Tiffany Gonzalez 10/13/20 Tiffany Gonzalez 10/13/20

Sip, Swap & Read

Throughout the years, I have acquired many books. Though I’m picky about the books that I keep on my bookshelf. I’m not a fan of keeping books that don’t leave any sort of impact on me, well because what’s the point? For the most part, I would take my ‘retired’ books to either Good Will, leave them on the ‘Free Book Shelf‘ at my previous job, or give out books that I know would resonate better with someone else that I know. However, now with COVID, the lack of daily social activities and starting a new job, my pile has just been increasing and occupying space that I simply just don’t have.

Throughout the years, I have acquired many books. Though I’m picky about the books that I keep on my bookshelf. I’m not a fan of keeping books that don’t leave any sort of impact on me, well because what’s the point? For the most part, I would take my ‘retired’ books to either Good Will, leave them on the ‘Free Book Shelf‘ at my previous job, or give out books that I know would resonate better with someone else that I know. However, now with COVID, the lack of daily social activities and starting a new job, my pile has just been increasing and occupying space that I simply just don’t have.

I needed to do something about these books ASAP. I also wanted to see if I could do something fun and safe for my friends, and myself as well. I figured that combining the two ideas would be great, and after some quick brainstorming Sip, Swap & Read: Book Swap was born. It would be a brunch and a book swap, all in one. The concept gave me so much joy! I wanted to invite so many people, but sadly I could only do 10-13, due to space and safety reasons.

BOOK SWAP BREAKDOWN

I created a circle using the chairs in my backyard, while making sure that they had ample space between them.
In the middle of the circle, I had a long rectangular table where I placed all of the books that I had. I separated the books by genre/category as best as I could. (This was to make it easier for people to search through the books that best interested them. i.e. Fiction vs. Non-fiction.
Due to the weather (it was very windy,) I had to keep the food inside. Eventually, the drinks ended up being transferred to the outside, so people could easily get themselves a refill, without us needing to pause the event.
Each attendee was required to bring a book(s) that they felt comfortable giving up as well as an item that could be added to the brunch menu.
The books that were brought were to be placed on the book table with the rest of the titles. This is when attendees would take the opportunity to browse through all of the books, so that when the swap began they knew what they wanted.
In order for everyone to have a fair shot at getting the books that they wanted, I created a game that involved choosing a piece of paper from a bowl, which contained a number and a question. The number determined when each person would go through the book pile (chronological order.)
After everyone went once, it was a free for all.

It was an amazing experience. My friends were able to leave with an assortment of books and with a huge smile on their faces. I was also able to get rid of a ton of books, which no longer served me. I recommend book swaps to all of my fellow readers. This is a great way to update your bookshelves, while spending a great time with friends.

Tiffany Gonzalez 8/22/20 Tiffany Gonzalez 8/22/20

My Journey With Books

I never thought that I would end up having a career in Publishing. Honestly, I don’t think that the possibility ever crossed my mind. Like many, I never contemplated the book making process; books were just there. I guess I held books as being a part of a magical world, and lets be real, they pretty much are. Books are filled with pages that link us to stories that take us away from our current realities or draw us a path to information and insight that we further wish to explore. Books entice emotions before, during and after the reading journey: mystery, excitement, joy, sadness, bewilderment, fear. Books challenge us and deep down, I believe that I always knew this.

*“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” —*
*Maya Angelou*

I remember always being drawn by books. I was obsessed with the Scholastic book fairs, remember those? It was imperative that I always bought at least one book. I would never forget one particular title, El Sancocho del Sabado By Leyla Torres. I was drawn by the familiarity of eating Sancocho and also watching my grandmother make it. I felt excitement, not only in finding myself in the story, but also finding comfort in Spanish words. I genuinely attribute this book to helping me continue my Spanish reading efforts and fortifying my bilingual skills. — The Scholastic book fairs were my gateway to discovering the thrill of Barnes and Nobles. Barnes and Nobles was a place where I could get lost in, for hours. I would walk through the isles, pick up a book, and read the cover copies (the cover contents.) I was fascinated by getting lost, for a few minutes, in a variety of plot lines. I would always leave with, at least, one book. Though my visits weren’t as frequent as I hoped for, there was a passion there that I wasn’t fully aware of.

