia The Last Beekeeper. He also contributed to the collection of essays Hope Wins published in 2022. Notable Awards and Honors include: 2020 Schneider Family Book Award Honor, 2019 ALSC Notable Book, 2018 American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Honor, 2018 Audie Award Finalist, and 2018 E.B. White Read Aloud Book Award Finalist.

Education

B.A. in Writing, Loyola Marymount University
MFA in Writing, Vermont College of Fine Arts

Reportajes/Entrevistas

Kirkus reviews

THE LAST BEEKEEPER

by Pablo Cartaya ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

An insightful, action-packed, and thought-provoking adventure.

EN: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pablo-cartaya/the-last-beekeeper/

In a dystopian future ravaged by climate change, a 12-year-old tech genius must save her community from an evil government.

Raised on her family’s strawberry farm in the Valley, Yolanda Cicerón, who has Cuban roots, aspires to become a neurolink surgeon, install computer chips in human skulls, and live in Silo, the most developed city around. But Camila, Yoly’s older sister and her guardian since their parents’ exile, can’t afford the tuition. After Yoly secretly accepts a scholarship from Silo’s Mayor Blackburn to fund her studies—against Cami’s explicit wishes—she realizes the scholarship’s terms require her to go on Retreat, a life-threatening mission in territory plagued by extreme weather disasters. Terrified, Cami finally shares secret family history that explains her mistrust of the mayor. Yoly belatedly understands that the System that purportedly keeps everyone safe from nature is actually oppressive and is spying on them. Looking for a way to pay off the scholarship and avoid the Retreat, Yoly and Cami discover a honeybee colony on their farm and recognize that the bees can pollinate fields and thereby reduce people’s dependence on Silo. But questioning and innovation are dangerous under an authoritarian regime, and when people dear to Yoly are taken away, she must fight to save them and bring down the whole corrupt System. Readers will root for Yoly, who is as kind and brave as she is smart, in this page-turning story that deals with all-too-relevant themes.

An insightful, action-packed, and thought-provoking adventure. (Fiction. 8-12)

Other Kirkus Reviews

Each Tiny Spark:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pablo-cartaya/each-tiny-spark/

Marcus Vegas Doesn’t Speak Spanish:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pablo-cartaya/marcus-vega-doesnt-speak-spanish/

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pablo-cartaya/the-epic-fail-of-arturo-zamora/

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A Review of Pablo Cartaya's Book Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish Blog Tour August 2018

Mundo de Pepita by Julie

EN: https://www.mundodepepita.com/2018/08/a-review-of-pablo-cartayas-book-marcus.html

Wednesday, August 22, 2018 in Book Reviews

I AM ALWAYS ON THE LOOK OUT FOR BOOKS ON HISPANIC THEMES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN & TEENS... each year I write a blog post with summer reading suggestions based on the many great books I find. I love having my students include these books in their reading, and I feel as a Spanish teacher, it's really important for me to plant those seeds of interest wherever and whenever I can! This year, a colleague of mine, Emily, suggested Pablo Cartaya, author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora. Particularly appealing because Cartaya's protagonists are boys (it is so challenging to find books that feature boys as the main character in this genre right now!), I was thrilled to include him in my 2018 recommendations list. (Psst! You can win a copy! After you read my review, enter OUR RAFFLE BELOW! Winner will be announced on Twitter, Thursday, Aug 23 :)

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FLASH FORWARD to the end of July- contacted by Penguin books, I was graciously sent an advanced copy of Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, set to come out in August and invited to participate in Cartaya's BLOG TOUR, a great way to get the word out about a fantastic book! A HUGE thank you to Penguin Books for this invitation! Written for young teens, Marcus Vega is perfect for middle and high school students- and adults!

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MARCUS VEGA starts out at Marcus' school in Philadelphia, and instantly pulls you into the trials and tribulations so familiar to many middle schoolers... feeling like an outcast, unsuccessfully navigating the social mores of school, being different. Oh, and having a non traditional family situation where you, as the kid, need to take on more responsibilities in order to help out. The kicker for me personally came when it was revealed that Marcus hadn't seen his father in over 10 years, and wanted desperately to know more about him.... this emotional need to know more is very, very familiar to me. My father died in a car accident three months before I born, so I've spent my entire life wanting to know more. I connected immediately with Marcus, but you will, too. He's just so real.

THE MEAT OF THE BOOK takes place in PUERTO RICO, where Marcus, his younger brother Charlie, and his mother head after Marcus is suspended for hitting a fellow student in defense of his brother, who has Down syndrome. Ostensibly to get away from the challenges of life and do a reset, the trip to Puerto Rico becomes a mission for Marcus to discover a family he didn't know he had, an island and a language that are part of his heritage but about which he knows next to nothing, and of course, his father, who is supposedly somewhere on the island. It is this process of discovery which highlights what constitutes our identity- and as much as the emotional power of Marcus' search for his father resonated with me on a very personal level, it was the evolving and burgeoning sense of identity that Marcus found that ultimately captured me as a language teacher.

