LA LISTA: A Latinx Writers Podcast

Join your host, Rubén Mendive, as he compiles a list of Latinx writers you need to know. Each episode features an in-depth interview with a writer on where they've been and where they're headed. Follow us @lalistapodcast on Instagram and Twitter! lalistapodcast.com

165. KEVIN MADRIGAL GALINDO 10/29/2024

165. KEVIN MADRIGAL GALINDO A DECOLONIALISH LATINX WRITER For our Season 5 finale, shares his journey from his childhood in South San Francisco to Stanford University bioengineering student, food justice advocate, and chef, detailing how transformative experiences in nonprofit work inspired him to write poetry and publish his first chapbook, ! Season 6 of the pod starts back up March 2025! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/33650457

164. MARCELLA OCHOA 10/15/2024

164. MARCELLA OCHOA A PROUD TEJANA HORROR-OBSESSED LATINA WRITER & DIRECTOR shares her childhood in San Antonio, starting her career on the PR side of the industry, drawing writing inspiration from real life horror stories, and co-writing the social justice horror film, Madres, as part of Amazon’s ‘Welcome to the Blumhouse' series! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/33395122

163. JOSE VICENTE CHAVEZ 10/01/2024

163. JOSE VICENTE CHAVEZ A SPIRITUAL CHICANO HORROR SURREALIST LATINO WRITER shares his super Catholic upbringing in Santa Fe, building a community of horror writers with , diving into the fears of TV/film creatives on his podcast ‘’ and we preview our upcoming spooky writers mixer in DTLA! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/33266762

162. KAY BROCH 09/17/2024

162. KAY BROCH A QUEER, MIXED, UNAPOLOGETIC, LIBRA WITH ONLY CHILD SYNDROME LATINX WRITER shares her rebellious childhood in West Michigan, her early start as a marketing maven, writing about the drag queens who raised her, and ‘’ her podcast about shining a light on the women who’ve empowered us! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/33062037

161. OSCAR LEMUS 09/03/2024

161. OSCAR LEMUS A SILLY LATINX WRITER shares his upbringing in South Florida, finding his love for sketch comedy at Florida State University, working his way up from TV support staff on multiple shows to staffing on the new season of 'Phineas and Ferb', and standing with the Animation Guild during their upcoming contract negotiations! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/32746977

160. EDITH RODRIGUEZ RETURNS! 08/20/2024

160. EDITH RODRIGUEZ RETURNS! AN EVER EVOLVING MIDWEST BORICUA WRITER (ep. 38) returns to share her experience relocating from Dallas to LA with her family, taking a year off from her career to pursue screenwriting, how she staffed on the upcoming 'Dexter' series, and why it’s important to question your nos! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/32628152

159. HERNÁN BARANGAN 08/06/2024

159. HERNÁN BARANGAN A REBELLIOUS LATINX FILIPINX WRITER ON WHEELS shares his childhood in the Bay Area, dealing with cancer as a teen, how unprocessed trauma led to his feature documentary 'CANCER REBELLION' about teens diagnosed with cancer across all 50 states, and writing health narratives that ring true on Apple TV+’s LIFE BY ELLA! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/32450032

158. EHCRAMA MARCHE 07/23/2024

158. EHCRAMA MARCHE A HELLA BLACK MEXICAN WRITER shares her childhood in Montebello, CA, becoming a self-taught animator during the pandemic, how identity struggles inspired her hit animated web series '', and why vulnerability produces great art! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/32249747

157. KRISTIAN MERCADO FIGUEROA 07/09/2024

157. KRISTIAN MERCADO FIGUEROA A MIXED MEDIA GENRE-BENDING LATINX WRITER shares his childhood in Spanish Harlem and Puerto Rico, the inspiration behind his hit cyberpunk short film '', the power imbalance between Puerto Rico and the USA, and his first feature film ‘IF YOU WERE THE LAST' streaming now on Peacock! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/32056637

