Adriana De Persia Colón is an up and coming writer whose vibrant personality was necessary during this summer’s manifestations againt the Puerto Rican government. I had the pleasure of calling her a comrade in as we marched (and ate sandwiches de mezcla) and she’s still an outspoken activist, even as she also teaches English at a public university and busies herself with her graduate studies. I talked to her about the impact of our island’s government on her writing, identity not being a monolith, and Ricardo Arjona.
Seeing how much our island is in constant political turmoil (as evidenced by the protests this summer and subsequent ousting of the governor and game of hot potato with the seat of power), how do you keep yourself motivated to continue writing?
Political turmoil provides inspiration. It’s great to put real-life events into a story, to write it as part of the world’s mythology, and see how people respond to it. At the time I write this (September 2019), people in office (and the one we just made resign) are not the first ones who have said and done what they have. They’re part of a longer history, they’re just the latest manifestation.
How important is community in the writing community, especially as a marginalized creator?
Extremely. We can’t pinpoint the feeling of isolation sometimes until we finally find those who are going through the same and it’s this huge relief—like we can finally breath. However, community is important not only in terms of people, but connecting to nature. Nature carries stories; it has a lot to say.
How do you decide which ideas are worth pursuing when writing and which ones to keep in the back burner?
I am a new writer, so this answer will be a bit different than those of writers who have accumulated drafts over the years. For me, the process starts with a concept I find interesting and cool. If the concept won’t leave my mind, I pursue it. The way the back burner works for me is that I start a project but when I hit a wall, be that any wall, I put it to the side for a while to mull it over. Then I go back to it and continue writing to finish the manuscript. When I finish it, I go back and truly figure out what the story is. Finally, because I base my decisions on concepts I find intriguing, I never go, ‘I won’t write this, ever,’ but rather, ‘How can I write it in a way that works for me.’ Also, because I think of writing as an academic project I have to hand in to achieve a goal, I also see those ideas, those concepts, as a goal to achieve, which means it makes me truly commit to them.
You have free reins to collab with another Latinx creative and they’re free and on board as well, who are you picking and what are you making?
Anna-Marie McLemore. [We’ll have] a party in the middle of the woods!
How does your identity affect your writing?
My identity informs my worldview, and it reflects in everything I write, whether in choice of words, through a character, or some aspect of the world. Also, as much as I love the empowerment it brings, identity can also be limiting, especially when people have expectations of what something looks like or should look like. In a way, I try to escape identity and write about anything and everything, because I don’t want to be pinned down/reduced to one single narrative, even we claim the label already allows us to do that. In a way, my writing is also about escaping.
Who do you write for?
I write for fangirl me, who says to herself, ‘Wow. If you could also write a world that leaves a mark, characters that don’t leave peoples minds.’ I also write for Brown kids who dream of something more, of something better. Brown kids who want to change their circumstances—I want them to know they are powerful and can do so.
Is there a piece of media (book, TV, movie, etc) created by a Latinx that has helped shape your creativity?
Ricardo Arjona’s songs! The way he employs language is incredible. Also, novelas from Latin America that used to play on television in Puerto Rico when I was a kid sometimes inspire concepts, characters, and so forth.
Shoutout a Latinx writer or creator whom you admire!
Anything you can share about upcoming projects?
I am revising a YA novel as part of the Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellowship. There are some other projects I will submit as part of the program as well.
Adriana De Persia Colón
Adriana De Persia Colón is a 2019-2020 Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellow. She is pursuing an MA in English Education at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, where her research focuses on Caribbean re-imaginings of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.