A Special Message from Samy Nemir Olivares
Turning a Journey of Healing, Rage, and Activism Into a Book -and a roadmap for personal and collective liberation.
Dear friend,
I know it’s been a while since we last spoke—maybe even years, but I’m grateful we have crossed paths and of your support. In the past decade I -and many of you- might have struggled with loss, pain, and strong emotions.
And these days, the world might feel even heavier than ever…. Part of me wondered if it’s even the time or appropriate to be sharing something like this. Then I remembered: it's precisely during these challenging times that we need our voices and stories more than ever. We need to lean into each other and the power of our communities.
As I sit writing this, it feels surreal to be telling you about my first book, “CuirDoRican: Between Queer and Latine” (“Cuirdorriqueñe” in Spanish), published by SDJ Press by David Nazario.
CuirDoRican is an homage to these millenary communities that have been suppressed and marginalized, yet have resisted and risen above the challenges to find survival, freedom, and even joy. As I say in one of the poems featured in my new book: “I define who I am, I am my own species.”
As many of you might be feeling similarly today, I have felt devastated, lost, frustrated, angered, and even depressed. Yet, in the past two years, I realized that staying stuck was not helping me, and it was impacting my wellbeing.
Until one day, I decided to see things from a different angle and leave some memories behind. I realized that I was giving some people and circumstances too much power. That’s when I started my healing and started to understand that my true power lies within, and that I -we- can’t give it away.
“When they want to bury our existence. We Pulse louder shaking the ground… drumming beneath the soil breaking revolutions…Defying boundaries and bondage.”
After going through poverty, bullying, discrimination, violence, migration, unemployment, clinical depression, and career setbacks, I realized there is still room to transcend our circumstances by rooting ourselves in our ancestral wisdom, resiliency, and unwavering power —no matter the challenges. That there is room for us to heal, transcend, and thrive.
Many of you have supported me on other journeys, through other chapters in my life. And I would love for you to have access to the type of thinking and resources that helped me to heal my mind and body, while accessing an inner sense of freedom, wellbeing, and joy.
Together, we've fought for social change, marched, protested, shared moments of triumph, and at times, consoled each other through heartbreak. From the country’s setback in 2016, to losing my own political campaign, attacks on my LGBTQ+, trans, and Latine communities, government abandonment of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and the Covid-19 pandemic…. But in the wreckage of it all, I learned: no one can define us, and no one has the right to take away our voice or erase us.
It’s no exaggeration to say that it was those same experiences that helped me shape this book—a bilingual workbook that merges poetry, journal prompts and affirmations to awaken healing, reflection, empowerment and transformation.
“CuirDoRican” is rooted in these heartbreaking but transformative lessons. It’s for everyone who has felt silenced, marginalized, or misunderstood. It’s an invitation to root ourselves in our history, our rage, our love, and our hope.
I wanted “CuirDoRican” to not only be about me or words on a page —I wanted it to be about our communities, a roadmap for you to discover your true power, gifts, and voice —even your divinity.
That’s why my favorite part of the book is actually not even the poems, but the journal prompts, that invite readers to co-author the text by exploring their identity, as well as paths for healing and liberation.
I wish I could send each of you a copy, but that might not be possible. Still I would love for you to have the opportunity to read (and co-write) this book.
Starting TODAY, you can buy any copy of CuirDoRican in several booksellers across the country, including Barnes & Noble, Magers & Quinn, and Amazon.
By supporting a Latine, queer, nonbinary, trans femme author we would send a strong message that we are not going anywhere, and won’t be silenced, letting the publishing industry and others know that these stories matter. Thanks to your support during pre-sale, the book is currently #1 bestselling in the category of American Latino poetry of Ingram Spark.
If you can help share the word among your friends and community, it would mean a lot and support this vision!
And…if you’re in NYC, I would be honored to see you at the official launch event on Tuesday, Nov. 19! It’ll be a night of tropical poetry, music, and drag—because we deserve joy, even in tough times. You can RSVP and reserve a signed copy in advance at this link.
And if you can’t make it in person, you can still be part of this journey by ordering a copy and finding a moment for yourself, a pause to reflect and write your own story.
Thank you for being part of this community. I hope this book will feel like a love letter to you, just as it has been for me. Together, let’s resist, celebrate, and keep our communities’ wisdom alive.
Con amor y gratitud,
Samy Nemir
P.S. If you would like to bring the book to your community, school, work or book club, or host a conversation you can email us at cuirdorican@gmail.com.
**HUGE thanks to editor and publisher, David Nazario of SDJ Press for making this book a reality, as well all the team that worked on it, Luis Carle (photography), Karlo Karlo (make up), Andy Check (cover design) and Agustin Cepeda (interior design).
