Sonora Reyes

Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes is the award-winning and bestselling author of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, The Luis Ortega Survival Club, The Broposal, and The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar. They also have contributed short stories to the anthologies Transmogrify! and For the Rest of Us.

They write fiction celebrating queer and Mexican stories in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories.

My Q&A with Reyes:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The title for The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar came much easier than some of my other works. Since it's a spinoff novel to The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, I already knew the titles would mirror each other in a sense. The word "lesbiana" was so significant in being included in the title of the first book, so I wanted to have a similar punchy title for this one. Since bipolar disorder is so heavily stigmatized, I thought it would be fitting to put it right in the title, so readers know exactly what kind of representation they'll be getting.

What's in a name?

I'll admit that I may have named my characters based off of vibes only, but I think there is a fair amount of subconscious meaning that ended up going into them. For example, I think Cesar and Yamilet's names can represent how they wish to be perceived. Yamilet, who is Cesar's sister and the main character of the book preceding The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar, has a much more unique name than Cesar. Yamilet is the Spanish equivalent of Jamila, which means "beautiful." Even though Cesar is considered the prodigious "golden boy" who always stands out, his name is fairly common. Yami, at her core, wants to be seen, while Cesar wants to blend in, even though their roles are often reversed.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

Younger me would be gobsmacked that I wrote a book that so openly talks about bipolar disorder. Much like Cesar, I did my best to hide my struggles from those around me when I was younger. If I knew then that I would write an entire book about someone like me, who people actually like, my heart would have burst. My inner teenager is getting to do a lot of healing now because of this book, and I couldn't be more grateful to them for sticking around long enough for me to make it happen.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I have a much harder time with beginnings. Sometimes it takes me ages just to start writing because of all the time I spend agonizing over the perfect way to open the book. With endings, I have the whole book to figure out the most satisfying way to close it out, so those come a lot easier for me.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

All of my characters hold different pieces of me and the people I love. Cesar, like me, struggles with mental illness and more mistakes than he can count, but I've also never been a golden child the way he is. I relate more to his sister in the way I've been treated and perceived growing up. I relate to his love interest, Jamal, in the way he sees the world. His cousin, Moni, is who I wished I was at that age. Meanwhile, many of the side characters mirror people I know and love, or people I wish I could have had by my side at that age.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Music! I have a book playlist for every novel I've written. Music helps me understand my characters and the worlds they live in so much better. There are so many songs that I feel match up perfectly with specific chapters or subplots. Sometimes I'll hear a song and get an epiphany about a story! It's like magic.

Visit Sonora Reyes's website.

Writers Read: Sonora Reyes.

--Marshal Zeringue