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Michele Serros, the spoken word artist and author of books about life in California as a Chicana, died Sunday of cancer at home in Berkeley. She was 48. Serros grew up in Oxnard, joined the spoken-word scene in Los Angeles, and started writing books while at Santa Monica College. Her novels include "Chicana Falsa," "How to be a Chicana Role Model" and "Honey Blonde Chica." She also wrote for the George Lopez TV show. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez does a nice sendoff on the KPCC website. Excerpt:
Serros started her career as an Los Angeles-based spoken word artist who was especially popular with Generation Mex, the twentysomethings of the 1990s. In a two-decade writing career, she gained influence as a novelist and performer with mainstream appeal, appearing at Lollapalooza in 1994 and writing several novels for young adults.
Serros burst onto the mid-90s poetry scene not with macho-style energy or rapid-fire delivery, but with a disarming wit. Marcos Frommer, a radio producer at the time recording L.A.’s poetry scene, remembers her unique style."What really struck me about Michele was her new voice, a type of voice that had never been heard before in the Latino community," Frommer said. "It was innocent yet extremely insightful. She [was] a keen observer of the human condition but, most importantly for me, she was really funny."
In 1996, Frommer produced Serros’s poetry collection, “Chicana Falsa: And Other Stories of Death, Identity, and Oxnard,” distributed on CD by major record label Mercury Records….
She said people would ask her what kind of literature she wrote. "And I rarely say it's Chicano literature. I'll say it's very Southern California. I grew up fourth-generation Californian. To me, all my experiences — the beach, the malls, avocados — very Californian. I happen to be Chicana."
This past July, she wrote about her cancer diagnosis and experience for the Huffington Post.
At age 47, the feelings of insecurity that typically settle from middle age (and from having an illness) began to set in. Like my mother and sister, I was determined to not allow my age or condition get comfy with limitations. My mother knew how to fight. My sister? She can be a strategic brawler. "Less wishbone and more backbone," I read from an encouraging notecard. A little funny bone couldn't hurt, either.I finally asked my husband to shave my hair off. I sat on a chair in the kitchen and looked straight out the window. A window. In a kitchen. How I had wanted such a combination when I lived in New York City. Now I had it in Berkeley. See? Healing is all about positive perspective!
And then it was my husband's turn to take a seat. Within minutes, our kitchen floor was covered with piles of our black hair.
"How do I look?" I asked.
My husband held me in my arms and stroked my bald head. "You look beautiful."
Serros' husband, Antonio Magaña, announced her death this morning on Facebook. Part of his post:
It is with great honor, privilege, and a heavy heart to announce the life transition of author, artist, poet, and Oxnard native Michele Serros on January 4, 2015….
Michele began her academic career by attending Rio Del Valle Elementary School, Rio Mesa HS and Santa Clara HS. After graduating, Michele enrolled at Ventura College then Santa Monica City College before transferring to and earning her B.A., cum laude in Chicana and Chicano Studies from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1996. Michele published her first novel, "Chicana Falsa" in 1994 while still a student at Santa Monica City College and her second novel, "How To Be A Chicana Role Model" later in 2000. In 2002, Michele was hired as a staff writer for the first season of the George Lopez Show. Later, in 2004, she signed with Simon and Schuster to pen the young adult novels, "Honey Blonde Chica" and the sequel, "¡Scandalosa!." During all of this, Michele toured as a motivational speaker, delivering commencement speeches and participating in book signings and book fairs all over the country. She met her husband, restaurateur, Antonio Magaña, in the summer of 2010. They were engaged on Christmas day that same year and were married the following June on the rooftop of the judges chambers in New York City.
Here's an NPR interview with Serros in 2006.
