Has been a Community Effort to now we have more than twowo dozen sponsors and more than two dozen additional people and agencies and organizations that are partners and of course, you if you left, not knowing youre coming to a Literary Festival youre not alone often our festival goers dont come to the festival themselves but to see or hear or meet a favorite writer. That is okay with us. O have we are glad to have you. In fact, we depend on youu and and which is given prominence. In that same way that happened. Chair of Uh Development committee for fall for the book with all of the great authors to keep up programs coming by raising the funds needed. Fall for the book is a five 01 c3 that we rely on donations to keep this going it is thought 18 years we have been doing this of a one day festival now going through a whole week and we know this incredible resources to our community looke if you looked at the pamphlet you saw it was one weeks worth of defense going on all over the community not just your its university from libraries and community centers. And poetry lovers. And we really do need everybody to make this happen. Friends and with those friends groups and help to raise the funds when we watch pbs with viewers like you, that is you and readers like you. There is a pamphlet outside that tells you about the friends of all for the bookif yi invitations for the reception for the authors this year you could have joined us a few minutes agos arn so the reception is invitation only free parking passes on campus is a big deal. [laughter] if you have a moment even like free to pick this up what it takes to become a friend is not a lot pinchot the community is behind this, ah to help us get corporate sponsors and then encourages the corporate sponsors to step up also be a love to have you become one of our friends turn this into night and if not mail it. Thanks for coming. [applause] i am here tonight to represented george mason friends and contrary to the name were not associate with University Bed associated with Fairfax CountyPublic Library there is a branch called george mason reasonable Regional Library were were holding a book sale to raise funds for next year. Two more days. Please come. Another announcement i get to make is please turnoff herself alone. Do not turn them on vibrate we can hear that. For the information for next year festival and nonprofit funded exclusively through donations. Become of part of the great group of friends for fall for the book. [applause] before before i move into the presentation i did spend a lot of time recognizing the people i have worked with in the preceding five nights but there is one person i must think, is my codirector. [applause] if fairfax prizes something i had a hand not that fall for the book ison done by any one person but the ada is to honor outstanding writers for their achievements with the International Culture of reading and writing bed generously giving personal time and talents withry literary endeavors is not limited to teaching with the community of writers of anthologies and previous winners including tobias wolff, Norman Mailer unfortunately could not come accepted as he fell ill. And tim m. Obrien. Event those other writers are pleased to recognize Sandra Cisneros over the course of a career that hass spanned 30 plus years and widely anthologized is that classic about a comingofage of the latino families in this country. The course this is not the of first award she was awarded the macarthursd fellowships and most recently a house of my own stories from my life i very pleased to award the 2016 fairfax prize to Sandra Cisneros. [applause] [cheers and applause] is this an honor to be here to receive this pride is that has have been 17 times before. Did you see all of the sponsors on the back of the program . That is a lot of people. Theyre doing their jobs while everybody you has wordi to put this together and to understand one another with tax of peace in violent times so congratulate yourself for being here. [applause] i have heard so much about this institution to be here as a guest is extraordinary for me. They forgot that i cannot see i have two pairs of glasses occasionally so i can stay on task haic them to see what time it is. In to land under feet in a moments notice i was told i would be talking about the writers life i am . In the half to a mitt i dont know anything about the writers life. [laughter] i only know about this writers life and this writers life is very different that i am not affiliated with the university the heavily spend a maverick by inventing the past of was a shame for a long time to tell people let wanted to be writer because the neighborhood that i grew up in in chicago i had never really seen a writer and by the time it got to his school i had met one. Paul carroll who was invited but i was the shyest person in the world to ask how did i you do it . And writers were solitary creatures there is a difference between the right turn and the author the writer does not call her hair or get dressed up or wear jewelry per cauchy stays at home and does not answer the phone and is very cranky. [laughter] and imi best self so dontt worry and were often in the dark sometimes they think they know what were doing but often headed toward the answer we got another question is like the breech baby budget on zero the question until you write the answers so that process a follows it and you hopee after a couple of years you have been to waste did your life. That is why reid dont answer the phone or like people knocking on the door. Trying to figure radish she could wash her clothes ands figure things out i am going to read a little bit that this this from my new book a house of my own stories from my life i gathered together from the 30 years of my life i had to admit and whittle them so there was no repetition but it was published in the newspapernc which is a rare occurrence for me. But the writers that i admire the most other journalist. S our stead circle and i admire them be tests they could write in a timely way to have it published immediately. There what i think of when i think of the kind of