In college, my life was consumed by school work, a buzzing social life and starting to build my professional career with internships; meaning that I barely had any time to read anything that wasn’t assigned to me by a professor. It wasn’t until 2016, after I graduated college and found myself in the Publishing industry, that I started rediscovering my lost love for books. I like to think that it was fate because when I found the job posting, I already had gone to about five other job interviews. The most ironic part of it all was that my previous place of employment, which I hated, prepared me for the job. Needless to say, I went into that interview very confident. I was sure that I was qualified and more than ready for the challenge that lay ahead, in an industry that was new and mysterious to me.

My journey in Publishing, thus far, has been one filled with enriching challenges, the acquiring of many new skills and most importantly, it has been the path that has let me back into the pages of books; falling in love again with what written stories have to offer. — There’s something enchanting about holding a book that you helped bring into fruition. Apart from the bookclub that I joined at work, that enchantment was one of the motivators for me to read more. I became curious about what laid beyond the cover copy; about how the words came together to bring about the stories. This not only improved my reading tremendously, but grew my library! I now have this goal of one day owning a library that can fill up an entire big wall!

I’m excited because my journey with books and Publishing has merely just begun. Publishing is a passionate industry filled with possibilities and many areas for professional growth. It’s an industry fueled by creativity and kept alive by voices wanting to be heard. If there’s one lesson that I’ve learned from my path is that there’s a story inside all of us. Ultimately, it’s up to us to unfold that story and see where it will lead us.

Tiffany Gonzalez 6/18/20 Tiffany Gonzalez 6/18/20

My Journey In Blackness

If you're not somewhat awake right now, then I suggest that you take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself, why? The live murder of George Floyd has sent out an electric shock to many individuals, causing us to wake-up from the ways in which we have been functioning, for decades. We all have our stories of how we were shaped into who we are, today. Many have been blinded by their privilege; benefiting from its glory, others aware of their privilege, but unsure as to what it means; some are born into an oppressive system, others assimilate to the injustices in their societies, most likely causing a variety of continuous external and internal battles, and there are those that are completely lost; struggling with their racial/and or ethnic identity.

If you're not somewhat awake right now, then I suggest that you take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself, why? The live murder of George Floyd has sent out an electric shock to many individuals, causing us to wake-up from the ways in which we have been functioning, for decades. We all have our stories of how we were shaped into who we are, today. Many have been blinded by their privilege; benefiting from its glory, others aware of their privilege, but unsure as to what it means; some are born into an oppressive system, others assimilate to the injustices in their societies, most likely causing a variety of continuous external and internal battles, and there are those that are completely lost; struggling with their racial/and or ethnic identity. I can sit here and list all of the possible examples of the ways in which individuals have been living their lives, but those aren't my stories to tell. One thing is certain, amongst the uncertainty, and that is that we all have a voice and the means to share our stories, weather it is to try and be understood, seek clarity and hope, educate, document or simply be heard, whatever the case may be, this is the time to use our voices.

I'll start by admitting that I have been very fortunate in life. I have been blessed with a loving and caring family, I've always had a place to call home with food on the table, and I've had the opportunity to seek and complete higher education. At the end of the day, I go to bed feeling supported, loved and safe, despite what the world may throw at me. However, I am a Black Dominican-American woman, an Afro-Latina. I realize, now, that I have been trying to figure out what that means for a very long time. The first time that I felt like an 'other' was when I was 5-years old. I noticed that the prettiest girl in class had a much lighter complexion than mine, and bright hazel eyes. Till this day, I remember her name. All the boys liked her, and I couldn't help but wish that I were as pretty as she was. At the same time, I also noticed that my only friend, who was Dominican, also had dark skin. I internalized this knowledge and kept it moving.

Growing up, I had to keep flattening my nose, so it 'wouldn't grow wider.' My curls eventually became 'too much,' so my hair was relaxed, and I got to the point that if I saw one strand of baby hair act up, I would literally freak out and request a blow-out. I saw very little of myself in television and in books that it became very clear that I was the anomaly in the equation. So, like many Black girls at the time, I became obsessed with making sure that I conformed as best as I could to societies euro-centric beauty norms. Let me tell you, it's very exhausting when you don't have many of those features and it's practically impossible to fit those norms; thick thighs and big booties did not become a thing, until recently.

