As a young reader, she didn’t realize people who looked and lived like her were missing from some of her favorite books. “It felt to me like I was reading science fiction in a lot of ways because it was so outside of my own childhood….And I was accepting of it like, okay, cool this is a different life,” award winning young adult author Lilliam Rivera tells Alicia in this emotive episode. But her perspective quickly changed after reading award-winning Latino writers in college. She soon became so empowered she came to see herself as an author of books for young adult readers. She is the author of the newly released book, Dealing with Dreams.

Follow Lilliam on Twitter and IG @lilliamr. And buy her book, Dealing in Dreams. If you loved this episode, listen to Frances de Pontes Peebles, Quiara Alegría Hudes and Carmen Maria Machado for more on writing and summoning the muse. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!