156. AITCH ALBERTO 06/25/2024

156. AITCH ALBERTO A LATINA MIAMI WRITER WITH A BITE shares her childhood in Miami while living on the run with her family, releasing her film ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’, navigating an ever-changing TV/film industry, and how your ‘ugly’ is your superpower! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/31872312

155. THULIO DASILVA 06/11/2024

155. THULIO DASILVA A NUANCED MULTIDIMENSIONAL HILARIOUS F****T LATINX WRITER shares his childhood as a Brazilian immigrant in Connecticut, experiencing the impact of gun violence following the Sandy Hook Massacre, our time together in The Disruptors TV Fellowship, and writing about queer & undocumented shame. Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/31688662

154. ANGELA TREVIÑO 05/28/2024

154. ANGELA TREVIÑO A SOCIAL CLASS & SCI-FI OBSESSED LATINX WRITER shares her childhood experiences as an immigrant from a Mexican border town, switching careers to become a TV writer, how she staffed on 'Kung Fu' on the CW, and divorcing your writing from the outcome! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/31487412

153. ABI RICH 05/14/2024

153. ABI RICH A REMARKABLE BLACK BORICUA SCREENWRITER & ACTOR chats about her upbringing in Boston, how 'Twenties' on BET inspired her to pursue a career in TV, writing scripts about characters chasing wealth, and our adventures together during Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/31279862

152. MOISES MENDEZ II 04/30/2024

152. MOISES MENDEZ II THE MOST UNHINGED GAY LATINX WRITER chats about his childhood in the suburbs just north of NYC, his path to becoming a culture reporter for TIME Magazine, the current state of journalism on Twitter/X & beyond, and why it’s important to hold Influencers accountable! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/31042808

151. EDUARDO CISNEROS 04/16/2024

151. EDUARDO CISNEROS AN IMMIGRANT LATINO WRITER WHO DOESN'T LIKE LABELS chats about his childhood in Monterrey, his writing career with Eugenio Derbez, the transition from working in Mexican TV to Hollywood, and embracing bilingual audiences when co-creating ‘Acapulco’ on AppleTV+! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/30838703

150. VICTORIA DE LA CONCHA 04/02/2024

150. VICTORIA DE LA CONCHA A LATINA WRITER WITH A DARK SENSE OF HUMOR BUT A BRIGHT FUTURE chats about growing up on Long Island, how catholic school trauma has influenced her screenwriting, being fresh to LA & grad school during the pandemic, and our time together in the 2023 NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/30635658

149. MIKE DIAZ 03/19/2024

149. MIKE DIAZ A NEUROTIC LATINX WRITER Mike Diaz talks about his childhood in central Florida, his transition from working in unscripted to scripted TV, writing for procedurals like Magnum P.I. & NCIS: Hawai'i, and the current Hollywood contraction in this post-Peak TV era! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/30382733

148. RANADA SHEPARD 03/05/2024

148. RANADA SHEPARD A DOPE ASS AFRO-LATINA WRITER talks about growing up on the South Side of Chicago, being born to a Cuban family & adopted by a Black family, going from nursing student to TV showrunner, and crafting the upcoming Netflix ‘Good Times’ animated reboot! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/30229323

147. JAZMIN AGUILAR 03/21/2023

147. JAZMIN AGUILAR AN ILLITERATE LATINX WRITER We chat about growing up in South Gate, CA, her unconventional college path to filmmaking, her thesis film 'The Letter' starring Xochitl Gomez, and her experience making 'Kid Ugly' for McDonalds’s #SpotlightDorado contest! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/26284389

146. GIOVANNI M. PORTA 03/07/2023

146. GIOVANNI M. PORTA A GLASS HALF-FULL OPTIMIST LATINX WRITER We chat about his childhood in Miami & Honduras, struggling creatively as an LA actor before turning to screenwriting, living a happier existence in Austin, TX, and writing ‘At Midnight’ on Paramount+! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/26149665

