5 Questions for Xochitl Gonzalez
In Olga Dies Dreaming (2022), Xochitl Gonzalez’s best-selling debut novel, Hurricane Maria reunites a long-absent mother with her two adult children, a New York City wedding planner and her brother, a congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx Brooklyn neighborhood.
Q
Gentrification is a key concern in Olga Dies Dreaming, as it is in two other excellent NYC-placed books I’ve recently read, Cleyvis Natera’s Neruda on the Park and Alyssa Cole’s When No One Is Watching. Can you suggest other literature that shares this theme?
A
Cleyvis’s book is amazing! Yes, of course—for a classic, there’s no better book than The Fortress of Solitude, by Jonathan Lethem. As for something new, Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta, by James Hannaham, where gentrification is not the primary focus but is a major component of the story.
Q
There’s a great playlist running throughout Olga Dies Dreaming. I began writing musical notes in the margins, beginning on page 17, when Olga plays Syreeta’s “Keep Him Like He Is” on a bar’s jukebox. What’s on your playlist right now?
A
I’m alternating between two at the moment as I’m working on my next novel. There’s one inspiring a late-’70s/early-’80s timeline: “Fever” by La Lupe, “Santa Bárbara” by Celina & Reutilio, “Graceland” by Paul Simon, “Rapture” by Blondie, “Red Red Wine” by UB40, to name a few. And then a more extensive ’90s playlist: songs like “Jane Says” by Jane’s Addiction, “Charlie Don’t Surf” by the Clash, “Age of Consent” by New Order, “Body Rock” by Mos Def feat. Q-tip, “Still Not a Player” by Big Pun feat. Joe, “Bring It All to Me” by Blaque feat. NSYNC, “Yemaya” by Celia Cruz, “Hyperballad” by Björk, “Peligroso Amor” by Brenda K. Starr, “Dile a ella” by Victor Manuelle, “Amor Prohibido” by Selena, “Are You That Somebody” by Aaliyah, and “Father of Mine” by Everclear.
Q
You live in Brooklyn. Can you share a few favorite spots?
A
Yes! I have a few spots in my neighborhood of Clinton Hill that I’ve shared before: the bodega around my corner, Food Center Grocery; the Mexican coffee shop on Franklin, For All Things Good; Blick Art Materials on Myrtle Ave; the vintage store Su’juk; the Pratt Sculpture Garden; Gardel’s Garden; the houses on Irving Place; the local bar Baby Jane; my favorite restaurant, Dino; and the crystal store 21 Tara.
Q
I saw @marckeepper tweeting that your book, along with Lizzo’s new album and strawberries, were “simple delights . . . in the midst of so much horrible news.” What simple delights are getting you through these days?
A
I really just love being with my dog outside. Also having time to do leisurely things with my friends. Un verano sin ti, by Bad Bunny, is such a simple delight these days too. And really, not posting much about my actual day-to-day life on social media reminds me about what’s real life and what’s not.
Q
What is your next project?
A
I am currently working on my second novel, which is a fictionalized retelling based on the life, death, and afterdeath of a Latina artist from the 1980s. It’s braided with a campus novel that explores themes about erasure, belonging, power dynamics, artistic relationships, and creativity.