Ask the Author: Kent Marrero
Answered Questions (11)
Kent Marrero
My lineage is a mystery due to colonization. I'm Puerto Rican, so I can only trace back my relatives up until the US took colonial control of the island from the Spanish. Finding out what portions of my family were affected by the transatlantic slave trade, which were indigenous to the island and affected by Spanish colonization, and which portions of my family were Spanish colonizers is my personal mystery. Add in the red heads on my maternal side, and I'm pretty sure Irish sailors who escaped British ships are also in the mix. So back tracking that in a fictional world would be potentially healing. Add some magical realism and it could become a thrilling adventure!
Kent Marrero
I'd totally be a Hobbit. It's my kind of living, so I'd say Lord of the Rings, and I'd be a crafter.
Kent Marrero
Freedom is a Constant Struggle, Racism, Drawing Down the Moon, The Kind of Girl I Am.
Kent Marrero
Melting walls collapsed around me—the truth hidden on the other side of the closed door. Inching ever closer to the end of the hall, I felt my anticipation mounting until I turned a rusted knob revealing a four-headed stranger.
Kent Marrero
Hi, Jane. Thank you for your question! My CPTSD surrounds childhood/developmental trauma. I knew I was queer from my earliest conscience memories, but I didn't have the vocabulary until I was much older. I was raised in extremely conservative Christian settings and quietly navigated suicidal ideation for most of my formative years. There is more to this, but not that I am ready to publicly share. There are also health discrimination aspects which play a factor. I'm chronically ill as a result. I'm a survivor of sexual trauma from one of my earliest partners, and while I talked about this during the Me Too movement, I am selective on when I discuss it so it doesn't get the better of me. I've navigated complex racial trauma, generational trauma and writing is now serving as a tool for me to channel healing. I've started intentionally writing more Queer racially relevant and Diaspora driven characters that are more closely tied to my lived experiences. Finally, I am what we call in the Orlando area "Community Affected" by the Pulse Night Club Massacre. I do not talk publicly about my personal connections to Pulse for deeply intimate reasons, but I do still advocate and practice narrative reclamation with this community. I actually spoke on the topic of Pulse and racial systemic inequality at the refounding conference for the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression in November 2019. Thanks again for your question, and I hope this helped!
Kent Marrero
Oof-- I'll let you know when I figure that out. My writers block comes from avoidance tactics surrounding CPTSD. The last time I wrote a piece of my own, it had a purpose that was bigger than just me. So, I was able to separate myself from the work enough to fully throw myself into the work. I've also heard prompts are helpful. I think sometimes we make writing into a job when it should be an experience too. I'd say explore what brings you to life when you write and be mindful about that experience while noting and releasing the thoughts surrounding writing that bring anxiety. Everyone is different, so what works for one person may not work for the other.
Kent Marrero
The self-criticism--I kid. The best part about writing is when something that means something to you starts meaning something to someone else. The other great thing is when something that didn't mean that much to you becomes meaningful because a reader brings perspective you never considered before. Their are two pieces. The one you wrote , and the one the reader interprets.
Kent Marrero
Experience life, try all the foods, experience other cultures without appropriating them, study anthropology, sociology, linguistics, critical media theory, racial justice theory, and feminist methodology when you have time. Push yourself outside your box and challenge yourself to never stop evolving. We can only write dynamic worlds if we understand the world dynamically.
Kent Marrero
I'm working on a short story collection called Tales of a Part-Time Boriken. It's a YA short story series that focusing in on the Genderqueer diaspora experience and freely uses Spanglish in the text. I've written several stories and characters with complex identities, but I this is the first piece where I write a character that intentionally has similar racial/cultural experiences to me.
Kent Marrero
Good question. Still working on that one. I've started ghostwriting as a way to get back into writing. It's personally easier for me to work with someone else's idea first. That gets me into the habit of writing regularly. On my own, I've struggled with my CPTSD and that's why you haven't seen much writing from me over the last few years.
Kent Marrero
Which book are you referencing? If you are talking about Confessions of a Teenage Glitterqueer, that's a mixed bag. I was writing a short story submission piece back in, like, 2012. I was trying to figure out what to write and then my wife said something sarcastic and it really just set the character off and I started to write.
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