Fauxplay into Fluency: Queer Musings of a Nascent Bilinguist

Abstract

This project is a chapbook-size composition of original poems in both English and Spanish. It aims to link poetry between distinct lingual and literary traditions in a novel way without the use of translation. Among the themes treated are queer identities, the feminine and masculine, gay culture and sexual development, aspects of love, bilingualism effects, and linguistic interpretation. Also my poetic discourse deals with the dualism of realistic depiction and metaphorical allusion. The narrative weaves between two journeys. The first is of my struggle through rape, abuse and resilience, and the necessity to create order and contextualize my experiences. The second emerges from the need for definition, my story and I, through the affectation and modulation of my native language, English, and my second language, Spanish. As these interweave, the narrative becomes a testament to the catharsis of art, the mutual nature of language and identity, and what it means to be a queer kid in life.