Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: Latine Debut Novels: 'Mayra' by Nicky Gonzalez
Date: October 9, 2025
Guest: Nicky Gonzalez (author of Myra)

Overview

This episode of All Of It spotlights Nicky Gonzalez, author of the debut novel Myra, a book long-listed for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. In conversation with host Alison Stewart, Gonzalez discusses the novel’s gothic, slow-burn horror themes, its setting in the Florida Everglades, and the deep, consuming friendship at the novel’s heart. The episode explores memory, the haunting quality of adolescent friendships, and the unique atmosphere of Florida as both place and character.

Key Discussion Points

Introducing the Novel and Its Characters

• Myra centers on Ingrid and Myra, best friends whose connection begins in adolescence but is later strained by time, distance, and personal transformation.
• The novel is described as both “a slow burn debut horror novel set at a mysterious house deep in the Florida Everglades” (00:09).
• Plot Summary: Years after drifting apart, Ingrid receives an unexpected invitation from Myra to spend a weekend at a remote house in the Everglades—an experience that forces Ingrid to confront the intensity of their bond and make difficult choices about the friendship.

Who Is Ingrid? (01:26–02:07)

• Ingrid is in her late 20s, an assistant at a real estate company, living what she feels is an unremarkable, routine life.
• Quote: “It’s a job that gets her money so that she could pay rent and buy beer, and that’s all that matters to her.” — Nicky Gonzalez (01:54)

Why Does Ingrid Accept Myra's Mysterious Invitation? (02:07–03:13)

• Myra’s presence is magnetic and formative for Ingrid, “a sort of hypnotic power.”
• Ingrid is drawn by nostalgia and the thrill of breaking out of her comfort zone, as she did during their youth.
• Quote: “Maybe she’s thinking, this is another one of those times that Myra’s gonna make me do something uncomfortable, and maybe I’ll like it, but hopefully I’ll survive.” — Nicky Gonzalez (03:08)

Self-Perception vs. How Others See Us (03:13–04:14)

• Ingrid compares herself negatively to Myra, seeing herself as less interesting and accomplished.
• Gonzalez offers her authorial perspective: Ingrid is indeed interesting and likable, highlighting the disconnect between self-image and external perception.
• Quote: “There’s sort of a disconnect between the way that the world sees her and the way that she sees herself.” — Nicky Gonzalez (03:48)

The Intensity of Teenage Female Friendships (04:14–06:24)

• Gonzalez wanted to capture the “supernatural” closeness and impact of adolescent friendships, recalling personal experiences where friend groups develop their own secret languages and shared identities.
• Quote: “There was something that already felt like it was breaking through reality about those relationships that made it easy to actually break into the supernatural in the realm of the story.” — Nicky Gonzalez (06:22)
• Memorable moment: Gonzalez describes listening to a group recording and not recognizing which friend’s voice is which, highlighting the merging of identity in close groups (05:45).

Florida as Setting and Character (06:25–08:14)

• The Everglades are depicted as a place that resists human domestication, always threatening to reclaim its wildness.
• For Gonzalez, growing up in Florida meant viewing the outdoors as forbidden and otherworldly, which shapes the novel’s mood and tension.
• Quote: “No matter how much you try to pave the swamp or drain it, the nature is always going to encroach.” — Nicky Gonzalez (07:27)

Reading from Myra: Driving Alligator Alley (08:21–10:20)

• Gonzalez reads a vivid passage in which Ingrid drives through the Everglades, capturing the landscape’s haunting, imaginative pull.
• Quote (from the book): “Gators lounged on the roadside, indifferent to cars and the humans that they carried. This wet chunk of Florida hummed with life.” — Myra (08:40)

Exploring Time and Memory (10:20–11:43)

• The novel examines how memories are shaped and reshaped over time, and the subjectivity of recollection.
• Gonzalez reflects on how reliving a memory can distort it further, revealing more about the person remembering than what actually occurred.
• Quote: “Ironically, the more you think back on a memory, the more you play it over again, the more you linger on it, the more you are distorting it.” — Nicky Gonzalez (11:10)

