Good Trouble Reading Group – Gordo: Stories by Jaime Cortez

Join Dr. Andrea Liss on Zoom for our next Good Trouble Reading Group. We’ll be discussing a selection from Jaime Cortez’ book Gordo: Stories.

Gordo is set in a migrant workers camp near Watsonville, California, in the 1970s. A young, probably gay boy named Gordo puts on a lucha wrestling mask and throws fists with a boy in the neighborhood, fighting his own tears as he tries to grow into the idea of manhood set for him by his father. As he comes of age, Gordo learns about sex, watches his father’s drunken fights, and discovers that even his own documented Mexican-American parents are wary of illegal migrants. These intimate scenes are full of humor, family drama, and a sweet frankness about serious matters—who belongs to America, and how are they treated? With poise, heart, and humor, Cortez braids together glimpses of life in a California migrant camp that redefine what it means to be all-American.

Jaime Cortez is a graphic novelist, visual artist, writer, teacher, and performer. Cortez is also known for his role as an LGBTQ rights activist and for his HIV/AIDS prevention work. Gordo: Stories is available as a print book, e-book, and e-audiobook.

Email eden@lapl.org for the list of stories we'll be discussing and for the Zoom link to attend.