To the Last Man I Slept with and All the Jerks Just Like Him

Gwendolyn Zepeda

Sep 2004 · Arte Publico Press

About this ebook

With dark, knife-in-the ribs humor and poignant glimpses of youth and early adulthood, Gwendolyn ZepedaÍs first book is the literatiÍs version of television variety shows of the 1970s. Chock full of sharp observations in a narrative that jumps from personal essay to a parody of romance novels to inventive fiction, this collection spans a wide range of themes: the complications of being a ñhalf-white child of hippies born in Houston in 1971î and raised in a largely Mexican barrio ƒ ñHow to Be a Trailer Trash Housewifeî ƒ and a midnight dance with a giant cockroach. Though her creations arenÍt easy to behold, they are assertive, calling out ZepedaÍs own lessons learned as she strives to hammer out a life. She writes in ñTo the Last Man I Slept with and to Everybody Else,î a variation on the title story, ñYou wanted to be the rock star, the ninja, the cowboy in black. I wanted to be with those people so I pretended they were you. But secretly, I have always been all of those things.î Weaving her exploration of family life, love, the struggle for economic stability, and the search for a personal creative space, ZepedaÍs brash voice cuts at societyÍs stereotypes, at once critiquing those around her and herself. Family, friends, and the unwitting strangers around her„no one is safe from her commentary. Not for the shy or the meek, ZepedaÍs bold ruminations ring clearly through all her pieces, whether tough dramatizations or tongue-in-cheek fiction. She debuts a voice worth hearing that challenges, ñIf you want to, you can watch.î

About the author

GWENDOLYN ZEPEDA was born in Houston, Texas, in 1971, and attended the University of Texas at Austin. Her works has appeared on numerous websites, and she has written and illustrated her award-winning website, gwendolynzepeda.com, since 1997. In 2004, Zepeda was awarded the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris CountyÍs Individual Artist Grant for literature. Her writing was hailed by EFE newswire as having the ñpotential to transform Latino literature of recent years and rid it of its bad habits and clich?s.î She is currently serving a two-year term as HoustonÍs first Poet Laureate and her new poetry collection, Monsters, Zombies, and Addicts (Arte PÏblico Press), will be available in early 2015. Her works include her debut book of poetry, Falling in Love with Fellow Prisoners (Arte PÏblico Press, 2013), Level Up / Paso de nivel (PiÐata Books, 2012), Better with You Here (Grand Central Publishing, 2012), I Kick the Ball / Pateo el balÑn (PiÐata Books, 2011), Lone Star Legend (Grand Central Publishing, 2010), Sunflowers / Girasoles (PiÐata Books, 2009), Houston, We Have a Problema (Grand Central Publishing, 2009), Growing Up with Tamales / Los tamales de Ana (PiÐata Books, 2008), and To the Last Man I Slept with and All the Jerks Just Like Him (Arte PÏblico Press, 2004). She continues to live and work in Houston.