Why I'm Bringing Back the Dirty Girls Social Club

And Why These Characters Matter Now More Than Ever

Now in their late 40s, and fabulous as ever, Usnavys, Lauren, Sara, Liz, Cuicatl and Rebecca.

Twenty-five years ago, at the age of 30, I wrote the novel I had always wanted to read—but could never find.

I was a huge fan of Maeve Binchy and Terry McMillan, writers who gave us layered, real, complex stories about groups of women friends. Books where women weren’t flattened into stereotypes or sidekicks. Books where they were the story.

But there was no book like that—none—about vibrant, accomplished, interesting Latinas in the United States. So I wrote it: A novel about six very different, college-educated, professional American women living in Boston, who all happened to be Latinas. They were brown, black, and white; straight, gay, and other; Catholic, Jewish, and atheist; from money, from the projects, and everything in between. They were The Dirty Girls Social Club, a title they gave themselves after meeting in college, to combat the stereotype one of them faced from her traditional family who called her a “sucia,” or dirty girl, for moving out before she was married, to live in college dorms.

I had no idea how many hearts it would touch, or how many other women were longing for the same thing. The Dirty Girls Social Club sold more than 400,000 copies, landed me on the cover of TIME magazine, on the Today Show, and opened doors to several film and TV development deals.

And then… those doors quietly shut.

Hollywood wasn’t ready for a non-stereotyped story about us. Over and over for 20 years, studios and networks optioned the rights—but not a single project ever made it to the screen. Every time, the reason was some version of “too Latina,” “not Latina enough,” “too political,” “not marketable,” “too real.”

Last year, I finally got a deal with a major studio that seemed ready to go—until I spoke out on X against a genocide that our government and corporations were tacitly supporting. Within 20 minutes of my post, I got a phone call from two executives.

The deal was dead. No explanation in writing. No further contact. Just like that.

In 2025, there are entire topics the corporate publishing and entertainment world now views as too risky. All these big companies (and sites like LinkedIn) now use sophisticated AI to constantly scan employees and potential employees for “riskiness,” meaning OUTSPOKENNESS. Incredibly, one of those topics considered “too risky to hire” by Ai in 2025 is “Latina identity.”

Meanwhile, here I am—yet again—craving a book I still can’t find. A book that the publishing industry 25 years ago might have loved, but the industry in 2025 won’t let me publish through them.

I want to know what’s happening with the six characters I created so long ago—Lauren, Usnavys, Rebecca, Sara, Liz, and Cuicatl—in our present moment. They’ve grown older alongside me, living in my mind as fiercely as ever.

And the world around them has changed: stunning progress in some ways, shocking regression in others. How are they navigating this strange new era? What do their lives look like now, in a time of both breathtaking possibility and rising authoritarianism?

I believe it’s time we all found out—on our terms. No middlemen. No censors. Just us.

And that’s why I’m here, on Substack.

Today’s technology allows blacklisted and sidelined writers like me to go directly to readers who care about these stories. We don’t have to wait for gatekeepers to approve us anymore.

As I sat down to consider the potential of this project, one thing became clear: with just 500 subscribers, I could do this full time.

With 5,000 subscribers, I could finance a fully independent, beautifully produced YouTube TV show about the Dirty Girls.

Over the years, so many of you have written asking for more Dirty Girls stories. Now, I’m finally ready—and so are they—to return.

Here’s how it will work:

👉 For just $7/month—less than a large iced matcha at Starbucks—you’ll receive six chapters a week, one from each of the six Dirty Girls.
👉 Free subscribers will get a weekly roundup of highlights and updates from the girls’ lives.
👉 The first new chapter drops July 1, 2025.
👉 Leading up to that, I’ll post free recaps of the first three DGSC books and updates on what the characters have been doing these past 20 years.

Paid members will also be able to:

• Comment on posts

• Participate in polls about key plot decisions

• Directly engage with me, the author

And yes, our girls have changed:

• They’re now in their late 40s.

• Some have married. Some have divorced (some more than once).

• Careers have soared, collapsed, reinvented.

• Children—yes, there’s now a whole new Gen 2 of Sucias and Sucios—have complicated their lives in beautiful, messy ways.

They are facing exactly what we are facing: political upheaval, cultural shifts, midlife reinvention, and the need to find joy and solidarity in a world that too often erases us.

And no, I’m not saying Usnavys has a secret MAGA lover with a yacht she can’t break up with…
But I’m also not not saying that.

Now, I want to be very honest with you:

Your support will make this possible for me to do full time.

I’ve been chronically ill for five years. I’m raising an autistic son on my own. I’ve been scraping by as a teacher, writing coach, and doing whatever work I could find.

Yes, I’m still publishing books—but with small presses, and the advances don’t cover living expenses anymore. I started my own press last year and published a historical novel, but again—not enough to live on.

This is my dream:
To turn this Substack into my primary work, and to give you—my readers—exactly what you want: regular, rich, exciting new stories about the Dirty Girls.

Each chapter will be about five pages long. That’s roughly:

• 30 pages of new writing every week

• 120 pages a month

• All for just $7/month

When the story reaches 300 pages, I’ll compile it into an ebook and print-on-demand paperback you can buy if you wish.

And if we build enough momentum?
I envision this becoming something even bigger:

• A Latina mutual aid space for artists

• Partnerships with musicians and graphic designers for playlists and cover art

• A potential indie video production studio

• Maybe even—if we dream big enough—a DGSC membership club in one or two cities, where women of all ages can gather, network, sip great coffee, buy fabulous products, and take classes together.

We don’t have to wait for corporate America to see us. We see each other.

So let’s do this—together.

And remember: your subscription is month-to-month.
No big commitment. Try it. See if you love it. If you do—bring your friends. There are tiered rewards for referrals, and with enough community support, this can grow beyond what any of us imagined.

I’m so glad you’re here.
The girls are, too.

Now… let’s get ready to hear from them again.

First chapter drops July 1. See you then.

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P.S. Ready to dive back in with the Dirty Girls?
👉 Subscribe now for just $7/month — first new chapter drops July 1!
👉 Know a fellow Sucia? Share this post and invite them to join us!