Mira Gonzalez

Born 1992 (age 22–23)
Occupation Poet, writer
Language English
Nationality United States
Notable works I will never be beautiful enough to make us beautiful together
Relatives Chuck Dukowski, stepfather
Website
miratortilla.tumblr.com

Mira Gonzalez (born May 28, 1992) is an American poet from Los Angeles, California.[1] Her first collection, I will never be beautiful enough to make us beautiful together, was published by Spencer Madsen of Sorry House press on January 31, 2013.[2][3][4][5] According to one source, she writes about "drugs, sex, loneliness, laziness, recklessness, self-loathing" in an "extremely humorous and warm manner."[6] A review in Rumpus magazine described the book as about "disconnected sex, anxiety, loneliness, drugs, and depression" but with "cool, effervescent, and clear" observations.[7] In one poem, according to reviewer Emily Bludworth de Barrios, Gonzalez repeats a sequence of words for emphasis, sometimes called in poetry anaphora, to emphasize emotion.[7] According to reviewer Liza Darwin in Nylon magazine, Gonzalez is part of a "whole new crop of cool girl poets" and described her work as "clever, totally unfiltered, and peppered with twisted insight and refreshing humor."[8] Dazed & Confused magazine chose it as their poetry book of the week, averring that "Mira Gonzalez is a phenomenon of the same breed as Tao Lin: she might actually be the only literary social media presence more prolific and more intense."[9] In March 2014 it was announced that Gonzalez's collection is a finalist for The Believer Poetry Award.[10] A review described her writing as having "brutal honesty and minimalist vocabulary and diction."[10] A review in Economy magazine described her poems as having a "studied laboriousness" which was "weirdly compelling."[11] Filmmaker and screenwriter Lena Dunham wrote in The Guardian that Gonzalez's book I will never be beautiful enough to make us beautiful together was one of her favorite books for 2014, and that it brings "experimental poetry into the internet age with dark, distinctly female riffs on ambition, depression and love."[12] Gonzalez has been published in Vice, Hobart, and Muumuu House. Flavorwire named her one of "23 People Who Will Make You Care About Poetry in 2013".[13] In an interview, she described her writing process:

I will spend hours on one sentence sometimes, and if I feel that sentence isn’t expressing exactly what I want it to express, I will delete the sentence entirely. I think it takes a lot of precision and tedious work.
—Mira Gonzalez, 2014[14]

Gonzalez is the daughter of visual artist Lora Norton, and the stepdaughter of Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski.[14][15] According to one report, her mother, stepfather, and her brother named Milo are members of the music group called the Chuck Dukowski Sextet.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Karl. "Tome On The Range". The Quietus. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Angela Almeida, December 20th, 2012, NYU Local, NYU Students Collaborate To Create Publishing House, Kool A.D. And Tao Lin Weigh In, Accessed July 15, 2014
  3. ↑ Clare Swanson, March 13, 2014, Columbia Journalist, Independent publisher goes against the ebook tide, Accessed July 15, 2013, "...first title, a collection of poems by Los Angeles writer Mira Gonzalez..."
  4. ↑ Fidler, Luke. "I Will Never Be Beautiful Enough to Make Us Beautiful Together (review)". The Economy. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Blueskye, Brian. "Western Lit: SoCal Poet Mira Gonzalez’s Debut Collection Finds Success With Deep Simplicity". CV Independent. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  6. ↑ July 2, 2014, Believer magazine, WHAT WOULD TWITTER DO? (interview with Mira Gonzalez), Accessed July 15, 2014
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 EMILY BLUDWORTH DE BARRIOS (reviewer), July 6th, 2013, The Rumpus magazine, I WILL NEVER BE BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH TO MAKE US BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER BY MIRA GONZALEZ, Accessed July 15, 2014
  8. ↑ Liza Darwin (reviewer), January 30, 2014, Nylon magazine, I will never be beautiful enough to make us beautiful together, Accessed July 15, 2014
  9. ↑ Lin, Tao. "Tao Lin selects Mira Gonzalez". Dazed & Confused. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "The Believer". The Believer Magazine. McSweeney's. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  11. ↑ Luke A. Fidler, January 17, 2014, Economy magazine, I Will Never Be Beautiful Enough to Make Us Beautiful Together, Mira Gonzalez, Accessed July 15, 2014
  12. ↑ Lena Dunham, 29 November 2014, The Guardian, Writers pick the best books of 2014: part one, Retrieved December 12, 2014
  13. ↑ Diamond, Jason. "23 People Who Will Make You Care About Poetry in 2013". Flavorwire. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Brian Blueskye, 19 July 2013, CV Independent, Western Lit: SoCal Poet Mira Gonzalez’s Debut Collection Finds Success With Deep Simplicity, Accessed July 15, 2014
  15. ↑ DiTrapano, Giancarlo. "A BLACK FLAG KID WROTE A BOOK OF POEMS". Vice. Retrieved 13 July 2014.

External links