The Earache - Carmen Lomas Garza

One of the pieces I found most interesting from Garza's work is "The Earache." Reading through this book has created a feeling of warmth in me, a feeling of security, almost like home. I see all the images of her childhood, and can picture my family and I living them, as if we've lived the same childhood. The Earache especially caught my attention, because growing up I remember seeing my mom go outside with my sister or brother anytime we'd go to the pool and they were complaining about their ears hurting. I used to tell her she looked crazy from the perspective of outsiders- they'd see her with a funneled newspaper with fire sticking out of a child's ear. I never really understood why she would do it, I just knew it would make my siblings feel better after. I never had to deal with the funneled newspaper experience, which made me all the more curious. Once I grew up and saw her doing it to one of my uncles, it kind of dawned on me- there was water bothering them and the fire was quite literally evaporating it out of their ear. This sense of familiarity in Garza's work is something that I never had before- I never saw people that looked like me or my family depicted in media. It is so important to have artists that portray these images of family and community, it allows many who've often felt left out to relate to them and feel comfort in the representation of their culture.