Gilbert Cruz

The main character, Emilia, she shares a last name with several other characters across your body of work, including several in your first book, The House of the Spirits. Why does this name resonate with you? What are you trying to say by sort of threading this name or this family line throughout several of your books?

The main character, Emilia, she shares a last name with several other characters across your body of work, including several in your first book, The House of the Spirits. Why does this name resonate with you? What are you trying to say by sort of threading this name or this family line throughout several of your books?

Well, speaking of relatives, Emilia, she doesn't have a relationship with her birth father. She goes looking for him. I know you did not have a relationship with your birth father. I'm curious about how your mother, Panchita, talked about your father when you were young and how you thought about him, if at all.

Well, speaking of relatives, Emilia, she doesn't have a relationship with her birth father. She goes looking for him. I know you did not have a relationship with your birth father. I'm curious about how your mother, Panchita, talked about your father when you were young and how you thought about him, if at all.

First of all, that sounds terrible.

First of all, that sounds terrible.

Emilia also doesn't have a connection to her father for much of her life. However, the scenes in the book when Emilia does finally meet her father, not to give away too many details, I found quite moving. And I was wondering what it was like to write those scenes for you.

Emilia also doesn't have a connection to her father for much of her life. However, the scenes in the book when Emilia does finally meet her father, not to give away too many details, I found quite moving. And I was wondering what it was like to write those scenes for you.

Emilia, not surprisingly, given who you are, she bucks a lot of convention for women of her time period. She goes on to become a war reporter. She writes gory dime novels about murder and vengeance. You have written and you've said many times that you've been a feminist since you were a child because of the way that you saw women.

Emilia, not surprisingly, given who you are, she bucks a lot of convention for women of her time period. She goes on to become a war reporter. She writes gory dime novels about murder and vengeance. You have written and you've said many times that you've been a feminist since you were a child because of the way that you saw women.

your mother and women of your mother's generation treated when you were growing up in Chile. And I wonder, over the course of your career, has it been purposeful to write your female characters in this way? Or it's just like, this is the only way I know how to write women.

your mother and women of your mother's generation treated when you were growing up in Chile. And I wonder, over the course of your career, has it been purposeful to write your female characters in this way? Or it's just like, this is the only way I know how to write women.

How old do you think you were when you realized it was a prison of sorts?

How old do you think you were when you realized it was a prison of sorts?

Did you have other female friends who you could sort of talk to about this? Not about this, no. This is not great. What's going on here? We got to break free. No, no.

Did you have other female friends who you could sort of talk to about this? Not about this, no. This is not great. What's going on here? We got to break free. No, no.

That must have been so exciting. I mean, how? It was fascinating. How was it to find a place that you felt finally?

That must have been so exciting. I mean, how? It was fascinating. How was it to find a place that you felt finally?

So early in your career, you were a journalist. You worked for this magazine, Paula, as well as several other places. And the story goes that you met one of the most famous Chilean writers of all time, the great Chilean poet.

So early in your career, you were a journalist. You worked for this magazine, Paula, as well as several other places. And the story goes that you met one of the most famous Chilean writers of all time, the great Chilean poet.