Hayley Peterson is the editor in chief of the University of New Mexico’s literary magazine, Blue Mesa Review. She is earning her Master’s of Fine Arts in nonfiction and is currently writing both a memoir and poetry collection. Her work explores themes of gender, sexuality and power dynamics.
As an MFA student involved in the publishing community, Peterson comes across a lot of literature. So, when the Daily Lobo reached out to ask her what her five favorite books were and why, this is what she narrowed her favorite works down to.
“The Argonauts” by Maggie Nelson
“‘The Argonauts’ reads like a long form personal essay with traces of memoir, prose poetry, queer theory and cultural critique. The book is about queer family-making — not only how it looks and feels to Nelson but what kind of space it has in the queer community, as well as transitions of the body and the body’s ability to accurately reflect our full identity. In my mind, it’s also this century’s greatest love story.”
“Her Body and Other Parties” by Carmen Maria Machado
“I’ve never gone through a book of short stories as quickly as I did this speculative collection about queer women. Most of the fiction I read is speculative, and I think that’s because it allows the author to represent systemic problems in a more accurate and obvious way than most fiction can. The stories concocted in this book speak to what life feels like in a powerful way.”
“Difficult Women” by Roxane Gay
“I would put every book by Roxane Gay on this list if I could (I guess I could have). Her writing is poignant and expansive at the same time. She captures human complexity in an accessible way. Everyone should go read all of her books, ASAP.”
“The Recovering” by Leslie Jamison
“I’m finally almost finished reading this heavy memoir/cultural commentary. It bounces back and forth between Jamison’s own recovery story and those of other well-known writers who dealt with alcoholism. I love the way she uses others’ stories to make sense of her own, and I think she writes about herself in an incredibly smart and honest way.”
“The Complete Stories of Clarice Lispector” by Clarice Lispector (Translated by Katrina Dodson)
“Clarice’s writing is dark and funny and sensual — and all about women. Her unique syntax makes you reconsider the capacity of language. One of my favorite quotes from one of the stories in this book is: ‘Understanding is the proof of error.’ Reading Clarice reminds me how important it is to keep pushing past the things I think I understand as a writer and figure out what lies beyond.”
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Luisa Pennington is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @_lpennington_.
