Page 31 - AT

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 21 october 2019

Sue Monk Kidd's next novel

imagines a married Jesus

By HILLEL ITALIE "I believe the aim of the imagine a woman married
Associated Press novelist is not only to hold to Jesus? Because stories of
NEW YORK (AP) — Sue up a mirror to the world as possibility challenge us to
Monk Kidd's next novel is it is, but to imagine what's create new realities."
very much a work of fiction. possible," Kidd told The As- Viking announced Friday
"The Book of Longings" is sociated Press in a recent that Kidd's new book, origi-
the fourth novel by the au- mail. "From the moment the nally titled "Ana, the Wife
thor known for such best- idea of writing this novel of Jesus," comes out April
sellers as "The Secret Life of struck me, I felt the impor- 28, 2020. Kidd has written
Bees" and "The Invention of tance of at least imagin- about religion and spiritual-
Wings," a 19th-century slav- ing a married Jesus. Doing ity in her nonfiction works,
ery narrative that Oprah so, provokes a fascinating including "Firstlight" and
Winfrey chose for her book question: How would the "The Dance of the Dissident This undated photo provided by Viking shows the cover of "The
club. "The Book of Long- Western world be different Daughter." Book of Longings," by Sue Monk Kidd.
ings" is told from the point if Jesus had married and The canonical gospels Associated Press
of view of a restless young his wife had been included make no reference to Jesus of women in the Bible. was so normative, it more
woman from the Galilee in his story? There are only ever marrying, but scholars, "The invisibility and silenc- or less went without say-
region named Ana, who speculative answers, but conspiracists and fiction ing of women were real ing. Typically undertaken
meets Jesus when he's 18 I think Christianity and the writers have long speculat- things. In the scriptures, at 20 (though sometimes
and eventually marries him. Western world would have ed whether he wed Mary women rarely have speak- up to age 30), marriage
According to Viking, the had a somewhat differ- Magdalene, most famous- ing parts and they aren't was a man's civic, family
marriage "unfolds with love ent religious and cultural ly (and controversially) in mentioned nearly as often and sacred duty. There are
and conflict, humor and inheritance, especially Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci as men," she told the AP. "It compelling reasons to sup-
pathos." Kidd draws upon when it came to the egali- Code." Kidd said that her could even be argued that port both sides of the argu-
historical research, but Ana tarian roles of women, to novel is, in part, a response in the first-century Jewish ment. The matter is likely
is entirely invented. celibacy, and so forth. Why to the marginalized status world of Galilee, marriage irresolvable."q

‘The Casagrandes’ extols Mexican American life via animation

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS home was always crowd-
Associated Press ed with family and parities.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Nickelodeon executives
— "The Casagrandes," bought in.
Nickelodeon's new original "I just pitched them on
animated series that cen- how it was going on and
ters around an 11-year-old they loved it," Puga said.
girl trying to survive a big Yet, Puga wanted to get
city, is one of the first car- more Latino artists in-
toons in the U.S. to feature volved. So, he reached
a multigenerational Mexi- out to syndicated car-
can American family. toonist Lalo Alcaraz, who
The long-awaited spin-off was a consulting producer
from the network's popu- on the Oscar-winning 2017
lar animation series, "The animated Disney/Pixar
Loud House," premiered feature "Coco."
Monday and comes as Alcaraz agreed to join
more networks are tak- the series as a consulting
ing chances on Latino- producer and a writer. He
themed shows. wrote an episode focusing
In this series, Ronnie Anne on the "Day of the Dead"
and her family — an and how different cultures
older brother and single tackle the death of loved
mother — leave the sub- This image released by Nickelodeon shows a scene from the animated series “The Casagrandes,” ones. Still, not all episodes
urbs to move in with their featuring a multigenerational Mexican American family. deal with serious topics.
large family in the fictional Associated Press Sometimes the family's
Great Lake City. The apart- making new friends in a space in a crowded apart- "I said, "let's make them talking parrot gets into
ment is located above The multicultural city. ment amid uncertainty Mexican American'," Puga trouble and runs up bills.
Casagrandes bodega, Unlike previous cartoons and humor. said. "They started to listen, Other times, an uncle dis-
owned by Ronnie Anne's with Latinos like Fox's 2016 Miguel Puga, the show's and we went from there." appears into the night and
grandpa, and in front of a "Bordertown" series, "The supervising director, said Puga, a first-generation relives his previous life as a
subway track. Casagrandes" seeks to the idea for the series Mexican American, lived skateboarder.
The skateboarding Ron- tackle family-oriented came after Ronnie Anne's among a large family in a But most of the time, Ron-
nie Anne works to adjust themes like love, friend- character was introduced house as a child. To make nie Anne is working to
to her new surroundings ship, and jealousy. Family on "The Loud House" and the cartoon feel authen- solve a problem and learn
while shunning a female members, including Ron- writers started thinking tic, he shared his experi- a lesson. "We make sure
cousin's attempt to dress nie Anne's nurse mom, about a spin-off with a ence growing up in East this is a lot of love in these
up with urban style and work to navigate limited new family. Los Angeles and how his episodes," Puga said.q