Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Sierra
Hi Natalie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always turned to writing as a coping mechanism, a way to process the confusing world around me. We were kept fairly isolated as children, and so, I turned to books as a way to make friends. The arts became a refuge for me. Storytelling continues to be the most effective way to soothe myself.
Over time, what began as a form of self-preservation blossomed into a writing career. I thought, “I have all these stories in me, maybe they resonate with others, as well.” I started sharing my work with friends, or online poetry communities. During my high school years, I became pregnant. Not once, but twice, delivering two daughters before I was 18 was not part of my plan, but it did not stop me from graduating and attending college as well. My plans shifted; I worked any retail job I could get to support myself and my children. I went to school for journalism, as my heart was still focused on writing but now with a more behind-the-scenes approach.
In college, I shared some of my work with a friend who encouraged me to get back into poetry and short stories. With his encouragement, I submitted work to online and print journals. Writing isn’t easy; you’re rejected more than accepted, but I never lost hope. I wanted to show people that someone like me, a first-gen kid of Mexican parents, a “teen mom” from a town most people have written off, could succeed despite it all.
Now, as President of Cafe Con Libros Press and Pomona’s first female Poet Laureate, I’ve made it my mission to create spaces where others, especially women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ voices can share their stories, their culture, and create community.
My journey from writing for survival to writing for impact shapes everything I do. Whether it’s through my books, my workshops, or the literary community I’ve built, my goal is simple: to make sure no one feels alone in their story the way I once did.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This question makes me laugh, I can’t help it. There are things that have happened to me that you wouldn’t believe. I’ve been a runaway; homeless, an addict. A teen mother. I’ve had to use my wits to outsmart a man so that I could live to see another day. I’ve nearly died from a miscarriage where the only thing that saved me was an emergency operation and a large blood transfusion.
Patriarchy and capitalism seem almost benign when your life is slipping away on a hospital bed.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work as an editor and a novelist, and am the Poet Laureate of Pomona. I also own and operate Cafe Con Libros Press, a nonprofit bookstore and community space in downtown Pomona. I’m proud of the work I’ve done in the community; from children’s events and free programming we’ve facilitated in the space, to the opening of our doors to writers and artists so that they can host their own readings and signings, attend free or low-cost workshops, and gain knowledge from established poets and authors in our space.
My first collections were self-published, but I quickly learned that many bookstores will not take your work seriously when it’s self-published. Opening our doors for authors who aren’t agented and/or their work published with one of the “big five” publishers doesn’t make it any less worthy of recognition, so I try to do my part to ensure they get their laurels.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Watching a scary movie with my kids. Finding a new-to-me musical artist whose lyrics blow my mind. Lonely, foggy streets. Lavender syrup. Delicious prose that makes me weak in the knees. Long car rides where I can listen to the same album over and over again (lately, it’s been ‘Bubblegum’ by Mark Lanegan). When my cat jumps into my lap and makes biscuits on my stomach. Being a mother. Being a friend. Talking books with people who love to read as much as I do. Gossiping with my girlfriends in a dark bar while every single radio hit from the 60s & 70s pipes through an ancient tin speaker. Making art that moves me.
It’s living. What’s better than that?
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Micala Austin. Studio Minh-Son. Lauren Feidner.
