About this episode

Katie Lee Biegel interviews Xochitl Gonzalez about her journey as a novelist and her latest work, exploring themes of identity and ambition.

Katie sits down with her good friend and New York Times bestselling author, Xochitl Gonzalez, for a fascinating and deeply personal conversation about reinvention, storytelling, and the ever-evolving American Dream. From leaving behind a successful career in event planning to becoming a Pulitzer Prize finalist in her 40s, Xochitl shares the unexpected path that led her to writing—and how her latest novel, Last Night in Brooklyn , brings a Gatsby-esque lens to 2007 Fort Greene at the height of its transformation. Through the eyes of Alicia Canales Forten, the story dives into ambition, identity, and the magnetic pull of wealth and status, all set against a backdrop of shifting neighborhoods and social dynamics. Katie and Xochitl also touch on the cultural themes woven through her work, what inspires her characters, and of course, their shared love of food (Xochitl gives the secrets to her pernil recipe) - making this an episode that’s as thought-provoking as it is fun to listen to. Follow Xochitl @xochitltheg Check out Last Night in Brooklyn here: https://amzn.to/3OnZm1q Batch is offering 30% off sitewide—including subscriptions, so you can lock in the savings on your monthly…

People in this episode

Host: Katie Lee Biegel

Guest: Xochitl Gonzalez

Topics covered

• nostalgia
• storytelling
• American Dream
• food
• identity
• cultural themes

Keywords

• Pernil recipe
• Pulitzer Prize
• 2000s NYC
• Fort Greene
• ambition
• identity
• cultural themes

Sponsors

Batch

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, Dear Media

Books & works: Last Night in Brooklyn

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