Para los Locos

by Lee M.S.

Para los locos is a bilingual (English and Spanish) poetry book that explores mental health through the lenses of a queer and transfronterizo experience, offering the perspective of a first-generation immigrant and anchor child coming from Mexico to the United States after 17 years of being estranged from that aspect of their identity.

96 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2020

About the author

Lee Martínez Soto is a published queer Chicanx poet and translator. Their work centers on the stigma of mental health: life with comorbid mental health diagnoses, finding accessible resources and competent specialists, and healing. The author self-published their first poetry anthology, Para los Locos in 2020. Additional publications include Nuestras Voces with Massachusetts’s College of Liberal Arts (2014), Chrysalis Literary Journal (2021), Life in the Time (2021), Chismosas Press vol. 3 (2020), and Living Zine vol. 2 (2020). They have been featured in various literary events and podcasts, the most recent with the Barbed Wire Open Mic on October 2021.

Reviews

[Andres Encerrado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of buying this moving and fascinating book as soon as it came out, now its such a wonderful feeling to know its accesible from my favorite source of books ! You will find the amazing work done transferring raw emotions to paper for us in both English and Spanish. Find out the meaning of bilingualism hidden in this pages. Do yourself a favor and pick it up today, follow the artist media because they are coming with a second one!!

[Tricia De Jesus-Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borders

The poet traverses multiple invisible lines in this collection in finding home within self. I cannot get over their powerful, searing voice. I take it with me everywhere. We should all take this voice, this experience with us everywhere. Do not ignore; listen and hear.

[Madi Yanelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this collection after meeting the author at a virtual poetry reading, and while I don’t speak Spanish, the English translations of each poem were very well written and I enjoyed a quick read.