Marlena Maduro Baraf

I love words that illustrate different perspectives. Hybrid. Hyphenated. Bilingual. Multicultural. Synthesis. They point to the richness possible with human groups. Soy panameña y americana. Can you split the two? Born and raised in Panama, I left my tiny isthmus for Los Estados Unidos de America on the cusp of twenty. In my thirties, I swore allegiance to my adopted country. I raised a family, and worked as book editor and designer. I love cats and hats--that is, the Panama Hat. Marlena Maduro Baraf lives in New York. Her memoir, At the Narrow Waist of the World, is available for purchase. It tells the story of a girl living with a mother’s mental illness, sustained by a colorful Jewish family in steamy, tropical Panama. Visit her website to find out more about her writing and conversations with Hispanics from all walks of life.