Change Genres, Buy Indie, Read Local.

Dog checking out heart made of pebbles
Zainy, AKA The Big Sassy, who crossed the rainbow bridge this week, exploring her local environment. She discovered some geological love. I thought of this photo when reading “California Continuum.”

I have three things on my mind concerning reading and writing, and they all begin with trying something new: change genres, buy indie, and read local. 

Change Genres

In the past few months, I’ve written a few pieces of flash fiction. The very short form is new to me. It’s been fun trying to get the complete arc of a story into 500 words. In addition, a couple of cool ideas for fantasy short fiction have popped into my head. (I typically write realistic short fiction.) I’m hoping to start working on first drafts, but I’m also pulled back to my YA novel. In other areas of my life, I don’t have an attention deficit, but as a writer, I’m constantly pulled off my current project by a new idea.

Read Local

In the past year, I’ve been reading local authors. A rare few have achieved commercial success, such as Susan Straight. Her most recent book, a memoir, includes many memories that take place in Inland Southern California. In the Country of Women is another wonderful book in a series of wonderful books Straight has written, and is deservedly popular. 

Because I like variety in my reading, I’ve also been looking for lesser known writers and works that speak to topics of interest to me. Reading local authors who have been published by independent presses is a great way to do this. These writers publish with indie presses because they have worthy ideas or a story to tell that a major publisher may not take on. In addition, they may be experimenting with form/a layer of creativity that frightens major publishers who want to make safe bets. But you and I are not reading for safe bets.

Image of book cover ‘Behind the Red Curtain’
Look what arrived in the mail yesterday–my hardbound copy!

I had the opportunity to read a new memoir, Behind the Red Curtain, by Hong-My Basrai. I met Hong-My more than a decade ago in a local chapter of the California Writers’ Club. Though I haven’t been involved with that group in many years, she sent me an advanced copy of her book, the story of her family’s escape from Communist Vietnam. I won’t go into detail about Behind the Red Curtain here because I reviewed it in some depth on my School Library Lady blog (have a look!). I just want to add to that review that without its small press publisher, Los Nietos, it might not have made its way into the world. 

Buy Indie: Los Nietos

Los Nietos Press describes its mission as follows: “Los Nietos Press publishes works of poetry and short story that help us understand the lives and history of the people who make up the diverse community of Southern California.” Behind the Red Curtain is a full-length memoir, so I think another goal of Los Nietos speaks to why it was the midwife delivering this memoir: “We are looking for work that is about the person, but also about place; work that sheds light on the author as well as, or in the context of, Southern California.”

Read Local: California Continuum

Image of ‘California Continuum’

A book that pulls together all three of the things I’ve been interested in lately—flash fiction and nonfiction, local writers and local publishers—is the difficult to categorize California Continuum by Grant Hier and John Brantingham. Grant is the poet laureate  of the city of Anaheim. Brantingham is the poet laureate of Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks. He also runs many workshops for writers in the San Gabriel Valley and just opened a gallery in the Inland Empire. If you happen to live in SoCal, you might want to follow the San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival on Facebook and Twitter (@SGVLitFestival) to get updates on workshops, events and readings. 

The description of California Continuum on Amazon is a bit misleading as it begins “Literary Nonfiction.” The flash pieces by authors Grant and Brantingham are both fiction and nonfiction. It is, as described, “a nonlinear look at little discussed aspects of the history of California.” While one of the themes is “the violence endemic to the state,” the story of violence mentioned in the introduction—that of Reginald Denny being beaten after the Rodney King decision—is much more about love and forgiveness.

Image of rock shaped like a heart

I loved reading this odd treasure as it ranges through geology (yes, I love to read about rocks and tectonic plates), prehistory, early native Californians, immigrants, and modern culture. Some pieces center on twentieth-century events such as the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the Zoot Suit Riots. Pieces on the role of water in the state particularly interested me. All events are told through the viewpoints of individual characters, making them poignant and immediate. Though the chronology is nonlinear, it is organized thematically under six headings: Go to the West; Symbols of Human Failure; I Am Not Free; A Thinking Animal; A Single Thing in Nature; and Driving Wedges.

Buy Indie: Pelekinesis 

So, yes I recommend that you buy and read California Continuum, particularly if you are writing (or considering writing) flash fiction or nonfiction. You will support not only the local writers, but the indie press, Pelekinesis. Its mission is described on its website as focusing “on the development of literary-minded authors and artists by embracing the evolving publishing paradigm and creatively supporting the skills of these talented individuals.” Have a look at some of their off-the-beaten-path titles. 

Note: I don’t have other posts about local authors and presses to refer you to, but here’s one on shopping at local bookstores that includes some info on how they support local writers and indie presses with their events.

Change genres, buy indie, read local. Happy reading and writing!

6 Responses

  1. Laura Garland

    Thank you for your thoughts, and the titles of new books for me to read!

  2. Frank Kearns

    Thank you Victoria for the kind mention of Los Nietos Press. I love your themes of “Read Local” and “Buy Indie.”

    And a great shout out to “California Continuum” by Grant Hier and John Brantingham. I will definitely get this book; I am just learning about Grant Hier, but I do know John Brantingham. He has helped so many in the Southern California writing community.

    • Victoria Waddle

      John really does so many amazing things for So Cal readers and writers! As do you all who are helping bring out these local stories!

  3. John Brantingham

    Thank you so much Victoria. I agree with all of this including reading locally. So much is happening here, right here in the IE!