Houston, I'm the problem by Óscar García Sierra in Dallas

Spanish author Óscar García Sierra explores themes of identity, memory, and digital realities in his literary work at The Wild Detectives, featuring “Houston, I’m the Problem.”

Spanish poet and novelist Óscar García Sierra will present his literary work at The Wild Detectives in Dallas, engaging with the audience in a conversation about his unique approach to contemporary issues. The event will provide insight into his critically acclaimed poetry collection Houston, I’m the Problem, as well as his broader body of work, including his novel Facendera and other writings.

García Sierra’s writing addresses themes of identity, memory, and the effects of the digital world. His work combines cultural criticism, autofiction, and commentary on contemporary life. He is recognized for his incisive observations and wit, analyzing the absurdities of daily life through a modern perspective. In his poetry collection Houston, I’m the Problem, he explores mental illness, relationships, and the disconnect between the individual and society.

During this event, García Sierra will discuss his literary journey, the intersection of fiction and reality, and the evolving landscape of his creative process. He will reflect on how his personal experiences and the digital age influence his writing, touching on subjects from pop culture to the challenges of contemporary identity.

The Wild Detectives, renowned for its dedication to independent literature and creating spaces for cultural exchange, is the setting for this conversation about García Sierra’s exploration of the human experience in the 21st century.

Houston, I’m the problem

The first English-language collection by Óscar García Sierra explores the desires and disillusionments of millennial culture.

Houston, I Am the Problem is the book I wrote in the notes app on my phone while hiding in the bathroom at a party. It’s also the book made up of tweets I was too embarrassed to take out of my drafts folder. It’s a book filled with references to Britney Spears, Lydia Davis, Spring Breakers, and Hannah Montana. It’s a book dedicated to a Russian designer and a model and actress from Fast and Furious. It’s a book about medication, aliens, and the Deep Web. And it’s also the book David Foster Wallace would have wanted to write.

—Óscar García Sierra

The achievement of Houston, I’m The Problem, resides in García’s creation of a poetic universe of his own, which rises up to claim a new creative path where the borders between the arts start to shake.

—Laura Villar, Compostimes

”[…] Medicated, anaphoric, depressed, dryly humorous, and insistent, these pop-nihilist poems are so full, you can’t help but think of them as beautiful holes dragging themselves through the wreckage of the page. I feel as though I’ve been hooked up to an IV of something I didn’t know I was lacking.”

—Emily Skillings

Óscar García Sierra

Óscar García Sierra was born in León, Spain, in 1994. He studied Spanish, Language and Literature at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, and he published his first book, Houston, yo soy el problema, in 2016. His poetry is part of Spain’s alternative literature, and his work has appeared in the alt/lit journal New Wave Vomit, the Tumblr Ciudades Esqueleto, the news and media website Playground and the poetry magazine Revista tn, among others. His latest book, Facendera, was published in May 2022.

Carmen Yus Quintero

Carmen Yus Quintero was born in Huelva, Spain in 1996. She is a Spanish and English teacher and translator. She has a bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting, a MA in Spanish Studies, and a MA in Education. In 2021, some of her translations of Óscar García’s work were published in New Poetry in Translation. Her article “Posibilidades de la virtualidad” was also published the same year in Falso Mutis. Her interests include literary translation, education and performing arts.