Writer Erika L. Sánchez on 'Crying in the Bathroom,' mental illness, and humor (Rebroadcast)

Growing up, Erika L. Sánchez didn’t think she mattered, that the world didn’t see her because she was the daughter of working-class Mexican immigrants.

She didn’t read many portrayals of people like her in books. So when she started writing, she asked herself, “Erika, who the f*** cares?”

But now, Sánchez is a critically acclaimed author. Her 2017 novel, “I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. It’s currently being adapted into a Netflix film.

“Crying in the Bathroom” is Sánchez’s latest book. It’s a brutally honest portrayal of her life, including her triumphs and misfortunes.

She joins us to talk about growing up in a predominately Mexican neighborhood in Illinois, sex and shame, mental illness, abortion, and more.