Photo Credit:
Photo © Meg Vázquez 2020
Place of Birth:
New York City
Current Home:
Los Angeles
Education:
Amherst - BA cum laude in English, University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts - MFA in Writing for Film and Television
Why did you choose to come to Amherst?
I knew I wanted to attend a small liberal arts college, and when I visited Amherst, everything felt right. I loved the beautiful campus, the smart and vibrant people I met, and that we weren’t required to take any math or science classes. I decided that day to apply early decision, and I was so happy when I got in. That acceptance letter remained the single best piece of mail I’d ever received in my life -- until I got the box filled with finished copies of One to Watch.
Research Interests:
Mostly Taylor Swift conspiracy theories on Tumblr, but open to other research opportunities as they arise.
Awards and Prizes:
- At Amherst, awarded Stonewall Price for Citizenship and Scholarship for senior thesis, a play about the gay rights movement in Buenos Aires
- BlogHer “Voice of the Year” recipient for feminist comedy blog “Ladies Against Humanity.”
- Selected as a Film Independent Screenwriting Fellow
- One to Watch selected as a Book of the Month Club Main Pick for June 2020
Favorite Book:
Troubling a Star by Madeleine L’Engle
Favorite Author:
Nora Ephron
Tips for aspiring writers?
The best advice comes from Toni Morrison, who said, “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” Tell the story you can’t get out of your head -- if you can forget about a story after a week, or a month, or a year, it’s probably not a book you need to write. Don’t worry about the marketplace -- write for yourself. I didn’t have any idea so many people would be excited about a novel imagining a plus-size blogger on a romance reality show; I just wrote the story that brought me the most joy. I think that’s where you have to start.
Tell us a bit about your path to becoming an author:
It’s a meandering one for sure! I studied English at Amherst and wrote a play for my thesis, but then I went off to work in politics, and thought that was where I’d make my career. After a few years though, I found myself yearning to write more and more, so I left D.C. and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in screenwriting. Along the way, I met my literary agent, and we started brainstorming novels I could write -- but we had to put that endeavor on pause when I was asked to write for Hillary Clinton for her 2016 campaign. After the election, my agent and I regrouped to consider what kind of novel I might want to write given everything that had happened. We went back and forth on lots of ideas, but nothing took root until March of 2017, when I sat down to watch the season finale of The Bachelor. That night, the idea that became One to Watch hit me like a bolt of thunder. We sold the proposal three months later -- but is that the moment I became an author? I’m not sure! I don’t think you really “become” an author -- I think a writer is something you are or you aren’t, and it’s defined by how you see yourself and how you spend your time.