Meanwhile by Cynthia Rodríguez

£9.99

  • Image of Meanwhile by Cynthia Rodríguez
  • Image of Meanwhile by Cynthia Rodríguez
  • Image of Meanwhile by Cynthia Rodríguez
  • Image of Meanwhile by Cynthia Rodríguez

'Cynthia Rodríguez unflinchingly turns a mirror to self, to Britain, what it means to be a migrant, a citizen.
Fearful and fearless.'

Dean Atta

This is a book about being trapped in the Meanwhile. Walking through seemingly perpetual journeys between borders, genders, nationalities and social status. As product of mixing races, yet not mixed race. Inhabiting a large body of before with no clear sense of an after. Set to a time of one’s own, decades lost and found in the way, at the mercy of socio-political circumstances, legal procedures and test results. Cyclically prone to fail and start again.
These poems are inspired by liminality and rites of passage we cannot come back from. They look at the new millennium, where the rituals of adulthood, of becoming, of making sense as a role model citizen and perceived pillar of society, are based on capitalist milestones of maturity and self-realisation which seem impossible to those stuck in the Meanwhile.
These respectability parameters are the ones accepted for those who are locked within the narrative of ‘the good migrant’, ‘the successful queer’, ‘the child prodigy’, ‘the perfect body’ and ‘the beautiful mind’; as if the only way to escape judgement and earn dignity as human beings within the margins is to fit into the media and government-approved stories of acceptance and assimilation at the right time, place and age.

--

Cynthia Rodríguez (Monterrey, 1986) is a Mexican-British writer and performer based in Leicester. International, intersectional and interdisciplinary, Rodríguez uses poetry to convey everyday realities that may remain untold in media, particularly on feminist issues, cultural and countercultural shock, rites of passage and self-preservation. Mouthy Poets alumna and DIY punk artist at heart, her work has been featured in several zines and independent anthologies, including Welcome to Leicester (eds Emma Lee and Ambrose Musiyiwa), the Black Flamingo Zine (eds Dean Atta and Ben Connors) and Do Something (ed. Selina Lock). On stage, Rodríguez has opened for renowned artists such as Lydia Towsey, Hannah Swings, Caroline Bird, Lauren John Joseph and Jamie Thrasivoulou.

‘This collection’s five beautifully drawn chapters, expose cruelties of political indifference and appropriated identities, whilst celebrating, uplifting, consoling and uniting – all via a backdrop of rich magical realism, protest and transformation. In this confident and important debut, Rodriguez draws on heritage, culture and politics to sing a Girl Electric – reframing and reclaiming a range of often marginalised experiences – to devastating, triumphant and compelling effect.’
Lydia Towsey

https://cynthiarodriguez.org/

Image of Angry Yellow Woman by Vera Chok
Angry Yellow Woman by Vera Chok
£9.99
Image of Supervillain Origin Story
Supervillain Origin Story
£9.99
Image of A New Game by Jemima Foxtrot
A New Game by Jemima Foxtrot
£9.99
Image of Kinsey Scale for the Emotionally Fragile Queer by Bibi June
Kinsey Scale for the Emotionally Fragile Queer by Bibi June
£6.99
Image of My Body is a Resource I am Willing to Expend by Katie (Tom) Walters
My Body is a Resource I am Willing to Expend by Katie (Tom) Walters
£9.99
Image of Life Goals of the Millenials or: The Commune Manifesto
Life Goals of the Millenials or: The Commune Manifesto
£6.99
Image of Good Listeners by Pascal Vine
Good Listeners by Pascal Vine
£6.99
Image of Spectral by Fay Roberts
Spectral by Fay Roberts
£9.99
Image of The Body in Its Seasons by Maz Hedgehog
The Body in Its Seasons by Maz Hedgehog
£9.99
Image of Chosen Family by ibizo lami
Chosen Family by ibizo lami
£6.99
Image of I'm Hans Christian Andersen by Rachel Rose Reid
I'm Hans Christian Andersen by Rachel Rose Reid
£9.99
Image of Interdimensional Traveller by DL Williams
Interdimensional Traveller by DL Williams
£9.99
Image of his fingers have left by Deanna Rodger
his fingers have left by Deanna Rodger
£9.99
Image of Dating & Other Hobbies By Cat Hepburn
Dating & Other Hobbies By Cat Hepburn
£9.99
Image of The Other Woman by Sophia Blackwell
The Other Woman by Sophia Blackwell
£9.99
Image of Yay! by Robert Garnham
Yay! by Robert Garnham
£9.99
Image of I Find My Strength in Simple Things by Desree
I Find My Strength in Simple Things by Desree
£6.99
Image of NEON by Bethany Rose
NEON by Bethany Rose
£9.99
Image of MANATOMY by James McDermott
MANATOMY by James McDermott
£9.99
Image of [re:desire] by afshan d'souza-lodhi
[re:desire] by afshan d'souza-lodhi
£9.99
Image of Witness by Jonathan Kinsman
Witness by Jonathan Kinsman
£6.99
Image of All The Days We Don't Revolt by Agnes Török
All The Days We Don't Revolt by Agnes Török
£9.99
Image of ...and then she ate him by Tom Denbigh
...and then she ate him by Tom Denbigh
£9.99
Image of Circles by Carmina Masoliver
Circles by Carmina Masoliver
£9.99
Image of Midnight Picnics in Tehran by Leilah Jane King
Midnight Picnics in Tehran by Leilah Jane King
£9.99
Image of How To Be Held by Maddie Godfrey
How To Be Held by Maddie Godfrey
£9.99
Image of Through your blood by Toby Campion
Through your blood by Toby Campion
£9.99
Related products