Category Archives: Events
Two Rejections, a Reading, and a Photo (Sort of) with Peter Coyote
Getting one’s writing published can be an exercise in both perseverance and masochism. Most of us have experienced both seemingly endless strings of rejections and mercifully short ones. This is a story of the latter. Two rejections indirectly led to … Continue reading
The Next Big Thing—Skinny, awkward brown girl
Wendy Call, author of No Word for Welcome (winner of the Grub Street 2011 National Book Prize in Non-Fiction), tagged me in the Internet chain game in which writers answer a set of questions about their next writing project. You … Continue reading
Posted in Events, On Writing, People
I See the World Differently
As a writer in Seattle, I’m lucky to have had the support of two arts organizations. Funding from 4Culture and from the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs helped me complete my novel When the de la Cruz Family … Continue reading
Belonging and Proyecto Saber—Not Minor Things
Belonging (or not belonging) is a theme I deal with frequently in my writing, including my current project, a novel depicting the life lessons a Mexican-American girl learns in kindergarten through high school. The project is supported by artist grants … Continue reading
Posted in Events
Weekend at Wordstock – October 13-14, 2012
Wordstock is the largest book festival in the Northwest and takes place in green, hipster, literary Portland, OR. I had long been meaning to go but never managed to schedule the trip. This year was different. I was invited to … Continue reading
The Art of the Long Walk
When my husband dropped me off at Golden Gardens Park last Thursday for the start of the Long Walk, many of the walkers had already assembled. “That’s not your demographic,” he chuckled. Indeed, many of the participants were decades younger … Continue reading
Posted in Events, Miscellaneous Musings, People
“…where the land stops, the sea begins, and the mind keeps going. “
There’s a gem of a writers’ conference in my backyard. Okay, not literally. There’s a ferry ride from Seattle involved and a scenic drive on the Kitsap Peninsula across Hood Canal and up the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula … Continue reading
Posted in Events, People
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Creating a Scene with Charles Baxter
One of my favorite sections in Charles Baxter’s The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot is “Creating a Scene.” Baxter points out that “In daily life, a writer may practice conflict-avoidance, but in fiction a writer must welcome conflict and walk … Continue reading
Posted in Events, On Writing, People
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The Big Picture, Loose Ends, and the Dream Deferred at the L.A. Times Festival of Books
At the L.A. Times Festival of Books held April 21 and 22 on the USC campus, I was at the author table at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop booth for two hours each on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the … Continue reading
Posted in Events, On Writing, People, Places
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Reading and Writing in San Diego
When I was in San Diego last month to participate in the Kartika Review reading and fundraiser (which, by the way, was a total blast), I decided to attend the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference happening that weekend. It’s … Continue reading
Posted in Events, On Writing
