We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Juana Moriel-Payne. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Juana below.
Alright, Juana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One of my most meaningful writing project was the first one: writing a historical novel. I had already learned about this historical character, Juana de Cobos, a woman who lived in Northern Mexico during colonial times. Her story impacted me; she was a woman of character, an early feminist who fight for her right to have a business in a highly patriarchal society. When I started the historical narrative project, I thought about her and decided to write the story engaging, first, in historical research. I finished writing the novel, Trigueña, in 2010 and published it in 2012.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in Northern Mexico, in Ciudad Juárez-El Paso borderlands. My academic background and my creative writing talk about my experience living here. My interest knowing my past led me toward earning a PhD in Borderlands history, with a focus on the sate of Chihuahua. In a similar way, my creative writing integrates the geography and people of North Mexico. In both my academic and creative writing I am interested various themes such as immigration and violence that disadvantaged individuals and groups have experienced through history. My aim is to create a space for those people so they can tell their unique stories.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a writer is giving voice to characters that have lived silenced in the archives, when I write historical fiction. I also appreciate the relationship I develop with my characters when writing their stories. In poetry, I rejoice in the power of language and imagery.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My mission driving my creative journey is to share my views about the borderlands; its past and present.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moriel-payne.com
- Instagram: juanamoriel2020
