Angie Cruz had already published two books when her widely acclaimed novel, Domenicana, catapulted her to the next level.

But it was a struggle to get Domenicana published, and that struggle unfolded during a period of time when the entire world

felt on tilt. So much so that Angie almost quit writing. Then the muse came rushing in to let

Angie know that she was not allowed to throw in the towel, not yet. Now in her new novel,

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, Angie introduces us to that

muse, Kara Romero, a Dominican who gets laid off from her factory job during the Great Recession,

and when the checks from El Obama run out, is forced back into the job market. Gotta gets set up

with a job counselor with whom she then shares the story of her incredible life. Angie and I talk about

confronting rejection, who is presumed competent who has to prove their competence, and why

she believes that now is always a good time to start. Angie Cruz, thank you so much for doing this.

Oh, thank you so much for inviting me.

Growing up, formative years, you're moving back and forth, New York and the DR.

What do you remember about that period?

And was there a place where you felt you most belonged?

In some ways, I feel like I belong nowhere and in a lot of places, right?

So when I think about home and I thought about it a lot,

I think about how that space usually is occupied in my mother's kitchen. And it's like a collection

of smells and things that are said and intonations and language and code switching. But when I'm in Dominican Republic, it's the same kitchen, just a different island.

And I'm thinking, wow, this is so weird.

In some ways, we live in a different time, place continuum.

You know, when people talk about the multiverse, I'm like, oh, that's the exact embodied

experience of the immigrant.

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