Writer Erika L. Sánchez on mental health, Lisa Simpson and 'Crying in the Bathroom'

It's Been a Minute

NPR

Society & Culture, News, News Commentary, Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality

4.7 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2022

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 2017, author Erika L. Sánchez was making her dreams come true, her young adult novel I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter earning critical acclaim. But even as she rose to fame, Sánchez found herself struggling with her mental health. Her new memoir, Crying in the Bathroom, captures the tension between her public success and her private suffering — and more. Sánchez talks with guest host Anna Sale about sharing some of her darkest moments with readers, caring for her mental health and what she's learned from her personal role model — Lisa Simpson.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Headset listeners, this conversation includes discussion
0:03.0	of a personal experience of abortion and of suicidal thoughts.
0:07.4	If you or someone you know may be considering suicide,
0:10.3	I really recommend you call the National Suicide Prevention
0:13.9	Lifeline.
0:14.9	That number is 1-800-273-8255.
0:21.1	You're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR.
0:24.2	I'm Anna Sale.
0:25.8	2017 was a big year for writer Erica L. Sanchez.
0:30.2	She published two books, a collection of poetry
0:32.7	called Lessons on Expulsion and a Young Adult Novel,
0:36.3	called I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,
0:38.9	which was a finalist for a National Book Award.
0:41.4	I remember the celebrations of going to different cities
0:47.8	and talking about my book and going
0:51.5	to the National Book Awards and feeling beautiful in my dress
0:57.0	and everything felt possible.
0:59.4	Everything was just so exciting because I
1:02.6	had been waiting for so long for my writing career
1:06.2	to blossom and hear it was all happening.
1:10.0	Yeah, all at once.
1:11.8	Yeah, it was intense.
	...

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