Vivian Baez

I told him he made me feel like a used napkin. Picked up when it was convenient. Used. And then set aside without a second thought. I said it because it was the truest thing I could find for what I was feeling. Not mean. True. And months later, he told me that line stayed with him. That he knew he'd handled things wrong. He's still inconsistent. And I'm still here, sorting through what that experience left behind, trying to make sense of what it means to open yourself fully to someone, to let...

Some of the best things that have ever been built started the same exact way. Two women. Coffee. And a whole lot to say. That's the origin story of Elizabeth Colon and Marisel Melendez, co-founders of Boricua Talks, a speaker series event rooted in Puerto Rican culture, storytelling, and the kind of sisterhood you don't manufacture. You grow it. Slowly. Over cafe. I had the privilege of sitting down with them on a recent episode of Just Call Me Viv, and honestly? I walked away feeling...

I Have Always Been a Writer I have always been a writer and storyteller. I don't follow writing conventions and I write how I speak. With a little Spanglish and a little sass. Ask my family, they'll confirm this. I have been writing since the MySpace days and creating stories since I was a kid. Back when we coded our own pages and ranked our top eight friends, I was already sharing pieces of myself. Essays. Observations. Reflections that felt bigger than they looked. I was blogging before it...