In the Name of Salome

As an artist, Salomé finds herself pulled in a variety of directions based on the conflicting needs of others versus her own need to express her feelings. In her earliest years, the pressures of her religion and culture seemed to make it almost impossible for her to become a poet at all. The nuns who teach her and the local clergy only allow girls to read but never write. This absurd doctrine stems from the fear that these pupils might pen love letters and compromise their virtue. Fortunately, Salomé’s father takes a more enlightened approach and coaches his daughter to learn to write.

Once Salomé’s gift emerges, the Dominican Republic is hungry for patriotic poetry. They willingly embrace her as their national poet. Of course, the poetry they want her to write is exclusively political in nature. When she writes a love poem, her audience is flummoxed. Soon, speculative gossip begins to swirl about the identity of her secret lover. Her personal life, rather than her political sentiments, comes under scrutiny. Salomé resumes writing inspiring verse to please her readers and expresses her personal feelings privately. Pancho is first attracted to her as a mate because of her writing.