Prettier

Brown Neon, by Raquel Gutiérrez, tells more than shows. The day I began reading, I told a friend that I wanted Gutiérrez’s writing to be “prettier.” My friend pushed back on my statement because it sounded patronizing, and I understand what she meant, but I meant it: I felt that too much explaining was taking place in a story that was so rich. 

I, too, a…