“Monstrua” – Brenda Lozano y Gabriela Jauregui (coordinadoras)


When discussing literature throughout history, names arise within any of the existing currents. We can easily recognize all the Greeks in the creation of classical drama, Edgar Allan Poe establishing guidelines for the structure of contemporary short stories in Romanticism, Oscar Wilde inaugurating his own aestheticism movement… And the examples could go on. It would be elementary to say that literature has been exclusively a terrain of men; however, that would not be true.

Women have actively participated in the creation of literature in all its genres. However, we must refer to the facts; their path was different. To be taken seriously, published, and recognized as writers was a struggle that women had to endure, just like in any other area of society – outside of the roles of mothers and caretakers of the home. In reality, it was only relatively recently that women entered the world of literature with all their strength. Even at this point, we encounter more obstacles, as Virginia Woolf aptly put it: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”


Women generally live in societies where the most extraordinary success they can aspire to is finding a good husband and dedicating themselves to their families and homes. Perhaps, in recent times, it may also be possible to aspire to a job, as long as it does not take too much time away from “neglecting” the family. It might seem that this way of life is a stereotype, but it is a reality. Issues such as deciding to pursue their careers, seeking independence, writing… become acts of rebellion. They become things outside of the every day, something strange and even alien. Like monsters.


The monster created by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein reaches a revelation at some point: to lose fear and acquire power through it. That is what happens in this book. The anthology “Monstrua” talks about how the authors lose their fear of themselves and social repercussions and write. The coordinators choose “monstrua” instead of “monstruo” because, echoing Rosario Castellanos, even making that distinction is important: it’s something feminine. It’s women showing themselves, speaking out, writing.

This anthology offers texts created by young women from different parts of Mexico, from various contexts, communities, and languages, working in different genres such as poetry, short stories, essays, and even radio scripts. In addition, some authors present their texts in their native languages and provide translations into Spanish. Some of the texts are accompanied by photographs that not only accompany but also contribute to the atmosphere created by the text, enriching it and making it more intimate. Thus, readers encounter a proposal full of diversity, experimentation, and originality.


The work carried out by Brenda Lozano and Gabriela Jauregui as coordinators is not only dedicated and beautiful but also necessary. It is crucial for young women to see that what they have to say matters and that some means and people will seek ways to help them make their voices heard. These types of publications are what make a difference in the literary world because they present significant material, even collected from the most remote places in the country, demonstrating that there is still much more to discover.

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“Antología” – Lambert Schlechter

“The Cartonera, an independent, artistic, and artisanal publisher, publishes books with covers made from cardboard collected from the streets of Cuernavaca, Morelos in Mexico. Each of our copies is a unique experience because, in addition to good literature, each of the covers is painted by an artist in our collective workshops,” is the headline on La Cartonera’s website. This publisher is a concept in itself: it is independent, receives no support from any institution, works in an artisanal and non-profit manner. It is, in short, an artistic endeavor that emerges against the current in a context where books seem to be increasingly scarce precious gems, but no less valuable for it.

This publisher also has a deep interest in bringing unconventional titles, such as “Contagio Cartonero: Creation in the Time of Pandemic.” In this book, an organizing committee from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela gathered photographs, illustrations, and texts from over 40 participants ranging from preschoolers to adults. From Argentina, Colombia, Bogotá, Mexico, and Venezuela, artistic proposals such as illustrations, drawings, poems, and stories were gathered to respond to the growing need for unity and survival in the face of the pandemic and thus combat the uncertainty and fear of the moment.

Among these titles, one captivated me for its colors and format. Still, above all, I for its content because upon browsing it, I found that La Cartonera was the first publisher to translate this Luxembourgish author into Spanish in Mexico. Additionally, this edition is bilingual Spanish-French, confronting the texts head-on, allowing for more authenticity and depth by knowing the translated original words. It is a print run of only 150 copies, presenting an anthology of poems and letters by Lambert Schlechter, who is a philosopher and writer of poetry, novels, and essays who has been dedicated to his work as a writer since the early 1980s, and who was also named a Knight of Arts and Letters in 2001.

