VOXXI: “Q&A with Cuban author Yanitzia Canetti”, por Crystal Honores (Entrevista en inglés)

There are people who spend their lives dreaming of writing just one book, and then there are people –but not many– like Cuban author Yanitzia Canetti, who has written over 300 children’s books, 12 books for the adult audience, and translated several children’s literature classics including Curious George and Dr. Seuss titles. As if that weren’t enough, the Boston-based writer is also President of Cambridge BrickHouse, a doting wife and the mother to two boys. What makes her tick? We interviewed her to find out.
Q.- How did you get your first big break and who were your biggest influences?
A.-  I have yet to get my “first big break,” but I will keep you posted. I don’t like to sit still very long and I never really feel as if I’ve achieved something specific. I am always on the move, creating a path and being part of a greater creative process, which I enjoy greatly.
My biggest influences in everything I do and create are my family first, and friends, teachers I meet, and the fabulous people I come across every day. Among them are my impassioned parents; my fabulous grandparents; irreverent teachers, such as my beloved Ulises Cruz or Rafael Tena; people who value friendship over everything else, such as Reuben Vaisman; or those who have truly changed the course of my life, such as Teresa Mlawer, Raquel López Varela, Pere Gimferrer, or Maria Eugenia Haya. I know I am leaving out many other people, including past loves and losses. But all of them have informed my decisions and my views or changed my direction in life in some way.