Bridge Views: Two Continents, Two Stories

Underground at 96th and Park, waiting to hear the rattling of an approaching train, hovering close to the edge of the platform, stands a man flipping through his copy of a book on the theater. From behind a woman stares. Not just any woman, but one who has traveled from another continent to be here with him on this platform. Both unaware of the implications of this moment. Curious, she approaches him. Her curiosity sparks a conversation; a conversation that will eventually lead to marriage, a child, and Sem Frontieras Press, a collaborative writing and publishing business based in Fort Lee.

Meet your neighbors, Peter Hays and Beti Rozen.

Hays moved from California to upstate New York when he was 16. There he became involved with the theater and began to master the backstage mechanics of theatrical, musical and dance production. It wasn’t until college that Hays began to start writing plays and went on to receive an MFA from NYU and begin a career in front of the stage rather than behind it.

When Peter Hays met Beti Rozen on that subway platform all those years ago he was an established playwright and a director of play development for Playwright’s Theater of New Jersey. Beti, originally from Brazil, was an actress and a writer. In fact, she had already had one of her books produced into a play in Brazil.

Commenting upon this serendipitous collision of continents, Peter thoughtfully said, “Things happen in life when we need them to and for a reason.”

What became immediately evident in their relationship was that their work shared an interest in exploring spirituality in the way that the present interacts with the past. So, together, Hays and Rozen collaborated to form Sem Frontieras Press, Portuguese for “without borders.”

Their books, available in English, Portuguese and Spanish, bring to life Brazil’s rich culture, diverse history and experiences of Brazilian immigrants around the world to children all around the world. They work with Brazil’s top illustrators - illustrators known throughout Europe - whose masterful images bring the beauty of their stories to life.

Rather than go the traditional publishing route, Hays and Rozen decided to publish, market and sell their books on their own. Not only does this allow them to retain control over their work, ensuring that it doesn’t land on the bottom of the publishing world’s slush pile.

“Technology has allowed us to publish, produce, and market our work in ways that would not have been possible before," Hays said.

While Hays handles the business end of Sem Frontieras Press, Rozen is clearly the front woman. They are both extremely welcoming and interesting to talk to, but Rozen’s engaging personality coupled with her mastery of the art of conversation leaves you wanting to sit and listen to her all day. Her life is as richly storied as her books. In fact, she and Hays are currently writing a series of books called Two Continents, Four Generations: One Hundred Years, Two Stories, a book about a young boy confronting his Brazilian-Jewish heritage when he discovers that his grandfather escaped Poland in 1939 and immigrated to Brazil to leave behind the horrors of World War II and carve out a new life - and history - for his family. The story deftly moves back and forth between the turbulent past of 1939 and 2004. Not only does this book provide young children with a valuable lesson in history, but it opens the door to a conversation about their own family histories.

Hays and Rozen envision Two Continents to be a three-part series. Part One has been completed and relates the story of the long and arduous journey of getting from Poland to Brazil. The trip took longer than anticipated because the ship had to dodge the threat of German U-boats that populated the waters during that time. Part Two focuses on life in Brazil during the war years, taking the reader up to 1960. Part Three will cover the span of the 1960s to the present, when an American boy discovers his Brazilian-Jewish heritage.

Hays and Rozen are dedicated to writing and producing entertaining and inspirational stories that are thoughtful and carry a strong message that will positively resonate with both children and adults. They are also committed to donating portions of their proceeds to UNICEF.   

As self-publishers how do they spread the word about their books and make connections that lead to sales?

Because of the international appeal of their stories, they literally travel the world attending book fairs and street fairs. They’ve been to Brazil, Columbia, Paris, Beijing and Israel in an effort to market their books to publishers and retailers to great success. But home is Fort Lee, and we’re fortunate to have them.

You can obtain copies of their books online from Sem Frontieras Press. The books are also available from Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes & Noble. You can also stop and talk with Hays and Rozen at a street fair here or in New York City—that’s when they set up shop and open their doors to all of us for a day as they did last weekend at Fort Lee's annual Arts and Music Festival on Main St.