Mala Hierba Nunca Muere, by Jaimé Korima Rodríguez

Poetry, chapbook, 36 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

In my collection, Mala Hierba Nunca Muere (Weeds Never Die), I chronicle the cultural strengths of growing up poor in Los Angeles,experiencing housing instability and having run away from home at sixteen years old. This collection of stories and poetry provides an honest and raw portrayal of what it's like to grow up in the hood with a single mother and what it means to be a queer, female assigned at birth person, within a Mexican and Colombian family in Los Angeles. My passion for manifesting Mala Hierba Nunca Muere is to honor the divine feminine and queerness within my ancestry, reclaiming the silenced voices of genocide, colonization and assimilationism within my bloodline via a thorough record of stories often overlooked. Mala Hierba Nunca Muere is an opportunity for the masses to see themselves reflected proudly and with dignity in moments where we are conditioned to be ashamed of our attempts for survival.

Mala Hierba Nunca Muere is an opportunity to find one’s voice and be in direct alignment with others through words and radical honesty. For as long as I can remember I have been a writer, observer and storyteller. As the first person in my family to graduate high school, my love and commitment to storytelling has been rooted in honoring my ancestors' triumphs and struggles in the so-called United States.

Jaimé Korima Rodríguez is a Two Spirit, Jota, disabled, Colombian and Mexican American writer, spoken word poet, essayist, SPM disability rights Board Member and sex positive activist based in California. Their work centers queer and trans, LatinX perspectives at the intersections of brujeria, poverty, sexuality, queer joy and mental health. Jaimé’s work emphasizes the gritty and glittery parts of survivor hood, thriving and the sweet moments in life often overlooked. When not devouring delicious foods, Jaimé is seeking new books to read and be inspired by. Jaimé’s various works can be found in The HuffPost, Rooted in Rights, 580 Split and TransFaith, their instagram is @Tortillerx__tales