For Life, Love of Peace. All his works reveal the experience of an immigrant.
It’s inspiring to learn about the life of someone who, despite hardships, has managed to transform their life.
Manuel Orantes-Alvarez is undoubtedly a multifaceted writer whose diverse experiences flow through his pen, as his personal journey has taken him through failure, migration, illness, and ultimately, resilience.
In the world of contemporary Guatemalan literature, it’s rare to find a voice like his—one that conveys such varied experiences with the authenticity of his inner journey.
I decided to interview him for this column because we have much to learn from him, especially as he prepares a new spiritual work titled The Miraculous Encounter of Rebelio with Sereno, which, just by its title, captivates and promises a reflection on redemption and serenity. I believe it’s a self-help book that seeks to delve into our inner selves, just as his own experiences have done for him.
Vida: What drove you to start writing amid personal crisis and uncertainty while in an English-speaking country, and what role did solitude or night shifts play in your creative process?
Orantes-Alvarez: It was in Maine, U.S., when I was an immigrant beginning a phase of personal achievements and stability. Inspiration and satisfaction were reflected in every column I published. At first, it was a catharsis that became a voice of encouragement for others.
Vida: Your story has been shaped since your early years in the United States. What were your beginnings like, when you waited tables, washed dishes, and worked as a public servant—how long did it take to become an author?
Orantes-Alvarez: Seven years passed. From when I started writing and discovered my calling to seeing my first work published.
Vida: How did you overcome those moments of adversity when you fell seriously ill?
He turned his adversity into inspiration, his romance into a sweet awakening, and his audacity into rebellion.
Orantes-Alvarez: By finding strength in weakness while living with a serious illness like schizoaffective disorder (schizophrenia). Also, by confronting the desert of my life with the hope of rehabilitation. There was also acceptance and inevitably going through the stage of denial. The rest depends on the support network, family. That’s why I returned to Guatemala.
Vida: So you transformed pain into art in works like The Escapist Duo, From the Desert to Hope, and of course, Story of an Expatriate Love. The latter reminds me of pure, unfiltered teenage love. All his works reveal the experience of an immigrant.
Finally, he shared that we are all capable of undergoing a transformation in our lives, and that regardless of life’s circumstances and events, we can change and also allow ourselves to be transformed by that divinity we all call God in our own language, regardless of our beliefs.
Vida: My last question is: What is your greatest aspiration?
Orantes-Alvarez: I would love for my works to reach a broader audience nationally and internationally, and also to write again as a columnist for a local or international outlet, as I did at one point in my life when I lived abroad.
There’s no doubt he has turned his adversity into inspiration, his romance into a sweet awakening, and his audacity into rebellion. I’ll end by quoting the prologue of one of his books:
“The idea of starting to write Story of an Expatriate Love came to me during my constant stays on the green sofa in my living room. At first, it wasn’t green. It turned green after having been mustard-colored when it was in the colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala.”
If you want to read this author of The Escapist Duo – Challenge to Freedom, you can find him on Amazon.
“Amazon.com: EL DUO ESCAPISTA: El desafio a la libertad: 9781438946719: Orantes-Alvarez, Manuel: Books” https://www.amazon.com/-/es/EL-DUO-ESCAPISTA-desafio-libertad/dp/1438946716
