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We the Interwoven: An Anthology of Bicultural Iowa
A NEW STORY OF IOWA IS READY TO BE TOLD
We the Interwoven brings us the stories of three Americans--three Iowas--whose families have found home in the heartland over the past two generations. This collection brings together a variety of genres, including nonfiction, poetry, and fiction, to represent their unique experiences and amalgamation of influences, from the coast of Azerbaijan to the border towns of Mexico to the archipelago of the Philippines. These stories reflect who they were, who they are, and who they hope to become with the help of Iowa's fields of opportunity. While the American Dream may bring to mind the quintessential white picket fence, the American experience it as unique as it is diverse.
We the Interwoven brings us the stories of three Americans--three Iowas--whose families have found home in the heartland over the past two generations. This collection brings together a variety of genres, including nonfiction, poetry, and fiction, to represent their unique experiences and amalgamation of influences, from the coast of Azerbaijan to the border towns of Mexico to the archipelago of the Philippines. These stories reflect who they were, who they are, and who they hope to become with the help of Iowa's fields of opportunity. While the American Dream may bring to mind the quintessential white picket fence, the American experience it as unique as it is diverse.
- GenresAnthologiesNonfiction
142 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 26, 2019
Growing up as an Iowan really made this collection fun. We the Interwoven presents a portrait of bicultural Iowa I’ve never seen before BUT IT NEEDS TO BE FEATURED MORE BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE VALID AND DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD! All of these writers show strengths in a variety of writing, and I hope to see their names in future publication from the Writers’ House or other publications soon.
Chuy Renteria:
“My Story About Work”-3.5 out of 5 stars: Renteria’s reflection on his relationship with working as a Mexican-American is a powerful and unflinching look at racism, stereotypes, and the heartbreaking realities those of different races face every single day at the hands of white people. I feel like some of the writing could have had more of a consistent storytelling-like quality to it, as some of it did read like a transcript, but this still is a engrossing read and very personal. The ending is both hopeful and circles the conflict right back to the start for one more question.
“Maijoma, My Sister”-3.5 out of 5 stars: This piece of both historical and realistic fiction follows a boy much like Renteria: a West Liberty-raised Mexican-American boy. However, Angel makes trips with his family back to his father’s hometown, a remote village known as Maijoma. It took me a while to get the fact that this was two journeys rolled into one. Still, this short story is a heartbreaking testament to the strain of brother-sister relationships, the painful consequences of risks, and the fleeting but captivating memories of our childhood.
Sadagat Aliyeva (and I totally screwed up her name when I made this page I AM SO SORRY):
“Two Little Cottages”-5 out of 5 stars: What a sweet tale about a boy and a girl from two cottages in town who love one another from afar! This is short and sweet and shares that love will always wait for you if you’re patient. Maybe take that big adventure if it means you’ll find what you’re looking for.
“Four Brothers”-5 out of 5 stars: This one was even cleverer than the last but just as good! Four brothers (Chatter, Toil, Battle, and Wisdom; you can probably guess what they’re like based on their names) coexist until one day the former three brothers go out into the world and cause trouble by accident. They think they’re helping, but the world dissolved into chaos until Wisdom lets the people know change must happen from the inside before it comes out in the world around them. It’s a powerful message and told in a way that kids can attach to. Plus, the illustration in this one perfectly embodies the brothers and the nature of the story (it’s also drawn by the writer, Aliyeva, which is awesome!).
“First There Was Love”-5 out of 5 stars: Wow. This was so powerful and heartbreaking before going ahead and mending the pieces of my heart back together. With another breathtaking illustration and deft language, Aliyeva tells the story of a mother and a daughter who live happily among nature before the daughter leaves on her own adventure, leaving her mother to attempt to search for her in vain. Although she grows old and crabby, once the daughter returns, love reveals it hasn’t left. It’s always been there and will never fade.
“The Moon Child”-5 out of 5 stars: Aliyeva shares this fable at the reading, and it still caught my breath on the second read. This is a truly special tale, one about a girl’s friendship with the moon and how it never leaves her, even when she leaves behind the one person in the world who treats her well. I’m about to cry just thinking about the beauty of it once more. Bravo.
Melissa Palma:
“Mi ultimo adios”-3 out of 5 stars: This was a short and sweet poem about how Filipino/Tagalog and Spanish culture blended together due to the colonial past and how that impacted the generations following.
“ORD to CID”-4 out of 5 stars: I’m not sure if this is a nonfiction piece or a fictional testament to a real life experience with an unnamed narrator. But this was very eye-opening and exposed a lot of the ugly thoughts people have when it comes to adoption, particularly in the case of white parents looking overseas and taking in kids from other cultures. Palma recognizes this guilt and realizes that no matter how startling a blended family may appear, there is love that exists.
“Filial Bonds”-4 out of 5 stars: If the writing had been a little less pretentious and the ending happier and not so tragically realistic (WHY DO ALL THE GOOD BOYS HAVE TO MOVE), I would've loved this story. But as it is, this is still a cute collection of dates a Filipina college senior has with a Chinese graduate student at the University of Iowa. I loved all the allusions to Iowa City and some of the humor at the beginning when she was considering her dates. The K-pop reference had me sobbing.
"CVA"-2.5 out of 5 stars: Unfortunately, I got lost in all the medical terms and extravagant prose. Still, the core of this story was great, a daughter coming to terms with her father’s stroke while continuing her medical school work. I also like how it ended with the father in medical school ready to propose to the wife. But I got lost in the writing choices, and I felt disconnected.
