The speaker shares their journey from attempting to write children's books to finding success in poetry. They discuss the influence of their Mexican heritage and marriage to an anthropologist on their work, leading to a unique haiku book about indigenous foods. The speaker emphasizes the importance of multicultural literature, advocating for diverse representation to reflect the rich plurality of the United States. They highlight the profound impact of seeing oneself in literature and the power of books to validate diverse experiences.

What initially inspired the author to start writing children's books?

• Reading books to her children

• A writing contest

• A suggestion from a friend

• Her own childhood experiences

What was the author's reaction to the initial rejections of her children's book manuscripts?

• She switched to writing novels

• She immediately tried again

• She stopped writing children's books for a while

• She decided to self-publish

What genre did the author find success in after facing rejections in children's literature?

• Science fiction

• Poetry for adults

• Historical fiction

• Biographies

What encouraged the author to return to writing children's books?

• Winning a poetry award

• A friend's suggestion after her poetry success

• Her children's encouragement

• A new publishing opportunity

What is the author's favorite genre to write?

• Prose

• Non-fiction

• Drama

• Poetry

How does the author's cultural background influence her writing?

• It leads her to write only in Spanish

• It inspires her to write about indigenous culture and cuisine

• It doesn't influence her writing

• It makes her focus on urban settings

What unique idea did the author explore in her book of haiku?

• Haiku about famous people

• Haiku about seasons

• Haiku about foods of the Americas

• Haiku about animals

Who collaborated with the author on her haiku book?

• A famous chef

• A renowned poet

• A well-known historian

• An amazing illustrator

Why does the author believe the term 'Multicultural' became important in literature?

• To create a new genre

• To focus on historical events

• To reflect the diversity of American children

• To sell more books

What does the author suggest about the impact of not seeing oneself in literature?

• It can lead to a lack of self-worth

• It encourages creativity

• It makes reading more challenging

• It has no impact