Books

Lin-Manuel Miranda Just Recommended A Ton Of Latina Writers & The List Is Incredible

by Kerri Jarema

Playwright, rapper, director, actor, and all-around amazing Twitter user Lin-Manuel Miranda is no stranger to making book recommendations on his social media accounts. Back in August 2017 he returned from a lengthy online break with his vacation reading list, which had fans scrambling to figure out if any of the books would be adaptable to musical theater. It is, after all, now legendary that Manuel first came up with the idea for Hamilton after reading Ron Chernow's biography of the founding father on vacation. And although Manuel was quick to shut down the speculation of another play based on a book, he has not shied away from continuing to share the bookish love with his 2.1 million Twitter followers. And on Tuesday, Miranda's 38th birthday, he decided to give a gift to us all and spread that literary love specifically to Latina authors.

It was a tweet from Twitter user @NatalieInsanity in which she wrote, "I have to pitch some Hispanic Women authors/poets/playwrights to read in class today, have any suggestions?" that spurred Manuel on to share a few of his must-read Latinx women authors, and the resulting list is predictably on point.

Including luminaries of Latinx classics like The House on Mango Street author Sandra Cisneros and Like Water For Chocolate author Laura Esquivel, along with modern writers like Miranda's "neighbor" and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the book for his musical In the Heights, Miranda has created the perfect jumping off point for anyone wanting to dive into the crucial works of Latinx women writers. These women's work runs the gamut from romance to coming-of-age, cultural observations both political and personal, and so much more.

Of course, we know that promoting the work of women, especially marginalized women, has only become increasingly important in the wake of the #MeToo movement that continues to sweep through Hollywood and beyond. And it is especially influential to raise up the voices of Latinx writers in a time when our White House is choosing to degrade the experiences of Latinx and Hispanic immigrants, as well as ignore the plight of Puerto Rican citizens living on the island as they continue to struggle with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

So, now is definitely the time to get your TBR of Latinx authors sorted for 2018. You'll not only be adding some of the most celebrated literary works into your life, you'll be one step closer to building a book collection just like Lin-Manuel Miranda's—and who wouldn't want that?