“Suddenly, a memory assaulted me: For my own journey from Cuba four decades earlier, I had worn the red polyester bell-bottom pants my mother had made.” Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Mirta Ojito joins us to talk about the inspiration behind her new novel, Deeper Than the Ocean. Mirta reflects on the real shipwreck that sparked the idea for her novel, her own immigration story of leaving Cuba during the Mariel boatlift, and her fear of water. Mirta explores the meaning of memory, the emotional cost of covering immigration, and the power of storytelling, across generations and the ocean.

Featured image by Mirta Ojito.

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Episode credits:

Producer: Adreanna Rodriguez

Editor: Fernanda Echavarri and Peniley Ramírez

Executive Producer: Maria Hinojosa and Peniley Ramírez

Social Media: Luis Luna, Paloma Perez and Anhelo Reyes

Fact Checking: Roxana Aguirre

Mixed by: Leah Shaw