Dena Rueb Romero

Dena Rueb Romero grew up in Hanover, New Hampshire, the daughter of a Lutheran mother and a Jewish father, both refugees from Nazi Germany. She graduated from Brandeis University and received an MA in English from the University of Virginia and an MSW from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. Her previous publications include Gretel’s Albums, a collaborative bilingual internet project with researcher Bernhild Voegel, and an essay about German citizenship in A Place They Called Home: Reclaiming Citizenship, Stories of a New Jewish Return to Germany. Dena still lives in Hanover, where she sings in a women’s chorus and volunteers at a daycare center and with an organization supporting refugees and asylum seekers.

Facebook: @Dena Rueb Romero Author

What period of history do you wish you knew more about?

I wish I knew more about the period between World War I and January 1933 when Hitler came to power in Germany.  This period –the Weimar Republic – was a complicated one, which I would like to understand better. I want to know who the main personages were, the different political viewpoints, what worked for the German people and what didn’t.  The overarching question is obviously how did Hitler come to power?  Who and why did people vote for him?

What’s your favorite comic strip?

I have always loved “Dennis the Menace.”  Not only is Dennis the proverbial naughty boy, but he comes up with such creative answers to explain his misbehavior.  I love his child’s view of the world which suggests that we adults take ourselves much too seriously.  Of course, I am glad I am not his mother!

Favorite non-reading activity?

My favorite non-reading activity and guilty pleasure is watching German television shows, especially police dramas.  I particularly like the “Tatort” series taking place in Vienna.  I enjoy hearing and trying to understand the Austrian German and as well as seeing the beautiful countryside.

What brings you great joy?

There are many things that bring me great joy. First is my two grandchildren who are growing up so fast and becoming so independent.  They are quite different from each other but very attached to family, and they are fun to be with.  Next is music.  I love opera and classical music, I sing in a chorus and take voice lessons.  When my voice teacher helps me fix a vocal problem, I am thrilled.  It is a joyous moment because when you sing correctly, it feels so good.

Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language? Does it influence your writing?

 I am fortunate that my parents spoke German to me when I was a child.  Although I make mistakes and never learned the grammar, it is truly a mother tongue. When I hear German, I respond viscerally. When I spend time in Germany, I start thinking and even dreaming in German.  How does this influence my writing?  A member of my writing group says that some of my sentence structures sound German.  I am not aware of this, but I can tell you that some German words and sayings express meaning better than in English.