Join your host, Rubén Mendive, as he compiles a list of Latino/a/x/e writers you need to know. Each episode features an in-depth interview with a writer on where they've been and where they're headed. Follow us @lalistapodcast on Instagram! lalistapodcast.com
A DECOLONIALISH LATINX WRITER For our Season 5 finale, Kevin Madrigal Galindo shares his journey from his childhood in South San Francisco to Stanford University bioengineering student, food justice advocate, and chef, detailing how transformative experiences in nonprofit work inspired him to write poetry and publish his first chapbook, Hell/a Mexican! Season 6 of the pod starts back up March 2025! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
10/29/24 • 55:31
A PROUD TEJANA HORROR-OBSESSED LATINA WRITER & DIRECTOR Marcella Ochoa shares her childhood in San Antonio, starting her career on the PR side of the industry, drawing writing inspiration from real life horror stories, and co-writing the social justice horror film, Madres, as part of Amazon’s ‘Welcome to the Blumhouse' series! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
10/15/24 • 51:04
A SPIRITUAL CHICANO HORROR SURREALIST LATINO WRITER Jose Vicente Chavez shares his super Catholic upbringing in Santa Fe, building a community of horror writers with The Latinxorcists, diving into the fears of TV/film creatives on his podcast ‘Shared Nightmares’ and we preview our upcoming spooky writers mixer in DTLA! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
10/1/24 • 51:45
A QUEER, MIXED, UNAPOLOGETIC, LIBRA WITH ONLY CHILD SYNDROME LATINX WRITER Kay Broch shares her rebellious childhood in West Michigan, her early start as a marketing maven, writing about the drag queens who raised her, and ‘She Said… Let’s!’ her podcast about shining a light on the women who’ve empowered us! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
9/17/24 • 63:51
A SILLY LATINX WRITER Oscar Lemus shares his upbringing in South Florida, finding his love for sketch comedy at Florida State University, working his way up from TV support staff on multiple shows to staffing on the new season of 'Phineas and Ferb', and standing with the Animation Guild during their upcoming contract negotiations! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
9/3/24 • 41:28
AN EVER EVOLVING MIDWEST BORICUA WRITER Edith Rodriguez (ep. 38) returns to share her experience relocating from Dallas to LA with her family, taking a year off from her career to pursue screenwriting, how she staffed on the upcoming 'Dexter' series, and why it’s important to question your nos! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
8/20/24 • 55:42
A REBELLIOUS LATINX FILIPINX WRITER ON WHEELS Hernán Barangan shares his childhood in the Bay Area, dealing with cancer as a teen, how unprocessed trauma led to his feature documentary 'CANCER REBELLION' about teens diagnosed with cancer across all 50 states, and writing health narratives that ring true on Apple TV+’s LIFE BY ELLA! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
8/6/24 • 44:49
A HELLA BLACK MEXICAN WRITER Ehcrama Marche shares her childhood in Montebello, CA, becoming a self-taught animator during the pandemic, how identity struggles inspired her hit animated web series 'Hella Black Mexican', and why vulnerability produces great art! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
7/23/24 • 45:34
A MIXED MEDIA GENRE-BENDING LATINX WRITER Kristian Mercado Figueroa shares his childhood in Spanish Harlem and Puerto Rico, the inspiration behind his hit cyberpunk short film 'NUEVO RICO', the power imbalance between Puerto Rico and the USA, and his first feature film ‘IF YOU WERE THE LAST' streaming now on Peacock! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
7/9/24 • 56:01
A LATINA MIAMI WRITER WITH A BITE Aitch Alberto shares her childhood in Miami while living on the run with her family, releasing her film ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’, navigating an ever-changing TV/film industry, and how your ‘ugly’ is your superpower! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
6/25/24 • 46:23
A NUANCED MULTIDIMENSIONAL HILARIOUS F****T LATINX WRITER Thulio DaSilva shares his childhood as a Brazilian immigrant in Connecticut, experiencing the impact of gun violence following the Sandy Hook Massacre, our time together in The Disruptors TV Fellowship, and writing about queer & undocumented shame. Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
6/11/24 • 40:15
A SOCIAL CLASS & SCI-FI OBSESSED LATINX WRITER Angela Treviño shares her childhood experiences as an immigrant from a Mexican border town, switching careers to become a TV writer, how she staffed on 'Kung Fu' on the CW, and divorcing your writing from the outcome! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
5/28/24 • 57:00
A REMARKABLE BLACK BORICUA SCREENWRITER & ACTOR Abi Rich chats about her upbringing in Boston, how 'Twenties' on BET inspired her to pursue a career in TV, writing scripts about characters chasing wealth, and our adventures together during Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
5/14/24 • 47:20
THE MOST UNHINGED GAY LATINX WRITER Moises Mendez II chats about his childhood in the suburbs just north of NYC, his path to becoming a culture reporter for TIME Magazine, the current state of journalism on Twitter/X & beyond, and why it’s important to hold Influencers accountable! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks How Grindr fuels crystal meth use YouTuber Alyx Weiss Went Dark for Months. Now She’d Like to Address Her Fans Why Are Social Media Companies Taking Ad Money From a Right-Wing Transphobic Doc? Men Think About the Roman Empire All the Time. Here’s What Women Say They Think About Online Users Were Doxxed by Nicki Minaj Fans. Some Say They Won’t Stop Speaking Out
