Por La Sombrita

By: Barbara Perez Marquez

How do you process the parts of yourself that weren’t allowed to be? In Por La Sombrita, explore a coming of age through fractured glimpses that form a whole and an imperfect family life yearning for connection. Using a combination of written pieces and companion photographs, this chapbook explores a childhood in the Dominican Republic while being queer, and the moments that form an individual.

Disjointed and at points bittersweet, pushing the stream-of-consciousness to its limit. Find the pieces to build a window into the things that connect us beyond our personal lived experiences. The line of the comfortable and the uncomfortable blurs in order to show lived experiences, not as a perfect recollection but as an imperfect segment of a larger whole.

Barbara Perez Marquez was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, now she lives in the USA. She’s a queer latine writer with an MFA in Creative Writing and writes short stories and fiction. During her career, she has also been an editor, translator, and even a sensitivity reader for several publications and projects. Her work was first featured in a student collection in the 7th grade, which inspired her desire to become a writer. In her work, Barbara aims to present coming of age and LGBTQ+ themes in both approachable and heartbreaking ways. You can find more of her work at www.mustachebabs.com