Interviews
SHORT BIO:
Angie Cruz is a novelist and editor. Her most recent novel How Not To Drown in A Glass of Water (2022) was a finalist for the 2024 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, shortlisted for The Aspen Words Literary Prize, winner of the Gold Medal, Latino Book Award/The Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Book Award, longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize and chosen for The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2022 and The Washington Post 50 Notable Works of Fiction. Her novel, Dominicana was the inaugural book pick for GMA book club and shortlisted for The Women’s Prize, longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction, a RUSA Notable book and the winner of the ALA/YALSA Alex Award in fiction. It was named most anticipated/ best book in 2019 by Time, Newsweek, People, Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Esquire. Cruz is the author of two other novels, Soledad and Let It Rain Coffee and the recipient of numerous fellowships, residencies and awards including the 2025 USA Fellowship, The Poets & Writers / Writers For Writers Award, and the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature. She's the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the award winning literary journal, Aster(ix) and is currently a Professor at University of Pittsburgh. She divides her time between Pittsburgh, New York and Turin.
LONGER BIO:
Angie Cruz is a New York born Dominicana who traveled to and from NYC to D.R. for most of her formative years. Her first novel, Soledad (2001) and second novel, Let It Rain Coffee (2005) were both published by Simon & Schuster. Her novel, Dominicana, published Fall 2019 with Flatiron Books, was inspired by her mother's arrival story. To research this novel Angie scoured many photo albums and this inspired the digital photo archive accessed through instagram: @dominicanasnyc. Dominicana is the inaugural bookpick for GMA book club, and the Wordup Uptown Reads selection for 2019. It was shortlisted for The Women’s Prize, longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction, The Aspen Words Literary Prize, a RUSA Notable book and the winner of the ALA/YALSA Alex Award in fiction. The New York Times Book Review called it "Lovely and Compelling" NBC NEWS said, "Dominicana is a triumphant return for Cruz...The journey of Ana Canción is one of the most evocative and empowering immigrant stories of our time." The NewYorker called it, “Poignant…In nimble prose, Cruz animates the simultaneous reluctance and vivacity that define her main character as she attempts to balance filial duty with personal fulfillment.” It was named most anticipated/ best book in 2019 by Time, Newsweek, People, Bustle, Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, The New York Times, and Esquire. Her fourth novel, How Not To Drown in A Glass of Water was published with Flatiron Books Fall 2022. It was a finalist for the 2024 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, shortlisted by The Aspen Words Literary Prize, winner of the Gold Medal, Latino Book Award/The Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Book Award, and chosen for The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2022 and The Washington Post 50 Notable Works of Fiction. Her picture book Angelica and La Guira was published summer 2024.
Angie didn’t always think to become a writer. She attended La Guardia H.S. as a visual arts major. She then pursued, at night, a fashion design degree at F.I.T while working full-time during the day on Madison Ave. at a cashmere store. Later she pursued an English literature degree at SUNY Binghamton and then attended the MFA program at NYU.
For the past twenty years Angie has attended numerous writing residencies, including Yaddo, The Macdowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, La Napoule Foundation, and The Camargo Foundation. Her works earned her many awards and honors including being Longlisted, 2020 Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize, The New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship, the Pittsburgh Foundation Fellowship, the NALAC Fellowship and in 2007 she was long listed for the IMPAC Dublin Award for Let It Rain Coffee. More recently she was awarded the 2025 USA Fellowship, The 2025 Poets & Writers / Writers For Writers Award, and the 2025 John Dos Passos Prize for Literature. Her short stories and essays have been featured in numerous journals and anthologies including Small Axe, Gulf Coast Literary Journal, Callaloo, VQR and the New York Times.
Angie is currently a Professor at University of Pittsburgh where she is an affiliate of CAAPP: Center for African American Poetry amd Poetics. The co-founder and editor of the award winning literary journal, Aster(ix). She divides her time between Pittsburgh, New York and Turin.
