On Choosing a Book Cover for My New Book
“Finding composure and acting with clarity and resolve, right in the midst of your fears, is a form of generosity that in Buddhism is sometimes referred to as ‘giving the gift of fearlessness.’”
Marc Lesser, “Do Less, Accomplish More”
I grew up avoiding confrontation because my dad’s doctor had said that he was prone to have a heart attack and drop dead at any time. My mother reminded us of that danger whenever my brothers had a typical boy’s brawl, which was too often for my comfort. I strove to be obedient, follow my elders’ instructions, and not cause a disgusto or aggravation to my beloved dad. Six decades later I still tend to face life’s predicaments that way, but I promise I’m doing much better now!
I wrestled with these old, anxious feelings when deciding what the cover of my new book should look like. As the title says, Alborada, A Cross-Cultural Memoir in Poetry, is a collection of poems narrating my life experiences. It takes a lot of courage to expose one’s life and character to an unknown audience. I wanted people to begin to discover who I am before they even opened the book.
The sand. The sea. Palm trees and mountains.
The night-singing coquí, El Morro fortress, El Yunque rainforest. . . So many images of my formative years! Not all can be squeezed into a beautiful cover.
* * *
Growing up in Puerto Rico, political debates were a national pastime. Three principal parties had developed by the time I started paying attention: the Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), symbolized by a red pava, the handwoven straw hat traditionally worn by campesinos; the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), whose symbol is a bright blue palm tree; and the Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), which flaunted the Puerto Rican flag at a time when the US had made it illegal to do so, and had a green-and-white banner as its logo. As the name implies, the PIP strives toward independence from the United States for the island; the PNP wants Puerto Rico to become a full-fledged state of the union; the PPD supports the status quo as a free, associated state. All of us proclaim pride in our flag.
Puerto Ricans on the island archipelago and in the diaspora suffer, each in their own way, from a colonially imposed identity crisis. With traditional Boricua passion, most people showed their party affiliation as I was growing up by proudly showing the appropriate symbol, wearing “their color” everywhere, and even painting their homes in the proper accent color! Twelve months a year, fiery debates flared, and too often families and friendships were devastated (as is currently happening in the US). That hasn’t changed much over the years.
* * *
I knew that the book cover’s background had to be a beautiful and bright depiction of dawn to underscore the joy and beauty of thriving once again after experiencing darkness and despair. I worked with my book designer on other symbols to superimpose on this background that would illustrate my character and cultural identity. On one book cover draft, we played with so many symbols of Puerto Rican life that it turned out looking very cluttered. This diluted the impact of each individual symbol. Another book cover design I considered had a fortress wall with a sentry box (a garita), suggesting the solidity and permanence of El Morro Castle through the centuries. I could relate to those characteristics, but the garita is such an overused image when referring to Puerto Rico that it felt like a tourist advertisement. The twisted palm tree I chose instead says to me, “I withstood many hurricanes, and I am standing strong here, no matter what I look like!” The Puerto Rican flag at the root of the tree proclaims my personal identity which gives me the foundation to survive.
These symbols can be interpreted in various ways. Some readers may think my book cover is making a political statement, which is not my intention. I am sure there will be those who demand I add a pava to the design so no political party is left out. —That would be for another type of book, for someone else to write.— I hope the dual language title helps point out that this is the private story of a Puerto Rican woman in the diaspora and not a political declaration. It is the articulation of my own experiences for the encouragement, inspiration, and entertainment of others. I think this cover illustration achieves my purpose.
Why do I need to clarify my book cover choices? Because deep inside of me there’s a little girl terrified of causing a beloved person’s death as a consequence of a misguided action she took. I hope my decisions help that little girl grow up to realize she can’t control people’s life-and-death reactions and that the only person she needs to protect and respect is herself. —“That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!” It is my gift of fearlessness to you.
