Naming the Body: A Queer Woman's Restorative Mapping of the Self

by María Mínguez Arias, Robin Myers (Translator)

168 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2026

About the author

María Mínguez Arias es narradora, ensayista, editora circunstancial y traductora. Es autora de Nombrar el cuerpo (Editorial Egales/España y El BeiSmAn PrESs/USA, 2022), elegido en España entre lo mejor de la literatura Queer del 2022 por la revista Qué Leer, e incluida entre las recomendaciones de Vanity Fair Spain para el mes del orgullo 2025 ;y de la novela Patricia sigue aquí (Editorial Egales, 2018), ganadora de un premio ILBA en Estados Unidos. Sus relatos y ensayos aparecen en antologías y revistas de Estados Unidos, México y España. La autora parte de su identidad como inmigrante, mujer queer, madre y escritora en español en EE.UU para explorar temas como la memoria digital, familiar e histórica, la maternidad, el lenguaje, el cuerpo o la cotidianeidad y la fortaleza de la vida cursada desde los márgenes.

Reviews

[Nicole]

This book was originally written in Spanish. I was excited when it was first released, but too intimidated to try to read it in Spanish. Even after 8 years of studying the language and a month-long trip to volunteer in Mexico during college, I was not (nor am I) fluent in the beautiful language. So when I finally received the translated book I was on cloud nine. I just had a very strong feeling that I’d absolutely love it.

I just finished reading Naming the Body and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m personally not a fan of books of short stories or essays; so I was apprehensive initially. But each essay is so different from the next. I loved the variety of formats and structures across the 16 essays. I appreciated the briefness of most of the essays…I could at any point pick up the book…read for a few minutes and then put it down to think and ponder on what I had just read. And then a couple hours later do it all again. After reading this book, I think my stance has changed and I will read more collections of essays and short stories.

The writing is often so poetic…the author and translator both did an outstanding job. While reading sometimes I laughed out loud. Sometimes I had tears in my eyes. Sometimes I was angry as hell. Each new essay uncovered something in the authors life that I reacted emotionally to. It was incredible. It’s no surprise that they both have received numerous accolades for their work.

[DeAnna]

LOVED this memoir!! One of the first books to really excite me in my 2026 reading journey. A mixture of essays, memoir and poetry that provides an intimate portrait of the author.

[Heidi]

Amazing and necessary. “Restorative” mapping of the self, indeed.

On my shelf in the indispensable resources that both empower and radically accept the body…along with the perspectives of: Offerings to a Tumbled Temple by Leticia Urieta, Written in the Body by Elisa Garza, and The Woman in the Body by Emily Martin, so far.

Mapping the body territory is wondrous and powerful. The author owns the body and acknowledges the effects in a straightforward, then in an intellectually elevating way.

Favorites:
(because many parts of me dovetail with her: mothering, medical mothering and also the medicalized self, sports, the body, our connection with the earth, chronic illness (and different ways of healing than “the norm”), the pandemic, rebelliousness)

Cathedrals
Mothering Incognito
A Map of the Body Under Siege: Pandemic 1
Three Matchmakers: Pandemic 2
Dear Person --!! wonderfully funny and smart and weaving together memories from the past with the present to great effect. brilliant, talented writer.


But the parts that I don't dovetail with the author are rich, illuminating, and important. A wonderful read.