Crime Fiction Goes Latin American

The New York Daily News talks with several writers of a Latin American bent, including Jerry Rodriguez, Michele Martinez and Steven Torres, about a recent influx of Latin American crime fiction:

For these writers, to fit in with the crime fiction mainstream remains a challenge.

“A couple of years ago I went to this big convention called

Bouchercon, where all the mystery writers attend,” says Jerry Rodríguez. “Out

of 200, maybe eight of us where of color — Latino or black.”

Rodríguez, who’s also a filmmaker and playwright, says their works

tend to be considered Ghetto Lit or Street Lit, instead of crime.

“In terms of legit, there’s not as much as you would expect,” he says.

Abraham Rodriguez, whose new novel SOUTH BY SOUTH BRONX explores Puerto Rican culture in the city, has his own theories as to why this culture is largely under the radar. “People tend to blame Hollywood

or the American system or whatever, but I blame us for that. I think we

haven’t done enough to invest ourselves in that culture and to make

ourselves heard in a language that they can understand, which is the

language of Americana.”