Should a novel have a prologue or not? That’s one of the great debates among fiction writers these days. Some insist an effective prologue can jumpstart a story, hook a reader, or provide important background information. Others claim it slows everything down. Distracts, even detracts, from the principal plot. When I’m the reader, I confess…
“Do you believe in destiny?” Nicolás Serrano, up to his elbows in apple mash, asks halfway through my first book Destiny at Dolphin Bay. His friend Melissa has questioned his self-identification as a Chiloé islander, knowing he grew up a city boy. As she watches him make cider in an antique press, she sees him…
It’s official. For one of the few times in 210 years, Fiestas Patrias, Chile’s patriotic celebration beginning on September 18th, is canceled in our city. What only the military coup of 1973 could accomplish before, the Covid-19 pandemic has now put into effect. We won’t miss the 3-day Booze Bash, but we’ll long for the…
