BAYOU PROFILE

INTERVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE | PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHELBIE MONKRES

I’ve always been a big reader, though I think most authors can say that. I did some writing as a kid. We found a letter I had written to an author who had come to the library where my aunt was a librarian. I was about seven or eight and wrote, “My dream is to be an author one day.” We found the letter after my first book came out. I was kind of surprised to find out that it had been a dream of mine in my youth.

I started writing toward the end of junior high, beginning of high school. I had a dream and woke up and thought, “Oh, you know what, I’m going to start writing this idea.” It was fantasy - I was a big fantasy reader at the time. I hadn’t discovered magical realism, but it was me figuring out magical realism through fantasy. When I got to college at ULM, I finished writing that first novel finally. And even then, I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer. But then I took a short story writing class at University of Louisiana Monroe and was like, “Yep, I’m going to be a writer. This is all I want to do.” I got an MFA in Creative Writing at The University of Central Oklahoma, and even though I probably wasn’t ready in terms of my writing skills to do that, it was the best experience I’ve ever had. It really shaped me as a writer. I knew some things instinctually as a reader, but I needed to understand it as a craft and a skill.

I was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, which is featured in the novel toward the end. My dad is Mexican American, and my mom is Caucasian. My Mexican family has been in the US since the 1800s, possibly even before California and Texas were part of the US. I grew up unable to speak Spanish because my dad didn’t speak it. His mom decided not to teach him and his siblings because growing up in the 50s and the 60s, it was frowned upon in society for people to speak other languages besides English. And she didn’t want her kids to be bullied or feel like outsiders. So that was a bit of a contention for me growing up where I wish I had known it and that I had learned it within the family home.

My parents have an interracial relationship. There weren’t many other people like me. Even my brother does not look like me - he’s a lot more fair-skinned. He looks like my moms’ child, and I look like my dad’s child. And we always were this mixed family. I also have a half-sister who I am very close to and she is full Mexican from my dad’s first marriage. On top of that, my sister was born with disabilities and my brother is gay, and so I had this unique family life that combined a lot of identities into one unit. Growing up, I had all these things in my mind. I never saw families like ours, to the extent of how diverse it was in my own immediate family.

Within my family, I noticed I was the brownest one beside my dad. Nobody believed my mom was my mom. She has blond hair and blue eyes. People would always come up to me and ask, “What are you? What’s your race? Are you Mixed?” I got all those questions my whole life. Usually, I would respond, “Half Mexican,” which is funny that I didn’t say half white, as white is the basis for our society. In college, I started exploring my Mexican side. What is the meaning of Mexican? Why don’t I feel very Mexican? Why do I feel like an outsider within my own Mexican culture? In 2016, I started noticing how comfortable I am being Mixed more than anything else. And of course, there were never Mixed stories to read growing up. I didn’t see myself in a lot of the stories I read. I read my first Mixed story at 22, and there still aren’t many today. In the tense political climate of 2016, I heard the white side of my family say things they’d never said before. I was angry and confused because these people loved me, a Latina woman, loved my dad, a Latino man, loved my sister with disabilities and loved my gay brother. They couldn’t seem to make the same connection I was making between what they were saying and why I was hurt.

When I started writing Half Outlaw, I thought, “How can somebody love you and still do and believe things that go absolutely against your identity? And how can they erase that identity in their mind’s eye and love you and support you, like my family

ABOUT ALEX TREMBLADOR

“I was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, which is featured in the novel toward the end. My dad is Mexican American, and my mom is Caucasian. My Mexican family has been in the US since the 1800s, possibly even before California and Texas were part of the US. My parents have an interracial relationship. There weren’t many other people like me. Even my brother does not look like me - he’s a lot more fair-skinned. He looks like my moms’ child, and I look like my dad’s child. And we always were this mixed family. I also have a half-sister who I am very close to, and she is full Mexican from my dad’s first marriage. On top of that, my sister was born with disabilities and my brother is gay, and so I had this unique family life that combined a lot of identities into one unit."

what it means to be Mixed within your own family, with people who do and say things that hurt you but really, really love you.

Back in 2014, my Uncle Donnie and I were sitting on the couch at Thanksgiving. He called me a “Half Outlaw.” I could tell this phrase would be something for me. I wrote it down in a paragraph, now featured in the second chapter of the book. Uncle Donnie guided me into the concept of putting a Mixed girl into an all-white motorcycle club. He is not in one of those motorcycle clubs but has had associations with them. He rides bikes. He’s this gritty man who went to Vietnam. He’s a trucker now. I thought, “What if a Mixed girl gets stuck with a guy who’s like that after her parents’ death?” The Dodge character and Uncle Donnie are quite different people, but they do have similar personalities and ways of communicating. I started mapping the story and knew it needed to be set on a crosscountry ride. I wanted to look at the reality of not being able to choose your family, and how even if you’re no longer a part of that family, they’re still a part of you. Who someone is today is absolutely impacted by the past.

