'Something real . . . and emotional'

 

“I can't speak for readers in general, but personally I like to read stories behind which there is some truth, something real and above all, something emotional. I don't like to read essays on literature; I don't like to read critical or rational or impersonal or cold disquisitions on subjects.” – Laura Esquivel

 

Born in Mexico on this date in 1950, Esquivel is the author and screenwriter of the award-winning novel and film Like Water for Chocolate..

 

She has been honored for both her fiction and screenwriting, but perhaps her biggest impact has been from her powerful essays on life, love and food.  Esquivel said she believes the kitchen is the most important place in the house, characterizing it as "a source of knowledge and understanding that brings pleasure to all." 

 

While she’s won writing awards for both her films and her books, she said she gravitates toward writing fiction.

 

“In film you can use images exclusively and narrate a whole story very quickly, but you don't always so easily find the form in cinema to dig deeper into human thoughts and emotions,” she explained.  “In a novel you can much more easily express a character's inner thoughts and feelings.”