writer i want to be somebody speaks up nobody is speaking up of those who have no voice or someone who is courageousble tot and tell the truth when nobody else speaks the truth and post 9 11 and how much the media at created this state of fear to make t knowledge of much the press allows to be published with the era of fear in our bodies not just the u. S. Fear but what is happeningnation including in the country the and in. And my job as a writer is to be a bridge between these two communities make cannot afford to wall ourselves off but just like if you have been able you are fighting with if you dont talk to your neighbor how did you have good relations . To re i would like to remind my readers and audience in this is the by the mexican president was a contemporary and a friend in respect for your neighbor is peace. And afraid desi our auntntpoliti disgusted with the politicians in the message theyre like to relay is we please stop selling arms to the decision mexico and please stop buying those drugs because this is supporting a organizedcrime. Udible] we have violence in both countries and with sales and consumption and until we stop but my brother had said neighbor who has bird feeders but the neighbors started to complain there were rats in the art my brother said economic get rid of the rats of less you get rid of the bird feeders. The same concept this is the only way to secure the global borders if we ask the neighbors how can we make use save . One of the we are was published in a newspaper because they cannot meet its deadline why i nodded journalist. I can do that. I wish that i could but but it is like fishing i could get up early and go to an area where there are plenty of fish but i cannot guarantee might catch. I am just the fishermans not it is system matter of waiting. So this is something i wrote and 1998 did is just as timely now and it happened after my father died. Is the mexican cole porter. , just a just a little bit of pure love. When my father died last year a piece of my heart died with him that supreme sentimental love my brothers and me to excess with the overthetop arabesque and spirals in charming as the romantic mexican with so little bit of pure love the. Say that. Music my father would say proudly i could smell the gardenias. Before my father died it would prompt need to say i am sorry to company accompany the bereaved i am connected to all death and survivors to translate im sorry and i feel it all atat once i feel life more intensely. A u. S. Role for two to be overly patriotic but often i am aware my fathers life does not count. Not the americans when they talk about america. , especially this Holiday Season the day before christmas 199745 lennar and my aunts 21 of them wereen women. To be shocked and promised to hold all those responsible accountable than mexican people and Everybody Knows who was responsible t but is it too much for the mexican president to fire himself. I know the death is linked to me here in the United States i know the massacre is connected to the people from their land because they are for the land is rich in the government knows this and it is connected to my High Standard of living and that military aid presence is necessary and it goes round and round for quite a bed thinking about this from my home in san antonio with a niche i cannot scratch. S what is my responsibility as a woman . Within on several borders what could i do is the daughter of a mexican man what can i do . Searching for answers on christmas. My father was my father. Hello. Christmas dinners were a global feast history of the capacity of the stomach the unique hybrid viticultureculturs only in the city like chicago with the diversity of a typical christmas meal watches first and foremost, of tamales. 258 dozen the blood m. This week to end the fire in those filled with gm and raisins. Sometimes mothers homemade batch this is the last time i will make them but more often they are ordered to vance from somebody else willing to go through the trouble bothers annual contribution was a codfish which stew of spanish origin he may standing in one spot gold get me this spring in a brand somebody get me the tomatoes and wash them first give me that knife where aree the allahs . Every year brcs so spoiled we expect perot gis and polish sausage in those second are the speak the word of english and once my fathers Furniture Store that had long since left and a christmas dinner includes the magnificent bakery in the old neighborhood. Ating th we have many being pastries cents the third grade but beat when we are inspired byy hunger literally before the i it is common to begin the dessert plate will somebodyne is finishing breakfast. Thanks to the french intervention as a blow as the america is and the recipe for codfish and the brow corridor and with w borrow with one another with the employees who love my father enough to share a plate of their homemade diocese even if countries could not share anything else. And to read the newspapers more than half mexicanamerican kids more than half. And the politicians priority is to build a bigger prison more people are sentenced to death than anywhere else in the world to value spanish as the second language that elsewhere lawmakers for spanish dominant children to hours away from my home the u. S. Military setting up camps of the bandits and the drug lords i know who to keep away i think this walleye attend a latino Leadership Conference between the holidays at all know what i expect exactly but i know i dont want to leave without a statement of what happened pressure lead of community recognizes it is our family. Is late the family one explained to me but to use it may be a father but to me it is a distant cousin perquisite too much to ask our leaders to the . Q. Are too impatient to one latina tells me i am so stunned i cannot respond. A chicano film maker begins to preach. Nd talks he talks and talks until i have to blink back the tears after what seems like the eternity he finally finishes by a saying it you know, what you have to do. Dog you . T hits m and then hits me. I do know what i have to do. I will tell the