PBS documentary delves into the life of critically-acclaimed author Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez has a way with words.

Throughout her life, she has woven bits and pieces together to create both poetry and prose.

The critically-acclaimed author is the focus of the American Masters documentary, “Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined.”

The hour-long film will premiere at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. It will also be available to stream on the PBS app. The broadcast is also part of PBS’ celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Opportunity for reflection: PBS documentary delves into the life of critically-acclaimed author Julia Alvarez

“It’s not easy for writer’s to cede control of the narrative,” Alvarez says of the documentary process. “This project wasn’t a novel of mine. The director and crew gave me the opportunity to sit back and reflect. It’s a chance for me to look into the rearview mirror. It’s a little embarrassing to get that attention.”

Adriana Bosch directed the film, which takes a look at the writer’s life and her accomplishments.

“In our film, Dominican poet Elizabeth Acevedo introduces Julia by saying that ‘Julia belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Women Latino writers, along with Isabel Allende and Sandra Cisneros,’ ” Bosch says. “She was among the pioneers in creating a new literature that expanded the meaning of the ‘American Mainstream’ and reminds us of the famous line by Langston Hughes – ‘I, too, sing America.’ ”

Born in New York City in 1950, Alvarez’s parents returned to their native country, Dominican Republic, shortly after her birth.

Ten years later, the family was forced to flee to the United States because of her father’s involvement in an underground plot to overthrow the dictator, Rafael Trujillo.

In the hardships of assimilating to the English language and American life, Alvarez found comfort in the world of stories, fostering a love for reading and writing.

The Dominican American poet and novelist burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors. Her semiautobiographical novel, “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents,” was published in 1991, followed in 1994 by “In the Time of the Butterflies,” which sold over a million copies and raised global awareness about life under Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.

Alvarez’s work spans multiple genres as she’s released three nonfiction books, three poetry collections, 11 books for children and young adults and seven literary novels.

Alvarez was given the opportunity to tell the story of her journey from her childhood in the Dominican Republic to a life of exile in New York City to a brilliant literary career

At 74, she recently published the critically-acclaimed novel “The Cemetery of Untold Stories.”

Alvarez says the documentary was partially filmed in the Dominican Republic around two years ago.

She’s been anticipating the premiere of the film.

“As writers, we are putting words together for the world,” she says. “And we’re supposed to disappear after that. This was a different experience because it was an oral presentation of my life and culture.”

Alvarez wasn’t a published author until she was 41 — though she had been writing for 20 years.

Having the experience of a documentary crew following her around, Alvarez knew she had to get comfortable with the process.

“At 74, you have been around the block and it’s wonderful,” she says. “This is a story with insight from an elder. Yes, that’s me now. The great thing about getting older is that you have hindsight, foresight and insight — it’s a 360 degree view.”

Throughout her life, Alvarez has defied the odds.

Leaving the Dominican Republic with her family and beginning a new life in New York City didn’t come easy.

Her family began not only a new chapter, but a new narrative.

“My siblings and I went to high school and we finished,” she says. “That was super uncommon in those times. I was always going against the grain.”

Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive producer of VOCES, was excited to partner with American Masters on the documentary.

“(Julia) Alvarez’s poetry and novels offer a unique perspective on the melding of her two cultures — American and Dominican — and are among the finest works about the American immigrant experience,” Viquez Pedlow says.

Alvarez has taught English and creative writing at every grade level, from elementary school to senior citizens and centers.

In 1997, with her husband, Bill Eichner, Alvarez founded Alta Gracia, a sustainable farm in the Dominican Republic that produces organic coffee and also serves as a literacy center. She currently lives in Vermont, where she is writer-in-residence emeritus at Middlebury College.

She continues her work with young people through her many workshops and readings throughout the country as well as in the Dominican Republic, where she is on the advisory board of Mariposa Foundation, an organization which promotes education and training for young girls in order to break the cycle of generational poverty.

She is also a founder of Border of Lights, a movement of diaspora Dominican Americans, Haitian Americans and supporters, working to foster peace and solidarity between two neighbor countries, traditionally in conflict, Haiti and Dominican Republic.

“Writing has been a constant in my life,” Alvarez says. “What has changed is that I’m working with a larger canvas. I have more experience and have learned something about my craft. It’s still difficult to get everything together and write. At times, I have to forget every accolade I’ve received in my life and focus on the task at hand. I’ve been able to follow my passion and I hope people will feel inspired by that story. Everyone should be able to follow their own path and passion.”