Emilly Prado
Emilly Prado is a writer, community organizer, and the former Director of Youth Programs at Literary Arts in Portland, Oregon. When not writing or teaching, Emilly moonlights as DJ Mami Miami with Noche Libre, the Latinx DJ collective she co-founded in 2017. Her debut essay collection, Funeral for Flaca, was published with Future Tense Books in July 2021.
If you could recommend 3 books to anyone, what would they be?
In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
This heart-wrenching memoir serves as a spotlight on a vital, underrepresented topic and doubles as a multi-layered exploration of writing.
In The Dream House is a brilliantly meta memoir that explores the relationship between craft and truth, especially in the pursuit of non-fiction that is clouded by the uncertainty that stems from experiencing emotional abuse. It's an experiential read, that is at once personal narrative, cultural critique, and craft study. We bear witness to Machado’s layered experiences of unpacking the emotionally abusive relationship she lived through, viscerally processing alongside her through microscopic vignettes that chronicle the before, the during, and the after of her abuse. Each memory is succinctly composed, catalogued, and neatly labeled with intent. Her work challenges me to consider how the container we're putting around our work and experiences shapes the stories that live within, and to be bold in forging my own containers.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
I came to read widely later in life. I struggled to find books I could connect with and see myself in, especially during middle school and high school, but I stumbled upon In Cold Blood on a bookshelf in a family friend's home during my junior year of high school.
I was intrigued by Capote’s promise of a true account on the back cover, but was wholly entranced by page two. A taboo story had been written with transporting scenes that read like a movie and made my stomach do somersaults. I'd seen a nonfiction book like this. The murderous climax was revealed only a third of the way through, and the resulting meat of the tale searched for truth beyond action, painting a complicated, humanizing portrait of monstrosity in the process. I read the book in two days, only to sleep. I wondered how Capote had come to this story, what inspired his approach, and how he’d hooked me. Researching an unassigned book was a first, but a craving for books that surprised me cracked open. In the decade-and-a-half since reading In Cold Blood, I’ve challenged myself to read as many books as I can that push the bounds of what’s permissible.
All About Love by bell hooks
All About Love is a foundational book that I return to time and time again. Through bell hooks' analysis of love, I've not only learned how to better love myself and others, but what to expect of love, and just as importantly, what love isn't.
I first read this book when I was 20 years old, and the practice of examining my thoughts and active unlearning to make room for how I wanted to live and shape my life brought me immense joy. It's a must-read for all humans.
What are you reading now?
I have a large stack of books to read as I'm an MFA candidate at Randolph College in the midst of my first semester. I'm currently reading Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Diaz and Mean by Myriam Gurba. Next up are Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong and I’m Telling The Truth, But I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi.
What is your favourite bookstore or library?
The Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City is transporting. It's a gorgeous, glass-filled maze filled with many books on many levels. Gabriel Orozco's "Mobile Matrix," a whale skeleton with bones covered in thick pencil strokes, is suspended from the ceiling as a library focal point. On my first visit, punk kids were selling leather goods, music, and zines outside the library and inside the library, an orchestra played beneath the sculpture. Patrons sat in empty seats next to the musicians. I headed up many staircases for a bird's eye view and to hear the music from another level. It reiterated my fear of heights, but the sweaty palms and shaky legs were worth it.
