Sumiko Saulson's Blog, page 60
November 12, 2012
Interview with Maria Nieto, author of Pig Behind the Bear
Dr. Maria Nieto
Dr. Maria Nieto
Maria grew up in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles and moved from the area in 1984 to attend a Ph.D graduate program in Immunology at UC Berkeley. Maria currently resides in Oakland and works as a Professor of Biology at California State University, East Bay where she has been engaged in underrepresented minority student recruitment, teaching, and research for over 22 years. As a researcher and educator Maria’s writings have taken the form of scientific journal publications, and more recently popular press articles. Pig Behind The Bear represents Maria’s first work of fiction.
The Book:
Pig Behind the Bear
Pig Behind the Bear
It’s 1971 and junior LA Times reporter Alejandra Marisol is working on a commemorative piece to recognize famed LA Times reporter Rubén Salazar who was murdered one year earlier. While working on the piece Alejandra enlists the help of characters, who challenge us to think differently about ourselves and the world we live in, as she gets embroiled in a murder mystery that appears to have ties to Salazar’s death. The reader will travel through streets and townships where rich Angelino culture comes to life, and where tragedy and despair are transformed into hope.
“Maria Nieto has managed to write a charming story that tackles huge cultural issues such as the assassination of Ruben Salazar. Part LA noir mystery, part family drama, part magic realism, Nieto takes us on a ride through Los Angeles touching the cultural milestones and heart of Chicano/LA history past and present. ” - Herbert Siguenza, founding member of Culture Clash
The Interview
Q. “Pig Behind The Bear” is a work of fiction, but the murder of Ruben Salazar was real. How did you find yourself combining the facts of Salazar’s life and untimely death with junior reporter Alejandra Marisol’s fictionalized quest to commemorate him?
A. This is a great question. I wanted to write a story that revived the fervor of the ’70s; a time when people, in large mass, thought that the ability to change the “system” from the grassroots level was possible. I initially set out to write a story whereby I could change the past in order to change the present. I wanted to create a different present, one where people from all ethnic groups were connected and working in common pursuit of social justice for all. I chose a character and a time frame to begin my story for this purpose.
Q. I was very excited to learn that your book takes place in Los Angeles in the 70s – one of my books “The Moon Cried Blood” also takes place in Los Angeles around the bicentennial, and I lived there in the 70s when I was a little girl. I found myself having to do a lot of research to get details right, such as moon phases, for example. Did you find that true with “Pig Behind The Bear”?
A. I did do some research, but honesty, most of the content for the book I drew from life experiences. For good or for bad, I had the good fortune of being exposed to many walks of life. I grew up with a politically active mother, a step-father who was an LAPD homicide detective, a father who was an activist and photographer for the La Raza Party – and all of this couched in a milieu of domestic and sexual abuse. When I think of being blessed, I truly think of being able to view, first-hand, disparate worlds.
Q. At another time when writing about the 70s, I found myself mentioning ibuprofen, which of course was not an over the counter medication at the time – it came out in editing. I am curious, did writing a novel that takes place in the past present any of those kinds of challenges for you?
A. Absolutely, I had to confront my past, and the “monsters” that lived in that past, and doing so was hard. In the best moments, the hardness gets transformed into hope, but in the worst moments, I understand that the pain is and always will be there and you just have to find a way to live alongside it.
Q. Your book reflects upon Los Angeles and the diversity of the cities’ culture. Do you think Angelino culture has changed much since the 1970s – both the city as a whole and Chicano culture within the city, and the various communities and townships within the Greater Los Angeles Area?
A. Yes, I think Angelino culture has changed. I think Los Angeles suffered just like many other cities from folks fleeing the area for the suburbs. As a result many areas lost economic vibrancy. Take the downtown area as just one example. Over the last decade the importance of creating and maintaining a vibrant city is on the rise, and folks are coming back to live in Los Angeles city proper. It’s a rebirth of sorts, similar to the one occurring in Oakland. Arts and culture are on the rise, and this is a wonderful thing. With regard to Chicano culture I believe the same thing is occurring. It is important that we reflect on the past and on a movement that shaped our struggle for equality. We need to understand that struggles for rights never end and we have see our personal struggles as being tied to every other human who struggles for equality, dignity and peace.
