Isabel Allende discusses the importance of Barbie and stories about women
Isabel Allende is a storyteller, known as being one of the most successful Spanish language authors around the globe. Her writing and creation of stories have earned her a spot as being honored by Barbie's latest Inspiring Women Doll. Isabel Allende's reach is so impressive, she was even honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. Isabel Allende's devotion to writing about layered, complicated, and exciting women allows her to be a celebrated author. However, Isabel Allende also had interesting things to say about how Barbie's latest Inspiring Women Doll can help influence young girls around the world.
Culturess: What is the significance of having an Inspiring Women Doll based on you?
Isabel Allende: Oh, it's an honor. I am in very good company. As I've been telling my grandchildren, now they will know that I am famous. It's been a wonderful experience and fun. The whole process has been fun, and now to see the doll, it's great, and the packaging is very nice. But, also I have my book, The House of Spirits. The best part is the dog. My dog, Perla, was there. The whole thing is very unexpected. I feel that it is something that no one in my family or I ever expected. It's been wonderful.
Culturess: What is the significance of your partnership with Barbie set to begin at the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month?
Isabel Allende: Well, the fact that it's coming out this month, I think was planned that way to emphasize the presence of Hispanics in this country, especially the presence of very powerful women that are in the community and they are activists and they are in every profession in every field. If I can represent them in some way with a Barbie, I feel it is my responsibility also.
Culturess: What was it like to be the first guest on the Barbie podcast?
Isabel Allende: Well, I haven't heard it yet because it is coming out on September 17th, but it was very interesting to talk about, they asked a lot about what I've done in my life and my achievements and so forth because I think the idea is to inspire young people, kids, probably girls and boys, with the idea that you can achieve anything you dream of if you put in enough effort and discipline into it, and if you have a community that supports you, of course. I think that was the main purpose of the podcast, but the podcast is fun. It has games and interesting stories. It's about storytelling. I hope that kids will really listen to it.
Culturess: How would you describe the importance of female representation in storytelling?
Isabel Allende: It's important because it's very new. When I started writing forty-two years ago, they said that I was the only Latina-American woman writer in the boom of Latin American literature. They were all men, but women have been writing forever. Their voices have been silenced, ignored or dismissed. Now, there are as many women writers as there are men, and more women than men read fiction. That means that there is a market out there that is controlled by women readers and that is really important.
Culturess: Do you have any advice for young girls regarding overcoming challenges and breaking societal boundaries?
Isabel Allende: I would say that you need to be so stubborn to keep doing what you want to do no matter what and try to find around you some support. It's very hard in life to do things all by yourself, as I have done. It would have been so much easier if I had mentors and people who would have supported me. I have to say, that in my life those who have helped me have always been women. Starting with my mother, my father abandoned my family when I was three. I never met him. My mother, with the women who helped me take care of my kids when I was working three jobs, my mother-in-law, grandmothers, and then my agents, have been women, and my editors have been women. It's always a community of women. I would say to girls who are looking to achieve their dreams, of course, it depends on you, but it also depends on the support you can get. So just say, 'What do you want to do?' Be very clear. Look around. There are always people looking to help.
Culturess: What types of stories do you love to write the most?
Isabel Allende: I like fiction novels, and I like to write more for adults than for young adults because literature for young adults has more limitations and it's more formulaic in a way. I like historical novels. I like literary novels. I have written in almost every genre, twenty-eight books, and I hope to keep writing and every different genre is a challenge for me. That's why I try different things. I don't stick to one kind of book.
Culturess: What is your favorite type of character to develop?
Isabel Allende: Women. Strong, independent, assertive, funny, joyful, women who are generous and help each other and they go through hell and back but they always get back up on their feet, and they don't whine by the way. No victims.
Culturess: What is the difference in how you go about writing fiction versus non-fiction?
Isabel Allende: Very different because non-fiction would be, for example, something that is reporting about an event and that is more a journalistic endeavor that requires facts. You stick to the facts. In a memoir, which is non-fiction, it's very personal, very intimate. You are trying to get to the truth of something. That kind of truth in a memoir is very subjective. It depends on how you see things. In fiction, you can do whatever you want. You're like God. You can move your characters in action, in adventure, you can give them a happy ending, you can have them fall in love, kill them, everything. It's wonderful. I just love that. Then, every book is different. You create a new universe in which you have to be a participant. That is a fantastic thing to do. If there are girls reading this, this interview that we are having, please try it because it's really wonderful. Try to write.
Culturess: What was it like to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014?
Isabel Allende: Well, it's the highest civilian honor in this country. I felt incredibly proud and honored. I think that I was representing the Hispanic community at a time when there was a growing anti-immigrant sentiment. There was a lot of press against Hispanics and I was there in the White House receiving the medal for all of them, for all of the work we have done in this country.
Culturess: How do you think the Barbie Inspiring Women Doll collection could influence girls?
Isabel Allende: Give them the idea that there are no limits to their dreams. They can be any of those dolls. The dolls represent many fields of activities. They can be in the jungle like Jane Goodall or you could be Rosa Parks being an activist. Anything you want, you can do it, but it takes courage and it takes determination and it takes the idea that nothing can stop you. Sometimes the circumstances are so hard. My own life has not been easy. I have been a political refugee, I have been an immigrant. I have gone through a lot. I think I have been, first of all, very lucky to have support, and then a very clear idea that nothing is going to stop me.
You can purchase the Isabel Allende Doll and the Inspiring Women Collection on Mattel's website.
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