It was quite light at first. When we went out on submission with publishers, I was told they couldn’t figure out how to market it. My agent suggested going overboard with the magical realism. I found spots to add the magical realism as a way for Raqi to deal with a lot of the trauma. She sees her life in this fantastical way to cope. It’s also a nod to her Mexican heritage because she is in such a white-domainated space. I really wanted to remind readers that she is half-Mexican.

Actually, I made that up. When I was at ULM, I took a class on cults. We read about the psychology of cults, how they form and keep people through traditions. I started looking into the psychology of groups. For example, when people join the army, all these traditions exist, same for religion and fraternities. I read about motorcycle clubs, some nonfiction, some memoirs. I was thinking of a way to bind the riders together. I came up with the idea of a Grieving Ride to get Raqi on the road with all of them. I randomly met someone who grew up in a motorcycle club, who shared many of her experiences and they aligned with my expectations. I really wanted to show women’s perspectives in clubs - both positive and negative.

I wrote Secrets of the Casa Rosada thinking it would be adult fiction. The text was originally my thesis. All the professors loved it, but suggested I get rid of the future chapters and focus on the main character’s adolescence. I tried to submit it as adult fiction, but it was picked up as YA (young adult) fiction. I felt unprepared to be a YA author. To be honest, it was the exact thing I needed. The young adult fan base is phenomenal. Librarians and students are wonderful - they made me feel so good. I would not have won as many awards, nor have gotten good feedback if the book was adult, and it really taught me how to make my authorial career a business. It wasn’t hard to leap into adult fiction, since it’s where I started, except though my agent really wanted me to stay in YA.

Alex Temblador performs in-person readings at high schools, colleges, bookstores, coffee shops, literacy conferences, book events and book clubs. In addition to writing, Alex teaches creative writing classes with school, universities, non-profit organizations, writing companies and writing groups. photo by Francisco Blasco

I like going through the past. In 2020, I stayed with my parents before moving into my house. We were going through scrapbooks and found a picture I drew at age 3 or 4. And my mom is very clearly white, and I am very clearly brown in that picture. So, it had to be one of those things I just knew about myself. The switch clicked on by the time I was able to speak and had friends beyond my family group. Little girls told me that my mom was not my mom. I was always having to defend it. Nobody could understand that my mom was my mom biologically. When I would meet other Mixed kids, in high school and beyond, I was always excited and wanted to talk with them. A lot of my friends ended up being other Mixed kids too, because it felt like home.

In the acknowledgement, I said it gave me peace to write this book, and for a time, it did. And more recently, I’m realizing I’m still contending with this - what it means to be Mixed in the world, what it means to be Mixed in a family. It makes me proud of what I have accomplished, what I have dealt with, and how I’m dealing with some of my past trauma. And I’m really interested in exploring that identity more with myself, my friends who are Mixed, colleagues who are Mixed and reading their work. We always talk about how society was predicated on this idea of white privilege and a white standard, but I’ve also started looking at how it’s built on monoracial standards. Historically, everyone married partners of their same culture, ethnic and racial identity, primarily due to location. But because of the US’s unique history, interracial relationships are growing. They’re one of the fastest growing populations. We’re going to have many more discussions about this in the future because things don’t work when we’re so siloed off. A Mixed person throws a wrench in this whole framework that we’ve built. I want to further explore the dynamics of a growing Mixed population, what that means for family units and dating, societal structures, and friendships because I’m really going through all that right now.

MODELO IS OWNED BY A LARGE, NEW YORK-BASED conglomerate called Constellation Brands, making it economic step-cousins with brands like apparent competitor Corona & Pacifico. Modelo is the second most imported beer in the U.S. In 2018, we drank almost 64 million cases of the stuff. And even though Modelo came second to Corona in total consumption, Corona only had a 9 percent growth in sales from the previous year while Modelo consumption rose by 15 percent from 2017 to 2018. Both Corona and Modelo (and all Mexican beer) outpaced other countries in imported beer in 2018 and 2019. Modelo Especial is a light, crisp, pilsner-style beer. But its younger sibling, Negra Modelo, is modeled after the super-popular Munichborn dunkel style, made with roasted caramel malts and brewed longer for a slightly richer, dark-brass-colored beer. It’s also the most successful German-Mexican culinary hybrid out there. Most of us consume Modelo in decidedly non-pugnacious moods, e.g., at barbecues, lounging poolside, hiding from the sun under a schmear of zinc and a beach umbrella.

