Erika L. Sanchez’s Memoir Takes On Mental Illness, Motherhood, and “Crying in the Bathroom”

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 19 July 2022

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Acclaimed poet and novelist Erika L. Sanchez’s memoir, “Crying in the Bathroom,” presents a series of poignant essays about growing up in Chicago in a working-class Mexican neighborhood, her rise to literary fame and her struggles with mental illness. Her book details many moments when she was successfully achieving her dreams and, simultaneously, considering ending her life. Sanchez is also author of the poetry collection, “Lessons on Expulsion,” and the young adult novel, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” that is being adapted into a movie. She joins us to talk about making it as a Mexican-American writer, sex and shame, Buddhism, and crying in the bathroom. Guests: Erika L. Sanchez, poet, novelist, essayist and professor at DePaul University. Her new memoir is "Crying the Bathroom." Her other books include the poetry collection, "Lessons on Expulsion," the young adult novel, "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:51.3	Erica El Sanchez grew up in Cicero, Illinois, the town directly adjacent to Little Village,
0:56.0	which is home to one of the largest Mexican communities in the country. As her parents went to their
1:01.0	factory jobs each day, she dreamed of a life as a writer, of travel, of excitement, while battling
1:07.0	depression and the different cultural expressions of patriarchy. Against the odds, she succeeded, publishing celebrated poetry, garnering a best-selling novel,
1:16.0	and winning prestigious prizes. But as she documented her new memoir, crying in the bathroom,
1:21.1	success didn't make her whole or secure her sense that a person like her could live the
1:25.5	creative life that she wanted to live. We'll talk with her about sex and shame, Buddhism, and brownness, and reproductive rights after this news.
1:39.3	Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:42.1	Erica El Sanchez is the celebrated author of the novel. I am not your
	...

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