Spanish Soap Operas by Erin McCormack

Spanish Soap Operas by Erin McCormick. Against her parents’ wishes, recent college grad Gretchen Kemp has left small-town Ohio with her best friend, Kimberly, to make a new life in New York City. But when Kimberly is assaulted outside their apartment and decides to leave, Gretchen is on her own. Lonely and isolated, she takes a chance on two new friends from very different worlds: on the one hand, Bloomingdales and celebrity auctions with golden girl Paige; on the other, salsa clubs and telenovelas with vibrant, sassy Marisol. Quickly, New York becomes a place of wonder and excitement as Gretchen gets caught up in her friends’ soap opera-like lives. But the city has another side, drugs and violence, which links their lives in unexpected and dangerous ways, threatening Gretchen’s new friendships and her ability to survive in the city.

SUMMARY of Spanish Soap Operas

I won’t be able to capture Erin’s words and feelings as well as hearing from her in person, but I’ll try.  Learning about Erin’s process and why she self-published is inspiring.  We should all know that if we have elders in our lives and want to share something we have been working on that they are looking forward to, we CAN publish, even if not perfect and finish that novel. Self-publishing also allows you to go back and revise more easily than going through a publishing house.  Topics we discussed are categorized below:

Cross-cultural Relationships

•  These women supported each other across ethnic and racial lines.
•  Love/hate (or thinking about not being friends) is part of relationship building.
•  Keeping secrets can damage relationships in not allowing others to help you, when they really want •  to help, and also in making things much harder on yourself.
•  You know who your friends are when… you find yourself in a crisis, and they are/are not there for you.
•  The women grow in their understanding of each other and appreciate what each person has to offer as an individual from another culture.

-       Gretchen learns about dancing, community, various spiritual practices

-       Marisol appreciates that Paige offers a safe apartment for Gretchen to recuperate

-       Paige has a lot going on with her health and her fiancé’s drug use, but still is there for Gretchen and also appreciates that Gretchen’s relationship with Marisol is important to Gretchen.

-       Each woman learns their own limitations and that they need help from each other.

-       It was great to see the three perspectives on helping Gretchen to heal after the fire: science, prayer, and candles.

Paige, Marisol, and Gretchen come with their own prejudices/privileges which impact their relationships and how they see the word.  Some of these themes thread through the novel and into the lives of other associated chracters.

•  Homophobia/Heterosexism

-       Marisol could accept her brother privately, but did not want his sexuality on public display (e.g. in paintings)

•  Classism

-       Paige was wealthy, did fundraising benefits, organized parties, and chose whom to invite (or exclude), sometimes based on politics.  She had the ability to network in ways that would help her friends. 

-       Gretchen made decisions based on “her own rules” like when to donate to can-handlers/homeless on the streets. 

-       Gretchen also feared being in the “wrong neighborhood,” even though drugs were clearly happening on the wealthy side of town, too.

-       Homelessness is “houselessness” as George Carlin says.  Gretchen gets a feeling for what it’s like to so easily become homeless after he apartment goes up in flames.

-       The topic of bearing children or having an abortion is also related to class.

•  Racism

-       Gretchen made assumptions about Latinas and noticed appearance, but not skills or intelligence, until she got to know Marisol. 

-       The Latino men went to jail for drug use, the white man went to rehab.

Independence/Growing Up

We were glad to see the gals “sticking with it” out on their own, away from home.  And, that each character is strong and independent, not needing to rely on a man (father, brother, boyfriend).  We also liked that they got to meet their “heroes,” like Paige meeting Kent, the artist.