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Xochitl Gonzalez

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Xochitl Gonzalez
Born1977 (age 46–47)
Brooklyn, New York
Education
Notable worksOlga Dies Dreaming

Xochitl Gonzalez (/ˈsoʊtʃiːl/, SO-cheel;[1][2] born 1977) is an American writer. In 2022, she published her debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming which became a New York Times Best Seller on January 30, 2022.[3]

In 2021, she began writing the newsletter "Brooklyn, Everywhere" for The Atlantic.[4] In 2023, she joined The Atlantic as a staff writer and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her work there.[5]

Early life and education

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Gonzalez was born in New York City to a second-generation Puerto Rican mother and Mexican-American father and raised by her grandparents[6] in the area between Bensonhurst and Borough Park.[7] Her parents were activists in the Socialist Workers Party, where her mother was a union organizer who ran for office in the Socialist Workers Party.[8]

Gonzalez attended Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn and earned a scholarship to Brown University.[9] At Brown she intended to study creative writing but ultimately majored in art history.[10] Reflecting on her time at the university, Gonzalez wrote, "Brown was only four hours by car, a lifetime by way of cultural journey. I had dreamt for years of escaping the concrete of Brooklyn for reasons I couldn't really ever put my finger on."[8] Gonzalez graduated from Brown with a Bachelor of Arts in 1999.

Gonzalez was inspired to become a professional writer after the death of her grandmother in 2017, with the sale of her grandmother's home helping to fund her writing efforts.[11]

Gonzalez worked as an entrepreneur and consultant for a number of years before earning her MFA from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop in 2021.[12] In June 2022, Gonzalez was elected a trustee of Brown University.[13]

Gonzalez was named a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary for her work writing the newsletter Brooklyn, Everywhere.[11]

Career

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Olga Dies Dreaming

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Main article: Olga Dies Dreaming

In 2022, Gonzalez published Olga Dies Dreaming, her debut novel. The novel was in part inspired by her past career as a wedding planner for the ultra-rich in New York City following the 2008 recession.[10] The book was received positively in reviews by Ron Charles for The Washington Post and Shannon Melero for Jezebel.[14][15] Kirkus Reviews called the book "atmospheric, intelligent, and well informed: an impressive debut."[16] Gonzalez is currently writing and co-executive producing[17] alongside filmmaker Alfonso Gómez-Rejón, a pilot for a drama based on the novel produced by Hulu and starring Aubrey Plaza and Ramon Rodriguez.[18][19]

Other works

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In 2024, her follow-up novel Anita de Monte Laughs Last was published. The novel largely received positive reviews,[20] with NPR writing that "Gonzalez's second novel brilliantly surpasses the promise of her popular debut Olga Dies Dreaming".[21] The novel follows college student Raquel Toro as she discovers the art of Anita de Monte, a character based on the Cuban artist Ana Mendieta.[22] Gonzalez claimed that she visited a location supposedly haunted by Mendieta, and was visited by a spirit of the artist, who posthumously encouraged her story to be told.[11]

Bibliography

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Novels

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  • Olga Dies Dreaming (Flatiron Books, 2022, ISBN 978-1250786173)
  • Anita de Monte Laughs Last (Flatiron Books, 2024, ISBN 978-1250786210) [23]

References

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  1. ^ "Xochitl Gonzalez". www.xochitlgonzalez.com.
  2. ^ "In Conversation with Xochitl Gonzalez". June 20, 2022.
  3. ^ ""Olga Dies Dreaming" and "War Against All Puerto Ricans" are the same book". April 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Atlantic Introduces Suite of Newsletters for Subscribers". The Atlantic. 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  5. ^ "Commentary". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Gonzalez, Xochitl (April 12, 2024). "Xochitl Gonzalez, class of 1999". Pembroke Center Oral History Project (Interview). Amanda Knox and Mary Murphy. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  7. ^ Gonzalez, Xochitl (2014-08-26). "Made In Brooklyn: What's the Essence of the Borough That's Become an Adjective?". Medium. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  8. ^ a b Gonzalez, Xochitl (2020-09-11). "Good-bye to Century 21, the Store Where I Grew Up". The Cut. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  9. ^ Gonzalez, Xochitl (2022). Olga dies dreaming (1 ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-349-72668-7. OCLC 1246141315.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ a b "From poor kid to elite wedding planner to debut author: Xochitl Gonzalez feels 'divine'". Los Angeles Times. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  11. ^ a b c González-Ramírez, Andrea (2024-03-04). "Xochitl Gonzalez's Ghost Story". The Cut. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  12. ^ "Read The First Pages Of A Rising Literary Star's First Novel Before Its Release". Bustle. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  13. ^ "Brown Corporation elects two new fellows, eight trustees". Brown University. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  14. ^ "Review | Say 'I do' to Xochitl Gonzalez's 'Olga Dies Dreaming'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  15. ^ "Xochitl Gonzalez's Debut Novel Is a Pivotal Examination of Puerto Ricanness". Jezebel. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  16. ^ OLGA DIES DREAMING | Kirkus Reviews.
  17. ^ Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (2021-04-29). "Hulu Orders Nuyorican Sibling Drama Pilot 'Olga Dies Dreaming' With Xochitl Gonzalez and Alfonso Gómez-Rejón Producing". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  18. ^ Otterson, Joe (2021-08-02). "Aubrey Plaza to Star in Hulu Drama Pilot 'Olga Dies Dreaming'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  19. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (2021-08-04). "Ramon Rodriguez Joins Aubrey Plaza in Hulu's 'Olga Dies Dreaming'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  20. ^ "Book Marks reviews of Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez". Book Marks. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Bell, Carole V. (March 6, 2024). "'Anita de Monte Laughs Last' is a complex dissection of art, gender and marriage". NPR. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  22. ^ Korelitz, Jean Hanff (2024-03-04). "Inspired by a Real Mystery, This Novel Skewers the Art World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  23. ^ Korelitz, Jean Hanff (2024-03-04). "Inspired by a Real Mystery, This Novel Skewers the Art World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
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