“Bad vibes”, by Myriam Gurba, a novel about evil as a form of political resistance

One of the most recent novelties of the Tránsito publishing house, which always surprises with powerful voices unknown until they dare to publish them, is a novel with autobiographical airs that defies genres. The reader feels in front of a fictitious testimony, or a testimonial novel; an essay on the sexual binary with a strong linguistic load. In any case, the book is a bomb.

There are 324 pages that make up “little”the first title of the North American writer, of Mexican origin, Myriam Gourba. The Spanish publisher published the novel in early 2023, with the translation of the Mexican poet Elisa Diaz Castelo.

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What readers will find here is pure dynamite, a bold and fragmentary coming-of-age tale of a self-identified Chicana woman in California. Throughout the pages, the process of becoming a lesbian, sexual assault, misogyny, homophobia and the consequences of racism are some of the topics that will guide the story.

With a sharp and cheeky humor, assures the Spanish label, Gurba claims evil as a form of political resistance. This is probably the strong point of the author’s approach. We act with a bad intention to defend our intentions, our ideals; laugh and cry when it’s due, or just because you feel like it; defend ourselves from those who want to hurt us, from those who seek to “cut off our breasts”.

“We are bad at defending ourselves from boredom and those who want to cut off our breasts. We are bad at defending our clubs and our institutions. We are bad because we like to laugh. Being mean to kids is fun, while also being a second-wave feminist duty. Being rude to men who deserve it is a sacred mission. Sisterhood is powerful, but being a bitch is more exciting. Being a female dog is spectacular” – (Fragment).

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What has been done here confirms Myriam Gourba as one of the most interesting and powerful voices in contemporary literature, at least in the southern United States and Mexico. With “little” managed to be a finalist for the Lambda Non-Fiction Award in 2018. The book has been well reviewed in media such as The New York Times oh The weekly publishers, and was chosen as one of the best LGBTQ titles of all time by O, Oprah’s magazine.

“Gurba seems determined to tear down the walls and not let readers become complacent; his writings draw our attention to human cruelty, suffering and resilience. And it makes us better,” review BuzzFeed. On the same lines, Megane Daum written for The New York Times, that the novel is, ultimately, “a reflection on race, class, sexuality, and the limits of kindness”. And in Book review in Los Angeles it was said that “little” It is “a powerful and vital book about the damage and ghosts of abuse”.

Myriam Gourba published the books, in addition to the one already mentioned, Dahlia season y Painting their portraits in winter. His texts have appeared in publications such as The Paris Review, Time, KCET, The Rumpus oh 4Columns.

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