The event was part of the most recent edition of Noches Editoriales, an initiative that aims to introduce students to the publishing world.
Marcela Jiménez Ruiz
Journalism Student
Writing and editing require time, reading, and a willingness to learn throughout the process. That was one of the messages shared by Carlos Roberto Gómez Beras, founder of Isla Negra Editores, during the most recent edition of Noches Editoriales at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.
Moderated by Dr. Mara Pastor, academic leader of Creative Writing, the conversation brought together students, professors, and authors associated with Isla Negra Editores to learn about Gómez Beras’s career and his experiences as a writer and editor.
During the conversation, Gómez Beras recalled that his path to literature was not a straightforward one. Born in the Dominican Republic, he moved to Puerto Rico and began his university studies intending to become a dentist. After realizing that the profession was not for him, he explored other fields until he found in literature and poetry the path he wanted to pursue.
One of the moments that shaped his development occurred when a professor read dozens of his poems and questioned the quality of his work. The experience led Gómez Beras to recognize how much more he needed to read and learn before considering himself a writer. In time, he returned to the professor with new texts and received a different response.
“When you feel that if you don’t write, you die, that’s when you are beginning to become a writer,” Gómez Beras said while reflecting on his development as a poet.
That same willingness to learn later became part of his work as an editor. Gómez Beras recounted the origins of Isla Negra Editores, a project that emerged with the intention of creating space for alternative literary proposals. Over the years, the publishing house has developed a catalog of authors and works that, he explained, reflects a particular vision of literature and of caring for the book as an object.
“If you want to be an editor, you have to know how to do everything,” he said. During the conversation, he emphasized the importance of understanding different areas of the profession, including editing and book design.
Pastor connected that experience with the academic training at Sagrado and emphasized the importance of familiarizing students with how the publishing industry operates. During the conversation, she also announced that the Creative Writing program will introduce a book design course next semester.
Gómez Beras also reflected on the expectations that digital platforms can create for emerging writers. In a culture where immediate reception can be measured through interactions, he encouraged students to recognize that developing a voice and a literary project takes time.
When asked about the importance of events such as Editorial Nights for students, Gómez Beras described these gatherings as an opportunity to create a “connection of souls.” He explained that in-person interaction allows spontaneous ideas to emerge between students and professors, emphasizing that learning takes place in both directions.
The event concluded with readings from several of his works, including a poem from La espina que florece, as well as the introduction of authors from Isla Negra Editores who were among the audience. In this way, the conversation took students beyond the process of writing a work and brought them closer to the lessons, revisions, and relationships involved in taking it through to publication.
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