In one of my greatest honors to date as a writer, I was invited to the Tekoá Anhetenguá, a Guarani village, on October 22nd to discuss the portrayal of indigenous peoples in fiction. This village, located in the middle of Porto Alegre’s suburban sprawl, fights to pass along the traditions and culture of the Guarani. It was a pleasant day, everyone was wonderful and friendly, making me instantly feel at home. An oral culture, they explained to me how writing is new to them, but they see it as a great possibility of recording their stories and traditions. As their chief put it, “everyone has a story to tell.”

Respecting their traditions, I didn’t take any pictures, but the images of that visit will stay in my memory forever.