Tag Sundress Publications

two bits of good news

José Angel Araguz 1 Comment

Every so often, I’m reminded that the work we do at the desk—quiet, private, uncertain—can find its way into larger conversations. I recently learned that my lyric memoir Ruin & Want has been included on CLMP’s Reading List for Hispanic Heritage Month 2025.

That book came from years of sorting through memory and silence, and to see it alongside so many powerful voices feels like a kind of homecoming.

I’m also grateful to share that Black Lawrence Press is running a Hispanic Heritage Month sale that includes my book, Rotura. You can find the full list here.

Indie presses like BLP have been steady companions in my writing life, and their commitment to bringing new work into the world is something I deeply admire.

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I’m wishing everyone safety and peace of mind as we enter autumn and the shortening of days.

adelante,

= José =

the “I Remember” writing prompt

José Angel Araguz Leave a comment

One of the influential writers on both Ruin & Want and my upcoming craft class Rumination as Route is Joe Brainard, specifically his book I Remember. The first draft of what became Ruin was a series of statements each starting with “I remember” using the formal choice as a way into material.

At the time, I was fascinated with the idea of book as reading experience. The challenge of Brainard’s book, of essentially creating a nonlinear autobiography, felt important. As someone who needed to name what I could not yet explain, I dove into memories simply naming what I found at first. Naming and cataloging became survival and foundation.

From these fragments and specifics, I then moved into “I wanted…” phrasing using desire as a way to enter deeper emotional truths. This opened new narrative paths: wants born from trauma, queerness, poverty, belonging. I went from cataloging to exploring memories from different perspectives.

This week, I’d like to share the following prompt:

  • First, write 7-10 lines beginning with either “I remember…” or “I wanted to…” (if you’re really feeling it, you can go up to 20).
  • Then, choose one and follow where it leads. You can choose the most surprising one, or the most obscure one. Trust your intuition. Then ask: What happened before? After? Around it?

Don’t be afraid of monotony in the first step. In fact, invite it in (seriously, try 20). Writing into this prompt quickly becomes a matter of rhythm. Rhythm is the body and intuition here, the inner maps we spend our lives reclaiming.

This is one of the prompts we’ll play with in Rumination as Route, a generative nonfiction class exploring nonlinear personal essays. If repetition and reflection are part of your writing process, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong.

Rumination as Route: Crafting Non-Linear Personal Narratives

Date & Time: Sunday June 1, 2025 @3-5pm EST
Where: Online (Zoom)
Cost: $60
Register here: https://thenotebookscollective.com/event/rumination-as-route/

Hope to see you there!

= José =