Los Angeles Libros Fest: Interview With Kim Guerra

Press release from the Los Angeles Public Library:

August 23, 2021

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kim Guerra is the author of Mariposa and Mija, collections of affirming, intergenerational poetry written in English and Spanglish. In addition, she is the founder of Brown Badass Bonita, a movement that advocates for justice, liberation, and self-care for her community.

Guerra received the “Agent of Change” award from Univision’s Premios Juventud and has been recognized for her work in various publications including Oprah Magazine, People, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Univision, Televisa, Remezcla, R29Somos, and FiercebyMitu. Kim Guerra continues to use her voice and platform to advocate for the immigrant, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, survivors, Mujeres, and oppressed communities.

Kim Guerra will be one of the featured authors at the Los Angeles Libros Festival, a free bilingual book festival for the whole family. L.A. Libros Fest will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube on Friday, September 24 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

A lot of my work is about reimagining the narratives we’ve been handed about womanhood, sexuality, self-love, and our cultura. I see my work as a much-needed love letter and vaporu for a healing heart.

I believe every revolution starts with us healing and loving ourselves in a radical way. This expands to our families, friends, communities, cultura, and generations before and after us. I’ve learned that by being intentional with my self-love and healing I was able to find my voice, courage, and strength. These helped me advocate for those in oppressed communities and those in their own process of healing. I want to be a reason why my community has wings—for that I need to have wings myself—para volar juntes.

I love listening to the stories my grandmother and mother would share about what it was like for them to grow up. These were stories I felt needed to be written. They inspired me to write my own and make space for the stories so many Mujeres kept quiet or no one took time to listen to. They continue to inspire me today.

La Mujer Mariposa.

Write like your life depended on it—for many of us, it does. Writing is a calling: the universe asking you to share your light and your darkness. Your story is important because you are important. Quien mas puede escribir tu historia mas que tu?!

The first time my book was published, I held my Mariposa book close to my heart. It felt like a gift from the universe. No me lo podia creer that my words and journey were actually turned into a real book!

I worked with a small publishing company, Life Chronicles Publishing—which centers BIPOC writers. I felt safe as I worked up the courage to submit my work. Once I submitted, it was a pretty fast journey. My book got published a couple months after the final draft was approved and shortly after publication we made it to the Amazon Bestseller’s List.

Write like your life depended on it—for many of us, it does.

Trying to keep things as real as possible while being aware of the age and developmental stages of my readers. I want to pass on messages I need to hear as a kid. Sometimes those things are still taboo to talk about in our culture.

My books have been published in Spanglish. I am working on possibly doing a Spanish version of Mariposa and Mija.

Since I was in elementary school, the library was my safe place. I could go and find peace and quiet. I had access to limitless worlds I could escape to without having to worry about money. The library and librarians were my refuge and I feel so grateful for this indispensable resource.

I am working on a couple of books: one focused on challenging damaging intergenerational messages in our cultura and the other is a revised version of Mariposa and Mija.

Books by Kim Guerra

Mariposa Guerra, Kim View on OverDrive View in Catalog

Mija

Guerra, Kim

• View on OverDrive

• View in Catalog

Mija

Kim Guerra at L.A. Libros Fest

This press release was produced by the Los Angeles Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.