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, screenwriter, and producer. 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.

Early life and education

Gonzalez was born in New York City to a second-generation Puerto Rican mother and Mexican-American father and raised by her grandparents in the area between Bensonhurst and Borough Park.[5] 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.[6]

Gonzalez attended Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn and earned a scholarship to Brown University.[7] At Brown she intended to study creative writing but ultimately majored in art history.[8] 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."[6] Gonzalez graduated from Brown with a Bachelor of Arts in 1999.

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.[9]

In June 2022, Gonzalez was elected a trustee of Brown University.[10]

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.[8] The book was received positively in reviews by Ron Charles for The Washington Post and Shannon Melero for Jezebel.[11][12]Kirkus Reviews called the book "atmospheric, intelligent, and well informed: an impressive debut."[13] Gonzalez is currently writing and co-executive producing[14] alongside filmmaker Alfonso Gómez-Rejón, a pilot for a drama based on the novel produced by Hulu and starring Aubrey Plaza and Ramon Rodriguez.[15][16]

Bibliography

Novels

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

References

  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. ↑ 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.
  6. 1 2 Gonzalez, Xochitl (2020-09-11). "Good-bye to Century 21, the Store Where I Grew Up". The Cut. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  7. ↑ 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)
  8. 1 2 "From poor kid to elite wedding planner to debut author: Xochitl Gonzalez feels 'divine'". Los Angeles Times. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  9. ↑ "Read The First Pages Of A Rising Literary Star's First Novel Before Its Release". Bustle. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  10. ↑ "Brown Corporation elects two new fellows, eight trustees". Brown University. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  11. ↑ "Review | Say 'I do' to Xochitl Gonzalez's 'Olga Dies Dreaming'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  12. ↑ "Xochitl Gonzalez's Debut Novel Is a Pivotal Examination of Puerto Ricanness". Jezebel. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  13. ↑ OLGA DIES DREAMING | Kirkus Reviews.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ Otterson, Joe (2021-08-02). "Aubrey Plaza to Star in Hulu Drama Pilot 'Olga Dies Dreaming'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  16. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (2021-08-04). "Ramon Rodriguez Joins Aubrey Plaza in Hulu's 'Olga Dies Dreaming'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-05.


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