Having the opportunity to meet and hear the wisdom of Carlos Hernandez was an incredible time during which I felt I learned a great deal about the world of digital publishing and much more. First of all, I enjoyed listening to Hernandez speak about the way he writes and why he creates his pieces the way he does. These details had a lot to do with his background and his knowledge of the world that he has accumulated throughout his life. For example, he wrote his poem with slant rhymes and Spanish words in a piece mostly written in English to illustrate his cultural heritage, personal life experience, and how he has been influenced by other Spanish poetry (i.e. the slant rhymes). I think it is incredible how you can tell how much thought he puts into every word and phrase he uses within his writing.
Another part of Hernandez’s talk that I enjoyed was when he explained his relationship with his friend who he created the video game with. It is amazing when people are able and welcomed to join in on a project that they may not even have the “proper” experience to work on. The fact that his friend went out of his way to create a space for him that gave him the ability to write for the game goes to show how amazing of a writer he is. Friendships, random interests, and networking truly are great ways to jump start connections that could help you along your path, and Hernandez proved this in his stories of the people and friends he had that gave him incredible opportunities to further his career.
One last part of Hernandez’s talk that I remember well is when he explained the significance of digital publishing as it has affected people of color and women. It makes me so happy to know that people who for a long time had to jump through dozens of hoops and face rejection because of who they are now are at the highest ranks of writing in some settings. Hernandez explained so well how the best people to write about a culture are the people of that culture. People like Carlos Hernandez are an inspiration to writers of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, and it was a pleasure to be able to hear him speak on matters that he cares so deeply about.