Q. Los Angeles is almost notorious for its history of conflict between police and the minority communities, a history I as an African American am also familiar with – and Ruben Salazar was a notorious case. Do you think that controversial aspect of Los Angeles has changed much?
A. It will always be the case that some people with power will abuse that power. There are bad cops and there are good ones. Unfortunately, because police hold power over us, when even if one bad police officer misbehaves, the entire force must be held accountable. As a public we need to hold those in power accountable and this is one of our ongoing struggles that will never end and must never end. However, I also feel that as a public when we hold power structures accountable we need to also hold ourselves accountable or we risk losing legitimacy. For example, we cannot ask police to solely be responsible for making our communities safe. We as residents need to connect with our neighbors as one part of what is needed to make our communities safe.
Q. Do you think that stories like yours will help people to remember and avoid a repeat of history?
A. It appears that us humans are destined to keep repeating our mistakes. In this regard, however, it is important that we also maintain our hope that we will reach a point when we recognize our failings and truly believe that we can be different beings on this planet. I wrote the book with this belief in mind.
Q. Your story transforms tragedy into hope, and has a certain heartwarming quality even as it tackles difficult subject matters, making them accessible to the reader. What genre or genres do you consider the writing to occupy?
A. The book is many things. It’s hard to fit it into one genre so I’ve come up with historical fiction/crime-drama.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers that we haven’t covered yet?
A. When common people come together to do good works then real transformative power is attainable.
Where To Get It:
http://pigbehindthebear.com/site/
http://www.amazon.com/Pig-Behind-Bear-Maria-Nieto/dp/148009367X
Like Omg! They said my name n stuff…
Well okay… that’s probably because I asked a question on air, but you still should check out the Dinner Party Show, because it’s an example of hilarious sketch comedy… You know, like Monty Python or Saturday Night Live, but without pictures.
The Dinner Party Show
So there premiere is HERE…
In case you were wondering what this is all about… Christopher Rice and Eric Shaw Quinn are two funny, sarcastic guys whose offbeat humor appeals. I have a sneaking suspicion that my Californian sensibility contributed to the hilarity… I was laughing so much my fiance thought I was losing my mind. And so did my cats, now that I think about it. In case you want outside verification of their humor, check out this highly amusing Examiner interview:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-dinner-party-show-with-christopher-rice-and-eric-shaw-quinn
The first episode features an interview with Anne Rice. Here is a choice quote from the show…
“I am the only woman every played by Brad Pitt on the screen.” – Anne Rice
That was in answer to a question about which characters were most like her.
[In other news, I'm pretty sure "tea" was a euphemism for California' s medicinal marijuana on this program...]
Anne answered my question about the sequel to the Wolf Gift. Amazingly, my
The Wolf Gift
name was also pronounced correctly [thank you Christopher or Eric...] – I asked if there would be a sequel, and if Oakland would be in it. So as far as the sequel goes – there will be one! Possibly “The Wolves of Midwinter” but the title is still tentative. Anne said “oh no I left out Oakland” and I wasn’t clear on whether or not that meant it would not be in the sequel.Oakland was briefly in the Wolf Gift, in a cemetery battle scene, wherein lycanthropic superhero Reuben Golding gives a couple of thugs the beat down for harassing a young localt. When I read it I thought of the cemetery up the street from me, Home of Peace, a 113-year-old Orthodox Jewish cemetery. Jewish cemeteries are important historically, because so many were destroyed during the holocaust. Here is an article about the Cemetery I saw in my mind’s eye when I read the scene in “Wolf Gift”.
http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/63050/new-life-for-old-orthodox-cemetery-in-oakland/
Then my homey Dr. Dre stepped in with a gang of Tanqueray Candles
The Dinner Party Show touched upon serious topic, but for the most part it was simply hilarious, with a raucous and not overly barbed sensibility that made me fondly remember the television comedy programs I listened to with my father as a child in the 70s. Radio comedy is one of those things I love that I enjoy much less of in this day and age. I am glad to find a program of this quality on the Internet. I don’t know which of the guys was doing which of the voices but the “Heartland Candle” sketch had me rolling in my seat. I definitely need some aromatic Nacho and Tanqueray candles for the holidays.
