TCR Talks with Edgar Gomez, author of Alligator Tears

By Breen Nolan Award-winning author Edgar Gomez is back with his second book Alligator Tears, an arresting memoir-in-essays that chronicles his experiences growing up in poverty with a single mother amidst the backdrop of touristy Florida. Gomez’s writing evinces a skillful analysis vital for examining one’s life on the page. Whether interrogating the systems hell-bent on silencing marginalized individuals or exploring the path to becoming a YouTube beauty influencer, Gomez transports his readers on a journey that will have them laughing through their tears. . The Coachella Review spoke to Gomez about the evolving nature of his process, the value of nuance in nonfiction writing,…

TCR Talks with Rachel Howzell Hall, author of The Last One

By Dave Oei Rachel Howzell Hall is entering brand new territory with her latest novel. After writing a book series featuring Detective Elouise Norton and ten other standalone crime and mystery novels, the two-time Los Angeles Times Book Award winner has published her first foray into the genre of romantasy with her new novel, The Last One. It features Kai, a sharp, strong, beautiful woman who discovers her clothes are missing, and worse, she has no memory of who she is or why she’s in the middle of a forest. The world is in the midst of drought and a…

TCR Talks with Chris Klassen, author of An Individual

By Brian Hooper The Coachella Review first discovered Toronto native Chris Klassen when we published his short story “Thank You No Thank You” in our Summer 2023 issue. What we’ve learned is that Klassen isn’t afraid of the big questions. His first novel, An Individual, is an epic story about an anonymous man on a spiritual journey to unearth life’s universal truths. Klassen is a lifelong student of religion and uses this background to explore a number of themes in his work. An Individual is his first novel. The Coachella Review: This is a story about self-discovery. What came to…

TCR Talks with Samuel Sattin, author of Side Quest

By Kevin Morales Samuel Sattin has been playing tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons since he was an adolescent. The game and others like it have slowly expanded into the mainstream since the 1970s. The connection of communities has grown thanks to the proliferation of the internet and the game finding its way into the homes of anyone who watched Stranger Things on Netflix, or the players of the popular Baldur’s Gate video games. Time Magazine also recently published a massive edition in honor of Dungeons & Dragons’ 50th anniversary. But where did this game come from? How…

TCR Talks with Alex Thayer, author of Happy & Sad & Everything True

By Shannon Presby Alex Thayer has been writing since she could hold a pencil, but the road to publishing her first novel took longer than expected. For one, she worked as an actor, graduating from Wheaton College and the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, which helped strengthen her deep connection with her written characters. But Thayer has also been writing middle-grade books for twelve years, with several manuscripts going on submission before she finally sold her debut novel. In, Happy & Sad & Everything True, Dee’s school year starts badly when her best friend since forever…

TCR Talks with Jennifer Lang, author of Landed: A yogi’s memoir in pieces & poses

By Jackelin Orellana Memoirist Jennifer Lang first appeared in The Coachella Review earlier this year, when we published her essay “Head, Heart, Belly” in our Summer 2024 issue. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and now living in Israel, Lang is busy these days promoting her second book, Landed: A yogi’s memoir in pieces & poses, a series of flash essays that explore the complications of finding oneself while trying to balance life and family. Lang opens a window into the most intimate parts of her life, exploring how to become a stronger person by embracing who she is…

TCR Talks with Brian Asman, author of Good Dogs

By T.J. Tranchell Every writer has a unique journey. Brian Asman’s has taken him from the world of bizarro and splatterpunk novellas to his first full-length novel, Good Dogs. Asman, who became a viral sensation for his haunted house novella, Man, Fuck This House, sees this journey as steps in a long-term plan. After half a dozen independently published novellas, the leap into a full-length novel was spurred by completing his MFA at UCR-Palm Desert’s low-residency program. Published first in 2021, Asman’s breakout novella is eye-catching not only for its title, but for his innovative use of social media to…

TCR Talks with Jennifer Brody, author of A Sacrifice of Blood and Stars

  By Samantha Alissa Martin Jennifer Brody—novelist, short-story writer, TV/film producer and writer, and writing instructor—dives into her obsession with “Dear John” letters, Ancient Chinese philosophy, and science in her latest novel, A Sacrifice of Blood and Stars. The story follows protagonist Hikari Skye (Kari) as she enlists to be part of Space Force in the midst of the Proxy Wars. The trouble is, her reputation is far from perfect, as her father’s status as a deserter seems to follow her all the way to space. To make matters worse, she is paired with her bully, Draeden Rache (Drae), through…

TCR Talks with Hazel Kight Witham, author of The Truth about Secrets

By Jesenia Chavez In her debut book, Hazel Kight Witham delves into middle school with a memoir in verse. She zeroes in on a fateful day where a young Witham reckons with her own fear and shame at her classmates discovering she has two moms.  She loves her moms, Judie and Sharon, but middle school is an unfriendly place for anyone whose family does not fit into a heteronormative paradigm. Middle school, with all the awkwardness and intensity of pre-adolescence, comes to life on the pages through beautifully crafted poems with vivid details. Through notes interspersed throughout the book, Witham…

TCR Talks with Brian Evenson, author of Good Night, Sleep Tight

By T.J. Tranchell Good news for Brian Evenson fans: even after nearly thirty books, the short story writer, novelist, translator, and teacher still has plenty to say. His latest, Good Night, Sleep Tight, marks his ninth book with Coffee House Press. The new collection delves into Evenson’s unique space between science fiction and horror, while exploring what a post-human world might look like. Many of the stories confront ideas of parenthood and how that might be present in artificial intelligences. Each explores the meaning and mystery of being human, leaving readers satisfied with having more questions than answers in a…