Interview: Diane Gonzales Bertrand
A quick glance at any book written by Diane Gonzales Bertrand shows a writer who grabs inspiration from her family life in San Antonio, Texas. She captured her experiences in her short story collection Upside Down and Backwards, in her novel The Ruiz Street Kids, and in her poetry book, The Taco Magician/El Mago de los Tacos. She is the author of ten novels for teens and a dozen bilingual picture books for children including the award-winning Uncle Chente’s Picnic, A Party for Papa Luis, and Cecilia and Miguel are Best Friends. Her books have earned awards from the International Latino Hall of Fame and Writers League of Texas. Bertrand was named a Tricentennial Poet for San Antonio in 2019. In 2022 she retired from her position as Writer-in-Residence at St. Mary’s University. Her picture book, Music Rides the Bus, is forthcoming from Piñata Books in 2027.
Little Thoughts Press: The specificity in your poem "Peppers in His Pockets" creates a beautifully tender and vivid portrait of your pápa. What advice can you offer to young or newer writers for creating a strong identity in a character even when you’re working with such limited text?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: With fewer words in a story or poem, every word has a specific job. One interesting detail has to do more work than a paragraph. I rely on a big thesaurus, searching for words until I find the right one. When I feel “stuck,” I close the computer and read a book. I learn from other authors about language, description, and building characters through details.
Read, read, read to become a better writer.
Little Thoughts Press: You’ve published a great many books for children. Can you tell us about a few that you think best capture the theme of Traditions and Rituals?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: I write from my experiences growing up in a Mexican American home. We spoke more English than Spanish, but the Mexican culture is the foundation for our family’s traditions and rituals.
My first book, Sip, Slurp, Soup, Soup/Caldo, caldo, caldo reflects the Sunday ritual during the winter months when Mom cooked a big pot of caldo. My second book, Family, Familia, tells the story of a boy who comes to the annual Gonzales/Gonzalez family reunion for the first time. The Last Doll/La Ultima Muñeca, presents the tradition to give a teenage girl her last doll at her fifteenth birthday party, a quinceañera. Readers learn about this ritual as the doll, Sarita, understands her important role in this very special party.
Little Thoughts Press: This issue is about big traditions, but also the little rituals that give our lives magic, joy and peace. What is your favorite small ritual that brings you joy?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: My favorite ritual is decorating the cabinet top in my dining room for different holidays. I have small figures for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s and Father’s Day, July 4, or Dia de los Muertos. I decorate with old photos and classic toys on family birthdays. I use small stuffed animals, bright flowers, troll dolls in costume, and various wooden pumpkins or turkeys my husband has made in his workshop. Decorating and looking at the cabinet through the special season or occasion brings me joy. I look forward to watching my dinner guests enjoy my display and ask me about some of the decorations.
Little Thoughts Press: How did you get started writing kid-lit and what do you find most challenging and rewarding about writing for kids?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: When I was in graduate school, Dr. Anne Semel, a religious sister, encouraged me to write kid lit because I had two small children. She gave me an anthology of essays written by influential children’s authors. I started writing picture books, then as my children grew older, I wrote novels for their age group. I love writing, creating poems and stories. When I start, I have no idea if the story will be a picture book or stretch itself into a novel. That discovery is part of my enthusiasm for writing every day.
My biggest challenge is to trust the writing process, because it takes many, many drafts to discover ways to connect my ideas, to form the characters, or to create patterns of words. My favorite reward is meeting children at schools, libraries and bookstores. When they tell me, “I read your book, and I liked it,” I feel as if I won an Olympic gold medal.
Little Thoughts Press: Which kid-lit authors and books were your favorites growing up?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: I am a big fan of Dr. Seuss. If he couldn’t find a word to express an idea, he wove letters together to make a new word. As a child, I started writing poems and stories because I wanted to play with words like he did.
My parents took us to the library every week, and I read books like Ferdinand the Bull, The Five Chinese Brothers, and Horton Hears a Who. As I grew up, I loved to read novels set in other cities or countries or in different periods of American history. I could stay in my room and let those books take me far from hot summers in Texas.
Little Thoughts Press: And what about today? Any kid-lit writers you love and want to shout out?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: I enjoy San Antonio kid lit writers Naomi Shihab Nye, Lupe Ruiz Flores, and Xavier Garza. I also like reading the drafts of the talented kid lit writers in my two critique groups. We give each other valuable feedback and support each other after disappointing rejections. And I belong to three incredible writing organizations, SCBWI, Writers League of Texas, and Gemini Ink, where I meet more writers and poets at readings, meetings, and workshops.
Little Thoughts Press: What advice would you give to young writers?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: Specific details help create an interesting character. Use all five senses to discover setting details. If you slowly re-read “Peppers in His Pockets,” you can see how concrete details describe how, when, and where Papa liked to eat peppers. Writing this poem about my father helps keep his memory alive, especially to my grandson, who didn’t have the chance to meet him.
Little Thoughts Press: Is there anything else you wish I had asked? Any upcoming projects, publications, or other news you'd like to share?
Diane Gonzales Bertrand: Piñata Books will publish my bilingual picture book, Music Rides the Bus/La música viaja en camion illustrated by C. Rod. Unalt in March 2027. I love to visit schools and libraries as a cheerleader for literacy, so sharing a new book brings me extra joy.
Sometimes we feel we are not “real” writers for children unless we get a book published. There are wonderful opportunities to share kid lit writing through small magazines, the local newspaper, on stickers and bookmarks, or typed up as a gift. Having my poem, “Peppers in His Pockets,” published in beautiful Little Thoughts magazine is a wonderful boost to my writer’s spirit.
Read, write, share. Do this from your own corner of the world.
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