The Journal

AA: Let’s talk about your book, Pieces of a Boy.

This is your second book—congratulations! What’s the story behind it, and what inspired you to write it? How does navigating the creative world of writing compare to other creative outlets you explore?

SM: This book came about at a difficult personal time for me and I found that writing became my go-to creative outlet to cope during that time. The overall process of writing that memoir was extremely confronting, but cathartic, and it has shown me that writing will likely become a huge part of my life moving forward.

AA: Let’s talk about the art scene in Mexico City.

How does it compare to Brooklyn? Are there things about the scene in CDMX that excite you in ways Brooklyn didn’t, or is there something you miss about the creative energy back in New York?

TH: It’s always a mix. Nothing will ever be like New York so I’ve really tried to stop comparing New York to anywhere I go. My boyfriend founded an art fair in Mexico City called Material, he exposes me to a lot of cool artists and shows that I wouldn’t normally seek out on my own. As an artist myself and with a friend group of mostly artists from all parts of Latin and South America, I will say the cool thing about being an artist in Mexico City is the life that you can build for yourself with some moderate success. It seems like most of my friends are visual artists, designers, tattoo artists, photographers, hair stylists, musicians, drag queens, you name it…supporting yourself with your art, being able to live modestly in an apartment by yourself and not stress about going out to dinner with your friends once or twice a week really makes for a nice life.