And I am definitely looking forward to the Wolf Gift sequel next year… even if it doesn’t wind up featuring my beautiful home East Oakland.
November 8, 2012
Night of Writing Dangerously
Solitude Disillusionment (my project)
Dear Friends, Family, and Righteous Supporters,
On November 18, the Office of Letters and Light will be bringing together the most mighty of endurance novelists for an event that will define our generation forever.
I’m speaking, of course, of National Novel Writing Month’s Night of Writing Dangerously. It’s a write-a-thon, and it will take place at the beautiful Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco. With your help, I can be sitting in one of these empty seats, writing my heart out and raising money for the Office of Letters and Light, NaNoWriMo’s parent nonprofit.
Attendees like me must raise $250 to get in the door, and from there, a rich array of prizes, delicious food, and sumptuous writing time awaits. But this is not about me getting a treat-filled night of literary abandon. This is about children and adults getting the encouragement, structure, and inspiration they need to achieve their creative potential. Proceeds from the event will fund National Novel Writing Month’s free creative writing programs in hundreds of schools and communities around the world.
The Office of Letters and Light does inspiration like nobody else (did I mention I’m writing an entire novel this November?). And on their behalf, I am asking you to donate.
Also, I will let you touch my raffle prizes if I win some.
Thank you for supporting me in my novel-writing quest, and for helping the Office of Letters and Light create a more engaged and inspiring world.
You can donate here…
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?f...
November 5, 2012
Slow and Steady Doesn’t Give Me An Ulcer
I’m not sure that it wins any races, though.
Like me, the turtle has written 6k words for NaNoWriMo.
So the book readings were a lot of fun. At the ones where I read “Solitude”, I sold almost every copy of the book that I had – in fact, I moved a decent amount of books there. But I am not exactly rolling in the dough. I mean to say I sold 15 books at those two combined – and one book at the Salon, which was not a bookstore. So I’ve learned something, “you sell more books at bookstores”.
I am a very prolific writer… but I am not a very prolific publicist. Fortunately, my mom helps me with publicity and she considers the book readings a success, so we are working on setting up the next ones, in between doing the other things involved with the day to day living of life. But I am a very prolific writer: I have four books out as we speak: three novels and one short story anthology, and of course now I am in the middle of writing a sequel to “Solitude” called “Disillusionment.”
“Count them – 1,2,3,4, 4 Books, hahahahahah!” – The Count
I want to say… if you have purchased and enjoyed any of these books I would love it if you could recommend and/or review them on Lulu or Amazon. You can find them here:
And there is linkage to where they can be purchased and reviewed.
And NaNoWriMo? It is this…
This is me…
http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/sumiko-saulson/novels
October 31, 2012
Come Party With Me! Online… Book… Release… PArtaaaayyy!!!
Partay!
So today is the day! The day of the official release for “Things that Go Bump In My Head”, a book of short stories. And to celebrate, I’m going to party… on the internet, at any rate. Yes, I know, it’s pretty nerdy but I have already videotaped myself reading from stories in the book, so I will be posting up the videos… and I even got a one week rental on a little place over in SecondLife so you can drop by if you’re there and pick up a nice t-shirt or two for your avatar. And there are posters, you know – virtual wall posters. Yowza.
The Book
Things That Go Bump In My Head
“Things That Go Bump In My Head” is a collection of short stories and other writing by horror and science fiction novelist Sumiko Saulson. A bit of old fashioned horror… a ghost story… a couple of works on the dark humor side of horror (and they are unabashedly funny), a science-fiction dystopic tale, a few works of psychological horror… even a bit of poetry. It contains: “Frankenzombie”, “A Life of Her Own”, “Agrippa”, “I, Stammer (In Disbelief)”, “Dead Horse Summer”, “Attempted Happiness” and other short stories. Because it is a collection of these pithy and varied tales… there is a bit for everyone: Reading “Things That Go Bump In My Head” is like entering a haunted house ride… you never know what you will find around around the corner.
