Tell us about Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise.Twain and Stanley Enter Paradise is a tour de force by my late husband, Oscar Hijuelos. The novel, at its core, is about the vanity of fame and the mystery of time. It showcases the transformative power of love by telling a story about the historically true friendship between Mark Twain and Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley's wife, Dorothy Tennant, acts as a pendulum between these two Victorian giants. She amplifies their personae and their passions.
As for future projects of my own, I am writing a memoir of my life with Oscar.
What scares you the most as a writer?
That I will end up caring about the critics' reviews — good or bad — when I know I should not. Reviews are just opinions, not the gospel.
Offer a favorite sentence or passage from another writer.
"In this world you must be a bit too kind in order to be kind enough."
–Pierre Carlet
Dogs, cats, budgies, or turtles?
My sister's two French bulldogs, Gabs and Pips, have stolen my heart. I adore them.
Share an interesting experience you've had with one of your readers.
Years ago, after I published the poetry collection Cool Salsa, I received a letter from an ex-gang member. He told me that my book had such a powerful influence on him that it helped him to leave his gang in New Mexico and start a whole new, healthy life. Inside the letter was a poem that he had written in response to one of the poems I included in the anthology. He shared it with me as a token of his appreciation.
What is your idea of absolute happiness?
I experienced absolute happiness with my husband whenever we were "visiting writers" at the American Academy in Rome....