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In Person

Michele Serros at Book People

The truth of the matter is, I loathe readings. As a graduate of one of those sometimes venerated, sometimes vilified writing programs, the reading is what going to church was to me as a 4-year-old: long, boring, and bloated with its sense of significance.

But when Michele Serros' new book, Chicana Falsa, fell into my lap I gasped, "Oooh, Oooh! A Chicana writer! The reading is when and where? I'm there!"

I mean, how many Chicana writers can you name?

Praise from Dorothy Allison and Sandra Cisneros, strategically placed on the cover of Chicana Falsa, filled me with optimism. But reading the book was, well - do I dare say it and risk the wrath of every Chicana writer in town? - a let-down. While the slim volume of 26 poems and stories is entertaining and easily digested, the writing itself is unremarkable. There's plenty of humor in Serros' work plus the ring of a voice who's lived what she's written. But there is something missing in Chicana Falsa, and that is Serros herself.

Her reading at Book People on Monday night filled the gap. Down to earth and charming, she nearly subverts the hip-L.A.-Chicana persona Riverhead Books, publisher of Chicana Falsa, seems intent on making for her. Originally published by the now defunct Lalo Press, Serros was selling copies of Chicana Falsa from her garage. While press material says that "she single-handedly turned her book into a word of mouth success," Serros states that a West Coast representative of Riverhead Books called her after seeing a write-up of her spoken word CD, Selected Stories From Chicana Falsa, which was released by Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records in 1997. By then she'd already gained national exposure as one of 12 touring poets for Lollapalooza '94. A book deal was made, and the Riverhead Books edition of Chicana Falsa was released June 1.

Though Serros shies away from outright performance (she insists on reading from her book though she clearly knows the material cold), her delivery was far from the flat-line reading of most writers. She brought a spirit to the work unavailable in silent reading. Her reading of "Dead Pigs Revenge" (her "love poem" to chicharrones) and "Attention Shoppers," the story of an impromptu cultural revolution in the frozen food section of a grocery store, brought wide-mouthed laughs from the small but loyal audience. Frequently anthologized, her work has been taught in high schools and universities, and the Book People audience appeared to be a mix of young women, at least two educators, and others who had obviously read and fallen in love with Serros' work.

It's hard not to like Serros once you hear her read. A slide show which features candids of her on the Lollapalooza tour and photos from the Quinceñera (the "coming out" party) for her book are great fun. And I'm sure some of the Latinas who left the reading with Serros' newly inscribed book in their hands felt genuinely pleased at having finally met their `manita/homegirl/cousin. Serros and her book are a pleasure - but I can't wait to get the CD. -Belinda Acosta