The Facebook Party
You are all invited: right here! Right… well, right here in cyberspace, to the
It’s Coming!!!!! It’s HERE!
release of my new short story collection, “Things That Go Bump In My Head!” Pre-release copies are already HERE and Andie is working on the introduction to the book…. it’s all coming together and I am so excited! During the event, I’ll post videos from the previous book readings for those of you who are not local and can’t go in person… and we’ll have group chat. If you want to chat during the event join here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/246136485451150/
The group takes place at 5pm Pacific Time, so remember that it’s PDT if you are in another time zone.
The SecondLife Party
River of Lava
Come hang out at the Book Release Party and pick up your free “Things That Go Bump In The Night” t-shirt. Also available: free Frankenzombie t-shirt, and feel free to grab a poster from any of the four books. Ask the writer’s avatar questions. Get a virtual beverage. All that good stuff. If you want to party out on the river of lava outside the hut well… you can do that too. Kick back and enjoy the nice bay views.
The SLurl is:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife...
The Lulu Sale
Brainfood – Get It While It’s Hot!
Warmth
Almost as if knowing I would be both releasing a new book with “Frankenzombie” in it, Lulu has provided this AWESOME coupon with which you can purchase the book for 20% off. While you are at it, feel free to pick up a new copy of “Warmth” which has the tagline “Just when a ghoul thought it was safe to get a boob job… no one expects the Zombie Apocalypse.” You will love this ghoulish tale of gory ghoul zombie slayers. Yes. Zombie-slaying ghouls, you read that right. It’s campy compared to my other stuff, and basically a whole lot of fun.
Find me on Lulu here:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/sumikoska
October 29, 2012
Upcoming Interviews (for November 2012)
We have three interviews coming next month, two of them with writers I have been so fortunate as to enjoy the opportunity to hear read this month as both Howard Brad Halverson and Rain Graves are among the writers I was at readings with this past month. All three of the writers I’ll be interviewing are local, and reside here in the Bay Area. That is exciting for me because it means I have the opportunity to see about some face-to-face interviews and perhaps videotaped segments.
Here’s the line up:
Howard Brad Halverson
The Writer:
Howard Brad Halverson
Author of “The End and the Echo” (on The Passion of Abolition press) a novella that bridges the genres of Modern, Fiction, Literary, Experimental, Cultural Criticism, and Romanticism. A recent graduate from San Francisco State University with a BA in English Literature, Howard Brad Halverson is now turning to authorship. Originally from Northern Utah, Howard has also traveled extensively in many different underground music groups or solo and even a semester abroad in Växjö Sweden. Howard is influenced largely by modernism and seeks to maintain a deconstructive approach to all projects. With his fledgling novella, The End and the Echo, expect a varied stumbling through human thought and experience, often complimented with cultural criticism. Howard aspires to continue writing as well as being involved with many other creative or expressive endeavors.
The Book:
The End and the Echo
Brandon Anderson is caught in the grips of despair when he begins to chronicle his itinerant affair with Gillian, the youth whose beauty enamored him years ago. Drifting aimlessly, their chance meetings mesh into a panoramic of desire, saw-toothed edges hacking at the boundaries of relationships, dark corners of attraction exploding in slow motion.
In the recollections of Gillian that Brandon conjures destiny is questioned; whether true love is the thread coursing through their intimate engagements or if feelings are only the byproducts of cultural patterns. A sense of estrangement sears between the lines, Brandon’s experiences oscillating around idealizations of love and the flagrant betrayal his desire entails.
Dr. Maria Nieto
The Writer:
Dr. Maria Nieto
Maria grew up in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles and moved from the area in 1984 to attend a Ph.D graduate program in Immunology at UC Berkeley. Maria currently resides in Oakland and works as a Professor of Biology at California State University, East Bay where she has been engaged in underrepresented minority student recruitment, teaching, and research for over 22 years. As a researcher and educator Maria’s writings have taken the form of scientific journal publications, and more recently popular press articles. Pig Behind The Bear represents Maria’s first work of fiction.
