City of God is a collection of short stories and poems by Gil Cuadros, an author who battles the disease AIDS himself and who uses his writing to de-sensationalize the homosexual identity and people struggling with AIDS.
The title of the collection is an allusion to the writings of Christian philosopher Saint Augustine. The stories and poems talks about the acceptance of sexual identity, struggle with finding a place in the world, battle with the disease and question religious beliefs.
The stories follow a pattern of childhood awareness, acceptance of identity, acceptance of life with the disease, through to letting go of the shackles of pain. Poems talk about sexuality, abuse, familial relations, dangers of simply being oneself, love and death.
