Xochitl Gonzalez Joins The Atlantic as Staff Writer, With Eleanor Barkhorn Hired as Senior Editor

Xochitl Gonzalez is joining The Atlantic’s editorial team as a staff writer, having contributed to the magazine this past year through her subscriber newsletter, Brooklyn, Everywhere. In her newsletter, which she’ll continue as a staff writer, Xochitl reflects on the many meanings of gentrification and what we stand to lose in our relentless pursuit of the American dream. Xochitl’s newsletter has offered a unique perspective on Latino politics, representation, community issues, pop-culture moments, and everyday happenings.

This past year, she contributed to the September 2022 issue with “Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?,” on how gentrified neighborhoods are effectively threatening to silence generations of community culture built by people of color. Xochitl is a novelist, screenwriter, and television executive producer. This year, she published a novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, which was named to The New York Times’ list of 100 Notable Books of 2022 and is being adapted for television. She came to her writing career in her 40s; before that she worked as an event planner, a fundraiser, and a tarot-card reader, among other pursuits.

In further staff news, Eleanor Barkhorn is rejoining The Atlantic as a senior editor, coming from The New York Times’ Opinion section, where she’s been an editor at large. Eleanor first worked as an editor for The Atlantic from 2009 to 2014, when she oversaw Culture coverage and was one of a handful of senior editors who helped establish the site as a moment-to-moment must-read. Later, as the features editor at Vox, Eleanor launched a series of new sections, including The Goods, The Highlight, and First Person. In a note to staff, editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg wrote: “For those of you who remember Eleanor from her first tour of duty here, you know that she is a brilliant, creative, conscientious, and thoughtful journalist, and someone who understands The Atlantic’s mission deeply.”

The Atlantic recently announced Charlie Warzel and Yasmin Tayag as staff writers covering tech and health, respectively, and Damon Beres as a senior editor focused on tech. These new hires are in addition to an expansion of our Culture team and Books coverage: Gal Beckerman as senior editor for Books, Maya Chung as an associate editor, and Emma Sarappo as an associate editor.