About the book: The Place Where Words Reside, by María Gómez Lara, is an intimate and courageous poetic testimony written in the midst of medical uncertainty. When the poet is diagnosed with a brain tumor located dangerously close to the center of language, writing becomes both resistance and refuge. The poems document the fragile space between fear and clarity, illness and expression, revealing the interior life of a patient confronting the possibility of losing the very tool that defines her—words. With honesty, restraint, and remarkable poetic craft, the work transforms clinical experience into lyrical reflection, allowing vulnerability, memory, and resilience to coexist. Presented in a bilingual edition and masterfully translated by Curtis Bauer, the book stands as a moving meditation on language, survival, and the healing power of telling one’s story.

About the author: María Gómez Lara (Bogotá, Colombia, 1989) is a poet and educator whose work explores themes of memory, language, and personal experience through a refined and emotionally direct poetic voice. She is the author of several poetry collections, including Después de la ira (2014) and Contratono (2015). Her poetry has been translated into multiple languages and has appeared in international literary journals and anthologies. Gómez Lara has received recognition such as the Colombian National Poetry Prize for Young Poets and has participated in numerous literary festivals and residencies. She has also worked as an educator and advocate for literature, contributing to the dissemination of contemporary poetry in Latin America and beyond.

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