In episode three, Nicole kicks the Willie with José Pablo Iriarte, a nonbinary Cuban-American writer, high school math teacher, and parent of two. Their fiction has been finalist for the Nebula, Hugo, Locus and Sturgeon Awards, longlisted for the Otherwise Award, and reprinted in various Year's Best compilations. Their debut novel, BENNY RAMÍREZ AND THE NEARLY DEPARTED was published in 2024 by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House. Their follow up, AJ TORRES AND THE TREASURE OF CAPTAIN GRAYSHARK is forthcoming on June 24, 2025. Learn more (but frankly not much more) at www.labyrinthrat.com, or follow José on facebook, instagram, or bluesky.

In this conversation, José Iriarte discusses his experiences growing up as a Cuban American in Florida, the impact of literature on his writing, and the themes of identity and marginalization in his work. He shares insights into his journey into science fiction and fantasy, the importance of character development, and the role of humor in middle-grade literature. José also emphasizes the significance of writing groups and the persistence required in the face of rejection. He concludes by discussing his upcoming projects and the exploration of monsters and villains in storytelling.

Pre-Order AJ TORRES AND THE TREASURE OF CAPTAIN GRAYSHARK.

Oracle Card: "Midnight" from the Classic Horror Oracle Deck.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Rules and Awareness

02:06 Growing Up in Florida: A Personal Narrative

03:50 Contrasting Childhoods: Miami vs. Brooklyn

04:00 Navigating Privilege and Marginalization

06:23 The Role of Literature in Personal Growth

08:56 Exploring Identity Through Fiction

11:18 The Power of Narrative in Storytelling

12:44 The Substance of My Lives: A Deep Dive

15:11 Character Development: Jamie and Benjamin

17:04 Cultural Reflections in Writing

19:07 Benny Ramirez and the Nearly Departed: A New Journey

24:57 The Humor in Writing

27:33 Crafting Dynamic Characters

29:02 Character Development Techniques

33:08 Exploring Personal Experiences in Writing

37:47 The Balance of A and B Plots

46:01 The Role of Writing Communities

48:41 Upcoming Book Insights

53:33 José Answers the OM Closing Five

Of Monsters: A podcast with Nicole Shawan Junior features intimate chats with speculative fiction masterminds and the characters they create.

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Written and performed by Nicole Shawan Junior, the Of Monsters intro music was created by Ben Ford, produced by Caits Meissner, and engineered by Tatenda Dizha.