The Book:
Pig Behind the Bear
It’s 1971 and junior LA Times reporter Alejandra Marisol is working on a commemorative piece to recognize famed LA Times reporter Rubén Salazar who was murdered one year earlier. While working on the piece Alejandra enlists the help of characters, who challenge us to think differently about ourselves and the world we live in, as she gets embroiled in a murder mystery that appears to have ties to Salazar’s death. The reader will travel through streets and townships where rich Angelino culture comes to life, and where tragedy and despair are transformed into hope.
“Maria Nieto has managed to write a charming story that tackles huge cultural issues such as the assassination of Ruben Salazar. Part LA noir mystery, part family drama, part magic realism, Nieto takes us on a ride through Los Angeles touching the cultural milestones and heart of Chicano/LA history past and present. ” - Herbert Siguenza, founding member of Culture Clash
Rain Graves
The Writer
Rain Graves
Rain Graves is a Bram Stoker Award (2002) winning poet and writer currently living in San Francisco with one large black cat, and one small white cat. She has been published in the horror fiction and poetry genre since 1997, in various magazines, books, and webzines. She is an ordained Priestess of Isis in the Temple of Isis and Fellowship of Isis, as well as a retired dance instructor, and former musician. Her latest books include BARFODDER: Poetry Written in Dark Bars & Questionable Cafes (2009), and THE HAUNTED MANSION PROJECT: Year One (2012). Look for THE FOUR ELEMENTS in the fall of 2012 from Bad Moon Books, as well as her fiction in the popular Zombies vs. Robots comic book series of anthologies – WOMEN ON WAR – due out from IDW Publishing in the fall of 2012. For more information on appearances, visit http://www.raingraves.com
The Book
Barfodder
“Barfodder: Poetry Written in Dark Bars and Questionable Cafes” - Worlds created; nightmares given. The universe is a tiny grain of sand, and by turns, it opens up into a revolving world of horrific little poems in BARFODDER by Rain Graves. Each poem tells a distinct story from serial killers, to love and loss, to the raising of Cthulhu in a haiku. Each poem in this collection was inspired by and written in a dark bar or questionable café throughout her travels…called forth by ominous candles, succulent liquors, and velvet curtains to delight the reader with a sensory of dark, demonic, luxurious imagery. It slides off the tongue like river slime…or a very good port (depending on if you swallow).
Events – Tomorrow Tuesday! Night Before Halloween
Local authors Sumiko Saulson and Serena Toxicat will be reading and signing books at Laurel Bookstore in Oakland the night before Halloween! Join us for this fantastic night of fun and fantasy, and feel free to bring the kids along.
Serena Toxicat will be reading from her Science Fiction/Dark Fantasy sensation “Evangeline and the Drama Wheel”
Sumiko Saulson will be reading from her Science Fiction/Horror story “Solitude”
It will be a fun, holiday themed all age event
Best costume (grown up) wins a book and best costume (kid) wins Halloween themed school supplies.
Costume Contests: Win a book for Best Costume!
Fun Free Stuff: Goody Bags for the Kids! Bookmarks for you!
Directions:
BART/BUS
Take BART to Fruitvale Station: From there, take the 14 Downtown Oakland Bus to 39th and MacArthur.
More information under
October 26, 2012
Does Not Compute[r]
Wrist brace = compute less = mouse less = type less = ACK!
Please explain to my wrist and thumb that it is hard to write with the wrist brace. They need to get well soon. This blog post will be short.
[re]Announcing the Bats in the Belfry Contest!
Announcing the Bats in the Belfry Contest!.
So far we have two entries:
ENTRY # 1 = Martin Kjeldsen’s Belfry
ENTRY # 2 Jan Levine’s Bat
There is still time for YOU to enter! Enter now to win a copy of “The Moon Cried Blood”. Here’s a review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very powerful imagery September 29, 2012
By M. E. Valenzuela
Format:Paperback
Cycles of the moon, Generations of women, a young woman unaware of her incredible gift. A delicate weaving of history, character development and esoteric overlay that makes for an interesting saga. I read it twice, I missed a lot in the first round with all the symbolism. A lot of work went into the background and technical aspects of the writing itself and it shows.
