Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden," where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show, author Soma Mei Sheng Frazier talks about her debut novel “Off The Book," which is about a young Oakland woman who works as an underground chauffeur. Then, in her new novel "Few Blue Skies," Oakland author Carolina Ixta, takes us to Southern California. The story is about a high school student who is fighting environmental injustice in her community, and falling in love with her classmate.
Today’s show is about young sheroes.
Soma Mei Sheng Frazier
In the novel, “Off the Books” a young, Chinese Oakland woman has a secret, underground job. She chauffeurs mysterious people to their destinations. No questions asked. But she has a lot of questions for her new client who needs a ride across the country to transport a large, black suitcase. What’s in the bag is a mystery.
"Off the Books" is Soma Mei Sheng Frazier's debut novel. It has received a lot of good buzz from such outlets as The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. Soma is the former San Francisco Library Laureate. Currently, she’s a creative writing professor at SUNY Oswego. Host Jeneé Darden talked with Soma about themes of family, grief and romance in her book.
Carolina Ixta
In her first novel, “Shut Up, This is Serious” writer Carolina Ixta showed readers life in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood through the eyes of two Latina teenagers. That book resonated with Host Jeneé Darden because that was her community when she was a teenager.
For her sophomore novel, the award-winning author takes young readers to Southern California’s Inland Empire. “Few Blue Skies” is about a Mexican-American teenage girl who’s also a journalist and activist. She’s advocating against a company that’s been polluting her community, and is planning to build a warehouse next to her high school. The story is inspired by real-life incidents. Jeneé spoke with Carolina about environmental injustice in communities of color, how protesting can affect an activist’s personal life and teen romance in her novel.
"Celebrating Literary Foremothers: A Benefit for Chapter 510"
Chapter 510 & the Dept. of Make Believe
Sunday, March 22
Oakland, CA
Chapter 510 is a writing center for youth located in Downtown Oakland. The benefit's incredible lineup features Berkeley Poet Laureate Aya de León, author Angela Dalton, poet Judy Juanita and "Sights + Sounds" Host Jeneé Darden. Public historian and celebrated librarian Dorothy Lazard will host. Admission is free, but this is also a fundraiser so books and merch will be sold to support the center. Donations are welcome.
