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.