Desert: Southern California and the Sahara
Read my latest essay/memoir hybrid piece that was just published in Panorama Journal: the Journal of Travel, Space, and Nature.
My research includes Amy Lifland and Luca Ranieri on the Sahel and Glen M. MacDonald on Southern California.
“This memoir documents my anxiety—from preteen to adulthood—about desertification in Southern California and the Sahel. My feelings highlight how the natural environment can create a sense of belonging or alienation. This braided creative nonfiction piece grapples with the gulf between the production of academic writing and creative writing.
The outing included me, the other kids my age, and the chaperoning adults. We all departed from Los Angeles for a day trip to the mountains and I assume the invitation came from a very close family friend because I was elementary-school age and my grandmother wouldn’t have allowed me to go off with just anyone. And wow the mountains sounded like a fun place where I was sure I would see snow and since my grandmother said yes I dressed for the cold…”
Continue reading at Panorama Journal.
Thanks again to Panorama Journal for publishing my work!