Meet a Grubbie: Jéssica Oliveira

What author, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with and why?

I want to say Jhumpa Lahiri because “A Temporary Matter” is the first piece of writing to make me feel so seen and affirmed that it brought me to ugly, hiccupping tears. She writes powerfully on the unavoidable nature of grief and loss, and I’m a bit obsessed with tragic human messiness . . . Admittedly, that doesn’t sound like very lively dinner conversation. So, instead, I’m going to choose Gabby Rivera, the author of the YA novel Juliet Takes a Breath and writer of Marvel’s first Latina lesbian character, America Chavez. Gabby writes diverse queer youth extremely well, and I picture a fun evening full of Latin music, food and drink, and infinite chatter about QTPOC life and comic books.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a collection of short stories focused on the experiences of Latinx immigrants of color. I’m specifically interested in telling stories about Brazilian Mormons living in Boston, who put roots down here in search of the nebulous American Dream only to endlessly wrestle with an absent sense of belonging. One of the stories in this project follows Luana, the high-achieving youngest child of working-class Brazilian immigrants. Luana and her family are deeply involved in their religious community, and so, unsurprisingly, they begin to unravel after the eldest child, Maia, comes out as a lesbian. 

I should add that I was raised within the community of Portuguese-speaking Mormons in Cambridge, MA, so I feel I am in a unique position to share the narratives that are not always thought of, and how this particular population intersects (and often clashes) with a modernized and liberal understanding of gender, race, class, and sexuality.

What are you reading?

Go Home! an anthology edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.

When do you feel most like a writer?

When readers engage with me about my work—whether at workshop, over drinks, or online—and when I get a new idea for a story, usually in a flash of a scene or character that I find intriguing.

Most interesting hobby?

I’m teaching myself to read tarot cards, and I really enjoy learning about how the specific positioning of the planets on my birth chart may affect my personality or daily circumstances. My go-to website for all things magic is TheHoodWitch.com, and the writers publish weekly horoscopes and tips for absorbing the healing properties of crystals, herbs, and oils using the lunar calendar.

Do you have a favorite local independent bookstore? Where and why?

It’s not exactly local, but Book Bar in Portsmouth, New Hampshire comes to mind. Portsmouth is a quaint getaway an hour north of Boston. I head there when I’m in a writing funk, or when I’m craving a burger from Lexie’s Diner. The bookstore resembles Trident Café on Tremont in the sense that it serves food, coffee, tea, and alcohol, but is much quieter.