Valeria Luiselli is a Mexican writer and novelist who lives in New York City.
Her first novel, Faces in the Crowd, won the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and her second novel, The Story of My Teeth, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

But Valeria’s most recent book is not a novel at all. Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions chronicles her experience as a translator for Central American unaccompanied minors, many who came during 2014. The book reveals the humanity behind a bureaucratic process.

We spoke to Valeria at a recent live event at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan and share a portion of that live conversation with you. In her conversation with Maria Hinojosa, Valeria touches on everything from the United States’ history with Central America, to whether or not you should drink coffee while pregnant.

Featured image: Valeria Luiselli (l) with Maria Hinojosa (r) (© 2018 Nancy Crampton)