Andrew Boryga

Wow, I’m beyond honored to see VICTIM has been named a finalist for the Gotham Book Prize alongside some esteemed company including the homies @xochitltheg and @iamjoelleon ! The prize is awarded annually to the author of the best book set in or about New York City. Past winners? You know, Colson Whitehead, James McBride, just to name a couple. It feels incredible to be among this cohort of talented finalists, and to see my novel and my depiction of the Bronx rewarded in such fashion. The winner will be announced in the spring, but I already feel like I won to be honest with you. BX Stand Up!

Woke up to a dream review in the @nytimes by none other than @askmateo ! Floored by how beautiful this is—I couldn’t have asked for a better critical, thoughtful assessment of my work in the paper of record. On a natural high right now that is so pure. Feeling grateful, thankful. Ya boy with a rave in the NYT! Just incredible.

It’s here! Pub day. Today, this novel that I poured a decade-plus into writing hits the shelves and ya boy can officially call himself a published novelist! Thank you first and foremost to God for this exceptional blessing, and your impeccable timing. Thank you to everyone who has shared a word of support, a blurb, a like, a share, a comment, or a review over the past several months. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you to the booksellers out there who have talked the book up and shown me love: Without you, us writers would be nothing. Thank you to my incredible team: my agent @dani_bukie , my editor @cararreilly , the marketing wizard @anne_jacon , my publicist @elenahershey , and the rest of the wonderful team at @doubledaybooks & @penguinrandomhouse who have been hard at work behind the scenes getting the word out and promoting this book: I’m so, so happy to have you on my side. Thank to my loved ones, my family, my friends—new and old—and the places that shaped and molded me: The Bronx, Loíza, P.S. 86, M.S. 118, @mountstmichael , @cornelluniversity , @umiami_mfa , Miami. I left it all on the page with this book, ya’ll. I hope you go out and buy it, enjoy it, tell a friend about it, write a review, or share a pic, and help me get it into the hands of as many readers as I’m meant to reach. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙏🏾

Palm Beach County, what up! I’m heading your way Tuesday night to share the stage with some dope South Florida writers. Big ups to @james.orsetti for reaching out and inviting me, and to the Dancing Elephant for hosting. Copies of Victim will be available for sale and I will be more than happy to sign them. Come through and hang!

Back in 2012, I was a senior in college nearing graduation and decided to finally try and talk to this girl I couldn’t stop staring at in my hip-hop class. I didn’t have anything suave planned, but it was nearing end of semester and I knew I’d probably never see her again so I asked for her number after class on some “ayo ma, can I talk to you” tip. (She will tell you it wasn’t very smooth.) But it worked, and I got the number and got the date and it’s wild to me, some 14 years later, that such a small interaction and decision could have led to where we are now, celebrating eight years in marriage and a beautiful family complete with two of our own little clones. I’m damn happy I made that decision to holla all those years ago, and damn grateful for the incredible life I’ve been able to build alongside such an amazing woman. Happy Anniversary @marce.parce

NYC! It’s been a minute, but I’m excited to come back to town later this month to celebrate the release of Erin Van Der Meer’s excellent debut novel, The Scoop. Erin and I will be in conversation about her novel at Books Are Magic (Montague store) on 4/21 at 7p.m. Erin sent me a copy of her novel a while back, and I distinctly remember racing through it on a flight, feeling my heart rate go up as she brought me right back to an experience both of us lived through in the past: working for newsrooms that, often out of sheer survival instinct in a struggling industry, chase clickbait and lean into outrage and gossip and the worst of human tendencies because they know it will attract those goddamn eyeballs. The Scoop is a fun, propulsive read about a desperate woman caught up in this wild business, trying to find clarity as the lines between ambition and morality blur. It’s a great ride, with a character you want to root and cringe for. It honestly feels like a cousin to Victim. In any case, I’m very excited to help Erin celebrate and get this book into readers’ hands. Please come out on the 21st in BK, and grab your tix ahead of time at the link in my bio. You won’t regret it. Peace!

Two years ago today this novel I labored on for a decade in the dark launched into the world. I’ll forever be grateful for all the love it’s been shown since. Across time and space and languages. By people young and old. Free and incarcerated. The hood and the suburbs. All colors and religions. Literature is a beautiful, unifying tool. Stories still carry the day and always will. I’ll forever be proud of making my little mark. Adding my little contribution. Thank you to all the readers. Thank you to the book clubs, the bookstagramers, the Substacks, the booksellers and bookstores (special shoutout to my home team @booksandbooks ), the goodreads reviewers—even the ones who give me 1 star, I love ya’ll, too. The universities, the podcast hosts. The team at @doubledaybooks who works hard behind the scenes, agent extraordinaire @dani_bukie , guiding shepard @cararreilly . My family. All of you who keep this book moving and circulating. It’s an honor, and I don’t take any of this for granted. With all that said, pa’lante, pa’lante como un elefante.

Toward the end of last year, I was interviewed by a new lit mag, Magazine Non Grata, for the first installment of their On Writing interview series—modeled after The Paris Review. It was a real honor to be their first featured author. We talked boxing, writing, my relationship to tech, and why writers absolutely need editors. I loved the wide-ranging conversation—and now that the magazine has arrived at my home in print, I’m genuinely moved by how thoughtfully made it is. Long live beautiful print projects. May more literary magazines bloom and stick around. Read the full Q&A on Substack (link in stories) or order a copy from @magazinenongrata website. If you’re in NYC you can also pick up a copy of the physical mag at SoHo International News on Prince St.

Happy big 6-0 to my mama! Thank you for all that you do, all that you are, and all that you have done. I am grateful for you today and every other day ❤️

LOVED having this conversation with @borywrites for episode 15 of the podcast! Now live via all podcast platforms 📖🎤

Episode 15 of the podcast featuring author @borywrites is now live everywhere you listen to podcasts!!

Last month we took the kids to Disney World for the very first time and I wrote about the experience for The Places Review. After I turned in my first draft to @mreddiehuang , I realized the essay was about more than just my family’s trip, and a travelogue told from a dad’s perspective — it was also about what it means to try and give your kids more than what you had, jumping classes, and how to make peace with the anxieties that such leaps can burden you with. This was one of my favorite things I’ve written all year and I hope you enjoy it. Free to read at the link in my bio now! @places