BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – September is Hispanic Heritage Month and a Vermont author has two books coming out.
Ann Dávila Cardinal is the author of the middle-grade biography “Hispanic Star: Bad Bunny” and the adult novel “We Need No Wings.”
Ike Bendavid spoke with Cardinal about how her Puerto Rican roots impact her writing.
Welcome back. September is Hispanic Heritage Month and a Vermont author has two books coming out in the near future. Ann Dávila Cardinal joins us now.
Thanks for being here.
Thank you for having me.
Now, your first book comes out very soon. It’s about Bad Bunny, the most streamed artist in the world in 2021. In 2022. Tell us about that book.
Sure. It’s a Hispanic star, Bad Bunny. I co-wrote this with Claudia Rameau Edelman, who’s a civil rights activist and an amazing woman. And it’s just a biography about his life. It’s intended for middle grade audiences. And, you know, my family in Puerto Rico is like, how can you write a children’s book about Bad Bunny? Because many of his songs have language, but it’s about his life. He’s very influential. I mean, he was discovered when he was working at a supermarket. He has a great story. And so I was really excited to write this because I am a big fan and because of my Puerto Rican family. So this comes out Tuesday, September 3rd.
One of those artists that you think you might not have heard, but you definitely are for yeah. For our viewers out there. But you have a second book there. Tell us about the second book. Sure.
That’s we need no wings. And that’s an adult novel, magical realism. And it’s about a woman who actually teaches at UVM and she is having trouble getting over the death of her husband. She’s 60. And until one day she starts levitating in her Vermont garden. And she it starts to get complicated and she realizes she has to research why this is happening and ends up doing a pilgrimage to Avila, Spain. So it’s it’s about grief. It’s about personal growth. I also wanted to address the fact that people my age in aren’t really represented in the way that I see real children of the sixties. We’re a lot cooler than they present us. Of course.
Of course. Two very different books. They’re interesting. So how does your background, as both a Puerto Rican and a Vermonter, impact your writing?
You know what’s so funny is my mother, who is from Bayamon in Puerto Rico, she loved Vermont, and she said it very much reminded her of the island in the fifties. You know. I just think it’s interesting. It wasn’t as important to me when I was in New York because it was everywhere. Reggaeton is playing on the street. And so as a writer, it’s like a and I’m in Vermont, I want to bring Puerto Rico to me. And so that’s why I play Bad Bunny and I write these characters and about exploring my heritage because it’s a way of holding on to that piece of myself in a place where it’s just not. Although I’m meeting every Puerto Rican in Vermont, I swear I know them all. And Luis Guzman is a good friend who’s an amazing actor. And he’s in Vermont, of course. But it’s a beautiful, calm place to do my writing. The people are warm and friendly. I’ve been in Vermont longer than I was in New York City. And so and I go to Puerto Rico in February for a month.
So you haven’t been. In your Vermont or now?
Well, you know, I’ll never be technically a Vermonter. My husband is born and bred, so our son technically, technically is. But I’m not.
So people watching this, they’re going to want to learn more. You have some events coming up. Tell us more about those.
I do. I have some the launch for we need know wings is in Montpelier on that the actual date comes out of September 10th and that is it’s going to be the tattoo parlor because there is a by tattoo artist is a character in here and this begins in Vermont. I also have signings at Bear Pond in Stowe. This is on the Saturday before this comes out. So the seventh, Saturday the seventh. And then I’m going to be doing this one on the 21st. And so, you know, just the opportunity to meet people and sign the book. But I also have some other events that at Phenix Books and around the state so people can go to my website and find and Davila Cardinal dot com.
And we’ll have more information on our website wcax.com on where to find those and where do you get the books as well. And Dávila Cardinal, thanks for joining us and look forward to learning more about those books.
Thank you. Thanks for having me.