Annell López

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Articles

What Songwriters Can Teach Us About Storytelling

May 13, 2024 | pw.org | Annell López

In our Craft Capsules series, authors reveal the personal and particular ways they approach the art of writing. This is no. 199. One of the challenges of working within the constraints and limitations of short fiction is creating compelling characters who come alive in just a few pages and with strong narrative arcs. In my quest to study characterization, I’ve turned to song lyrics. Like short fiction, many songs offer a story or feature characters who are dealing with conflict.
The Comedy of Short Fiction

May 6, 2024 | pw.org | Annell López

In our Craft Capsules series, authors reveal the personal and particular ways they approach the art of writing. This is no. 198. In the 2000 movie Bring It On, protagonist Torrance Shipman, played by Kirsten Dunst, is tasked with having to come up with original choreography for her high school cheerleading team. To craft a routine good enough to make it to the national cheerleading competition, Shipman draws inspiration from various sources, including films, musicals, and even mime performances.
On Person and Place

Apr 29, 2024 | pw.org | Annell López

In our Craft Capsules series, authors reveal the personal and particular ways they approach the art of writing. This is no. 197. In my debut story collection, I’ll Give You a Reason, published this month by the Feminist Press, I was interested in exploring how place influences people and reflects the sociopolitical climate and culture in which they exist. My characters live and breathe the Ironbound, a largely Latinx and Portuguese immigrant neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey.
Goodbye, Beaver Cleaver

Apr 19, 2024 | publicseminar.org | Claire Potter |Omri Boehm |Annell López |Rupal Rao

I grew up in a place called the Main Line, a string of suburbs outside Philadelphia. The area got its nickname from a branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad first laid in the early nineteenth century as part of a Federalist public works program. In the next several decades, the railroad also became a passenger line, ferrying upper-class Philadelphians, eager to escape the summer’s heat and epidemic diseases, out to the healthful Haverford and Bryn Mawr hotels.
Exploring Immigrant Experiences

Apr 18, 2024 | publicseminar.org | Annell López |Evangeline Riddiford Graham |Helen Schulman |Rupal Rao

Cover of I’ll Give You a Reason by Annell López (The Feminist Press, 2024)Reading Annell López’s short story collection, I’ll Give You a Reason (The Feminist Press, 2024), is like strolling through a neighborhood and getting to know the locals along the way. All the short stories are connected; the protagonist of one story might reappear later in the book as a bit player in someone else’s narrative.
Dark Vader

Apr 9, 2024 | thecommononline.org | Annell López

By ANNELL LÓPEZ“Dark Vader” is excerpted from Annell López’s I’ll Give You a Reason, out now from Feminist Press. I was registering for the GED when Junie stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her. Her heavy Princess and the Frog backpack fell off her shoulder; the drop made the hardwood floors of our walk-up tremble. “That was a bit dramatic,” I said. But she didn’t laugh. I closed my computer even though I wanted to finish registering for the test.
How I’m Unlearning the White Supremacist Lies That Latinidad Taught Me

Mar 11, 2024 | msn.com | Annell López

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How I'm Unlearning the White Supremacist Lies That Latinidad Taught Me

Mar 11, 2024 | refinery29.com | Annell López

Photo: Courtesy of Annell Lopez. Growing up Dominican, I was constantly exposed to messages that glorified white beauty standards and minimized the value of my Black identity. There is no denying that the diaspora has a complicated relationship with Blackness and colorism. The pervasive influence of white supremacy was evident in every aspect of my life, from the media I consumed to the societal expectations enforced upon me.
I Feel Like I Have to Choose Between Starting a Family or Caring for My Parents

Jan 14, 2024 | refinery29.com | Annell López

In recent years, a deeply personal and emotional dilemma has weighed heavily on me. As a Latina in her mid-30s with parents in their late 60s, I find myself standing at a crossroads: Do I fulfil my desire to start a family of my own or spend my time and resources taking care of my ageing parents? Like many Latinas in my age group, I'm feeling the pressure of clashing cultural expectations. I've been taught that I’m supposed to have children, but I'm also supposed to care for my parents.
I Feel Like I Have to Choose Between Starting a Family or Caring for My Parents

Jan 9, 2024 | refinery29.com | Annell López

In recent years, a deeply personal and emotional dilemma has weighed heavily on me. As a Latina in her mid-30s with parents in their late 60s, I find myself standing at a crossroads: Do I fulfill my desire to start a family of my own or spend my time and resources taking care of my aging parents? Like many Latinas in my age group, I'm feeling the pressure of clashing cultural expectations. I've been taught that I’m supposed to have children, but I'm also supposed to care for my parents.