Bal Harbour

hen Asha Elias moved to at tend the Universit y of Miami in the fa ll of 2001, she found herself "immersed in a whole new world," she says. Though she had grown up in nearby Boca Raton, she was delighted by the Ma gic Cit y's heady mix of lan- guages, aesthetics, cuisines, and customs. "For the first time in my life, I—as a mixed-race person—finally felt like I blended in," she said, noting how welcoming the city is for newcomers. "Over time, I discovered that Miami is so much more than a merging of back- grounds. The city has its own distinct identity." Two decades later, during the spring of 2020, after jot ting down notes for years, Elias, now 40, returned to an old forgotten passion and set out to write a book. Her debut novel was drafted within six months. "Pink Glass Houses" (William Morrow), out July 20, is a "Big Little Lies"–esque thriller set amid PTA drama at one of Miami's most exclu- sive elementary schools. Here, Elias talks about her writing process. NEWLY MINTED AUTHOR ASHA ELIAS TALKS PTA POLITICS, REDISCOVERING WRITING, AND HER DEBUT SATIRICAL NOVEL "PINK GLASS HOUSES." BY KATE DWYER W Notes from a GLASS HOUSE Asha Elias's debut novel is a social satire set in Miami. Where did you find the inspiration to write "Pink Glass Houses"? Why did you set out to write this book? At the time (and still to this day), I was heavily involved in the PTA at my kids' school and also in the larger Miami charity scene. While I truly believed in the work we were doing, the silly small organization politics drove me crazy. It was so easy for good intentions to get buried under personality differences and nonsensical rules. It made me wonder: Was I volunteering out of the goodness of my heart? Was anybody? Or were we all chasing some kind of validation because we didn't feel useful enough? I wanted to understand it all better. That's how the idea for the novel began. In your author bio, you call yourself a "reluctant socialite." What does that mean? How would you describe your social life around Miami, and how did it factor into your writing process? I live with the constant internal struggle of Do I want to wear sweatpants in bed or get dressed up to go out? Honestly, it's usually the former that hooks me, but the FOMO is real. We live in one of the most beautiful, vibrant, and exciting cities in the world. There are incredible things to do seven nights a week. I love being out and soaking in the energy of the town, but I also love quiet and a good book under the covers. Two decades into my life in Miami, I'm still trying to find a balance between saying yes and prioritizing quiet time, but I can't complain. It's an honor to be a part of the Miami community, and I'm lucky to feel as integrated as I do. There's the other benefit of being out and about, too: collecting so much inspiration for writing social satire. As an active participant in all of it, I try to see the humor and criticism from both sides. What was the publishing process like for you? Before I started querying for "Pink Glass Houses," everything about the publishing process seemed intimidating and shrouded in mystery. The game-changing moment for me happened when I took a novel-generator workshop with Catapult, P H OTO G R A P H Y: CO U R T N E Y R O DW E L L (E L I A S) 108 BAL HARBOUR

• Cover