Building Tension and Atmosphere (11:43–12:54)

• The drafting process involved “rooting through a bunch of scenes,” color-coding clues and flashbacks to manage the novel’s suspenseful pacing and information reveals.
• Quote: “The first draft is...very swampy, let’s say.” — Nicky Gonzalez (11:56)

Genre: Friendship Gothic and Florida Gothic (12:54–13:46)

• Gonzalez coins “friendship Gothic” to describe the novel, aligning it with stories centered on intense friendship but with an eerie, haunting quality.
• She alludes to inspiration from other friendship novels (Sula, Marlena, Ferrante’s works), as well as classic Gothic literature.
• Quote: “I’ve been using the phrase friendship Gothic because it is at its core a friendship novel…I've also called it Florida Gothic, which I think is accurate.” — Nicky Gonzalez (13:01, 13:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker/Source | Quote/Moment | |-----------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:54 | Nicky Gonzalez | “It’s a job that gets her money so that she could pay rent and buy beer, and that’s all that matters to her.” | | 03:08 | Nicky Gonzalez | “Maybe she’s thinking, this is another one of those times that Myra’s gonna make me do something uncomfortable, and maybe I’ll like it, but hopefully I’ll survive.” | | 03:48 | Nicky Gonzalez | “There’s sort of a disconnect between the way that the world sees her and the way that she sees herself.” | | 06:22 | Nicky Gonzalez | “There was something that already felt like it was breaking through reality about those relationships that made it easy to actually break into the supernatural in the realm of the story.” | | 07:27 | Nicky Gonzalez | “No matter how much you try to pave the swamp or drain it, the nature is always going to encroach.” | | 08:40 | Myra (Gonzalez reads) | “Gators lounged on the roadside, indifferent to cars and the humans that they carried. This wet chunk of Florida hummed with life.” | | 11:10 | Nicky Gonzalez | “Ironically, the more you think back on a memory, the more you play it over again, the more you linger on it, the more you are distorting it.” | | 11:56 | Nicky Gonzalez | “The first draft is...very swampy, let’s say.” | | 13:01, 13:44 | Nicky Gonzalez | “I’ve been using the phrase friendship Gothic because it is at its core a friendship novel…I've also called it Florida Gothic, which I think is accurate.” |

Important Segments by Timestamp

• 00:09 — Brief overview of Myra and introduction of Nicky Gonzalez.
• 01:26–02:07 — Discussion of Ingrid’s life situation and character.
• 02:07–03:13 — Why Ingrid is drawn to Myra and accepts her invitation.
• 03:13–04:14 — Ingrid’s self-perception versus external views and comparison to Myra.
• 04:14–06:24 — The power and intensity of adolescent female friendships.
• 06:25–08:14 — Florida’s rugged, persistent landscape as setting and metaphor.
• 08:21–10:20 — Gonzalez reads a passage from Myra evoking Alligator Alley.
• 10:20–11:43 — The malleability and distortion of memory.
• 11:43–12:54 — Writing and pacing tension, balancing clues and suspense.
• 12:54–13:46 — Describing the novel as "friendship Gothic" and inspirations.

Episode Tone and Style

The conversation is warm, reflective, and infused with affection for both Florida’s unique atmosphere and the messy, beautiful complexity of female friendship. Gonzalez is open about her creative process and her own connections to the characters and setting, often sharing personal anecdotes and insights with a candid, approachable humor.

Conclusion

Nicky Gonzalez’s Myra is not simply a horror story or a coming-of-age tale—it’s a meditative, atmospheric exploration of friendship’s darker, more obsessive shadows set against the lush strangeness of Florida. The episode is a must-listen for readers and writers interested in character-driven Gothic fiction, the haunting legacy of adolescence, and evocative sense of place. As Gonzalez puts it, “friendship Gothic” might be the genre we didn’t know we needed.