Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.
Name: Mariela Lemus
Title of Piece published in Sweet: Mundane Scar
Issue: 8.3
Find her:
Instagram
Mariela is an MFA student at University of Minnesota where she studies poetry, and is gaining knowledge of educating people in the writing process.
What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?
I received my BFA in creative writing and got accepted to grad school to continue my writing studies. I’ve had poems published in Barzakh, Flypaper Magazine, and Third Point Press, among others. I also now serve as an assistant poetry editor at Midway Journal and as a managing editor at Great River Review.
Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?
I’m currently writing towards my MFA thesis, a poetry manuscript which examines performances of fatherhood cross-generationally in a multi-cultural (and, as a direct result, often bisected) family.
Who is your favorite author?
Most recently, I’ve been obsessed with Ada Limón’s work, especially her new collection The Carrying.
What is your favorite poem/essay/book?
Hard to choose, but right now it’s probably Caitlin Scarano’s poetry collection Do Not Bring Him Water.
Ah! Another Sweet Contributor!
What inspires you to write?
I feel caught between my two identities: Latinx and White. I know I’m not alone in feeling like I don’t belong in either category, in the feeling of being halved and where the edges of the two parts don’t quite align. My writing often explores that space.
What is your favorite sweet?
Brownies, for sure. I like to make them with coconut oil and extra chocolate chips so that they’re dense, chewy, and even sweeter!
Thank you, Mariela, for taking the time to reconnect with us. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!
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