Tag: memoir
-
Why did they murder my father?
My mother, Amanda, continues with her memoir–and the questions of why her father was murdered. My grandmamá Martina’s servants gossiped about my father, Pilar Reyes, and his murder. He had been the ninth of twelve children, all who lived in Berlín, the town where I was born, in the northern mountains of El Salvador. They…
-
Grandmamá Martina and Papa Polo
I was close to my grandfather, Papa Polo. He was an intelligent man, spoke English like a Brit; and he saw in me an eagerness to learn. He ordered El Tesoro de La Juventud (The Book of Knowledge), an encyclopedia of 20 volumes, just for me! He had a very serious conversation with me: I had…
-
Amanda’s Story
(The above is a photo of my mother Amanda in 1929, in El Salvador) This is my mother’s story, in her own words: I have been on an off and on merry go rounds with my writings; well, I just have to get on it for real and DO IT!! I am over ninety years…
-
Know Their Past, Know Thyself
Dear Readers of TWB, This is an essay from the archives, regarding my parents. For the next few days, my mother is going to take over. She lives with us, is ninety years old, and has been writing her life down on paper. This essay is an introduction to her world. I’ve written on the…
-
Why I’m better off living in a war zone
Three months ago I had a psychotic attack, one brought on by childhood trauma and a heavy batch of manic depression. It was horrible. My family, I put them through hell one more time. Since then, I have been writing myself out of the madness. This blog has been a place for me to think…