Today, I had the privilege of sharing the stage at the fabulous @planetworddc with my dear @megmedinabooks. And by that I mean my dear #NewberyAward winner #MegMedina! This event was coordinated by the indefatigable @kelp52, with the enthusiastic support from @aobfound. I’ve had the joy of translating Merci Suárez Changes Gears and Merci Suárez Can’t Dance. And that means that Meg and I have a friendship that is at least 800-pages long. Last night, Meg, Valerie Block,(my wife —not on social media!), and I took an Uber to “Cuba Libre.” We had a great time. I hope that one day we will be able to go to #CubaLibre, without the quotation marks. Apropos of that, while over one hundred fifth graders and their teachers from two local schools entered the auditorium, we played #PatriaYVida. I told the audience that today we commemorate the first time that the #Cuban national anthem was sung on the island. And that was the reason why we were playing the song that has become a de facto anthem for #Cubans everywhere, while one of its composers remains in prison in #Cuba, precisely for singing that song. Then we talked about the #MerciSuárez trilogy, and the joys and the challenges of translating such beautiful, polyphonic, and multilayered #books. Some days, I can’t believe my life. And today was one of those days. Thanks to everyone who made this possible! Now, go and read Meg Medina… in English, in Spanish, in the language that makes you happy! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj9Atxjv5pD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=