Political Quotes

“today, at a ceremony at the White House, President Obama awarded the National Medal of Arts to a distinguished author who calls the Green Mountains of Vermont home: Julia Alvarez. Born in the United States but raised in the Dominican Republic, Julia Alvarez grew up under the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Fearing for their lives after her father became involved in the revolution to overthrow Trujillo, Ms. Alvarez and her family fled to the United States. Just months later, three of the leaders of that underground movement--Patria Mirabal Reyes, Minerva Mirabel Reyes, and Maria Mirabal Reyes--were brutally murdered. It was this series of events that compelled Ms. Alvarez to author, ``In the Time of the Butterflies.'' The fiction novel based on real-life events is a story incorporated into the curriculum of schools around the world, including many Vermont schools. Ms. Alvarez's novel explains the complexities of family and cultural divide, while celebrating strength in the face of oppression. Julia Alvarez has been a trailblazer in Latino literature. When Julia started writing, Latino literature was only considered an ``ethnic interest.'' Today, her work is well known in America and around the world, thanks to her passion and creativity. Ms. Alvarez first came to Vermont as a student at Middlebury College. She graduated with a bachelor of arts, summa cum laude. Years later, she has returned to Middlebury College as the author-in-residence.…”