Description

De la aclamada autora de Mean (Mala onda), una de las escritoras que con más ferocidad han explorado la identidad latinx desde una perspectiva interseccional, llega esta implacable e incisiva colección de ensayos que confronta la opresión dominante e insidiosa, y la toxicidad que se ha colado en la sociedad: tanto en los libros, las escuelas y los hogares como en los sistemas que la perpetúan.

Un creep puede ser una figura singular, un villano que obliga a las cosas a hacer ruido por la noche. Pero creep es también lo que hace la niebla: acecha para realizar su trabajo sucio, silenciar los gritos, ocultar la verdad y encubrir a aquellos que rondan en su interior. 

Creep es la sociología informal de Gurba sobre los creeps, una profunda exploración dentro de los oscuros recovecos de las tradiciones tóxicas que asolan a los Estados Unidos y dan vida a los agresores que invaden nuestros libros, escuelas y hogares. A través de una crítica cultural a modo de ensayos personales, Gurba explora las formas en las que la opresión se propaga colectivamente y sostiene ecosistemas que distribuyen de manera injusta el sufrimiento y la muerte prematura de los más vulnerables. Sin embargo, identificar individuos, grupos sociales y culturas creep es sólo la mitad del proyecto de este libro: la otra mitad consiste en examinar cómo nosotros, en tanto individuos, comunidades e instituciones, podemos desafiar los creeps y deshacer la niebla que pretende cegarnos.

Con implacable agudeza, humor áspero y un estilo atrevido y despiadado, Gurba implica a todos y todo; desde Joan Didion hasta su antiguo agresor, desde los estereotipos mexicanos hasta el sistema carcelario, nadie saldrá indemne.

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A ruthless and razor-sharp essay collection that tackles the pervasive, creeping oppression and toxicity that has wormed its way into society—in our books, schools, and homes, as well as the systems that perpetuate them—from the acclaimed author of Mean, and one of our fiercest, foremost explorers of intersectional Latinx identity.

A creep can be a singular figure, a villain who makes things go bump in the night. Yet creep is also what the fog does—it lurks into place to do its dirty work, muffling screams, obscuring the truth, and providing cover for those prowling within it.

Creep is Myriam Gurba’s informal sociology of creeps, a deep dive into the dark recesses of the toxic traditions that plague the United States and create the abusers who haunt our books, schools, and homes. Through cultural criticism disguised as personal essay, Gurba studies the ways in which oppression is collectively enacted, sustaining ecosystems that unfairly distribute suffering and premature death to our most vulnerable. Yet identifying individual creeps, creepy social groups, and creepy cultures is only half of this book’s project—the other half is examining how we as individuals, communities, and institutions can challenge creeps and rid ourselves of the fog that seeks to blind us.

About the Author

Myriam Gurba is a writer and artist. She is the author of the true crime memoir Mean, a New York Times Editors’ Choice. O, The Oprah Magazine, ranked Mean as one of the best LGBTQ books of all time. Publishers Weekly describes Gurba as having a voice like no other. Her essays and criticism have appeared in The Paris Review, Time, and 4Columns. She has shown art in galleries, museums, and community centers. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Praise For…

"Truly exceptional. . . Gurba’s lyrical prose forces us to face the sexism, racism, homophobia, and other systems of oppression that allow some Americans to get away with murder while the rest of us live in constant fear. Every piece is rife with well-timed humor and surprising conclusions, many of which come from the author's staggering command of history. Profoundly insightful, thoroughly researched, incredibly inventive, and laugh-out-loud funny, this book is a masterpiece of wit and vulnerability."  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Powerful. . . Full of lean prose and biting commentary, [Creep] is as emotionally heavy as it is hard to put down." — Publishers Weekly

“[A] wide-ranging collection of memories. . . Gurba [. . .] vividly dissects the insidious toll of sexual violence and racism through firsthand experience [and] unsparingly challenges us to confront the many ways those who prey on others are obscured and even protected by our society.” — Booklist

“With personal essays that transform into astute pieces of cultural criticism, Gurba explores the way creeps haunt our books, our schools, and our homes—and how we can work to challenge them.” —Lit Hub’s “Most Anticipated Books of 2023” — Literary Hub