Celebrate Hispanic heritage: read Hispanic/Latinx writers

‘… culture shapes identity and defines possibility’ and ‘teaches us who we are, what to believe, and how to dream.’

National Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us once again in the USA, and as has become my custom, I plan to devote quite a bit of my reading time to literature by people of Hispanic heritage this month.

I think it’s important to appreciate, learn from, and celebrate the contributions of cultures beyond our mainstream American culture. I agree with the words of actress, director, and producer America Ferrera, who writes in her introduction to America Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures, “culture shapes identity and defines possibility” and “teaches us who we are, what to believe, and how to dream. We should all be able to look at the world around us and see a reflection of our true lived experiences. Until then, the American story will never be complete.”

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Friday Five: ‘writer of short things’ Emily Rinkema

‘I love everything about flash fiction, as a reader and as a writer.’

On her website, Emily Rinkema introduces herself as a “writer of short things.” But if the cliche “good things come in small packages” applies to the craft of flash and micro fiction, Emily’s work exemplifies it.

Emily Rinkema

Take this gut punch of a first paragraph from “Amy’s Mom,” which took third-place honors in Frazzled Lit‘s 2025 short story contest:

After Amy’s mom drops dead, like literally drops right in her driveway, groceries spilled all around her, we sit in my basement and get high and plan what to do if ours do too. Meaning our moms. Meaning if they just drop dead.

Emily Rinkema, “Amy’s Mom”
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