In this episode, we sit down with author and professor Elias Rodriques to discuss his debut novel, All the Water I’ve Seen Is Running—a hauntingly beautiful story of memory, grief, identity, and the complexity of returning home. Set in rural northeast Florida, the novel follows Daniel, a queer Jamaican American man grappling with the loss of a high school friend and the unresolved emotions of his past.

We talk with Rodriques about the emotional and geographic landscape of Florida, the symbolic weight of water and running, and what it means to grow up Black and queer in a region that’s both loved and survived. The conversation also dives into the mental tug-of-war that many young people face during their college years, challenging the myth that this period should be the “happiest time of your life.” Together, we reflect on the power of Black literature to hold space for stories that are complicated, unspoken, and deeply human.