Although these poems and letters are extracted from other titles by the author, the selection made by the publisher is so good that all the poems seem intertwined and offer a consistent reading. However, I find another detail in these poems: the writer writes about the fact of being a writer. Not many do that; sometimes, the authors try to distance themselves from their works as if they were only concerned about what people or critics will say about their work. I appreciate it when authors are honest with themselves and their writing; it feels authentic. So, in a nutshell, I find Lambert Schlechter, as a poet, tremendously authentic and honest. The letters interspersed with the poems only reinforce this, adding, in any case, more complexity and richness to the poetry.

The themes that Schlechter touches on in his literary works are diverse, which makes a lot of sense when we consider that it has been over 35 years of career; however, universal topics can be found, such as the perception of the passage of time, desire, the complexity of life and death, nature, eroticism, and everyday life. Personally, I find it fascinating when poets talk about what they know and what surrounds them; it allows us not only to understand more about their lives but also to know their perspective on it, to distinguish their opinions, perceptions, conflicts… And realize that even though we may come from different backgrounds, social strata, generations, and genders, intrinsic things unite us as human beings.

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“¡Viva Aguascalientes! Que su feria es un primor: Historia de las peleas de gallos en Aguascalientes, siglos XVIII-XX”

At #4129 South 75th Street in the Asturias neighborhood, there was until a few years ago a house known as “The House of the Roosters.” Partly because there was a painting of a rooster on its facade, but mainly because it indicated that there was a workshop for cockfighting knives in that house. The workshop was a family business that my grandfather started in Guadalajara in the 1940s, and which he later brought to Mexico City when he came to live here. In my childhood, it was very common for me to hear the sound of knives being sharpened, to feel the heat when they melted the metal, and to see many men coming in and out, often with roosters in their cages.

“Navajas Aguilar: ‘We’re not the only ones, but we’re the best’,” was not just a phrase; they were so important in the business that, in 1982, Gustavo Alatriste came to my house to film a scene featuring the workshop for his movie “Aquél famoso Remington”. In addition to the people who went to the workshop, they also made many shipments to other states. And every year, as the San Marcos Fair in Aguascalientes approached, the work increased significantly. When I came across the book “¡Viva Aguascalientes! Que su feria es un primor: Historia de las peleas de gallos en Aguascalientes, siglos XVIII-XX,” I was amazed to see so many photographs and excerpts from other literary works in it—such as “El gallo de oro” by Juan Rulfo, “El libro de mis recuerdos” by Antonio García Cubas, or “Niñez y juventud provincianas” by Pedro de Alba—where cockfights were the centerpiece of everything.

The beauty of this book lies in the historical journey it takes, as it is an extensive and detailed research that contains documentary, bibliographic, and newspaper references, but especially because, as stated on the back cover, “it is not a history of the roosters, but of the deeds of the men who have participated directly or indirectly in cockfights”. In this book, we can see some historical images, such as the one where Rodolfo Fierro is tying a knife to a rooster, and next to him are Francisco Villa and Raúl Madero. You can also find images of paintings, watercolors, and drawings by artists such as José Guadalupe Posada, Osvaldo Barra, and Leon Trousset. Its photographic journey indirectly tells the history of Aguascalientes and the progress of Mexican society over 3 centuries, showing how this Fair (and even more so the fights) attracted so many people that it drove the state’s growth.

The conflict of how politically correct cockfighting is does not go unnoticed in this reading, but that was a problem of the last decades. To a large extent, the problem that existed from the beginning arose because the fights involved bets, and regulating them was a conflict for the government. In addition, discussions among bettors frequently arose, necessitating police intervention and, therefore, people’s request for them to be banned. Ultimately, the only thing that has been able to slow them down a bit has been the passage of time and new ideologies. However, they cannot be denied as part of history and cultural heritage.

The now-known National Fair of San Marcos continues to take place every year, and this book is a celebration especially for Aguascalientes. On the other hand, for me, it was a touch on my back to look back, to my childhood, to the house of the roosters. That was my home for a long time, until my grandmother passed away, and my uncles decided to sell it. Many things have changed since then, and one tries to move forward with their life, but from time to time, on the way, we encounter things that make us look back. This book reminded me that we have all belonged to a place at some point.

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