CORONA EXTRA With a refreshing, smooth taste balanced between heavier European imports and lighter domestic beer, Corona is an even-keeled cerveza with fruity-honey aromas and a touch of malt. The flavor is crisp, clean and well balanced between hops and malt. A superior taste profile from superior ingredients.

CORONA LIGHT Corona Light is a pilsner-style lager with a uniquely refreshing taste—brewed for outstanding light flavor with a crisp, clean finish. Its pleasant, fruity-honey aroma and distinctive hop flavor make it a favorite of those seeking a light beer that is full of flavor. Corona Light’s naturally easy-drinking style makes it perfect for pairing with spicy and citrus-infused dishes.

CORONA PREMIER Corona Premier offers the premium lowcarb, light beer experience you’ve been waiting for. Its refined, crisp taste and even-bodied feel makes it the smoothest and most drinkable Corona. With only 2.6g of carbs and 90 calories, Corona Premier is perfect for casual entertaining, sharing with guests, or rewarding yourself for a day well-lived.

CORONA FAMILIAR The best beers are made to be shared. That is why Corona Familiar embraces the bright, crisp taste Corona is known for with a slightly fuller flavor, higher ABV, and shareable 32oz packaging. With strong ties to authenticity and heritage, Corona Familiar is best served in small gatherings with close friends and family, using the tradition of sharing to create meaningful experiences.

CORONA REFRESCA Corona Refresca is a premium spiked refresher that brings the taste of the tropics from Mexico to you. Available in Passionfruit Lime and Guava Lime, it is a bright, flavorful malt beverage with 4.5% ABV and natural fruit flavors. Crisp, flavorful, and never too sweet, Corona Refresca doesn’t sweep you away to the tropics, it brings the topics to you.

CORONA SELTZER The #1 most refreshing beer is bringing a lighter, less filling option to the hard seltzer category. Introducing Corona Hard Seltzer, the only 0g carb, all Corona, hard seltzer. With 0g carbs, 0g sugar, 90 calories, 4.5% ABV and gluten-free, Corona Hard Seltzer is a tasty, better-for-you alcoholic beverage rooted in Corona’s chill attitude and high-end credibility. This 12-pack variety includes: Tropical Lime, Cherry, Blackberry Lime and Mango.

NEGRA MODELO Negra Modelo, better known as “the cream of the beer,” is a Munich-type beer with 5.3º of alcohol that offers a balanced flavor and a delicate aroma of dark malt, caramel and hops. Today it occupies the first place in sales among dark beers in Mexico. This beer is accompanied by a bright deep amber color, which is adorned with abundant, white and compact foam. Negra Modelo was introduced in Mexico in 1925 as the dark beer called Modelo, to begin its great tradition. In 2014 it changed its image to a more sophisticated bottle but with the same content.

Marsala Beverage is a local-based company that employs about 100 full-time employees, which all live and support the community of Northeast Louisiana. Each employee bases his or her success on never losing sight of delivering what is really important – quality products, timely service and a genuine concern for our customers’ needs. Please find us at www.marsalabeverage.com or follow us on social media:

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SINCE THE ADDITION OF THE indoor pool to the Lambright Sports and Wellness Center, many have driven down Tech Drive and wondered, “Do the windows on the side of the building mean anything?” A decade ago, when architects constructed the newest addition to Lambright, the Bulldog Code that can be seen on the side of the building was used to aid in the design. In late June, during one of his daily walks, Louisiana Tech University President Dr. Les Guice urged followers on Facebook to solve the puzzle using their love of Louisiana Tech and their wits. Sarah Scarlato, a student lifeguard at Lambright, saw a code that was meant to be cracked. “I have always wondered what the windows meant but never actually took time to try to crack the code on my own,” Scarlato said. “One day I decided I was going to take the time to sit down and figure it out. So I did!” Scarlato said she solved the code with a notebook, a pen, a pencil and an episode of “The Golden Girls.” “The funniest part about this is that I’m really quite awful at math, codes, and other things like that,” Scarlato said. “I am also incredibly proud of myself and very excited to have done something like this here at Louisiana Tech.” Now that the decade-long secret has been cracked, the code will remain a secret until the time is right to reveal it. But others, including Louisiana Tech’s cyber students are working to discover the code’s meaning.

The code’s solution will remain hidden in the Centennial clock tower, Guice said.

“Once you understand the Bulldog Code, you will never look at Lambright, or Louisiana Tech, the same way,” Guice said. “Congratulations to Sarah for her incredible work in decoding this familiar phrase.”