The Brazilian-American novelist says she never had to claim her Latina identity because “it embraced me” as she grew up bilingual, bicultural, and multinational. On tour for her latest novel, The Air You Breathe, de Pontes Peebles tells Alicia about wrestling with the tension between needing time and space to create while meeting the demands of being a dedicated mother. She also recounts difficult scenes from her postpartum depression and how the act of telling someone saved her. Writing continues to save her, and she guards her gift ritualistically, including her tradition to “let the wall be empty for a while.”

Follow Frances on Twitter @chiquinhapeebles. And buy her book, The Air You Breathe. If you loved this episode, listen to Lilliam Rivera, Carmen Maria Machado, Valeria Luiselli and Quiara Alegría Hudes for more on summoning the writing muse. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

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