Torti, Sylvia 1968–

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Torti, Sylvia 1968–

PERSONAL: Born 1968, in OH. Education: Earlham College, undergraduate degree, 1992; University of Utah, Ph.D., 1998.

ADDRESSES: Office—Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S. 1400 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84112. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Biologist and writer. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, research assistant professor. Artist residencies at Hedgebrook Foundation, 2000, and Sacatar Foundation, 2003.

MEMBER: Writers at Work (president).

AWARDS, HONORS: National Science Foundation predoctoral fellowship, 1994; Miguel Mármol Prize for Latino literature, Curbstone Press, 2005, for The Scorpion's Tail.

WRITINGS:

The Scorpion's Tail (novel), Curbstone Press (Willimantic, CT), 2005.

Contributor to journals, including American Naturalist, Biotropica, Journal of Tropical Ecology, Journal of Neurobiology, and Journal of Chemical Ecology.

SIDELIGHTS: Biologist Sylvia Torti has conducted field work in such countries as Mexico, Trinidad, Panama, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Upon arriving in Chiapas for a research project, Torti found herself in a region of Mexico then home to the civil unrest of the Zapatista rebellion. The uprising, which began on January 1, 1994, brought to the attention of the global community the plight of Mexico's indigenous people. Torti's debut novel, The Scorpion's Tail, captures that period in time through a number of characters that include Amy, a biology professor and entomologist who is collecting butterfly and insect specimens. Amy has joined an expedition that includes Pablo, Mexican ornithologist and a gay man who has yet to confront his family with his secret; Mario, a solder with the Mexican army; and Chan Nah K'in, a rebel and women's movement leader.

Rigoberto González reviewed the novel for the El Paso Times Online, noting that there is no resolution at the novel's conclusion. "The struggle continues outside the fickle media limelight. Thus, it's fitting that Torti has crafted such a gut-wrenching reminder that the Zapatista legacy of responsiveness and activism also lives on. That radical spirit is palpable within the pages of this illuminating novel." Booklist contributor Deborah Donovan described The Scorpion's Tail as "a story enriched by its honest and disparate points of view."