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Faculty Spotlight: Erika Sánchez
Erika L. Sánchez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Erika is the creative writing editor for Diálogo, a poet, essayist, and fiction writer, and the author of the young adult novel I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and instant New York Times Best-Seller; and the poetry collection, Lessons on Expulsion, a finalist for the PEN America Open Book Award. Her novel IANYPMD will be made into a Netflix feature film directed by America Ferrera.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY AMANDA MATTHEWS
Your new book has such a great title: "Crying in the Bathroom" . Why did you choose this title for your book?
I chose this title because I thought it was funny and relatable. The book is both heavy and humorous, so I wanted to convey that through the cover and title. Plus, I literally cry in many bathrooms in this book.
Your earlier book was known as a young adult novel, although it was read by folks of many different ages. Your new book is a memoir. Is it primarily directed at young people, or did you have a different readership in mind?
I wrote this book with adult women in mind. In a sense, it's a kind of sequel. Julia and I are not the same person, but the memoir continues many of the themes explored in IANYPMD. It's a bit more scandalous than the novel in some ways, so I don't expect this to be in many high schools. I also assume that the teens who read the novel when it came out will be ready for this book now.
What courses do you teach at DePaul, and has teaching at DePaul had an impact on your writing?
I teach a variety of courses, including Latinx Poets, Latina Memoir, and a graduate writing workshop focused on YA literature. I really love teaching because I have the privilege to teach young people my favorite literature, and I get to use my creativity in the process. I'm always learning from my students and I really appreciate it when they become excited about a text we're discussing. My students, for the most part, have not read many texts by people of color, and though that concerns me, I'm happy to introduce them to books I love and put them in a historical context. All of that sharpens my reading and writing skills. I also love it when students introduce me to new texts and art.
