Hermosa
Yesika Salgado

In the poetry collection “Hermosa”, Yesika Salgado brings forth a life in multitudes as she writes about her home of Los Angeles, lingering love, the healing power of friendship, childhood memories brought into the stark light of adulthood, complicated deaths of people who were difficult to love, the cultured gender norms in her Salvadoran family, and more. Salgado both grieves for the LA she recognizes as being deformed by gentrification while honoring her deep love for it, reveling in the anonymity of city life and her Polaroid-picture-nostalgia for its nooks and quirks.

With bright, crisp language, Salgado’s poetry is a fiery heart laid open. Each verse thrums with energy as Salgado gives space for every emotion and every detail—from heartbreak to soil tracked into the house, from long, running verses, to just a line or two that needed to be written all on their own. Salgado is a natural storyteller whose pride in all of her brilliant, flawed, and tender self truly shines through in the collection.

Yesika Salgado is a Los Angeles based Salvadoran poet. She is the author of the poetry collections Corazón and Tesoro, in addition to Hermosa, and she is the co-founder of the poetry collective Chingona Fire. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Univision, Vibe Magazine, Huffington Post, NPR, TEDx, and many digital platforms. She is an internationally recognized body-positive activist and the writer of the monthly column Suelta for Remezcla. 

Hermosa is a publication by Not a Cult. Click here to purchase.
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Reviewed by
Samantha Olvera
​​12/6/2019

Samantha Olvera is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and avid reader of diverse literature. She currently resides in Costa Rica, where she farms tropical fruits and teaches about sustainability. She is passionate about intersectional feminism, food systems and regenerative agriculture, and lifting up underrepresented voices. 

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