Hialeah Homecoming

I have to say the Nandos in that story are among my favorite in the collection.

Those guys crack me up, but there's something really sad about the lives they're leading. I like hanging out in that writerly place between cracking up and crying.

Jennine Capó Crucet

Patricia Engel

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More About

• Hialeah
• Jose Marti
• Patricia Engel
• University of Iowa
• Books and Literature

How do you feel about ex-boyfriends reading your book?

I think they should all buy multiple copies. It is, after all, a work of fiction. No real ex-boyfriends were harmed in the making of this book.

The Society for the Protection of Ex-Boyfriends will be very happy to hear that.

Like they really need their own society.

So what advice do you have for aspiring young writers?

Read everything you can get your hands on. And believe in your voice.

What are your hopes for your future in writing?

I think of my job description as this: to exercise compassion by creating and shaping a sensory experience that ultimately inspires compassion in others. I want to do my job and do it well.

And you do! Thanks, Jennine!

Thanks, Patricia!