It wasn't until I moved to New Jersey, from New York City, that I truly became aware of race and ethnicity. In New Jersey, I started understanding what was 'privilege.' Though you could be black and very fortunate, you could never be black and privileged. My first day of high school was also the first day that I ever stepped foot into a room full of white individuals. I felt very uncomfortable and bizarre. I internalized that feeling and kept it moving. This period of my life helped me embrace my Latinidad, but also taught me to always be alert, cautious, and uncomfortable in white spaces. That has not changed, till this day. In high school, I learned that to be white, or to be a Latina with euro-centric features, meant to have the upper hand. Nonetheless, high school taught me determination and relentlessness. Ironically and unconsciously, I learned that I would always have to work twice as hard and prove people wrong.

In college I became alive. I understood that I was Black, and it was freeing. Though sometimes it did pain me, and I wished that I wasn't. Let me explain, for those who might be confused. In New York, I understood that I was an 'other,' along with many of my classmates. It all made sense, in a way. In high school, I started to understand what it meant to be Dominican. It was fun. I spoke Spanish outside of my home, even more than usual. I embraced my culture and everything that it offered. I absolutely loved being Dominican and everything it represented, even if it meant that society deemed me 'different,' if you asked me, it was better than not having that sazón in my life. Then when I got to college, it became clear that I was not only Dominican, but that I was also Black. I felt drawn towards Black culture and everything that it was offering me. I felt a welcoming that I didn't feel in the Latinx community. I felt pretty again. Being Black and Latinx just didn't seem to be a 'thing.' There were many times that I felt less than and/or like something was off, when I was around the Latinx community, but again it was something that I just continued to internalize. Ultimately, I ended up creating my own world. I joined a Latinx based Sorority, where I was able to embrace my culture, and share those Latinx vibes, but spent most of my time in the Black community, where I felt more myself.

After I graduated, ironically, the Black Latinx culture started to rise. I started to see a bigger Black presence in the Latinx community that I honestly, didn't know existed. It just goes to show how deep in our own bubbles we can be. When I found out that there were Black Colombians, Ecuadorians and Mexicans, I was in complete shock! Were they hiding?! (I'll admit that I mainly stuck to French history for most of my academic life.) It was something beautiful to learn, though. I started embracing my Blackness, even more. I stopped relaxing my hair; I started accepting my body and started getting angry. This meant that more people wanted to: touch my hair, ask me where I was from, question why I was "darker than most Dominicans," and some even went as far as double-checking with me that I wasn't from Haiti, the list is insufferable. I started paying more attention to the looks I would get in white spaces, and I also paid more attention to how I was treated by other Dominicans. This time I didn't internalize it, I just kept opening my eyes and kept it moving.

In the wake of the George Floyd's murder, and the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement, everything that I have internalized, throughout the years, has awoken inside of me. It has been years of struggling with who I am and how I look; years of always trying twice as hard, and I am officially tired. I am tired of being belittled here, there and everywhere. If you're Black, well then you're a problem. If you're Latinx, well you're also a problem. If you're a woman, oh no, now, you're a nuisance. If you're born in America, you simply just don't belong; if you go back to your home country, you also don't belong. Where does it end? When/where does acceptance begin? It's exhausting always being on alert, always feeling uncomfortable, always watching if you're being 'appropriate,' always feeling like you are out of place.

This is where it starts. It starts with sharing our stories. We have to start listening to one another. Start understanding our paths and what has led us to where we are, today. We must work together, in order to pave the way and create a better future for those coming after us. My fellow white folks, (Latinx folks included) this does not mean apologize to your Black friends or to sympathize with their journey, it simply means to join our fight, in spreading awareness, and in building something better. Also, share your stories too; have those difficult conversations and find the common ground, but don't stay silent because that's when you're complicit. Don't be afraid of taking action because that's also remaining complicit. Action can mean many things; do your research. There's no excuse. The time is now.