145. FRANK ROJAS 02/21/2023

145. FRANK ROJAS A PLEBE GOING TO THE EAST COAST LATINX WRITER We chat about his childhood in LA’s South Bay, going from business degree to studying journalism at USC, what inspired his LA Times article about a queer vaquero bar, and leaving LA behind for the East Coast! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25994709

144. GRASIE MERCEDES 02/07/2023

144. GRASIE MERCEDES AN AFRO-LATINA MULTI-PASSIONATE MULTI-HYPHENATE WRITER We chat about her childhood in NYC, how she built up the confidence to pursue writing/acting full-time, breaking in as a staff writer on an NBC comedy, and lessons learned from starring in Grand Crew on NBC! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25853748

143. LUIS G. SANTOS 01/24/2023

143. LUIS G. SANTOS AN EMPATHETIC BLACK DOMINICAN WRITER-DIRECTOR-PRODUCER Who Uses TV & Film to Explore the Psyche Behind What It Means to be Human Amazing chat about growing up in the South Bronx, his unconventional film education, coming up through the advertising world, and his experience directing commercials & live performances! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25708077

142. JANEVA ZENTZ 01/10/2023

142. JANEVA ZENTZ A GUATEMALAN AMERICAN COMEDY-OBSESSED WRITER We chat about growing up in the San Fernando Valley, the inspiration behind her comedy short MÁS LATINA, embarking on her first film festival run during the pandemic, and building a stand-up comedy scene in Lake Arrowhead, CA! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25551759

141. DANIEL F. PÉREZ 12/27/2022

141. DANIEL F. PÉREZ A SÚPER INTENSO EXPLORER LATINX WRITER With Questions We chat about his nomadic childhood, his experience working as the Writer’s Assistant on HBO's Euphoria, we mourn the loss of 'The Gordita Chronicles' and breakdown the TV support staff hustle! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25435833

140. DANI FERNANDEZ 12/13/2022

140. DANI FERNANDEZ A WILDLY CHAOTIC CHICANA WRITER We chat about calling Texas home, how finding early success on social media led her to the LA comedy scene, writing on TV shows with TBD release dates, and challenging the current state of Latinx representation in media! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25307871

139. EDDIE QUINTANA 11/29/2022

139. EDDIE QUINTANA A MEXICAN ENOUGH FUNNY ENOUGH COMEDY WRITER We talk about splitting his childhood between LA & his family’s Latino nightclub in Fresno, how he got his start working on Disney Channel sitcoms, and writing for ACAPULCO on AppleTV! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25158372

138. PAOLA TAPIA-LIMON 11/15/2022

138. PAOLA TAPIA-LIMON AN EMPATHETIC SWEET BUT FEISTY MEXICAN AMERICAN STORYTELLER WHO BELIEVES IN MAGIC We chat about growing up on the Tijuana-San Diego border, how brain surgery at 18 pushed her into the arts, getting her start working in reality TV, and the journey to writing on 'Home Economics' on ABC! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/25016205

137. RICARDO GAMBOA 11/01/2022

137. RICARDO GAMBOA A RADICAL BROWN F****T FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO Latinx Writer We had a fun chat about growing up on the South Side of Chicago, the ‘war of art’ in our consumer culture, their hit web series ‘Brujos,’ and the journey to writing on THE CHI on Showtime! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/24863571

136. ALEXIS GARCIA 10/18/2022

136. ALEXIS GARCIA AN AFRO-BORICUA WRITER-DIRECTOR WITH A SPIRITUAL BEND We chat about growing up in NYC & Miami, getting her start as a TV director’s assistant, lessons learned while creating digital content for Buzzfeed's Pero Like, and her latest short film from the LALIFF Inclusion Fellowship with Netflix! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks /episode/index/show/lalista/id/24721068

LA LISTA: A Latinx Writers Podcast

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