within Xena Fan Fiction
either Uber(Original) or Alt.
to content, concept, topic and the incorporation of either Ethnic characters or Religious Diversity
and nothing more. The awarding of this banner is purely subjective. All banners are linked to the
sites that carry them. I do not take responsibility for the stories, nor do I control what the author's
write. So if you come across any story, which contains spelling, grammar errors or typos, or has
material that you object to, please notify the authors, not me.
sadness of February behind us, we can turn our attention to the brightness of spring. With that, it is
my pleasure to announce that the March 2003 recipient of the Charani Award of Excellence in Fiction
for Ethnic or Religious Diversity goes to Ana Ortiz for HABÁNAME. Ordinarily, I would go into
detail and explain my decision, however, for this particular story, I decided to let just a small sample
of the emails that I have personally receive speak for me.
"Genuinely good fiction allows us to empathize with characters who may be completely outside our
own realm of experience. It is often the case that the more culturally diverse a tale or characters are,
the more challenging and fascinating the work is. HABÁNAME by Ana Ortiz is an absolutely superb
example of this - complex characters, beautifully constructed prose and even an excerpt from the
Communist Manifesto ironically quoted between two lovers! Fiction takes us outside of ourselves -
isn't that the point?"
Pebble
"I must thank you for posting a wonderful story at your site. When I began reading Habaname, I
could not put it down! At times, I felt swept away with happiness, and sometimes it made me sad
and through it all I was always held captivated by the plot. I feel as if I learned so much about
another culture. It is seldom that I've read a story quiet like this and I eagerly look forward to reading
more from Ana Ortiz. Please tell me there will be more stories by this wonderful bard at your site?"
Arati B.
Please join me in congratulating Ana Ortiz for her outstanding story, HABÁNAME.
L. Crystal Michallet-Romero
My apologies that an award was not given for this month.
A Sr. thesis at my university captured all of my attention.
