Purchase
Chicana Falsa and other stories of death, identity, and Oxnard was first published by Lalo Press in 1993. It was re-published by Riverhead Books in 1998. Serros produces both prose and poetry about the life and times of Mexican-American Oxnard. In Dead Pig's Revenge, she tells us about the haunting consequences of loving chicharrones. Mi Problema tells us about the trouble of being brown and not being fluent in Spanish. Michele tells us of her family's adventures - like her sister's stint on a game show, friends - like the one who created a political movement for the dignity of Latino Style Vegetables in the local grocery store, and the local characters she grew with - like JohnwannabeChicano. Her comfortable and funny sense of writing breathes new life into the examination of Latina identity. This is the work that has placed Michele Serros on reading panels across the country and made her a common place in anthologies.
Purchase
In another hysterical look at identities, How to Be a Chicana Role Model expands the reach from gender and identity to the elusive problem of being a role model. The book fills in more of Michele's youthful exploits and takes us through her experience in finding success. Using only prose this time, we follow Michele from grade school through her rising career in writing. While laying out some simple rules for success, she takes an honest look at the role models in her life and the expectations that others eventually have of her as a role model. Being Chicana, brown and female, carries its own set of rules for those at the top and those at the bottom. Role Model Rule Number 5 is Respect the 1 Percent. Michele tells of boycotting her family because they refused to honor her late uncle's last request that they boycott Pseudo-Latino movies (Movies about Latinos, without actually starring any Latinos). Rule Number 2: Seek Support from Sistas, tells us about Michele's days as a page trying to seek support from a Fly Girl on the set of In Living Color. We also get a behind the scenes look at her travels reading on tour at Lollapalooza .. in the special dank corners next to the outhouses reserved for poetry.