Xochitl Gonzalez is a cultural critic, producer, screenwriter, and the New York Times bestselling author. Gonzalez was born in 1977 in New York City to a second-generation Puerto Rican mother and Mexican-American father. She was raised by her grandparents in Brooklyn as her parents focused on being activists in the Socialist Workers Party. Gonzalez attended Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn and earned a scholarship to Brown University. At Brown she majored in art history, but was interested in creative writing and theater. Gonzalez graduated from Brown with a Bachelor of Arts in 1999. In June 2022, Gonzalez was elected a trustee of Brown University.
Gonzalez worked as a wedding planner, an entrepreneur, and a consultant for many years before deciding to pursue a career in writing. After the death of her grandmother in 2017, Gonzalez used the sale of her grandmother's home to help fund her writing efforts.
Gonzalez participated in Bread Loaf Writers' Conference at Middlebury College in 2018 and then in 2019 she was accepted to the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop where she completed her MFA in 2021 and received the Michener-Copernicus Prize in Fiction. Gonzalez began early drafts of her book
In 2024, Gonzalez published her second novel titled
Gonzalez was the winner of the 2019 Disquiet Literary Prize and her work has been published in
This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Xochitl Gonzalez, Brown University class of 1999. Gonzalez is a cultural critic, producer, screenwriter, and a New York Times bestselling author. She is a 2021 M.F.A. graduate from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her non-fiction work has been published in
Series 1, PERSONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL, 1977 – 2025, includes articles about Gonzalez, awards, educational records, and memorabilia. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 2, CORRESPONDENCE, 1991 – 2024, includes personal correspondence from various senders including her parents and grandparents. Correspondence also appears throughout the collection as it directly relates to specific series. This series is arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by the sender's name.
Series 3, OLGA DIES DREAMING [BOOK], 2019 – 2024, includes annotated manuscript drafts, and chapter drafts, related to the book,
Series 4, OLGA DIES DREAMING [TELEVISION SHOW], 2020 – 2021, includes script drafts, production binders, and related correspondence regarding development of a television series based on the book. During the summer of 2021, production began on a pilot for
Series 5, ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST [BOOK], 2020 – 2024, includes annotated manuscript drafts and related research regarding Gonzalez's second novel,
Series 6, ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST [Film], 2020 - 2025, includes annotated script drafts regarding Gonzalez's second novel,
Series 7, LAST NIIGH IN BROOKLYN [Book], 2023 - 2026, includes annotated drafts, loose notes, and an advance reader copy of Gonzalez's third novel,
Series 8, OTHER WRITINGS, 2017 – 2024, includes articles as well as story and essay drafts. Of particular interest are the writings Gonzalez worked on during the Bread Loaf Conference in 2018. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 9, PRINT MATERIALS, 1977 – 2025, includes books Gonzalez used for researching her novels, Playbills, and program pamphlets documenting Gonzalez's interest in theater. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 10, RESTRICTED MATERIALS, 2006 – 2024, includes notebooks, drafts and correspondence that are closed for research until Gonzalez' death on or before January 1, 2077. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Xochitl Gonzalez papers, MS.2024.020, Box [#], Folder [#], Pembroke Center Archives, John Hay Library, Brown University.
This collection is arranged into 10 series.
There are some restrictions on access, though most of the collection is open for research use. Series 10 is restricted due to copyright and personal identifying information and is restricted until Gonzalez' death on or before January 1, 2077. The collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Advance notice is required to view born-digital records. Audiovial materials in this collection may not have been reformatted yet. Researchers may request access to copies by contacting the John Hay Library with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed to hay@brown.edu.
Gift of Xochitl Gonzalez beginning in 2024.
See also: Xochitl's