Covering The Coverage: What Does A Cuban Author Look Like?
7 June 2009, 10:36 AM. By Alex Alvarez
Cristy C. Road (a clever play on her birth name, Cristina Carrera) has tattoos and facial piercings. She fronts a punk band, the Homewreckers, she’s an artist and she’s queer. So, obviously, it’s slightly ridiculous that she’d count herself among the Isabel Allendes and Julia Alvarezes of the world, no?
Well, as it turns out, the answer to that is somewhat complicated. Writes the NY Daily News:
With her tattooed chest, facial piercings and resemblance to a 1950s pinup girl, Cristy C. Road doesn’t exactly look the part of the Latina author.
But the 26-year-old Cuban-American writer has been publishing for 12 years. Since 2006, the Brooklyn resident has released three books with her own Caribbean-spiced blend of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.
And while our immediate reaction was “What the hell do you mean she doessn’t ‘exactly look the part,’ you plastas de mierda!” we concede that, on some level, this is true. In fact, it’s not unfair to say that Cristy C. Road doesn’t look like an author to begin with if your point of comparison happens to be American, Latin American and European men with furrowed brows and impressive facial hair as opposed to sculpted eyebrows and impressive facial piercings.
Cristy is different. Her voice, as a Latina, as a woman and as a person who isn’t straight, is one that isn’t often heard in mainstream literature as the narrator or protagonist.
And… thought we’ve yet to pick up her writing (though we intend to)… we’re glad this voice is out there. Because it’s nice to be able to look at words on a page that have previously only existed in our head, or in gchat complaints to friends. Says Cristy:
Three years ago, Road published her first novel, “Indestructible” (Microcosm Publishing), based on her teenage years in Miami. Coming of age in a conservative slice of South Florida provides plenty of fuel for her writing, which she peppers with musings on quinceañeras, Cuban politics and what it means to not be “Latina enough.”
“You grow up in a Cuban family and there is a certain idea of what they want their daughter to be,” says Road. “But I was weird and awkward and had a unibrow. Part of the process of reconnecting [with my culture] was writing.”
We’re especially glad that she mentioned reconnecting. Because, as much as she deviates from the norm and from the expected, Cristy’s experiences are part of Cuban culture. They’re part of Miami culture, and the culture of Cuban-American transplants to New York City.
And it’s nice to know that such a voice doesn’t only exist in our own head. Like some loca.
One thing we do wonder about when it comes to Cristy’s (or someone else’s) decision of how to market her to her intended audience, is why she decided to forgo a Cuban name in terms of a more Anglicized one. And this is where we open it up to you for discussion: Does this help normalize her image and make it easier for consumption? Because, if so, what’s punk rock about that?
Cristy C. Road, a voice for Cuban punk lit [NY Daily News]
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Iggy Pop - born James Newell Osterberg
Sid Vicious - born Simon John Ritchie
Pink - born Alecia Beth Moore
Alecia is not really a punk rocker of course. But changing your name has an honorable punk history.
I’ve read some of Cristy’s stuff. She writes English like it’s her first language (the language in which she thinks). Which probs accounts for the fact that she chose an anglicized name.
I think its obvious that not owning one’s identity, which some people might interpret changing one’s name to something more Anglicized as being a part of, is what is up for discussion as possibly not being punk. The question is not whether the act of changing one’s name in and of itself is or isn’t punk rock.
I emailed Ms Road and asked her to weigh in on what you wrote. I included the link to this post so maybe ,if we get lucky she will do it right here in the comments
She probs changed the name for the play on words with her real last name.
or maybe to stray away from the Sid vicicous’, Jonny Rottens, Iggy Pops, Jello Brafras, she decided to go the normal route because being Punk rock is being yourself, going against the “man”. so why copy whats already been done.
Also it seems that punk rock has itself has normalized, it’s not what it used to be. but thats a whole other subject (and i could go on and on about this)
she looks cool, like most young female authors do. check out Myriam Gurba, she is bomb, and Felicia Luna Lemus is amazing. They both have a distinct style that translates to both their personal appearance and their writing. Latinas shouldn’t have to wear (or write about) rebozos to be considered serious artists.
thanks for saying such kind and motivating things! i really appreciate it! i dont often respond to things written about me, they r usually poor reproductions of some PR thing that i hate. anyway, thanks. i wanted to respond, also, cause this is something I THINK ABOUT ALWAYS, but has never come up! (my name anglicized) my real names cristina carrera- cubanita de little havana miami! i dont even have an H…Basically ….cristy road is a green day song (christie road). im OBSESSED with green day. people really politicize/ analyze that, and frankly, i think maybe one day ill start using carrera instead of “c.” i dropped it when i was 12 cause it was too tied to my biological father. but whatever, my mom and sister use it and ive been embracing it more lately. However, for now, the new green day album just came out so its just not time for that transition yet………….
thanks again
-cr
*when i said ‘people really politicize/ analyze’ i meant “people” including myself! cause hey, it is the reality. its nice to talk about this for the first time in my life with other people!
-cr
Thanks for responding! You are awesome.
Edit: I also JUST realized that it was YOU who made the ‘Fuck Off & Die’ drawing I had as my Facebook image for the longest time. I’ve been a huge fan of yours for a long time without having realized it.
Don’t I get a thank you for emailing Ms Road and asking her to visit Guanabee and weigh in? (see my reply to guest above) Now I haz sad and will not make that kind of effort for you again.
However she also emailed me back directly which makes me happy.
so it’s kind of a wash
IOU one (1) beer.