City of God

I had to write a research paper for school about poets writing in reference to social issues and I choose Cuadros. I had no idea what I was getting into and quickly fell in love with his writing. Any creative works that came out of the AIDS crisis break my heart but this one has a special significance to me. Cuadros refuses to hold back any modesty or emotions he feels in his writing. Every word feel heavy and I found myself having to stop and think about what I was reading; what he was experiencing. The essay I wrote was about the inaction and bigotry of healthcare workers towards those in the LGBT+ community during the AIDS crisis and it was far too easy to write using his poems. I recommend his works to anyone who asks and I suggest everyone reads his work. I was saddened by the amount if people unknowing of Cuadros as a queer writer. He has a special emotion he puts into his work and I admire his stubbornness to be erased.

A beautiful first effort from Cuadros, who died shortly before the book was published. Poems and short stories. He writes with anger and nostalgia about growing up in California, learning who his friends were, discovering himself as a gay man, wrestling with AIDS, and keeping people close. A tough book to read, but worth it.