My Body is Paper
Stories and Poems
"Cuadros died of AIDS in 1996, two years after chronicling the disease in City of God, a book of poems and stories about queer Los Angeles. His belated follow-up takes the same form, with the same bracing urgency."—The New York Times
"Without doubt one of the sexiest and most important writers I've ever read."—Justin Torres, author of Blackouts
"My Body Is Paper is a testament to the unrelenting literary magic of Gil Cuadros. Through poetry and prose, Cuadros holds a mirror up to California, reflecting this land of dualities back at us. He gives us sunshine and sickness, ecstasy and drudgery, eros and death. I am so very grateful for his work."—Myriam Gurba, author of Creep: Accusations and Confessions
Since City of God (1994) by Gil Cuadros was published 30 years ago, it has become an unlikely classic (an "essential book of Los Angeles" according to the LA Times), touching readers and writers who find in his work a singular evocation of Chicanx life in Los Angeles during and leading up to the AIDS epidemic, which took his life in 1996. Little did we know, Cuadros continued writing exuberant prose and poems in the period between his one published book and his untimely death at the age of 34. This recently discovered treasure, My Body Is Paper, is a stunning portrait of sex, family, religion, culture of origin, and the betrayals of the body. Tender and blistering, erotic and spiritual—Cuadros dives into these complexities which we grapple with today, showing us how to survive these times, and beyond.
AUTHOR
Gil Cuadros (1962–1996) was a groundbreaking gay Latino writer whose work explored the intersections of sexuality, race, and spirituality. Diagnosed as HIV positive in 1987, Cuadros channeled his experiences into his acclaimed collection, City of God (published by City Lights in 1994), which captured the raw emotions of living with a life-threatening illness. His lyrical intensity and unflinching honesty shined a light on marginalized communities and familial expectations. The book was highly acclaimed when it was first published and captured the attention of prominent writers in the literary community, among them Paul Monette, Eloise Klein Healy, and Wanda Coleman. It has gained a growing readership over the years. Cuadros was a resident of West Hollywood when he died at the age of thirty-four.
EDITORS
Pablo Alvarez’s scholarship and research are grounded in activism and collaborations that unearth the legacies of Latinx and Chicanx AIDS queer ancestry through literature, photography, documentary, and film. He is an assistant professor in Women and Gender Studies and Queer Studies at California State University, Fullerton, and is a first-gen Chicanx from Pico Rivera.
Kevin J. Martin is the executor of the Estate of Gil Cuadros, and a longtime copy editor and writer. Currently, he serves as Senior Writer and Associate Editor for MagellanTV, where he writes on various topics related to art and culture. Martin resides in Glendale, CA.
Rafael Pérez-Torres is professor of English and Gender Studies at UCLA and author of Movements in Chicano Poetry and Critical Mestizaje, co-author of Memories of an East L.A. Outlaw, and co-editor of The Chicano Studies Reader. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA.
Terry Wolverton is an acclaimed author of twelve books of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, including her forthcoming novel, Season of the Eclipse, from Bella Books. The Lambda Award-winning literary editor for His: brilliant new fiction by gay writers and Hers: brilliant new fiction by lesbians, she lives in Los Angeles, CA.
FOREWORD BY
Justin Torres is the author of We the Animals and Blackouts, winner of the 2023 National Book Awards for Fiction. Recipient of numerous accolades for his work, including the National Book Foundation “5 Under 35,” a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and a fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, he teaches at UCLA and lives in Los Angeles, CA.
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