Introduction

The first printing press arrived to the Americas in present-day Mexico in 1539, nearly a century before the English colonies. However, book-making, in a broadly constructed form, existed long before when we consider codices and other manuscripts that Indigenous civilizations created in the region. The purpose of making a book seems to be singular: to disseminate a vision or a message to an audience. What is more varied is the context around that message; religious, political, and economic circumstances have been some of the great propellers of new forms of book creation. Against that backdrop has emerged a relatively recent type of book: the cartonera.

"Kosamalotlahtol: Arcoíris de la palabra", portada
Cover, painted in green, with a chile ristra. —— Portada, pintada de verde con una ristra.
"Kosamalotlahtol: Arcoíris de la palabra", portada

Cartoneras use recycled, corrugated cardboard as their front and back cover. They are often hand-painted to create a more visually-appealing look. Because of the individual work that goes into the creation of each copy, they have limited runs and are prone to human imperfection.

"Una mirada a Tochikahuallis: Nuestra fortaleza: memoria de la reconstrucción en Xoxocotla, Morelos", portada
Cover of cartonera, painted in shades of blue, green, and yellow. —— Portada de cartonera, pintada de azul, verde, y amarilla.
"Una mirada a Tochikahuallis: Nuestra fortaleza: memoria de la reconstrucción en Xoxocotla, Morelos", portada

Upon opening the cover, readers will typically find small publications, such as poetry chapbooks, essays, or short stories printed on typical office paper and then sewn into the cardboard. Sometimes, the last page is glued to the back cover to ensure that the cover and work remain connected. A recent trend includes a numbering of each book to highlight how limited the publication is.

Página de derechos de autor
Copyright page for a cartonera made and published in Uruguay. —— Página de derechos para una cartonera hecha y publicada en Uruguay.

As a response to an economic crisis in Argentina in the early 2000s, authors and publishers created cartoneras as viable options to foster reading at an affordable price. Relying on recycled materials and bypassing mainstream book publishers has created an economic model for both consumers and creators that reflects a do-it-yourself spirit in moments of economic downturn. Celis Carbajal (2009, 17) writes that “Thanks to the way [cartoneras] are using paper and recycled cardboard, they are concretizing global ideas, such as recycling, at the same time they are promoting readership and the love of literature, freedom of expression, and the simple pleasure of existing without any established norms.” Since its humble beginnings, cartoneras have transformed to meet the demands of an interested market. That is to say, some cartoneras now sell for hundreds of dollars as an artistic option, while others still maintain their original mission of reaching the masses. In short, Bell, Unprateeb Flynn, and O’Hare (2022, 12) are correct to declare that cartoneras are “an art object, a text, a token of exchange, a pamphlet, a teaching aid, a means to come together, an advocacy tool, a protest object, an income generator – this seemingly simple artisanal object could be all of these things at once.”

"Kosamalotlahtol: Arcoíris de la palabra", última página
Back page showing limited edition. —— La última página donde se muestra que es una edición limitada.
"Kosamalotlahtol: Arcoíris de la palabra", última página

Cardboard Cutouts explores facets of identity while highlighting a small sampling of cartoneras held at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. Because of the rebellious spirit at the forefront of cartoneras, they have fostered an inclusive space for groups that have been historically excluded from mainstream publishing. The following sections examine cartoneras that foster Indigenous, LGBTQ, and feminist voices. At the same time, we are also interested in demonstrating the popularity of cartoneras across Latin America and have selected representative authors from the following places: Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay.