God Eats Veggie Burgers
by Natasha Thakkar
A Chino Hills religious community struggles to build the temple of their dreams while studiously avoiding onion, garlic , and the wrath of their non-Hindu neighbors.
They sway side-to-side with the melodies, like a calm river, clapping softly to the rhythms. I sit there, static, like a rock in this peaceful river, my hands clutching my notebook as if it were a lifesaver. Never have I felt less Indian.
Imagining Tijuana
by William Hillyard
A longtime traveler to the city spends a night rediscovering what he's always loved about the place: local cuisine and street food, classical guitar, and Starbucks.
One rough character prodded me to sing, forcing a worn songbook into my hands. He leaned over, his eyes shaded under an enormous hat, and joked in perfect, accentless American English, “I used to be nervous about singing, but you gotta just picture everyone in the room in their underwear, you know? Like that episode of the Brady Bunch, remember that one?"
Nature of the Unknown
by Ryan Deto
In the wake of a tragic shark attack in Solana Beach, a writer contemplates our relationship with sharks both real and imagined.
On the morning of April 25, 2008, the serene atmosphere along the coast changed; less than half a mile north, a wide streak of blood crept up from the shoreline, extended onto the beach, and stained the dark, dirty sand red.
Day As a Day Laborer
by Ryan Deto
A college student moonlights as a day laborer in one of Orange County's most exclusive gated communities.
The two-story house in San Clemente is designed to look as if it were built in Tuscany or Spain with beige painted walls and a red-shingled roof. We follow the lady to the backyard, where I become overwhelmed. The grass reaches up to my shins, weeds litter every planter box, and a miniature bamboo-like reed chokes the entire yard.
Fighting the Flames
by Joshua Massatt
The firefight of a lifetime for a crew battling the Laguna Canyon blaze.
The men in the vehicle were all struck with deep awe forat this fire. It was simply too powerful and too fast for their resources to defeat before it wrought devastation. It was stunning.
Beyond the Green Line
by Gray Beltran
Recovered snapshots from a civil war in Lebanon.
Growing up, her father would climb to the top of the tall white mulberry tree and shake its branches while the rest of the family, waited below with a wide bed sheet, catching the tiny fruits. Now, amidst the fruit trees and the garden, the backyard was buried in shrapnel, a strange, metallic fruit mingled amongst the fallen white mulberries, figs, and red grapes.
Two Families, One Heart
by Louise Truong
How a distant acquaintanceship between two Southern California families helped them to make the best of a terrible situation.
Less than two minutes after they left the house, less than half a mile from
Lucky’s, the car struck a signal pole at the intersection of Pacific Island Drive and Highlands Avenue. None of the passengers were wearing a seatbelt.
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