“The Woman in the Amber Room”-5 out of 5 stars: Ironically, after my mixed reactions to most of Palma’s work, the anthology ends on her strongest piece. Written in memory vignettes, Palma reflects on her experience growing up with Miss Saigon and how the representation served (and still does serve) as a double-edged sword. While Vietnamese/Asian characters are featured, it comes at the expense of awful stereotypes believed by white people. This was really enlightening and ended on a questioning note, something I really liked.
Chuy Renteria:
“My Story About Work”-3.5 out of 5 stars: Renteria’s reflection on his relationship with working as a Mexican-American is a powerful and unflinching look at racism, stereotypes, and the heartbreaking realities those of different races face every single day at the hands of white people. I feel like some of the writing could have had more of a consistent storytelling-like quality to it, as some of it did read like a transcript, but this still is a engrossing read and very personal. The ending is both hopeful and circles the conflict right back to the start for one more question.
“Maijoma, My Sister”-3.5 out of 5 stars: This piece of both historical and realistic fiction follows a boy much like Renteria: a West Liberty-raised Mexican-American boy. However, Angel makes trips with his family back to his father’s hometown, a remote village known as Maijoma. It took me a while to get the fact that this was two journeys rolled into one. Still, this short story is a heartbreaking testament to the strain of brother-sister relationships, the painful consequences of risks, and the fleeting but captivating memories of our childhood.
Sadagat Aliyeva (and I totally screwed up her name when I made this page I AM SO SORRY):
“Two Little Cottages”-5 out of 5 stars: What a sweet tale about a boy and a girl from two cottages in town who love one another from afar! This is short and sweet and shares that love will always wait for you if you’re patient. Maybe take that big adventure if it means you’ll find what you’re looking for.
“Four Brothers”-5 out of 5 stars: This one was even cleverer than the last but just as good! Four brothers (Chatter, Toil, Battle, and Wisdom; you can probably guess what they’re like based on their names) coexist until one day the former three brothers go out into the world and cause trouble by accident. They think they’re helping, but the world dissolved into chaos until Wisdom lets the people know change must happen from the inside before it comes out in the world around them. It’s a powerful message and told in a way that kids can attach to. Plus, the illustration in this one perfectly embodies the brothers and the nature of the story (it’s also drawn by the writer, Aliyeva, which is awesome!).
“First There Was Love”-5 out of 5 stars: Wow. This was so powerful and heartbreaking before going ahead and mending the pieces of my heart back together. With another breathtaking illustration and deft language, Aliyeva tells the story of a mother and a daughter who live happily among nature before the daughter leaves on her own adventure, leaving her mother to attempt to search for her in vain. Although she grows old and crabby, once the daughter returns, love reveals it hasn’t left. It’s always been there and will never fade.
“The Moon Child”-5 out of 5 stars: Aliyeva shares this fable at the reading, and it still caught my breath on the second read. This is a truly special tale, one about a girl’s friendship with the moon and how it never leaves her, even when she leaves behind the one person in the world who treats her well. I’m about to cry just thinking about the beauty of it once more. Bravo.
Melissa Palma:
“Mi ultimo adios”-3 out of 5 stars: This was a short and sweet poem about how Filipino/Tagalog and Spanish culture blended together due to the colonial past and how that impacted the generations following.
“ORD to CID”-4 out of 5 stars: I’m not sure if this is a nonfiction piece or a fictional testament to a real life experience with an unnamed narrator. But this was very eye-opening and exposed a lot of the ugly thoughts people have when it comes to adoption, particularly in the case of white parents looking overseas and taking in kids from other cultures. Palma recognizes this guilt and realizes that no matter how startling a blended family may appear, there is love that exists.
“Filial Bonds”-4 out of 5 stars: If the writing had been a little less pretentious and the ending happier and not so tragically realistic (WHY DO ALL THE GOOD BOYS HAVE TO MOVE), I would've loved this story. But as it is, this is still a cute collection of dates a Filipina college senior has with a Chinese graduate student at the University of Iowa. I loved all the allusions to Iowa City and some of the humor at the beginning when she was considering her dates. The K-pop reference had me sobbing.
"CVA"-2.5 out of 5 stars: Unfortunately, I got lost in all the medical terms and extravagant prose. Still, the core of this story was great, a daughter coming to terms with her father’s stroke while continuing her medical school work. I also like how it ended with the father in medical school ready to propose to the wife. But I got lost in the writing choices, and I felt disconnected.
“The Woman in the Amber Room”-5 out of 5 stars: Ironically, after my mixed reactions to most of Palma’s work, the anthology ends on her strongest piece. Written in memory vignettes, Palma reflects on her experience growing up with Miss Saigon and how the representation served (and still does serve) as a double-edged sword. While Vietnamese/Asian characters are featured, it comes at the expense of awful stereotypes believed by white people. This was really enlightening and ended on a questioning note, something I really liked.
August 30, 2018
As a Language Arts teacher in West Liberty, Iowa, it was amazing to see the perspective of a student (Chuy Renteria) who left West Liberty and was willing to share with the world his experiences. I couldn't put it down!
May 1, 2023
Really enjoyed this collection of stories. I loved that it was a mix of fiction and nonfiction!
December 5, 2020
Such a wonderful collection with a variety of stories, poems, and essays. I devoured it and enjoyed reading every part of it, including the foreward, artists' statements, bios and glossary. It was quick to read but I spent almost as much time pausing and reflecting after each passage. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews