Liza Monroy's debut novel was published by Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House.
See more here.
Lately, I’ve been loving the journalism that’s been appearing on this fascinating site, MYOO. (As in, com-myoo-nity 
) I got to interview a real Brazilian shaman, Maria Lucia Bittencourt Sauer. Read the profile here. And bookmark the site! Myoo is one of my favorite reads on the internet these days–tons of newsy and in-depth pieces about global issues and interesting people.
I will be teaching during the winter quarter through UCLA Extension! Check out my page and sign up for the class here.
THIS is one to take to the beach this summer. It’s juicy yet literary, plotted like a film yet character-driven, scandalous yet thoughtful. I guess I should mention the voice and the writing while I’m at it. And the author’s interesting biography. Seriously. Google her.
I’ve been writing a lot of book reviews lately and haven’t had much time for pleasure/research/inspiration reading. I finally got a break and chose to revisit Borderlines, a memoir by Caroline Kraus. I got the galley (advance reading copy) back in 2002 when I worked in the Literary department at William Morris. It was one of the gazillion galleys sent to my boss every week. I started reading at my desk and could not stop. I didn’t do much of anything else until I finished it.
I moved recently and my book collection was upended and I rediscovered Borderlines. Remembering how much I loved it at age 22 (Character-Caroline is in her early 20s in the memoir [narrator-Caroline speaks from a later place of reflection, a great example of Phillip Lopate's philosophy of double perspective])) I wondered if it would be just as great nine years later.
It was. I knew where it was going and still felt all the suspense and tension. Kraus manages to turn an introspective story about a dysfunctional “friendship” and her mother’s death into a page-turning thriller that’s also a deep look into one woman’s mind and grief. She makes you feel like you’re living it with her, and it’s a terrifying ride. I’m so glad I revisited this winning memoir that’s a beautiful use of the form. Kraus is a screenwriter, too, so I’m hoping a movie version is in the works.
John Gibler, an intrepid journalist originally from Texas, grew up with Mexican culture and it remained an interest and influence as he embarked on his journalism career. His latest book, To Die in Mexico astounded me. Aside from all the information and first-hand stories that one would not encounter elsewhere, what struck me most about this book was a sense of admiration for what Gibler accomplished here, and plain old relief to learn that he is alive and well. Few people are willing to risk their lives to bring untold stories to life. My Q&A with Gibler about his experience and writing process can be found here.
Pre-order To Die in Mexico
…was anything BUT bad. Check out my review here.
My latest essay, originally entitled “On Coming Out,” appears in the Life section of Salon. Check it out here.
I had never been to this conference before. I wish I’d gone back in 2008 when it was in New York City AND I had a book coming out. This year’s was in D.C., and it was awesome. I collected a bunch of notes I re-posted for my Mediabistro students and figured I’d put a little truncated taste here on this blog as well. This selection comes courtesy of one of my very favorite panels, about being a writer without a full-time academic job. These days, it seems creative writing and the academy are very merged, and it’s harder to imagine doing it the Kerouac or Heming – way of living some kind of more extreme life and translating that to the page. There are various kinds of writing lives within the larger concept of “The Writing Life” and that was always the one I was drawn to, ever since I was a teenager. Maybe it was just a way to avoid feeling like I had to grow up and work in an office, but I still think there’s something to trying to keep things (ie, your time) open in your life, and how that might be better for your writing.
I’ve been able to do some travel writing as a result, for instance. It’s all about striking a balance, but it isn’t easy or everyone would do it. A more recent example can be found in Elizabeth Gilbert, who shunned the MFA route in favor of working in a bar, traveling, listening to people…the school of life. When you’re a writer, every room you walk into is a classroom, everything that happens is a lesson.
Knowing there are many possible tracks is a comforting thing in a career that’s heavy on risk.
Freerange Reading, January 2011