Caridad Moro-McCormick, a featured author at the Miami Writers Association literary event on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at Bookstore in the Grove, is a first-generation Cuban-American; born in L.A. and raised in Miami.  She holds a B.A. in English and an M.F.A. from Florida International University.  This year her chapbook, Visionware, was published by Finish Line Press as part of their celebrated New Women’s Voices Series. She’s the recipient of the state’s Florida Artist Fellowship. Cari is a professor of English at Miami Dade College, as well as an English instructor for Dade County Public Schools.

We took a moment to chat with Caridad on the phone to find out more about her influences and her life as a working writer.

How long have you been in Miami?
30 years. My family moved here from LA and the whole family is still here. I have a brother and sister, I am the oldest.

Why LA? The typical Cuban story is from Cuba to Miami. What happened?
My father got to Miami [from Cuba] and there was no work so he was relocated to LA. My mother’s route was Cuba-Mexico-California. Then we left because we were highly affected by the smog – hayfever, asthma. When you are Cuban in LA, when you hear someone speaking “Cuban” everything stops. So it was a big thing to recognize other people like us. If you are Hispanic there, everyone thinks you are Mexican. Once I got here, I lost that sense of “otherness.”

How did you get started writing?
I’ve written my whole life – I have diaries going back to Kindergarten, so it’s been a calling. I started writing poetry seriously in 2002 after the birth of my son, Sean-Michael, who is now 7 years old. Something about giving birth to a child gave birth to my creative dreams as well.

As far as my chapbook, “Visionware,” the name comes from these glass pots by Corningware. I wanted these pots because they were so pretty, and it became a metaphor for my marriage. The chapbook is two sections – the family, Cuban stuff and coming to terms with being a woman and being sexual and the good girl vs. being a real girl; and then coming out as a Lesbian after my marriage.

I’ve had some backlash, like, “How could you write about that, how can you say that?” But that’s where the strength of my work lies, that’s the gravy. And a poem never killed anyone.

I found myself at one point, in the very early stages of writing the poems, afraid to say things, and to write my memory of things. I took a class with Denise Duhamel, a professor at FIU, a poet who just came out with a new book called, “Ka-ching!” The irony of these poems is that they helped me communicate with those who would take it the wrong way.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
Toni Morrison, Anne Sexton, Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, Billy Collins, Sylvia Plath, Alice Walker, Joyce Carol Oates, among others.

What are you reading right now?
A collection of short stories – the Best of 2008 and the Best Poetry. But it’s not the best – the short stories are always really good, but the poetry is very political and the same people get in year after year.

What kinds of local literary events have you attended?
I’ve done Stone Grove Tuesdays at the Vagabond, the Butterfly Lightning Series at Tobacco Road, the Miami Poetry Collective. I’m reading at the Book Fair on Nov. 15 at 3pm in auditorium C. People can just show up, not necessary to RSVP.

What would you like to tell people that I haven’t already asked?
I teach at Braddock and Miami-Dade College. My goal is to touch people, whether they love or hate my work.