Pablo Cartaya’s photo….

CARTAYA MASTERFULLY COMBINES THIS SEARCH FOR IDENTITY with vivid scenes from Puerto Rico- sounds, smells, and views that come right off the page as you are reading them. Couple this with Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout, the reader gets an immediate sense of the culture Marcus is slowly coming to know and appreciate. As a Spanish teacher, I am particularly thrilled with how accessible and tangible these cultural elements are-I imagine one of my students (a non heritage speaker) reading this book and getting an authentic taste of Puerto Rico, a key component when I am recommending a book. Cartaya skillfully highlights how these elements are part of one's identity, and how language, food, sights, sounds, memories and more are all key to who we are.

THIS IS THE PIECE I LEAVE YOU WITH, because I think this book is a fantastic read for any child, but most specifically those kiddos who straddle two worlds, whatever two those may be. I have had many students over my 25+ year teaching career who have tried to hide their home language, whether it be Spanish, Russian, Czech, Vietnamese, you name it. Marcus' journey sends a strong message to the reader that being a blend of languages and cultures is A GOOD THING.... there are so many kids who need to hear this, particularly in these times!

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Pablo Cartaya's novels explore identity, place, and the spaces in between. His debut novel about a boy standing up for his community, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, received three starred reviews. When Pablo isn't writing, he's spending time with his family or dreaming of his next visit to Puerto Rico. You can learn more about him at pablocartaya.com and follow him on Twitter @phcartaya. You can find Cartaya's books at your local book store, or through Amazon- grab it today!

:) Julie

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Another review by Mundo de Pepita by Julie:

Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya Book Review

Tuesday, August 6, 2019 in Book Reviews

EN: https://www.mundodepepita.com/2019/08/each-tiny-spark-by-pablo-cartaya-book.html

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Pablo Cartaya on Heading to the Heart of Controversy, and More

The Author of Each Tiny Spark on The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan

By The Literary Life

EN: https://lithub.com/pablo-cartaya-on-heading-to-the-heart-of-controversy-and-more/

July 26, 2019

Pablo Cartaya is an award-winning author whose books have been reviewed by The New York Times, featured in The Washington Post, received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal, as well as been among the Best Books of the Year for Amazon, Chicago Public Library, NYPL, and several state award lists. He Is the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade novels The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora (a 2018 Pura Belpre Honor Book) and Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish. His latest novel, Each Tiny Spark, debuts on the new Kokila Penguin/Random House Imprint, which focuses on publishing diverse books for children and young adults. He teaches at Sierra Nevada College’s MFA program in Writing and visits schools and colleges around the country.

Ads…

Pablo Cartaya: I go around the country and have the great privilege of being invited to a bunch of places, interestingly most of middle America.

Mitch Kaplan: You told me a great story about Boise. Tell that story.

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PC: I was in Boise, Idaho, for a “One Book, One Community” event. It was a wonderful time. Prior to my arrival, the organizer there mentioned to me, “I don’t know if you remember, but there was the Middleton School District,” which is about 45 minutes west of Boise and became infamous last Halloween for some teachers posting some offensive things about the Wall and Mexican immigrants. This gentlemen said to me, “That is not us.”

I said, “Why don’t we reach out to the superintendent there and talk to them? Let’s go over there.”

He did, and to the superintendent’s credit he said they’d love to have me over. … I didn’t want to be that close and miss the opportunity to speak to at least a few people, especially kids. I went over and am expecting being put into a tiny library and have like four kids come. However, when I get to the school, they escort me to this gigantic gymnasium. I was like, what’s going on here? There were police officers, and I was like, what did I do?

Eight buses show up, with 1,500 kids showing up for this event. … The superintendent brought every fourth and fifth grader to come hear me talk. I did my general thing about the books I write … and some of these kids, as soon as I started speaking Spanish, their eyes light up. This is at the school they were marginalized, and now I was there speaking.

Afterwards, I went to the exit as the kids were filing out and I high-five every one of them. The kids were saying, “Gracías, man. Gracías.” All these kids were thanking me for being there, and the curriculum director said that we should do this more often. I thought that it was just a great example that we have to be their advocates. We have to give ourselves the chance. If I didn’t give myself the opportunity to go out there and speak in a place where their voices were silenced, if I wouldn’t have done that, they would have missed out.

AD….

The Literary Life

Mitchell Kaplan has been a bookseller and has owned the independent bookstores Books & Books for over 35 years. Enter the Literary Life where every week you’ll hear candid conversations with Mitchell and his guests, including Dave Cullen, Min Jin Lee, Lisa Lucas, Tayari Jones, Tina Brown, and Pete Souza.

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