4/30/24 • 52:52
AN IMMIGRANT LATINO WRITER WHO DOESN'T LIKE LABELS Eduardo Cisneros chats about his childhood in Monterrey, his writing career with Eugenio Derbez, the transition from working in Mexican TV to Hollywood, and embracing bilingual audiences when co-creating ‘Acapulco’ on AppleTV+! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
4/16/24 • 57:46
A LATINA WRITER WITH A DARK SENSE OF HUMOR BUT A BRIGHT FUTURE Victoria de la Concha chats about growing up on Long Island, how catholic school trauma has influenced her screenwriting, being fresh to LA & grad school during the pandemic, and our time together in the 2023 NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
4/2/24 • 47:10
A NEUROTIC LATINX WRITER Mike Diaz talks about his childhood in central Florida, his transition from working in unscripted to scripted TV, writing for procedurals like Magnum P.I. & NCIS: Hawai'i, and the current Hollywood contraction in this post-Peak TV era! @mikediazfilm Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
3/19/24 • 53:30
A DOPE ASS AFRO-LATINA WRITER Ranada Shepard talks about growing up on the South Side of Chicago, being born to a Cuban family & adopted by a Black family, going from nursing student to TV showrunner, and crafting the upcoming Netflix ‘Good Times’ animated reboot! Instagram & Twitter/X - @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
3/5/24 • 55:36
AN ILLITERATE LATINX WRITER We chat about growing up in South Gate, CA, her unconventional college path to filmmaking, her thesis film 'The Letter' starring Xochitl Gomez, and her experience making 'Kid Ugly' for McDonalds’s #SpotlightDorado contest! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
3/21/23 • 52:37
A GLASS HALF-FULL OPTIMIST LATINX WRITER We chat about his childhood in Miami & Honduras, struggling creatively as an LA actor before turning to screenwriting, living a happier existence in Austin, TX, and writing ‘At Midnight’ on Paramount+! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
3/7/23 • 36:26
A PLEBE GOING TO THE EAST COAST LATINX WRITER We chat about his childhood in LA’s South Bay, going from business degree to studying journalism at USC, what inspired his LA Times article about a queer vaquero bar, and leaving LA behind for the East Coast! https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2022-10-27/club-tempo-in-los-angeles-celebrates-queer-vaqueros Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
2/21/23 • 46:33
AN AFRO-LATINA MULTI-PASSIONATE MULTI-HYPHENATE WRITER We chat about her childhood in NYC, how she built up the confidence to pursue writing/acting full-time, breaking in as a staff writer on an NBC comedy, and lessons learned from starring in Grand Crew on NBC! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
2/7/23 • 47:50
AN EMPATHETIC BLACK DOMINICAN WRITER-DIRECTOR-PRODUCER Who Uses TV & Film to Explore the Psyche Behind What It Means to be Human Amazing chat about growing up in the South Bronx, his unconventional film education, coming up through the advertising world, and his experience directing commercials & live performances! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
1/24/23 • 46:35
A GUATEMALAN AMERICAN COMEDY-OBSESSED WRITER We chat about growing up in the San Fernando Valley, the inspiration behind her comedy short MÁS LATINA, embarking on her first film festival run during the pandemic, and building a stand-up comedy scene in Lake Arrowhead, CA! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
1/10/23 • 60:27
A SÚPER INTENSO EXPLORER LATINX WRITER With Questions We chat about his nomadic childhood, his experience working as the Writer’s Assistant on HBO's Euphoria, we mourn the loss of 'The Gordita Chronicles' and breakdown the TV support staff hustle! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
12/27/22 • 45:36
A WILDLY CHAOTIC CHICANA WRITER We chat about calling Texas home, how finding early success on social media led her to the LA comedy scene, writing on TV shows with TBD release dates, and challenging the current state of Latinx representation in media! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
12/13/22 • 55:31
A MEXICAN ENOUGH FUNNY ENOUGH COMEDY WRITER We talk about splitting his childhood between LA & his family’s Latino nightclub in Fresno, how he got his start working on Disney Channel sitcoms, and writing for ACAPULCO on AppleTV! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
11/29/22 • 48:37
AN EMPATHETIC SWEET BUT FEISTY MEXICAN AMERICAN STORYTELLER WHO BELIEVES IN MAGIC We chat about growing up on the Tijuana-San Diego border, how brain surgery at 18 pushed her into the arts, getting her start working in reality TV, and the journey to writing on 'Home Economics' on ABC! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
11/15/22 • 45:57
A RADICAL BROWN F****T FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO Latinx Writer We had a fun chat about growing up on the South Side of Chicago, the ‘war of art’ in our consumer culture, their hit web series ‘Brujos,’ and the journey to writing on THE CHI on Showtime! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
11/1/22 • 64:36
AN AFRO-BORICUA WRITER-DIRECTOR WITH A SPIRITUAL BEND We chat about growing up in NYC & Miami, getting her start as a TV director’s assistant, lessons learned while creating digital content for Buzzfeed's Pero Like, and her latest short film from the LALIFF Inclusion Fellowship with Netflix! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @lalistapodcast Music: Arriba Mami - Jingle Punks
10/18/22 • 61:45
