Mexican-American
First Language(s): Spanish
Second Language(s):
English
After earning her chemistry degree in Mexico, where she was born, Maria attended the University of Arizona’s Graduate School. She worked as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, making significant discoveries while raising three sons. She earned her MBA and co-founded a biotech company. Her stories have appeared in Typehouse and Adelaide. She lives in Myrtle Beach, SC.
What was your favorite book as a child?
Our government-issued textbooks contained abridged stories that I devoured the minute the books were distributed on the first day of school. The concept of a library was foreign in my small town. My older siblings borrowed books from friends and rented novels from a bookstore. I patiently waited for my turn to read them, but having to pay an extra fee after the two-week rental period expired, I learned to read very fast. At home, we had an encyclopedia that I loved to consult to learn facts. We also had a few books of poetry that I read over and over until I memorized most of the poems in them. Later on, in high school, I read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and I was never the same.
What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?
As a voracious reader, I often wondered where the stories I read came from. Although I had written scientific manuscripts that were published in academic journals, I never considered creative writing until a dear and wise friend suggested it after hearing me talk about my upbringing. I found this form of writing a great outlet for my feelings and it has given me a whole new lease on life.
What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?
Coming to the U.S. to attend graduate school was the beginning of my life’s greatest adventure. And I’m still experiencing it. Having to make it in a country so different from my own, without knowing the language, had its challenges, but the rewards have been so significant that at times I’ve had to pinch myself to make sure it isn’t a dream.
Do you listen to music while reading or writing?
I love classical music and I often play it at low volume in the background. Although I wouldn’t call that interference, I have found myself at times more focused on a piece I recognize than on my writing. I find that music gets my creative juices flowing. After listening to a great piece, I find myself in an exalted mood that helps me write with much more emotion.
Short Story
And Then There Were Nuns
Issue Spring '24
Supported by:
