AUTHOR 

Gil Cuadros (1962–1996) was a groundbreaking gay Latino writer whose work explored the intersections of sexuality, race, and spirituality. Diagnosed as HIV positive in 1987, Cuadros channeled his experiences into his acclaimed collection, City of God (published by City Lights in 1994), which captured the raw emotions of living with a life-threatening illness. His lyrical intensity and unflinching honesty shined a light on marginalized communities and familial expectations. The book was highly acclaimed when it was first published and captured the attention of prominent writers in the literary community, among them Paul Monette, Eloise Klein Healy, and Wanda Coleman. It has gained a growing readership over the years. Cuadros was a resident of West Hollywood when he died at the age of thirty-four. 

EDITORS 

Pablo Alvarez’s scholarship and research are grounded in activism and collaborations that unearth the legacies of Latinx and Chicanx AIDS queer ancestry through literature, photography, documentary, and film.  He is an assistant professor in Women and Gender Studies and Queer Studies at California State University, Fullerton, and is a first-gen Chicanx from Pico Rivera.

Kevin J. Martin is the executor of the Estate of Gil Cuadros, and a longtime copy editor and writer. Currently, he serves as Senior Writer and Associate Editor for MagellanTV, where he writes on various topics related to art and culture. Martin resides in Glendale, CA.

Rafael Pérez-Torres is professor of English and Gender Studies at UCLA and author of Movements in Chicano Poetry and Critical Mestizaje, co-author of Memories of an East L.A. Outlaw, and co-editor of The Chicano Studies Reader. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA.

Terry Wolverton is an acclaimed author of twelve books of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, including her forthcoming novel, Season of the Eclipse, from Bella Books. The Lambda Award-winning literary editor for His: brilliant new fiction by gay writers and Hers: brilliant new fiction by lesbians, she lives in Los Angeles, CA.

FOREWORD BY 

Justin Torres is the author of We the Animals and Blackouts, winner of the 2023 National Book Awards for Fiction. Recipient of numerous accolades for his work, including the National Book Foundation “5 Under 35,” a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and a fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, he teaches at UCLA and lives in Los Angeles, CA.