Authors: Nicholasa Mohr
Nilda
Nilda
ALSO BY NICHOLASA MOHR
A Matter of Pride and Other Stories
In Nueva York
Rituals of Survival: A Woman's Portfolio
N
ICHOLASA
M
OHR
F
OREWORD
BY
A
LMA
F
LOR
A
DA
Nilda
is made possible through grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
Piñata Books are full of surprises!
Arte Público Press
University of Houston
452 Cullen Performance Hall
Houston, Texas 77204-2004
Cover design by Pilar Espino
Cover photo and photographs of Nicholasa Mohr's
illustrations are printed courtesy of Yolanda Maldonado
We are grateful for her support of this project
The lines on pages vi and vii are from “Ballad of the Little Square,” reprinted from
The Selected Poems of Federico Garcia Lorca
, poem translated by Stephen Spender and J. L. Gili. Copyright © 1955 New Directions Publishing Corporation. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation.
Mohr, Nicholasa
        Nilda / by Nicholasa Mohr
            p.     cm.
        ISBN 978-1-55885-696-7 (alk. paper)
The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesâPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
© 2011 by Nicholasa Mohr
Printed in the United States of America
March 2011âApril 2011
Versa Press, Inc., East Peoria, IL
12Â Â 11Â Â 10Â Â 9Â Â 8Â Â 7Â Â 6Â Â 5Â Â 4Â Â 3Â Â 2Â Â 1
Dedicated, with love, to the children of El Barrioâand of the many barrios all over the world.
Â
THE CHILDREN
Why do you go so far
from the little square?
MYSELF
I go in search of magicians
and of princesses!
THE CHILDREN
Who showed you the path
of the poets?
MYSELF
The fountain and the stream
of the antique song.
THE CHILDREN
Do you go far, very far
from the sea and the earth?
MYSELF
My heart of silk
is filled with lights,
with lost bells,
with lilies and bees.
I will go very far,
farther than those hills,
farther than the seas,
close to the stars,
to beg Christ the Lord
to give back the soul I had
of old, when I was a child,
ripened with legends,
with a feathered cap
and a wooden sword.
THE CHILDREN
You leave us singing
in the little square,
clear streams,
serene fountain!
âFederico GarcÃa Lorca
December 7, 1941 Late Afternoon
D
rawing on her personal experiences of growing up in New York during the Second World War period, Nicholasa Mohr has created one of the fundamental Latino novels for young adults.
Although the Spanish-speaking world has a very strong literary legacy, a body of Hispanic literature for children and young adults in the United States was almost nonexistent for many years. And, for a number of reasons, a catalog of Hispanic children's literature grew slowly. One significant factor was the language. There were not many avenues in the United States to publish books in Spanish. There was also very little inclination on the part of publishers to produce books in English about Latino topics.
Mohr's work is commendable because she was one of the first to write about Latinos in the United States. As one of the earliest books depicting the lives of young Latinos,
Nilda
was very relevant at the time of its publication in 1974; it was a precursor for all Latino young adult novels that followed in its footsteps.
Today,
Nilda
continues to be a significant book for its literary merits: the strength of the narrative, the highly descriptive background and the realistic characters, particularly the unforgettable Nilda. This engaging story has met the highest test: once started, readers will feel compelled to finish it, and they will soon realize that it has become a part of their own lives.
The world in which we follow Nilda is one of hardship and scarcity, of free summer camps more akin to reform school than summer joy. It is also a world of confusing beliefs, of untold secrets and half-learned truths; it is a world where justice seems to have no presence and institutions that should offer support abuse their power and demean the persons they are supposed to
protect. But though the outside world is harsh, Nilda is fortunate to be surrounded by a large and lovingâif somewhat eccentricâfamily that encourages her artistic abilities. Her friends, too, are a source of joy and fun as they engage in typical childhood mischief.
Today's reader will feel that while the novel's setting has undergone significant changes, many of the social issues persist. The pivotal themes have been masterfully presented and remain relevant to this day: coming of age, finding a place within one's own family, sorting out contradictory feelings and accepting in those around us their limitations as well as their strengths. This novel is very powerful.
Arte Público Press' decision to introduce a new edition of
Nilda
is a testament to its quality and importance in American literature.
Alma Flor Ada
University of San Francisco
I
n 1972, I was a working visual artist when Ellen Rudin, Vice President and Editor in Chief of Harper & Row children's books, asked to see my portfolio. She needed an artist to design a book jacket featuring multicultural poetry. Although she liked my portfolio, it did not suit her project. When I asked Ellen for her opinion of my written childhood recollections, she graciously agreed to look at my writing.
Weeks earlier, my art agent, together with a collector, asked me to write fifty pages about growing up Latina in New York City. They were interested because my recent artwork included graffiti about injustice, violence and prejudice. He reminded me that there were few books about growing up Latina and assured me they would find a writer who could convert my words into professional prose. Reluctantly, I agreed.
Writing came easily for me. My older brother Vincent taught me to read and write when I was four years old. Consequently, assisting others with documents, reviews, essays and letters were tasks I'd undertaken ever since childhood. But writing about my life was tougher than I imagined because traumatic childhood events began to surface. But I persisted, transferring the same resolve I utilized in my artwork over to my writing. I discovered that the creative process was the same regardless of the discipline. Finally, by approaching fiction in the same way that I did visual art, I was able to complete those fifty pages.
I soon sat dumbfounded as I listened to my agent reprimand me and insist I get beyond childish memories because such sentimental recollections would never sell. Both he and my collector acknowledged my flair for words, but importuned that I
write about factual issues: gang wars, police brutality, prostitution and other real-life problems in the Puerto Rican community. They urged me to try again.
My humiliation was overwhelming. I'd written with honesty and integrity of all that I knew to be valuable and noble without whitewashing only to be ignorantly mistreated yet again by those outside my own community. My agent did very well by me both economically and professionally and so I gathered my will power. I reminded him that I was married with two young sons living a quiet life in the suburbs. I'd never been in a gang or arrested and suggested they look for their candidate inside a women's prison. He ignored my words, urging me to try again. Ultimately, I placated him and said I'd reconsider.
Back home I hugged my children, thanked my husband for his support and shoved my rejected manuscript inside a drawer. I had forgotten all about Harper & Row when two weeks later I received Ellen's letter requesting I write a novel for young adults based on those fifty pages. Terms for a contract and an advance were included. That summer I was accepted at The MacDowell Colonyâa retreat for creative artists in Peterborough, New Hampshire. There, in the quiet woods, I wrote the first ninety pages of
Nilda
. I finished the book that fall.
It was launched with great success in 1974, and my writing career began in earnest.
I wish to express my thanks to Arte Público Press and specifically to Nicolás Kanellos and Marina Tristán for the release of this new edition of
Nilda
.
Nicholasa Mohr
New York City
December 20, 2010
Nilda
S
ummers in New York City's Barrio were unbearable. Even when there was a cool spell, it seemed a long time before the dry fresh air could find a way past the concrete and asphalt, into the crowded buildings which had become blazing furnaces. As Nilda played outside, she could smell the heat mingled with the odors coming from the tenements and sidewalks. Tiny beads of moisture settled in her nostrils, making it hard to breathe.
She was playing on the sidewalk where she had discovered a small patch of shadow. The side wall of the stoop steps of her building created this small island of comfort which now became her turf. With a small piece of white chalk, she began to draw pictures on the sidewalk. Getting even with her friends, she decided to scribble who loved who and which one stank. Pausing, she impulsively reached out to touch the unshaded concrete and jumped back, sticking her finger in her mouth to let the saliva take out the sting of the burn. She looked up and saw two of her friends.