Jessica M. Goldstein: On Writing Workplace Fiction
In this interview, author Jessica M. Goldstein discusses writing about office culture and nostalgia in her debut speculative novel, Retro.
Jessica M. Goldstein is a journalist and humorist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vulture, Marie Claire, McSweeney’s, and more. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Facebook and Bluesky.
In this interview, Jessica discusses writing about office culture and nostalgia in her debut speculative novel, Retro, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Jessica M. Goldstein
Literary agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, Neon
Book title: Retro
Publisher: Ballantine, Penguin Random House
Release date: June 23, 2026
Genre/category: Speculative literary fiction
Elevator pitch: An unemployed, down-and-out actress gets a job as a “Time Travel Agent” at a start-up, Retro, that takes wealthy tourists on vacations to historical hotspots. It’s all thrilling, dazzling, and totally surreal—until her trips to the past threaten to unravel her present.
What prompted you to write this book?
I started with the idea of a time travel agency. I loved the wordplay, and I couldn’t stop imagining this dazzling, unsettling workplace. I wanted to write about how strange work can be, about casual corporate cruelty, odd office norms, and the bizarre relationships (like a work wife or nemesis) that form on the job.
At the same time, I was struck by how relentlessly nostalgic everything in culture had become, from politics to entertainment to fashion. Everyone was obsessed with reviving the past; the future looked bleaker than ever. Even though I knew, intellectually, people were romanticizing history—and, in some cases, deliberately misremembering it—I could relate to that sense of hopelessness about what was coming next. I wanted to explore those complicated, conflicting emotions in a novel, and I could tell this would be a way to do that while also telling a story full of humor and adventure.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I spent about two and a half years writing Retro and then another year or so in edits. The heart of the idea has been there from the very beginning, but the emotions in it just kept expanding. What started out as this playful idea about office culture and flitting across spacetime became a story about much bigger things: memory, love, hope, despair, whether anything we do really matters, and if we’ll ever be able to know for sure.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
It’s wild to go from being alone at your desk with your imagination to having a whole team of people aiding and abetting your efforts to bring a book into the world. I knew it would be big—it is a literal “big five” publisher—but I was amazed at how big an operation it turned out to be. It’s been a lot, in the best way.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I’m not an outliner, so I was discovering the story as I went. Surprises abounded! But I think my favorite surprises were whenever characters I’d intended to have smaller roles wound up mattering more to the story (and to me) than I ever expected.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I would love if Retro inspired readers to reflect on why they feel the way they do about their respective pasts and futures, and to have fun, unwieldy, heated conversations/arguments with their friends about all the possibilities the book presents.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Don’t wait until you think you know what you’re writing about to start writing. Writing is the best way to find out.
