People Of San Miguel: How Books Saved A Life

By Natalie Taylor

Daniela Méndez Vega was born in San Miguel de Allende and went to school here. She grew up in a home without books, and the only reading she learned was in school. The only books she had ever seen in a home were those owned by an aunt who kept a whole collection of “pretty books” with attractive leather covers. They were stacked on a shelf along with other knick-knacks, not for reading but simply as “decoration.”

When Daniela was fifteen, she experienced a traumatic event that left her in a state of depression with suicidal thoughts. She felt isolated, without anyone to turn to for comfort, and found an outlet—writing a sort of journal in which she addressed God, seeking someone or something to whom she could turn. She says that at that time she “didn’t even know how to write,” and simply put down her thoughts as if speaking to a friend. This exercise did help her somewhat but then something else happened that was even more important. The aunt who owned those books decided to give them to Daniela’s family, and so they ended up with the collection. It was the first time Daniela had a chance to open and read them. One book in particular caught her attention; it was a journal written by a young girl, The Diary of Anne Frank. Once she began reading it, she could not put it down, the narrator spoke to her through time and distance and the experience was transformative; she read everything she could get her hands on and literature healed her.

Daniela went on to the University of Guanajuato where she studied Philosophy and Literature; making books, and reading her life’s passion. Realizing the positive impact that books had on her, she decided to bring the experience to others, dedicating herself to promoting literature and reading to children, especially those who came from homes where books were not part of their lives. Through reading and writing workshops at the Biblioteca Pública, she introduced young readers to the beauty of learning and saw the benefits of improved reading. Teaching the art of writing to children and young people opens a whole world, a means to express themselves, a program she calls Camino de Letras.

Aside from the workshops at the Biblioteca, Daniela volunteers at a rural elementary school in the rural community of San Miguelito, providing books and reading programs to disadvantaged children. Many of the children come from families with a very low level of education, many still unable to read by the age of eight. Being read to brings a completely new experience to these children, and awakens an interest in reading themselves.She even sees a change in their personalities as they begin to be less shy, and even more assertive.

For a long time, Daniela dreamed of a space of her own where she could collect books and share them with children and adults. About a year ago, she found a small space and opened a bookstore. But it is much more than a bookstore, it is now a location for the fostering of reading and literature that she had been hoping for. Now, in the small room located behind a coffee shop, she hold workshops and readings. It is now a location to bring children and young adults to sit amid books and simply enjoy reading, and it is also a place to hold workshops teaching them how to express themselves in their own way through writing.

Every Saturday Daniela conducts a Mexican women’s writing workshop at the bookstore. These women have never had anyone lead them in writing original works, in tapping into their own experiences, expressing them and sharing. They begin by reading a short story by a Latin American writer and then use it as a springboard to create works of their own. Daniela says that the results of these exercises are astonishing and the seven women who are part of this group have now written a number of stories that she hopes will eventually be published in a collection.

Daniela’s work highlights the need for literacy in San Miguel, particularly in the rural areas. She is an example of how reading can be transformative for children and adults, and wants to bring that experience to others. Her bookstore, Tintos y Tintas, is on Hidalgo #13, a paean to literacy.     

Natalie Taylor is a bilingual published writer, editor, journalist, translator and a regular columnist at Atención News

www.natalietaylor.org