story. Are brothers and i were in college my mother realized investing in real estate was the answer her plans were modest to buy a cheap fixer upper to bring us in come she finally found something we could afford a scruffy building with the stores beckon service the upholstery shop into apartments above at last my mother was a respectable landlady. Immediately the family on the third floor began to pay their rent late 100 but every first of the month they were five for 10 short and would deliver with the promise to pay the balance the next payday and they didnt and it was the same the rent negative a few dollars with a promise. Mother hated to be taken advantage of do they think we are rich . He she said father who was on good terms with everybody but talk to that family i have had it. So father went of little later quietly returned i fixed it. Already . What did you duplex i lower the rent. [laughter]t mother was ready to throw a fit and said remember when 10 meant a lot to us . She was silent she remembered. Who wouldve thought father was capable of such genius he was not a clever man but he inspires me to be creative. I dont wish to make camp seem more than what he was. He ld he lived life terrified of those different from himself never read in newspaper and was now leave to believe the history told to him and he was not a perfect husband either as a mother keeps reminding me but he was kindings and sometimes extraordinary. Wonderful father. Ng maybe i look to the wrong leaders for leadership. Maybe this new year are a few outrageous ideas like my father whose generosity teaches me to enlarge my heart maybe it is time to lower the rent. Ever since the year began this song has been running through my head my father just will not let up. I feel it. Y jesus christ. The universe that god in us. Help us. T of give us just a little bit of pure love. Just that. [applause] we are blessed and cursed to be an Interesting Times in the half to step up and especially now we have to serve to be bridges otherwise we will just expire. All of us on the planet so i will remind everybody addition think i would say but if you are undecided please note if you know, 10 other people who are undecided get them to vote it is very important. Site will take advantage to say that everywhere that i can the next couple of days was invited to the whitee house last week no one more astonished and me i took to votes to president obama. My favorite author unchanged negative life, the vietnamese Buddhist Monk nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by dr. Martin luther king both north and south kicked him out because he was so radical and gave this book and this one and wonderful things and ideas about what we could do in a global times to call me our fears and to meet a better planet because it is up to us. Suggested that we have a council of sages of stories who have not been heard her all the communities to feel they have not been heard every town or color all of us this country is livelier so fearful of each other because we all feel our stories are being heard. Telling our own story is the central those who put together the book festivalcreate who created the africanamerican museum, the Holocaust Museum this specially those that need to be heard at this time. I will close with an excerpt from last chapter of the book by cannot read it all so i will just jump they advocate a little bit. [i this is a phrase that means my house is your house. I will not said that my house because i have to write. [laughter]r] whitey one to buy an old house rexs like choosing to marry an old man. E becaus because they sent for me and perhaps their people as well the spirits. I wake in the middle of the night to receive the message i am invited to speak at a writers conference. Visit the town only once 20on years prior so brief a barely left an impression but this time i except thee invitation the only way i can be sure to have a mexican vacation. I decided i will not like san miguel it is too many ex pat and ashamed and surprised when i do like the people native and foreign and come back, and on a quarter few weeks after some know i will tell you that i now live there. By want to read bits and pieces of this. When i was in highschool i took a class for spanish speakers. One of the assignments each week was a list of Vocabulary Words one waser need machinegun. When will i need to use that word . Now that ended in mexico i am startled by the ubiquity of machine guns the local police carry as, as of plastic shopping bag at the downtown Street Corner every National Parade or office depot even now with no machine gun in sight i cannot go into office depot without experiencing the involuntary shudder. Going into mexico cityen regularly to collect the run to collect the rent. Large you afraid . She would say no over the telephone not at all i stayed by then military with a have policemen everywhere carrying a machine gun they feel negative and save. Ere is t where is the country where a woman can feel safe . Is there such a country . When living in europe are often cited virginia woolf. As a woman i have no countryhe my country is the whole world. I would amend that to the current times as a woman i have a country. As a woman i am an immigrant lasthe whole world. For last month the one back to the United States from the house a lived in two decades when i first bought it my father was furious san cannot understand what had chosen 100 year old house when i could have gotten a brand new one i love old homes their sole spirit his first concern is i could not take care of the house by myself. One of the first things he did was bounce on the floor board. Sqe planks were squeaking and he was hurting them this was proof to show me how foolish my choice had been after a few weeks he saw had a team of housekeeper attending to the needs of my elderly house he finally admitted i had done well. Now 20 years later i am selling bauhaus i said i would never sell far last night i wake up to this antonio airport in dutch driver arrives half an hour early by banks are already waiting of the front porch berger before locking up by the cro