I'm A Wild Seed
I'm A Wild Seed
By Sharon Lee De La Cruz. Published by Street Noise.
Softcover, 96 pages, Colour, 2021.
A collection of lively autobiographical comics guiding the reader through an understanding of queerness and what it means to one woman of color.
In this delightfully compelling full-color graphic memoir, the author shares her process of undoing the effects of a patriarchal, colonial society on her self-image, her sexuality, and her concept of freedom. Reflecting on the ways in which oppression was the cause for her late bloom into queerness, we are invited to discover people and things in the author's life that helped shape and inform her LGBTQ identity. And we come to an understanding of her holistic definition of queerness.
“The queer community is lucky to have Sharon on our side, using her skills and passions to create a better world for all of us.” —Alison Bechdel, author of the best-selling graphic novel, Fun Home
“This potent memoir assuredly navigates the complicated intersections of identity. ... The author not only explores how her queer identity formed, but also how the intersection of her other identities—for example, race and gender—compounded the struggles she experienced.” —Kirkus Reviews
”De La Cruz’s limber, playful debut collection takes on intersectional identity and is informed by her experiences growing up as an androgynous, Xena-loving Puerto Rican-Dominican Black girl. ... the wit and exuberance found here markes her as a worthy new artist.” —Publishers Weekly
”Anyone out there feeling like htey are alone in their struggle may find a kindred spirit in De La Cruz’s telling of her own journey.” —Booklist
”De La Cruz’s work distinguishes itself from other memoirs in her recognition of how internalized stereotypes can stand int eh way of self-acceptance.” —School Library Journay
“Sharon Lee De La Cruz is the real deal. She is an enormously talented, smart, and honest storyteller. In this captivating, warm graphic memoir, she gives readers generous access to her process of coming out, exploring concepts of queer freedom, and decolonizing her heart. This is the book I've always wished for, and now that it's here, I never wanted it to end!” —Nicole J. Georges, author of Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home
“Captures all the internal screaming, dizzying uncertainty, and the powerful vivid joy of discovering your personal place in queer history”—Maggie Thrash, Author of Honor Girl “Gorgeous, fun to read, and full of truth.”—Liana Finck, Author of Passing for Human
“An absolutely genuine and personal look into intersectionality. Sharon has lovingly brought Blackness and queerness to the front, which is what we need right now.”—Robyn Smith, Author of The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town
“Full of life and heart and light, I'm a Wild Seed is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking, offering a deeply empathetic graphic manual for our time.”—Kristen Radtke, Author of Imagine Wanting Only This
“Love is love, live your most authentic life, and let others live theirs is Sharon Lee De La Cruz's underlying message. Her honest memoir thoughtfully deconstructs and reconstructs gender, sexuality and race through Cruz's own unique and personal life lens.”—Tracy White, Author of How I Made It to Eighteen
“A sweet and spirited memoir about navigating, understanding, and ultimately celebrating the many facets of one's identity.”—Whit Taylor, Author of Ghost Stories