“To be alive is to be committed.”  

—Oswald Rivera 

As with most authors, people often ask the question: “Why do I write?” I don’t know about other writers, but for me, the answer is simple: I write to challenge the status quo. The British author, Evelyn Waugh, stated that a writer should be a bit of grit in the machinery, be it capitalism, communism, socialism or fascism.  I want people to sit up and challenge the prevailing viewpoint, be it beneficent or repressive.  In a small way, I want to contribute to the collective dialogue about ways to expand our social conscience and improve our collective good.  I know that this philosophy of writing makes some people uncomfortable.  I am aware that I am a sometimes unfashionable, but I am always true to myself and my attitudes and hopefully this authenticity is reflected in my fiction.  

When it comes to my fiction, all is seldom happiness and light. I want my readers to consider alternatives, be they in the present or past. Those who want happy endings versus positive endings may well read my work from the perspective of a glass half empty.  However, if they can move past this initial reaction, they will discover that the glass is actually half full, as revealed by some kind of positive transformation before the story ends.     

I am a seeker, as we all are in our own ways.  Personally, my writing seeks truth, including all its complications, complexities, and contradictions.  What I believe is that there is always something better out there and it is up to us to find it.  

 

To see the details by Critics, Publishers and avid Readers like yourselves:

Click on the Pictures:

NEW BOOK !  In the Time of the Americans  by Oswald Rivera.

NEW BOOK ! THE CENTURION by Oswald Rivera.

It’s available in Paperback at Barnes & Noble

NEW BOOK: The Centurion by Oswald Rivera

“It is the first century of the Common Era. Imperial Rome is at the height of its power, with an empire stretching from the moors of Scotland to the sands of Arabia.

It is at this time that in Judea, a remote backwater of the empire.  Marcus Valerianus of the tenth legion, is sent on a scouting mission seeking Jewish rebels. Instead, he encounters a young boy from nearby Nazareth, wandering in the desert.

The boy talks of a “Father” who rules over all, and how he is doing his “Father’s work.” Thus begins the Tale of The Centurion, and the startling secret that will change his life forever . . . . . . . ”

 


 

Excerpt from a review by some happy customers for one of Oswald Rivera’s great books :

Puerto Rican Cuisine in America: Nuyorican and Bodega Recipes

Puerto Rican Cuisine in America … by Oswald Rivera

A few Short and Heart-Felt reviews from readers who love this book:

5 STARS : WOW!!! *****
I am African American and I purchased this wonderful cookbook several years ago. The cover on my book was different than what’s shown here, but all I can say is WOW!!! What a pleasure, there were always certain Puerto Rican recipes that I loved and whenever I would ask how to make it I would get “I don’t know, I just make it, I don’t use a recipe.” I always loved the flavor in the beans and never knew how to accomplish the taste, now I know it’s sofrito, I now make my own. The description on how to make pasteles is a big positive too. I have a Greek friend and she makes pasteles around the holidays and gives them as gifts. One Puerto Rican guy couldn’t believe that a Greek girl made the pasteles. But thanks to Oswald Rivera’s fine cookbook it’s possible. I especially enjoy his humor and the stories, I feel he’s right there in the kitchen with me. I feel contrary to what the other reviewer said about pictures I didn’t miss them at all I just wanted these basic recipes for my friends and family to enjoy. BRAVO! Mr. Rivera, you’ve put a smile on my face.

5 STARS my bible in the kitchen!! *****
I love this cookbook! It has so many recipes in it. I’ve tried a number of them and I loved them all. this book is so great. My mom never really taught me how to cook or my grandmom, and what they did show me, I never remembered, I have to use recipes and with this book at my side, I can make everything. My rice is fabulous. My kids love my cooking and they tell me all the time that I should be a chef! 🙂 thanks Mr. Rivera.

5 STARS :  Autentico y sabroso *****
We decided we needed some Puerto Rican cookbooks in the house, and Puerto Rican Cuisine is one of them. It really looks like all our abuelitas worked on this great cookbook with Rivera. Quite a few recipes brought tears to my eyes since I haven’t eaten them in over six years since my great-grandmother died. We look forward to recreating many of her dishes with the assistance of this book. If you want a simple, authentic Puerto Rican cookbook, this is for your culinary library.

 


 

Author Oswald “Rivera, a veteran cookbook author, simply and as accurately as possible recreates ingredient lists and recipes so that every reader can prepare historic delights.”

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Feasting with the Ancestors by Oswald Rivera

“Oswald Rivera accomplished his mission to cook his way through history. With a unique blend of fact-based storytelling and recipes that range from pigeon stew to Victory Pudding. The Pharaoh’s Feast invites history to the dinner table, giving readers a taste of our culinary heritage. It has a decidedly universal appeal, with recipes from the United States, China, Europe, India, the Middle East and South America. Both recipes and stories are an eclectic mix of the obscure and the familiar…..”

 


 

“Drawing on written sources from the fifth century, B.C. to today, veteran cookbook author Oswald Rivera recreates ingredient lists and recipes to allow modern cooks to prepare historic delights..”

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Pharaoh’s Feast by Oswald Rivera

“The Pharaoh’s Feast is a unique and impressive collection of 110 simple recipes that have been passed down from antiquity to the present day. The recipes comprising this enthusiastically recommended addition to any adventurous cookbook collection range from Pears Cooked without Coals or Water ..”

 


 

“This true-life incident is the basis for a searing, authentic novel that adds a new dimension to our understanding of the Vietnam War.”

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A Novel of Vietnam: by Oswald Rivera

“Oswald Rivera, a (former) New York police analyst of Puerto Rican descent, saw combat as a Marine in Vietnam. His quietly powerful story is as realistic in its gritty detail as a war diary.”

 


 

THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK !
This is a serious matter in our time

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The Proud and the Immortal by Oswald Rivera

This classic novel takes us into the world of a homeless community living in disused Amtrak train tunnels under the city of New York. Oswald Rivera’s realism depicts the plight of the homeless and how they are caught in a battle they never intended to have to fight. The novel shows how they are misconceived by the public and by themselves, and just how much they are the same as you or I. With warmth and humor his story shares important insights into a problem that is all of ours that needs to be solved. A society is judged in history by the level of humanity it exhibits, his book questions how civilized we are.