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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 14 November 2017
Lin-Manuel: Puerto Rican efforts making up for slow start

By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS live on Univision from Las Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis
Associated Press Vegas. Fonsi, John Leguizamo and
NEW YORK (AP) — Lin- In a recent interview with Rita Moreno, among many
Manuel Miranda’s next The Associated Press, others. All proceeds from
project is far away from Miranda expressed his faith downloads and streaming
Broadway, in a 35-mile- in the American people go to The Hispanic
long stage. The artist is after seeing the country Federation’s disaster relief
focused in helping Puerto come together in the face fund.
Rico recover from the of natural tragedy, despite “Everyone worked from
devastation Hurricane what he has said was a a place of love,” said
Maria has left. slow response from the U.S. Miranda of the song, which
“Our next project is getting government. he calls “a love letter” to
a sense of normalcy back “Honestly I think we are still the island and its 78 towns,
to our island,” he said more making up for the slowness all mentioned in the lyrics.
than a month after Maria of the initial response,” he Miranda also hopes to raise
hit hard. “Everything has said. “That was the moment the spirit of the island by In this Feb. 6, 2017 file photo, Lin-Manuel Miranda arrives at
kind of taken a back seat to put down a maximum bringing “Hamilton” to the the 89th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills,
to that.” effort, maximum troops, University of Puerto Rico — Calif.
The creator of “Hamilton” maximum everything, and and him in the starring role Associated Press
has been doing all he can it’s happened. My hat goes — in early 2019.
to help the devastated off to every single member The composer, lyricist, still where we are a month “And that’s not big
land of his ancestor and will of FEMA, every troop on the playwright and actor after the hurricane with so corporations, that’s over
be honored this Thursday ground, every member of lamented that after more much of the island — not 100,000 donations and
for his efforts at the Latin the Puerto Rican National than one month there a very big island! Thirty-five really small increments,” he
Grammys. Guard that’s working so are still many people with miles top to bottom — still noted.
Miranda will receive the hard there. But we’re no water or electricity. without basic resources,” “It is a glimpse of generosity
Latin Recording Academy working at a deficit from More than 140,000 Puerto said Miranda. of everyday people —
President’s Merit Award the initial response and we Ricans have left the island But in trying to “be the silver it’s kids taking their piggy
for his “outstanding and still are.” since the September 20 lining,” he says he rather banks, it’s local productions
numerous contributions Two weeks after the storm hurricane. focus on the positive, like of ‘In The Heights’ raising
to the Latin community,” he released “Almost Like “This would be so the $14 million the Hispanic money after the show,”
including his all-star song Praying,” a song featuring unacceptable in any city in Federation raised in 24 days Miranda said, referring to
“Almost Like Praying.” The Jennifer Lopez, Marc the mainland of the United through the Unidos Disaster one of his earlier stage
ceremony will be aired Anthony, Camila Cabello, States. It’s crazy that this is Relief & Recovery Program. hits.q

Review: Erdrich tries apocalyptic fiction in ‘Future Home’

By CARLA K. JOHNSON Hawk Songmaker, who is Sweetie to a tribal council mark on the material. ground railroad to safety.
Associated Press pregnant and learning how meeting — the entrance to The U.S. Postal Service is “still In a tense and memorable
“Future Home of the Living valuable she may be to the tribe’s office sits under operating under a secular scene,
God” (Harper), by Louise those who have assumed the “outspread wings of a postmaster general” and Cedar’s adoptive mother,
Erdrich power in the United States. cast fiberglass eagle” — Sera, is reassuring and he-
Evolution runs amok in Lou- She begins her story — in and later to a casino park- roic with “the face of pack-
ise Erdrich’s new novel, diary entries addressed to ing lot where the pair lay ing the car for a vacation ...
“Future Home of the Liv- her unborn child — as she sod for a shrine to Kateri, the face of the household
ing God.” Ladybugs are reconnects with her birth the first Native American general.”
the size of cats. Dragonflies mother, an Ojibwe gas sta- Catholic saint. But Sera can still push Ce-
have three-foot wingspans. tion owner on a nearby res- Sweetie has worked out the dar’s buttons, as only a
Few women survive child- ervation. potential financial boon to mother can. Stuck hiding
birth because of a fatal au- Cedar is the adopted the reservation of a shrine together in a mop closet
toimmune response, and daughter of a liberal white at a spot where gamblers at the Minneapolis Post Of-
because infants are bigger, couple in Minneapolis. have sighted the saint. Ce- fice, they play out old emo-
some are too big for the She returns to the reserva- dar is impressed. She has tional dramas, wounding
birth canal. tion to meet Mary Potts, been underestimating her each other before coming
These babies also walk known as “Sweetie,” her birth mother. to terms again.
sooner and are thought to birth mom, as society be- Her growing appreciation Some threads are left unre-
be incapable of speech. gins to disintegrate. of older women, who help solved by the time this short
An authoritarian govern- “This is how the world ends, her on an increasingly peril- novel ends.
ment recruits patriotic I think, everything crazy ous journey, becomes one Erdrich may be setting up
women as “womb volun- yet people doing normal of many themes for Erdrich a sequel, or leaving her op-
teers” to harbor embryos things,” Cedar writes. to explore. tions open. While the final
frozen before the myste- The details of normal life on Known for her fluid novels This cover image released by pages are beautifully writ-
rious calamity. Gourmet the reservation, detached of families, reservation life Harper shows “Future Home ten, the unanswered ques-
of the Living God,” a novel by
food is promised: “Our from the evolutionary go- and Catholic faith, Erdrich Louise Erdrich. tions feel unsatisfying rather
chefs are waiting for you!” ings-on and a larger politi- is new to speculative fic- Associated Press than intriguing.
intones Mother, the voice cal turmoil, make the story tion. “Future Home” owes a Still, this is a journey worth
of the new regime. believable and therefore debt to Margaret postal employees not only taking and a worthy ad-
Witnessing these alarming more frightening. Atwood and P.D. James, deliver mail but also move dition to contemporary
developments is Cedar Cedar accompanies but Erdrich makes her own dissidents along an under- apocalyptic fiction.q