Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds: Poems y Cuentos New and Selected by liz gonzález
About
In “Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds: Poems y Cuentos New and Selected,” liz gonzález explores memories, pivotal experiences, and cultural influences that shaped her: The death of a young father, family relationships that nurture and challenge, and the joys and struggles of growing up as a nontraditional Catholic Mexican American. Set against the diverse landscapes of the San Bernardino Valley and Los Angeles, these richly textured and sometimes humorous works, real and imagined, illuminate the trials and beauty of girls’ and women’s journeys to reclaim themselves.
Praise for “Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds”
“This collection of poetry and prose by liz gonzalez heralds another watermark in the enduring presence of a vital Southern California writer.”
– Ruth Nolan, author of “Ruby Mountain”
Overlaid with the rituals and imagery of the Catholic church and 70s rock, funk, and R&B bands pouring from car radios, the Inland Empire is alive with culture, sensation and the fullness of life.
– Suzanne Lummis, author of “Open Twenty-Four Hours: Poems”
liz gonzález, MFA, grew up in the San Bernardino Valley. She is the author of “Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds: Poems y Cuentos New and Selected” (Los Nietos Press July 2018). Her poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction have appeared in the “City of Los Angeles Latino Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide,” “Inlandia: A Literary Journey,” “BorderSenses,” and “The San Francisco Chronicle” and has been widely anthologized. She is the author of the poetry collection “Beneath Bone” (Manifest Press 2000). Her awards include an Arts Council for Long Beach Professional Artist Fellowship, an Elizabeth George Foundation Artistic Grant, and residencies at Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, the Lucas Artists Residency Program, and Hedgebrook.
liz lives in Long Beach, California, with an indifferent chihuahua, a talkative tortie cat, and Jorge Martin, a scientist and musician. She directs Uptown Word & Arts and is an instructor for the UCLA Extension Writers Program.
She can be found at: http://