An Evening with Joseph Earl Thomas, Boryga & Mogollon

Explore three genre-defying debut novels in one evening of candid conversation and literary insight at Books & Books in Coral Gables. An Evening with Joseph Earl Thomas, Andrew Boryga and Melissa Mogollon takes place Tuesday, July 15, spotlighting God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer, Victim and Oye—three critically acclaimed novels that challenge expectations, subvert genre boundaries and offer fresh takes on identity, family and the writing life.

In this conversation, the authors will discuss their creative approaches to voice, structure and form, as well as their shared experience navigating the publishing world as debut authors of color. The discussion will delve into the intentional resistance of stereotype and simplification, revealing how each writer carved out space for complex, layered characters and stories.

God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer by Joseph Earl Thomas tells the story of a veteran, student and single father navigating postwar life in Philadelphia. The novel is an intimate exploration of everyday Black life—touching on fatherhood, trauma, friendship and the search for meaning—delivered in a voice that’s both vernacular and intellectually rich. Thomas is also the author of the memoir Sink, and he teaches writing and Black Studies at Sarah Lawrence College and the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research.

Andrew Boryga’s Victim is a sharp satire that follows Javier Perez, a Bronx-born hustler whose embellished life story launches him into literary stardom. With biting humor and emotional depth, the novel critiques the commodification of identity in media and higher education while examining race, authenticity and ambition. Boryga’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and The Atlantic, and Victim marks his first novel.

In Oye, Melissa Mogollon crafts a vibrant, one-sided phone call from a high school senior to her older sister as a hurricane approaches Miami. What unfolds is a moving, funny and emotionally layered family saga centered on Luciana, her flamboyant grandmother, and the secrets that rise to the surface during a time of crisis. Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, Oye blends humor, heartbreak and coming-of-age with a voice that’s unmistakably bold. Mogollon holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches in Rhode Island.

Admission is free, and books will be available for purchase at the event.