Melissa Mogollon, author of the forthcoming novel “Oye,” will discuss her debut work with writer Greg Mania at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena on July 31. The event will showcase Mogollon’s inventive approach to storytelling, which unfolds through a series of one-sided phone conversations between the protagonist and her sister.
“Oye,” published on May 14 by Hogarth Press, follows Luciana, a young Colombian American woman, as she navigates family crises and personal growth during her senior year of high school.
Mogollon’s narrative centers on Luciana, the baby of her large Colombian American family, as she faces a hurricane in Miami and her grandmother Abue’s refusal to evacuate.
The story explores themes of family dynamics, cultural identity, and the transition to adulthood, as Luciana becomes caretaker and translator for Abue following a shocking medical diagnosis.
The novel’s unique structure has garnered praise from literary critics, with Electric Lit calling it “a unique coming of age story about uncovering family secrets and the secrets of the self.” Electric Lit has also listed “Oye” among “42 Queer Books You Need to Read in 2024,” further highlighting its significance in contemporary literature.
Reader’s Digest, which lists the book as one of the “New Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2024, highlighted the novel’s emotional range, noting that Luciana and Mari “engage in a sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes tear-jerking conversation about family, life and love.”
The book also touches on Luciana’s sexuality, as she struggles between her caretaker role and desires to sneak out to meet girls.
Mogollon, who holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, is originally from Colombia and was raised in Florida. She currently teaches at a boarding school in Rhode Island.
Greg Mania, a writer and comedian whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, will be in conversation with Mogollon at the Vroman’s event.
Mania is also a contributing editor to BOMB magazine, hosts The Rumpus’s #ShowUsYourDesk on Instagram Live, and co-hosts Empty Trash, a bi-monthly reading series in Los Angeles.
The discussion begins at 7 p.m., offering readers an opportunity to delve into the creative process behind Mogollon’s debut and its innovative narrative style.
For more information, visit https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Melissa-Mogollon-discusses-Oye.
